I'm sitting next to a window in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sky is completely grey and it's about to rain. The breeze is a welcomed change from the typical 35C weather. I just finished four cups of chai masala. I originally ordered double so that Eric could share with me, but he went to use the internet instead. So I accidentally got to drink four cups. An awesome accident.
Before I write more about India, I need to finish Malaysia as well as Thailand and Cambodia. Here we go...
Mabul Island (Mar. 15 - Mar. 17)
Can't say much more about diving at Sipadan than: amazing. I flew to Tawau, in the eastern part of Sabah, on a Saturday morning. Then bused to Semporna and took a boat to Mabul Island. Mabul Island has about 3 really nice resorts and one local village. The island is tiny and would only take about 30 minutes to walk its entire perimeter. I stayed in the village with a local family that had built additional rooms for tourists. I orignally booked only 3 dives, but that quickly changed.
Immediately after I had settled into my room I met a Dutch couple that currently live in Costa Rica and run a dive shop there. They told me they were about to leave for a late afternoon dive around Mabul Island so I too went along. The visibility was a bit murky, but everything else was beautiful. There was a ridge of beautiful hard and soft coral hosting tiny pygmy seahorses, and I mean tiny (about 1 inch long), colorful nudibranchs, and we ended the dive in the presence of a massive sea turtle - she was at least as long as I am tall.
There was a group of about 18 Malaysians diving with the same company as me. They were wonderfully friendly and I even met up with one of the guy's (Sam) when I was back in Kuala Lumpur. After grabbing a coffee in the mall below the Petronas Towers and giving me a DVD full of underwater pictures from the Sipadan dive trip, Sam gave me a tour of KL in his company van. Unfortunately it was pouring, so the tour was largely conducted from inside the van. The roads were flooded and at one point a car drove past us and blinded us with water. A scary moment considering how people drive in KL (however, after being in India, driving in KL is like driving through State College, PA). That was a bit off topic, back to Mabul Island:
The next day: 4 more dives. We left at 5:30AM for Pulau (island) Sipadan. Sipadan is one of top diving destinations in the world and until recently, the island used to be populated with resorts and tourists. A couple years ago, in the interest of conserving the rapidly declining reefs around the island, the Malaysian government closed all of the resorts. Now only 120 people can dive around Sipadan per day. Our first dive was along a steep wall. We went down to about 30 meters, and even from that depth we couldn't see the bottom. The coral really wasn't that impressive, but the visibility was amazing and we saw at least 6 reef sharks.
The second dive was at a site called Coral Garden and was absolutely spectacular. We entered the water over a densely covered reef flat. We swam over all different types and colors of coral until the reef opened into a seemingly bottomless abyss. We descended, surrounded on three sides by walls of coral and then began swimming along one of the walls. I could see forever in front of me, forever below me, and the sky above. I could have stayed underwater forever. The wall was so densely covered with coral and as we swam closer we could see that it was teeming with much smaller life: sea stars, nudibranchs, sea squirts, sea cucumbers, huge sea turtles nestled into coves within the wall... It was amazing. We ended the dive back on the reef flat in the company of at least 3 sea turtles. Minutes before we ascended we heard what sounded like one of our air tanks crashing into the coral below. It was a bomb, probably about 40 miles away. Dynamite fishing is illegal, but apparently still practiced by fisherman. It's sad that such a destructive method of fishing is still in use, especially in an area hosting some of highest marine diversity in the world.
I had an amazing weekend. Although the diving was the best I've ever done, the experience wouldn't have been quite the same without the people I met, the dive masters with whom I dove, the company of the local villagers, and the traditional Malay meals. It's so nice to be part of a community as opposed to observing it from the luxury of a resort.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
A Little Hiking
Kinabatangan River (Mar. 7 - Mar. 9)
There were so many things that I wanted to do while in Borneo: scuba dive, climb Mt. Kinabalu, see orangutans... But I quickly learned that I couldn't do everything and that it's ok not to do everything. Anyway, I've already accepted the fact that I'm going back to Borneo.
After 2 days of staying in Vincent the Drunk's guest-house I moved to the North Borneo Cabin. So much nicer. And my home for the next 16 days. The rooms were spotless, bathrooms were nice, and the staff was awesome. So awesome that they booked and arranged all of my travel around Sabah for me. I didn't have to think at all; I just sat at the reception, told them what I wanted to do, and a few quick phone calls later my itinerary was set.
After 4 days of volunteering, I headed east toward the Kinabatangan River on a 6 hour bus ride. I got off the bus at a small roadside cafe in a tiny town. I'm not even sure it could be considered a town. I was then supposed to be picked up by a guide who would take me to a jungle lodge on the Kinabatangan. I did find a guide (Jay), but he was looking for Amanda. Apparently I was Amanda, or that's at least what he decided. We were soon picked up by Sam, who was also looking for Amanda and who also readily accepted that I was she. The three of us first stopped at a small grocery store to pick up a some food supplies. I still wasn't sure whether I was with the correct guides, but for some reason I felt quite comfortable with Jay and Sam. Everything turned out fine. After driving for about an hour through endless palm oil plantations, we arrived at the river.
The lodge was absolutely basic and absolutely lovely. It was run by locals (river people - orang sunai) and when I arrived was immediately greeted with a warm cup of rose tea. The women then showed me to my room: a dorm shared with David, a British guy that I actually knew! I had previously shared a dorm with David while at Vincent's guest house. It was so nice to see a familiar face, especially considering that everyone else at the lodge (13 other guys) was part of a Dutch fraternity reunion.
Less than an hour after I arrived, the 15 of us piled into a boat just in time for the rain. It poured. And the leeches were out in force - the guys still had leeches on their rain gear from jungle trekking earlier that day. It was pretty funny watching those grown men squirm away from the little leeches. One of the Dutch guys had a leech on his cheek and David had one on his chair. After watching him try to flick it off for a few minutes I grabbed it and tossed it overboard.
The rain slowly cleared and we saw heaps of macaques and a few proboscis monkeys as we boated down the river. The highlight of the trip was a green tree viper. One of the Dutch guys (Strong Man) pointed it out and our guide, Kai, positioned the boat directly beneath the overhanging branch on which the viper was perched. Kai got a kick out of placing the boat and us so close to the poisonous snake. More than once, the boys scrambled to the far side of the boat as the snake approached their heads. I was already on the far side of the boat and didn't have to move - I just hoped we wouldn't capsize. Crocodiles or a viper? Don't know which I'd prefer.
That evening we all ate together. I quickly got to know the Dutch guys quite well. This was their second reunion. Since graduating from university they have organized a trip every 5 years. They fund these vacations by creating a pool of money to which everyone contributes a portion of their monthly salary. Then when year 5 rolls around they have all the money they need to travel together in a foreign country for a couple weeks! Amazing, huh? Such an awesomely simple idea. After eating we decided to play a game. I can't remember the name or even all of the rules, but it had to do with putting celebrity names in a bucket and each person would pull a name and try to describe the celebrity to their teammates without using proper nouns. The next round we used the same names, but you could only use one word to describe the celebrity, and for the final round you could only pantomime. The added twist was that everything had to be in English - for the sake of David and me. It was hilarious. The 13 Dutch were constantly arguing. In Dutch "I" is not a proper noun, so lots of the guys used it to describe their celebrity only to be quickly admonished by people from the opposite team. The game got pretty heated and was made even more exciting when "Strong Man's" plastic chair broke under his weight - an entire leg snapped in half. I think I almost peed my pants. The next morning one of the women asked what happened and the only answer she got was, "Oh, it was Strong Man."
David and the Dutch guys left the following day and I spent the afternoon trekking with Nelly, my guide, in the jungle. The banks of the Kinabatangan are teeming with wildlife: monitor lizards, macaques, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, pygmy elephants, hundreds of birds, and snakes. The high diversity of rare animals in such a small space is quite spectacular, but also very sad. Palm oil plantations are all over Malaysia. Native forests are cleared and replaced with the economically important palm oil trees. The palms take about 2 years to mature and can then be harvested for their fruit, from which oil is extracted, every month for about 20 years. The success of the palm oil industry has resulted in the mass destruction of much of Malaysia's natural forests. The high diversity of rare animals along the Kinabatangan is a direct result of palm oil plantations: palm plantations are slowly encroaching upon the Kinabatangan, destroying these animals' habitat and forcing them closer and closer to the river's banks.
On the third day I started my journey back to Kota Kinabalu. Sam drove me from the lodge back to the small roadside cafe, where together we waited for the bus. To pass the time Sam and I practiced his English and he taught me some Malay. It was an awesome exchange of information - I even learned how to construct some simple Malay sentences. I was also very grateful for his company. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to wave down the bus, much less know which one to stop. Sam took care of everything for me; he even escorted me to the bus door.
There were so many things that I wanted to do while in Borneo: scuba dive, climb Mt. Kinabalu, see orangutans... But I quickly learned that I couldn't do everything and that it's ok not to do everything. Anyway, I've already accepted the fact that I'm going back to Borneo.
After 2 days of staying in Vincent the Drunk's guest-house I moved to the North Borneo Cabin. So much nicer. And my home for the next 16 days. The rooms were spotless, bathrooms were nice, and the staff was awesome. So awesome that they booked and arranged all of my travel around Sabah for me. I didn't have to think at all; I just sat at the reception, told them what I wanted to do, and a few quick phone calls later my itinerary was set.
After 4 days of volunteering, I headed east toward the Kinabatangan River on a 6 hour bus ride. I got off the bus at a small roadside cafe in a tiny town. I'm not even sure it could be considered a town. I was then supposed to be picked up by a guide who would take me to a jungle lodge on the Kinabatangan. I did find a guide (Jay), but he was looking for Amanda. Apparently I was Amanda, or that's at least what he decided. We were soon picked up by Sam, who was also looking for Amanda and who also readily accepted that I was she. The three of us first stopped at a small grocery store to pick up a some food supplies. I still wasn't sure whether I was with the correct guides, but for some reason I felt quite comfortable with Jay and Sam. Everything turned out fine. After driving for about an hour through endless palm oil plantations, we arrived at the river.
The lodge was absolutely basic and absolutely lovely. It was run by locals (river people - orang sunai) and when I arrived was immediately greeted with a warm cup of rose tea. The women then showed me to my room: a dorm shared with David, a British guy that I actually knew! I had previously shared a dorm with David while at Vincent's guest house. It was so nice to see a familiar face, especially considering that everyone else at the lodge (13 other guys) was part of a Dutch fraternity reunion.
Less than an hour after I arrived, the 15 of us piled into a boat just in time for the rain. It poured. And the leeches were out in force - the guys still had leeches on their rain gear from jungle trekking earlier that day. It was pretty funny watching those grown men squirm away from the little leeches. One of the Dutch guys had a leech on his cheek and David had one on his chair. After watching him try to flick it off for a few minutes I grabbed it and tossed it overboard.
The rain slowly cleared and we saw heaps of macaques and a few proboscis monkeys as we boated down the river. The highlight of the trip was a green tree viper. One of the Dutch guys (Strong Man) pointed it out and our guide, Kai, positioned the boat directly beneath the overhanging branch on which the viper was perched. Kai got a kick out of placing the boat and us so close to the poisonous snake. More than once, the boys scrambled to the far side of the boat as the snake approached their heads. I was already on the far side of the boat and didn't have to move - I just hoped we wouldn't capsize. Crocodiles or a viper? Don't know which I'd prefer.
That evening we all ate together. I quickly got to know the Dutch guys quite well. This was their second reunion. Since graduating from university they have organized a trip every 5 years. They fund these vacations by creating a pool of money to which everyone contributes a portion of their monthly salary. Then when year 5 rolls around they have all the money they need to travel together in a foreign country for a couple weeks! Amazing, huh? Such an awesomely simple idea. After eating we decided to play a game. I can't remember the name or even all of the rules, but it had to do with putting celebrity names in a bucket and each person would pull a name and try to describe the celebrity to their teammates without using proper nouns. The next round we used the same names, but you could only use one word to describe the celebrity, and for the final round you could only pantomime. The added twist was that everything had to be in English - for the sake of David and me. It was hilarious. The 13 Dutch were constantly arguing. In Dutch "I" is not a proper noun, so lots of the guys used it to describe their celebrity only to be quickly admonished by people from the opposite team. The game got pretty heated and was made even more exciting when "Strong Man's" plastic chair broke under his weight - an entire leg snapped in half. I think I almost peed my pants. The next morning one of the women asked what happened and the only answer she got was, "Oh, it was Strong Man."
David and the Dutch guys left the following day and I spent the afternoon trekking with Nelly, my guide, in the jungle. The banks of the Kinabatangan are teeming with wildlife: monitor lizards, macaques, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, pygmy elephants, hundreds of birds, and snakes. The high diversity of rare animals in such a small space is quite spectacular, but also very sad. Palm oil plantations are all over Malaysia. Native forests are cleared and replaced with the economically important palm oil trees. The palms take about 2 years to mature and can then be harvested for their fruit, from which oil is extracted, every month for about 20 years. The success of the palm oil industry has resulted in the mass destruction of much of Malaysia's natural forests. The high diversity of rare animals along the Kinabatangan is a direct result of palm oil plantations: palm plantations are slowly encroaching upon the Kinabatangan, destroying these animals' habitat and forcing them closer and closer to the river's banks.
On the third day I started my journey back to Kota Kinabalu. Sam drove me from the lodge back to the small roadside cafe, where together we waited for the bus. To pass the time Sam and I practiced his English and he taught me some Malay. It was an awesome exchange of information - I even learned how to construct some simple Malay sentences. I was also very grateful for his company. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to wave down the bus, much less know which one to stop. Sam took care of everything for me; he even escorted me to the bus door.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I Love Borneo
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo (Mar. 3 - Mar. 21)
Borneo was amazing. It was absolutely my favorite place I've visited yet. And I am going back. Volunteering at the Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI) was absolutely the best decision I have made on this trip, despite the fact that I initially dreaded the decision. It takes me a few days to adjust to a new place, which I tend to forget in the moment. After 1 day at BMRI had elucidated my volunteer project: a proposal describing marine ecotourism and public outreach initiatives that BMRI could implement in an effort to help conserve Sabah's marine resources and to communicate BMRI's research to the public. Woah, that was a mouthful. It was surprisingly fun to have a project and a deadline. I even enjoyed reading some of the current literature on ecotourism. I spent almost every weekday at the Institute. My typical day, although long (usually 8AM - 6PM), was filled with reading, emailing friends, calling family, drinking caramel Tea-Chinos, hanging out with the aquarium staff, Moose and Musa, chatting with BMRI staff, meeting with organizers of other marine public outreach programs (one really cool local NGO focusing on high school students and marine conservation and I also met with the WWF-Malaysia marine project manager), and of course I worked on my proposal.
The staff and professors were so welcoming and friendly - quite a few took the time, a lot of time, to sit down and explain their research to me as well as discuss current environmental issues in Borneo. One afternoon two professors took me to lunch, then, once back at the Institute, a third joined us and we talked for a couple hours about mangroves, shrimp farms, coral reefs, sea turtles, fishing techniques that are illegal but still common, and loads more.
During my stay, BMRI held a seminar, jointly organized with Kinki University in Japan, focusing on sustainability of seafood resources. The director of the Institute invited me. I got to participate in every aspect of the conference - I even got my own nametag and bag! The first day was dedicated to aquaculture and the second focused more on marine diversity and policy. It's sad how quickly this area's marine resources are being depleted and destroyed. One big problem here is shrimp farming. Mangrove forests (important nurseries for many economically important fish species) are often destroyed to build these farms; furthermore farming exchanges a high volume of water with the surrounding natural environment, in turn causing nutrient enrichment (leading to eutrophication), introducing disease, and not to mention it is costly to constantly fill and refill tanks. One of the PhD students here was testing the effectiveness of Aquamats, a US product, that is placed in a shrimp tank and provides substrate for phytoplankton to grow. A simple yet highly effective technique, the phytoplankton successfully filtered the water and increased water quality as well as greatly reduced the frequency of water exchange with the surrounding ocean. There is no governmental support (money), however, for implementing such sustainable measures. Quite a frustrating problem. There is a solution but how do you get everyone to participate?
Everyday that I went to the Institute, Mabel picked me up from my guesthouse and then dropped me off again in the evening. She quickly became my closest friend at BMRI. We spent a lot of time together: in the car, at work, and just hanging out. One day after work we stopped at a local restaurant to get tea and a snack and talk about her research. The snack ended up being intestines and stomachs. I originally thought I was eating chicken and beef. I understood when Mabel ordered these two things in Malay (ayam dan daging), I just failed to understand the waiter when he said they didn't have anymore of either meat and that they only had perut - intestines and stomachs. It was actually pretty good, I just thought the "beef" was a little undercooked. Halfway through, Mabel told me what I was eating and she thought it was quite hilarious. I finished eating, and it was ok, but not nearly as good as when I thought it was just chicken and beef.
My last full day in Borneo was a public holiday - Muhammad's birthday. Mabel invited me to go with she, her husband, and her little sister to a huge local market. Of course I went. I love markets. They are so overwhelming: the smells, the sounds, the crowds, thousands of different things to look at and try. It was really interesting walking through the seafood section, especially after having spent a few weeks at the Institute learning about all the problems with illegal fishing techniques, over-harvesting of marine populations, and fishing of endangered species. Mabel was my translator and we walked from vendor to vendor asking from where they got their fish or shellfish and how much it cost. Some guys were selling giant clams. Have you ever seen one? They're beautiful. Tons of different colors because of the photoautotrophic algae living in their mantles. They're endangered, but that doesn't deter people from eating them; there were loads being sold at the market. Most were still alive. Also, the freshwater fish that they were selling were almost all in bags, with a minimal amount of water, and again, still alive. They had live eels and turtles in plastic bags, too. As a whole, the seafood section was quite a sad sight. Borneo has such a diversity and abundance of marine resources. And they have laws to protect them (well sort of), just no money or manpower to enforce all the laws they make.
Seafood is delicious. And to keep it in the markets and on our tables we need to make responsible decisions when choosing and eating seafood. We should always ask before we eat: From where did the fish, shrimp, crab, etc. come and how was it caught (ie: farmed, trawling, long-line, etc)? The Monterey Bay Aquarium maintains an awesomely informative website about how to sustainably eat seafood in the USA, including a useful pocket-size guide listing the best and worst seafood choices (based on fishing methods, current status of populations, metal content, etc.) that you can consult whenever and wherever: http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch.asp
Print one and put it in your wallet!
Borneo was amazing. It was absolutely my favorite place I've visited yet. And I am going back. Volunteering at the Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI) was absolutely the best decision I have made on this trip, despite the fact that I initially dreaded the decision. It takes me a few days to adjust to a new place, which I tend to forget in the moment. After 1 day at BMRI had elucidated my volunteer project: a proposal describing marine ecotourism and public outreach initiatives that BMRI could implement in an effort to help conserve Sabah's marine resources and to communicate BMRI's research to the public. Woah, that was a mouthful. It was surprisingly fun to have a project and a deadline. I even enjoyed reading some of the current literature on ecotourism. I spent almost every weekday at the Institute. My typical day, although long (usually 8AM - 6PM), was filled with reading, emailing friends, calling family, drinking caramel Tea-Chinos, hanging out with the aquarium staff, Moose and Musa, chatting with BMRI staff, meeting with organizers of other marine public outreach programs (one really cool local NGO focusing on high school students and marine conservation and I also met with the WWF-Malaysia marine project manager), and of course I worked on my proposal.
The staff and professors were so welcoming and friendly - quite a few took the time, a lot of time, to sit down and explain their research to me as well as discuss current environmental issues in Borneo. One afternoon two professors took me to lunch, then, once back at the Institute, a third joined us and we talked for a couple hours about mangroves, shrimp farms, coral reefs, sea turtles, fishing techniques that are illegal but still common, and loads more.
During my stay, BMRI held a seminar, jointly organized with Kinki University in Japan, focusing on sustainability of seafood resources. The director of the Institute invited me. I got to participate in every aspect of the conference - I even got my own nametag and bag! The first day was dedicated to aquaculture and the second focused more on marine diversity and policy. It's sad how quickly this area's marine resources are being depleted and destroyed. One big problem here is shrimp farming. Mangrove forests (important nurseries for many economically important fish species) are often destroyed to build these farms; furthermore farming exchanges a high volume of water with the surrounding natural environment, in turn causing nutrient enrichment (leading to eutrophication), introducing disease, and not to mention it is costly to constantly fill and refill tanks. One of the PhD students here was testing the effectiveness of Aquamats, a US product, that is placed in a shrimp tank and provides substrate for phytoplankton to grow. A simple yet highly effective technique, the phytoplankton successfully filtered the water and increased water quality as well as greatly reduced the frequency of water exchange with the surrounding ocean. There is no governmental support (money), however, for implementing such sustainable measures. Quite a frustrating problem. There is a solution but how do you get everyone to participate?
Everyday that I went to the Institute, Mabel picked me up from my guesthouse and then dropped me off again in the evening. She quickly became my closest friend at BMRI. We spent a lot of time together: in the car, at work, and just hanging out. One day after work we stopped at a local restaurant to get tea and a snack and talk about her research. The snack ended up being intestines and stomachs. I originally thought I was eating chicken and beef. I understood when Mabel ordered these two things in Malay (ayam dan daging), I just failed to understand the waiter when he said they didn't have anymore of either meat and that they only had perut - intestines and stomachs. It was actually pretty good, I just thought the "beef" was a little undercooked. Halfway through, Mabel told me what I was eating and she thought it was quite hilarious. I finished eating, and it was ok, but not nearly as good as when I thought it was just chicken and beef.My last full day in Borneo was a public holiday - Muhammad's birthday. Mabel invited me to go with she, her husband, and her little sister to a huge local market. Of course I went. I love markets. They are so overwhelming: the smells, the sounds, the crowds, thousands of different things to look at and try. It was really interesting walking through the seafood section, especially after having spent a few weeks at the Institute learning about all the problems with illegal fishing techniques, over-harvesting of marine populations, and fishing of endangered species. Mabel was my translator and we walked from vendor to vendor asking from where they got their fish or shellfish and how much it cost. Some guys were selling giant clams. Have you ever seen one? They're beautiful. Tons of different colors because of the photoautotrophic algae living in their mantles. They're endangered, but that doesn't deter people from eating them; there were loads being sold at the market. Most were still alive. Also, the freshwater fish that they were selling were almost all in bags, with a minimal amount of water, and again, still alive. They had live eels and turtles in plastic bags, too. As a whole, the seafood section was quite a sad sight. Borneo has such a diversity and abundance of marine resources. And they have laws to protect them (well sort of), just no money or manpower to enforce all the laws they make.
Seafood is delicious. And to keep it in the markets and on our tables we need to make responsible decisions when choosing and eating seafood. We should always ask before we eat: From where did the fish, shrimp, crab, etc. come and how was it caught (ie: farmed, trawling, long-line, etc)? The Monterey Bay Aquarium maintains an awesomely informative website about how to sustainably eat seafood in the USA, including a useful pocket-size guide listing the best and worst seafood choices (based on fishing methods, current status of populations, metal content, etc.) that you can consult whenever and wherever: http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch.asp
Print one and put it in your wallet!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Volunteering Continued: Borneo
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo (Mar. 3 - Mar. 21)
Searching for volunteer positions in Australia also led to searching for volunteer positions in Borneo. A quick google search took me to the Borneo Marine Research Institute's (BMRI) website and a few minutes later I had emailed the director. My idea of volunteering was to help with some research projects and scuba dive for free. After emailing back and forth for a couple weeks with the director, my idea of a simple volunteer project rapidly developed into a project requiring a proposal and a letter of reference. Ok, so maybe my stay in Borneo was going to be a little more work than play...I could handle that, right?
First days are always overwhelming. I arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Monday morning. A few days before arriving I had booked accommodation and arranged airport transportation. When I walked out of the airport, Vincent, the owner of the guesthouse, was waiting for me. A very nice guy, but I quickly learned that he was also quite the alcoholic. 10:30AM and Vincent drove me to the guesthouse with an ice cold beer secured between his legs. I had promised the marine institute that I would come by after lunch. Next problem: I had no idea where the Institute was nor how to get there. Vincent quickly solved that problem and offered to personally take me to the Univerisity of Malaysia Sabah campus after he had picked up a few more guests from the airport. I'm sure he continued to drink beers as he made his afternoon pick-ups. And then just as he promised he took me to the University, with a fresh stash of 2 beers. I know it was dumb to have ridden with him. But it was free and I didn't know where I was going.
When I arrived at BMRI, Siti, the receptionist, was waiting for me. I thanked Vincent and jumped out of the car. Siti took me to meet with the director. Despite the fact that I had to write a proposal for my volunteer project, I quickly learned that my project had nothing to do with what I wrote. Actually, after meeting with the director I had no clue what I was going to be doing for the next 18 days. Something about developing marine ecotourism to help conserve Sabah's natural heritage....? After such a fruitful meeting, Siti escorted me to my new office. Can you believe that?? The Institute had given me an office, a desk, a computer, and had even printed my full name, "Elizabeth Lindsay Podowski," on the door! Sweet, I had an office to sit in and surf the web all day because I still had no idea what my project was.
Later that afternoon, I met Dr. Mabel. Her office was directly across from mine, and she quickly became my main resource and closest friend. After talking with her for a little bit, I developed a basic understanding of my volunteer project: to propose marine ecotourism and public outreach initiatives that would highlight the current research at the institute. Enough progress for the day. Siti drove me home that evening enabling me to avoid drunken Vincent's services
Those first couple of days I really questioned whether or not I had made the right choice in committing myself to volunteering for the entire length of my stay in Borneo. Did I really want to sit behind a desk all day when I could be scuba diving, climbing Mt. Kinabalu, visiting the orangutan rehabilitation center, or jungle trekking?
Searching for volunteer positions in Australia also led to searching for volunteer positions in Borneo. A quick google search took me to the Borneo Marine Research Institute's (BMRI) website and a few minutes later I had emailed the director. My idea of volunteering was to help with some research projects and scuba dive for free. After emailing back and forth for a couple weeks with the director, my idea of a simple volunteer project rapidly developed into a project requiring a proposal and a letter of reference. Ok, so maybe my stay in Borneo was going to be a little more work than play...I could handle that, right?
First days are always overwhelming. I arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Monday morning. A few days before arriving I had booked accommodation and arranged airport transportation. When I walked out of the airport, Vincent, the owner of the guesthouse, was waiting for me. A very nice guy, but I quickly learned that he was also quite the alcoholic. 10:30AM and Vincent drove me to the guesthouse with an ice cold beer secured between his legs. I had promised the marine institute that I would come by after lunch. Next problem: I had no idea where the Institute was nor how to get there. Vincent quickly solved that problem and offered to personally take me to the Univerisity of Malaysia Sabah campus after he had picked up a few more guests from the airport. I'm sure he continued to drink beers as he made his afternoon pick-ups. And then just as he promised he took me to the University, with a fresh stash of 2 beers. I know it was dumb to have ridden with him. But it was free and I didn't know where I was going.
When I arrived at BMRI, Siti, the receptionist, was waiting for me. I thanked Vincent and jumped out of the car. Siti took me to meet with the director. Despite the fact that I had to write a proposal for my volunteer project, I quickly learned that my project had nothing to do with what I wrote. Actually, after meeting with the director I had no clue what I was going to be doing for the next 18 days. Something about developing marine ecotourism to help conserve Sabah's natural heritage....? After such a fruitful meeting, Siti escorted me to my new office. Can you believe that?? The Institute had given me an office, a desk, a computer, and had even printed my full name, "Elizabeth Lindsay Podowski," on the door! Sweet, I had an office to sit in and surf the web all day because I still had no idea what my project was.
Later that afternoon, I met Dr. Mabel. Her office was directly across from mine, and she quickly became my main resource and closest friend. After talking with her for a little bit, I developed a basic understanding of my volunteer project: to propose marine ecotourism and public outreach initiatives that would highlight the current research at the institute. Enough progress for the day. Siti drove me home that evening enabling me to avoid drunken Vincent's services
Those first couple of days I really questioned whether or not I had made the right choice in committing myself to volunteering for the entire length of my stay in Borneo. Did I really want to sit behind a desk all day when I could be scuba diving, climbing Mt. Kinabalu, visiting the orangutan rehabilitation center, or jungle trekking?
Picture Update
My public gallery on Picasa now has New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand posted.
Click here to check it out.
Also, Des posted her pictures from when we were together in Thailand; she documented our trip more thoroughly so check those out, too.
Also, Des posted her pictures from when we were together in Thailand; she documented our trip more thoroughly so check those out, too.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Hello Malaysia!
Pulau Sembilan (Feb. 29 - Mar. 2)
8 hours after landing in Kuala Lumpur my dad and I headed north for a 3 day dive trip. At the end of February my mom and dad did their open water and advanced certifications, respectively, in Indonesia. Lucky, I know. Now it was my turn to dive with my dad and get my advanced certification.
We did 1 1/2 days of diving near Pulau Sembilan - famous for seahorses. The first morning we woke up to rain. After breakfast and having a Spanish woman think that I was my dad's wife, we got in the water. Visibility was poor at best. I think I could see maybe a meter in front of me. And the sea was quite rough. We did 5 dives that day, including one night dive. I thought I would love the night dive, but it wasn't really that great. However, I don't think it was the night dive that I didn't like, but the crappy visibility and the fact that my mask was squeezing my face so hard I thought it might break. A few weeks later, while diving off the coast of Borneo, a Dutch woman gave me a brilliant and logical tip: loosen the straps on my mask. Wish I could have thought of that on my own...
The next morning the water was calm and clear, and we did two more dives. I love diving with my dad. I mean really, how many people get to go scuba diving with their dad in southeast asia? The whole trip was quite amazing. Even if conditions aren't perfect, I love being in the water. Plus we had an awesome Malay cook, who also thought I was my dad's wife (hmmm seeing a trend here...), and awesome Malaysian food for every meal: noodles, rice, sweet potatoes (one of my new favorites), mangoes, fried eggs, soups full of veggies, chicken, and seafood, and so much more.
On Sunday afternoon we drove back to Kuala Lumpur to meet my mom. The next morning I was off early - on a plane to Kota Kinabalu, a city in Sabah, Borneo.
8 hours after landing in Kuala Lumpur my dad and I headed north for a 3 day dive trip. At the end of February my mom and dad did their open water and advanced certifications, respectively, in Indonesia. Lucky, I know. Now it was my turn to dive with my dad and get my advanced certification.
We did 1 1/2 days of diving near Pulau Sembilan - famous for seahorses. The first morning we woke up to rain. After breakfast and having a Spanish woman think that I was my dad's wife, we got in the water. Visibility was poor at best. I think I could see maybe a meter in front of me. And the sea was quite rough. We did 5 dives that day, including one night dive. I thought I would love the night dive, but it wasn't really that great. However, I don't think it was the night dive that I didn't like, but the crappy visibility and the fact that my mask was squeezing my face so hard I thought it might break. A few weeks later, while diving off the coast of Borneo, a Dutch woman gave me a brilliant and logical tip: loosen the straps on my mask. Wish I could have thought of that on my own...
The next morning the water was calm and clear, and we did two more dives. I love diving with my dad. I mean really, how many people get to go scuba diving with their dad in southeast asia? The whole trip was quite amazing. Even if conditions aren't perfect, I love being in the water. Plus we had an awesome Malay cook, who also thought I was my dad's wife (hmmm seeing a trend here...), and awesome Malaysian food for every meal: noodles, rice, sweet potatoes (one of my new favorites), mangoes, fried eggs, soups full of veggies, chicken, and seafood, and so much more.
On Sunday afternoon we drove back to Kuala Lumpur to meet my mom. The next morning I was off early - on a plane to Kota Kinabalu, a city in Sabah, Borneo.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
And the Rest of Australia
Townsville (Feb. 19 - Feb. 28)
And I'm going to start where I left off before that Thailand interlude: After a couple wrong turns, Lachin drove me right up to Jeremy's driveway and transferred me from one group of amazing people to another.
I felt instantly comfortable with Jeremy. He and his roommates welcomed me into their home in every way possible. The very first thing we did was go to the grocery store. And Jeremy walked around the whole place barefoot. Isn't that so spectacular? I hate wearing shoes, and Australia doesn't really care whether you wear them or not (in most places). After we dropped our food off at his apartment, Jeremy showed me around the downtown of Townsville, which is really only a few streets, and took me to a diving company so that I could schedule a dive on the Great Barrier Reef: the one thing I HAD to do before leaving Australia.
Jeremy lived with two other guys: Mick and Lui. Mick is from Australia and can drink like an Australian. He always referred to me as sweetie, a name I quickly learned to accept as part of Mick's personality. He also loved to talk, and because of that I learned heaps, particularly about Borneo and Australia. He had just been to Borneo for a month long university class and absolutely loved it. He gave me all of his left over diahrrea and malaria medicine and had some fantastic snake wrestling stories. Mick also introduced me to kangaroo steaks, which surprisingly were really good.
For 3 full days, Jeremy and I hung out non-stop. We went to the aquarium, the Townsville Museum, strolled along The Strand and got icecream, explored the James Cook University Campus (and yes we even went to the library and I got some books!), and played sand volleyball. Then he and Mick returned to Orpheus Island for 5 more days of volunteering, and I moved into Jeremy's room (I had pretty much been there already as Jeremy insisted I sleep in his bed and he take the couch) and became Lui's only roommate.
Lui is from Germany, but has been going to university and working in Australia for about 6 years. I loved living with Lui. We didn't do much beyond sit on the balcony, drink Ouzo, and talk. And it was awesome. That was mostly in the evenings - during the weekdays, I was on my own since Lui had a job. I spent one afternoon/evening with Yui (remember, I met him on Orpheus, too) on Magnetic Island; we got over to the island just in time for sunset, walked the beach, and then grabbed some dinner. I also spent a lot of my time climbing up and down Castle Hill- a steep granite monolith (according to Wikipedia) with a trail to the top cutting right through Jeremy's front yard. The view from the top is amazing - you can see all of Townsville sprawled below, right up to the edge of the ocean.
I spent a full day being ferried to the Great Barrier Reef (Wheeler Reef), diving, and then being ferried back. I did 2 dives - the second was better than the first. We dove on a more interesting section of the reef on the second dive. Not to mention, my dive buddy was a cute New Zealander, but that doesn't really matter underwater. The coral was beautiful - massive rocks (bommies) were completely covered in all different types and colors of coral, and my favorite part was swimming through two closely spaced bommies, like swimming through a valley surrounded by mountains of coral and fish.
Oh, and I learned to drive on the left side of the road - really not that hard and rather intuitive. I borrowed Jeremy's car for the day and drove about an hour outside of Townsville to Crystal Creek. Crystal Creek is nestled in the southernmost section of Queensland rainforest and is a series of waterfalls, creeks, and swimming holes. I went swimming in a pool at the base of a waterfall - so cool, fresh, and relaxing. And no crocs!
When Jeremy and Mick got back from Orpheus, I drove up to the University to pick them up. Later that afternoon, my last one in Townsville, Jeremy and I drove to a little park at the edge of Townsville to which neither of us had ever been. We trekked through the mucky trail in our flip flops, frequently flipping mud all over one another. The trail led us to a secluded cove that opened up to the ocean. We climbed some rocks and then sat and talked. Beautiful, serene, and no better way to spend my last day.
Before I end this, I have to describe sleeping on Jeremy's bed. The bed itself was nice, but nothing extraordinary. The view from his bed, however, was incredible. One side of his room was a wall of windows overlooking Townsville, the ocean, and Magnetic Island. Every morning as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the night sky, I could open my eyes, without moving my body, and be completely eye level with the water-sky horizon. It was simply amazing.
Thank you Jeremy, Lui, and Mick for everything.
And I'm going to start where I left off before that Thailand interlude: After a couple wrong turns, Lachin drove me right up to Jeremy's driveway and transferred me from one group of amazing people to another.
I felt instantly comfortable with Jeremy. He and his roommates welcomed me into their home in every way possible. The very first thing we did was go to the grocery store. And Jeremy walked around the whole place barefoot. Isn't that so spectacular? I hate wearing shoes, and Australia doesn't really care whether you wear them or not (in most places). After we dropped our food off at his apartment, Jeremy showed me around the downtown of Townsville, which is really only a few streets, and took me to a diving company so that I could schedule a dive on the Great Barrier Reef: the one thing I HAD to do before leaving Australia.
Jeremy lived with two other guys: Mick and Lui. Mick is from Australia and can drink like an Australian. He always referred to me as sweetie, a name I quickly learned to accept as part of Mick's personality. He also loved to talk, and because of that I learned heaps, particularly about Borneo and Australia. He had just been to Borneo for a month long university class and absolutely loved it. He gave me all of his left over diahrrea and malaria medicine and had some fantastic snake wrestling stories. Mick also introduced me to kangaroo steaks, which surprisingly were really good.
For 3 full days, Jeremy and I hung out non-stop. We went to the aquarium, the Townsville Museum, strolled along The Strand and got icecream, explored the James Cook University Campus (and yes we even went to the library and I got some books!), and played sand volleyball. Then he and Mick returned to Orpheus Island for 5 more days of volunteering, and I moved into Jeremy's room (I had pretty much been there already as Jeremy insisted I sleep in his bed and he take the couch) and became Lui's only roommate.
Lui is from Germany, but has been going to university and working in Australia for about 6 years. I loved living with Lui. We didn't do much beyond sit on the balcony, drink Ouzo, and talk. And it was awesome. That was mostly in the evenings - during the weekdays, I was on my own since Lui had a job. I spent one afternoon/evening with Yui (remember, I met him on Orpheus, too) on Magnetic Island; we got over to the island just in time for sunset, walked the beach, and then grabbed some dinner. I also spent a lot of my time climbing up and down Castle Hill- a steep granite monolith (according to Wikipedia) with a trail to the top cutting right through Jeremy's front yard. The view from the top is amazing - you can see all of Townsville sprawled below, right up to the edge of the ocean.
I spent a full day being ferried to the Great Barrier Reef (Wheeler Reef), diving, and then being ferried back. I did 2 dives - the second was better than the first. We dove on a more interesting section of the reef on the second dive. Not to mention, my dive buddy was a cute New Zealander, but that doesn't really matter underwater. The coral was beautiful - massive rocks (bommies) were completely covered in all different types and colors of coral, and my favorite part was swimming through two closely spaced bommies, like swimming through a valley surrounded by mountains of coral and fish.
Oh, and I learned to drive on the left side of the road - really not that hard and rather intuitive. I borrowed Jeremy's car for the day and drove about an hour outside of Townsville to Crystal Creek. Crystal Creek is nestled in the southernmost section of Queensland rainforest and is a series of waterfalls, creeks, and swimming holes. I went swimming in a pool at the base of a waterfall - so cool, fresh, and relaxing. And no crocs!When Jeremy and Mick got back from Orpheus, I drove up to the University to pick them up. Later that afternoon, my last one in Townsville, Jeremy and I drove to a little park at the edge of Townsville to which neither of us had ever been. We trekked through the mucky trail in our flip flops, frequently flipping mud all over one another. The trail led us to a secluded cove that opened up to the ocean. We climbed some rocks and then sat and talked. Beautiful, serene, and no better way to spend my last day.
Before I end this, I have to describe sleeping on Jeremy's bed. The bed itself was nice, but nothing extraordinary. The view from his bed, however, was incredible. One side of his room was a wall of windows overlooking Townsville, the ocean, and Magnetic Island. Every morning as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the night sky, I could open my eyes, without moving my body, and be completely eye level with the water-sky horizon. It was simply amazing.
Thank you Jeremy, Lui, and Mick for everything.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Thailand Interlude
Bangkok (April 8 - April 9)
I'm in Thailand! And I'm with Des!
After visiting a friend in Germany for a few days, Des flew to Singapore and then was supposed to fly to Kuala Lumpur to meet me so that we could catch a flight to Bangkok. Flights, however, were delayed and she missed connections. But Singapore Air is amazing and flew Des to Bangkok instead of Kuala Lumpur. She only arrived about 30 minutes after me. Her luggage was even on the very same carousel. It's was wonderful how well everything worked out. Plus, had she met me in Kuala Lumpur I probably never would have met Martyn.
"Is seating free?" But I heard, "Are these seats three?" Um yes, there were 3 seats. What a dumb question. Apparently I just can't understand a British accent. And that's how I met Martyn. He sat with me on the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. He shared a Kit-Kat and Ribena with me (Ribena is probably one of the best drinks in Malayasia - it's black currant sugar water). And he talked to me for a solid 2 hours. We then got our bags and sat together waiting for Des. Martyn had been to Bangkok before and gave me loads of information on where to stay and what to do. After waiting for a bit, I told Martyn he was more than welcome to hang out with Des and me while we were in Bangkok. It came out rather arrogant. But we later proved that it was more than a priviledge to hang out with us. And Martyn, we were ecstatic that you joined us.
Bangkok is crazy. But not as crazy and crowded as I expected. Martyn, Des, and I got rooms in a place one street away from Khao San Road. Khao San is full of white people (farang), clothing vendors, food stalls, 7-11s, and bars where they serve "very strong drinks and don't check ID." The first thing we did was get food. We all three got different colored curries and then shared everything. Wonderful. Des and I then walked around on our own, part of which was spent trying to call her parents and see if they could find Des' return tickets that she accidentally left in Pittsburgh. Not a very useful place for tickets to be when you're on the other side of the world. We then made our way back to Khao San and tried some of the well advertised "very strong drinks." And guess what? They didn't even check our ID. Drinks were small and we went across the street for the next round where they had buy one get one free buckets of mixed drinks.
Des and I were finishing our buckets when Martyn came to join us. We then ordered 2 more buckets, which we enjoyed while being harassed by street vendors. Very nice street vendors, though, with awesome hats, wooden frogs, fake tattoo sleeves (Megan I ALMOST bought you one), and a pen light that projected an image of a naked woman (I'm not sure why that street vendor relentlessly tried to sell that light to Des and me. I mean I'm not going to pay money for something when I can just look in the mirror). My favorite though was a little girl, beautiful and cheeky. She was selling roses, and after offering her flowers to us a few times, Des and I each bought one. In return she took pictures with us, kissed all of us on the cheeks, and did a trick for Des with a string and plastic ring.
4 buckets down and we headed to a bar where we could dance. The three of us immediately started dancing, which quickly progressed to dancing on a large table. We were soaked and covered in black soot when we left the bar - Martyn and I thought it was a good idea to drink some water and pour the rest over our and other people's heads. It was a good idea. Martyn came and hung out with us in our room until about 5AM. We told him all about Penn State and I think we really made a fan out of him. He even dreamed of being at Beaver Stadium for a football game that night.
The next day, Des and I hired a tuk-tuk. For about $2 USD he drove us to 3 temples and a few different shops - all together about 3 hours. The Buddhist temples were beautiful; the buildings are all decorately incredibly intricately and ornately. After temple hopping, we grabbed a quick dinner and went back to our hotel to get our bags, say goodbye to Martyn, and catch a taxi to the Bangkok airport. As we walked out of the hotel entrance and toward the cab, Martyn called, "We are.."
"PENN STATE!!"
"Oh my god, that really works...."
I'm in Thailand! And I'm with Des!
After visiting a friend in Germany for a few days, Des flew to Singapore and then was supposed to fly to Kuala Lumpur to meet me so that we could catch a flight to Bangkok. Flights, however, were delayed and she missed connections. But Singapore Air is amazing and flew Des to Bangkok instead of Kuala Lumpur. She only arrived about 30 minutes after me. Her luggage was even on the very same carousel. It's was wonderful how well everything worked out. Plus, had she met me in Kuala Lumpur I probably never would have met Martyn.
"Is seating free?" But I heard, "Are these seats three?" Um yes, there were 3 seats. What a dumb question. Apparently I just can't understand a British accent. And that's how I met Martyn. He sat with me on the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. He shared a Kit-Kat and Ribena with me (Ribena is probably one of the best drinks in Malayasia - it's black currant sugar water). And he talked to me for a solid 2 hours. We then got our bags and sat together waiting for Des. Martyn had been to Bangkok before and gave me loads of information on where to stay and what to do. After waiting for a bit, I told Martyn he was more than welcome to hang out with Des and me while we were in Bangkok. It came out rather arrogant. But we later proved that it was more than a priviledge to hang out with us. And Martyn, we were ecstatic that you joined us.
Bangkok is crazy. But not as crazy and crowded as I expected. Martyn, Des, and I got rooms in a place one street away from Khao San Road. Khao San is full of white people (farang), clothing vendors, food stalls, 7-11s, and bars where they serve "very strong drinks and don't check ID." The first thing we did was get food. We all three got different colored curries and then shared everything. Wonderful. Des and I then walked around on our own, part of which was spent trying to call her parents and see if they could find Des' return tickets that she accidentally left in Pittsburgh. Not a very useful place for tickets to be when you're on the other side of the world. We then made our way back to Khao San and tried some of the well advertised "very strong drinks." And guess what? They didn't even check our ID. Drinks were small and we went across the street for the next round where they had buy one get one free buckets of mixed drinks.
Des and I were finishing our buckets when Martyn came to join us. We then ordered 2 more buckets, which we enjoyed while being harassed by street vendors. Very nice street vendors, though, with awesome hats, wooden frogs, fake tattoo sleeves (Megan I ALMOST bought you one), and a pen light that projected an image of a naked woman (I'm not sure why that street vendor relentlessly tried to sell that light to Des and me. I mean I'm not going to pay money for something when I can just look in the mirror). My favorite though was a little girl, beautiful and cheeky. She was selling roses, and after offering her flowers to us a few times, Des and I each bought one. In return she took pictures with us, kissed all of us on the cheeks, and did a trick for Des with a string and plastic ring.4 buckets down and we headed to a bar where we could dance. The three of us immediately started dancing, which quickly progressed to dancing on a large table. We were soaked and covered in black soot when we left the bar - Martyn and I thought it was a good idea to drink some water and pour the rest over our and other people's heads. It was a good idea. Martyn came and hung out with us in our room until about 5AM. We told him all about Penn State and I think we really made a fan out of him. He even dreamed of being at Beaver Stadium for a football game that night.
The next day, Des and I hired a tuk-tuk. For about $2 USD he drove us to 3 temples and a few different shops - all together about 3 hours. The Buddhist temples were beautiful; the buildings are all decorately incredibly intricately and ornately. After temple hopping, we grabbed a quick dinner and went back to our hotel to get our bags, say goodbye to Martyn, and catch a taxi to the Bangkok airport. As we walked out of the hotel entrance and toward the cab, Martyn called, "We are.."
"PENN STATE!!"
"Oh my god, that really works...."
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Sure, Why not?
Orpheus Island (Feb. 4 - Feb. 19)
When I arrived on the island I was greeted by: the managers (Kylie and Rob, who also have 2 little girls), the assistant managers (Louise and Lachin and their little girl, Siara), and the researchers (Yui and his two volunteers - Dan and Jeremy). I spent my first week on Orpheus with Kylie, Rob, their 2 girls, and Yui, Dan, and Jeremy (Louise and Lachin had a 4-day break).
Yui is from Japan and is currently working on his master's degree at James Cook University studying black-band disease in corals. He was hilarious. Constantly talking. And he loved using Australian expressions: "git it down ya," "g'day mate,"no worries," "heaps," and then he has a few of his own: "sure, why not" (his answer to most questions) and "no, not really" (he never said no. If you asked him if there was any ketchup left, he'd say no not really, which really meant "no" there was none left at all). The best though was that all of these expressions were said in a mixed Japanese-Australian accent.
Both Dan and Jeremy were on the island to assist Yui with his research. Dan is from England and has travelled all over the world diving as a research assistant (Lizard Island in Australia, Indonesia, Oman, Hondoras, Madagascar and probably others that I can't remember). He also loves nudibranchs (sea slugs). I think one of his favorite things about them is how they have sex: nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, and when two encounter each other, they battle with their penises. The one that wins becomes the male and stabs the other (now the female) in the side with his penis and releases his sperm. That's a good piece of random trivia, huh? Jeremy is from Detroit, but has been living in Australia and studying at James Cook University for the past 2 years.
I shared a communal area and kitchen with the 3 guys and loved it. They immediately befriended me and from that first night until their last night on the island, we always had breakfast and dinner together - just like a family! Everyday the guys would go to different sites around Orpheus or to other neighboring islands to survey coral colonies for black-band disease. A couple times I worked extra long days (or not at all...) and got to spend the day on the boat with them, snorkeling at some really amazing sites.
When I wasn't hanging out with the guys, I was either cleaning floors and bathroom walls, weeding, scrubbing the hulls of boats, mowing the grass, blowing leaves off the pathways (That was a bit of a pointless job, like sweeping leaves off the forest floor), reading, or walking along/across the island.
Yui, Dan, and Jeremy left me on a Saturday and for the next week it was just Lachin, Louise, Siara, and me on the island. I thought it would be lonely at first, but I actually had a lot of fun and got a ton of reading done (3 books: You Shall Know Our Velocity, Everything is Illuminated, and Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close - all very good). I love Louise, Lachin, and Siara. During the week: Louise and Siara usually cleaned with me in the mornings, and it was such a nice change to have company doing those menial chores (I'm kind of an idiot and didn't bring my iPod with me on this trip); most mornings Louise and I would swim out along the pipeline - a pretty good swim - and then snorkel around looking at the coral and fish for awhile; Siara and I became good buddies - she is such a beautiful little girl, with a head full of soft, blonde curls and huge brown eyes; both Lachin and Louise invited my over for chicken curry one evening (one of my absolute favorites) and we spent the whole night eating, drinking, talking, and listening to some really good Australian bands (check out The Waifs, The Cat Empire, and The John Butler Trio).
Louise, Lachin, and Siara left Orpheus the same morning I did for a 1 month vacation. They offered to drive me to Townsville, which was perfect as Jeremy lived in Townsville and said I could crash at his place if I wanted. We stopped briefly in Ingham at a local bakery and Lachin bought me a chicken curry pie. Savory pies are amazing and I don't understand why they aren't popular in the States. We don't know what we're missing... The drive to Townsville was about an 1 1/2 and I sat in the back playing with Siara and dozing off and on. After a couple wrong turns, Lachin drove me right up to Jeremy's driveway and transferred me from one group of amazing people to another.
When I arrived on the island I was greeted by: the managers (Kylie and Rob, who also have 2 little girls), the assistant managers (Louise and Lachin and their little girl, Siara), and the researchers (Yui and his two volunteers - Dan and Jeremy). I spent my first week on Orpheus with Kylie, Rob, their 2 girls, and Yui, Dan, and Jeremy (Louise and Lachin had a 4-day break).Yui is from Japan and is currently working on his master's degree at James Cook University studying black-band disease in corals. He was hilarious. Constantly talking. And he loved using Australian expressions: "git it down ya," "g'day mate,"no worries," "heaps," and then he has a few of his own: "sure, why not" (his answer to most questions) and "no, not really" (he never said no. If you asked him if there was any ketchup left, he'd say no not really, which really meant "no" there was none left at all). The best though was that all of these expressions were said in a mixed Japanese-Australian accent.
Both Dan and Jeremy were on the island to assist Yui with his research. Dan is from England and has travelled all over the world diving as a research assistant (Lizard Island in Australia, Indonesia, Oman, Hondoras, Madagascar and probably others that I can't remember). He also loves nudibranchs (sea slugs). I think one of his favorite things about them is how they have sex: nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, and when two encounter each other, they battle with their penises. The one that wins becomes the male and stabs the other (now the female) in the side with his penis and releases his sperm. That's a good piece of random trivia, huh? Jeremy is from Detroit, but has been living in Australia and studying at James Cook University for the past 2 years.
I shared a communal area and kitchen with the 3 guys and loved it. They immediately befriended me and from that first night until their last night on the island, we always had breakfast and dinner together - just like a family! Everyday the guys would go to different sites around Orpheus or to other neighboring islands to survey coral colonies for black-band disease. A couple times I worked extra long days (or not at all...) and got to spend the day on the boat with them, snorkeling at some really amazing sites.When I wasn't hanging out with the guys, I was either cleaning floors and bathroom walls, weeding, scrubbing the hulls of boats, mowing the grass, blowing leaves off the pathways (That was a bit of a pointless job, like sweeping leaves off the forest floor), reading, or walking along/across the island.
Yui, Dan, and Jeremy left me on a Saturday and for the next week it was just Lachin, Louise, Siara, and me on the island. I thought it would be lonely at first, but I actually had a lot of fun and got a ton of reading done (3 books: You Shall Know Our Velocity, Everything is Illuminated, and Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close - all very good). I love Louise, Lachin, and Siara. During the week: Louise and Siara usually cleaned with me in the mornings, and it was such a nice change to have company doing those menial chores (I'm kind of an idiot and didn't bring my iPod with me on this trip); most mornings Louise and I would swim out along the pipeline - a pretty good swim - and then snorkel around looking at the coral and fish for awhile; Siara and I became good buddies - she is such a beautiful little girl, with a head full of soft, blonde curls and huge brown eyes; both Lachin and Louise invited my over for chicken curry one evening (one of my absolute favorites) and we spent the whole night eating, drinking, talking, and listening to some really good Australian bands (check out The Waifs, The Cat Empire, and The John Butler Trio).
Louise, Lachin, and Siara left Orpheus the same morning I did for a 1 month vacation. They offered to drive me to Townsville, which was perfect as Jeremy lived in Townsville and said I could crash at his place if I wanted. We stopped briefly in Ingham at a local bakery and Lachin bought me a chicken curry pie. Savory pies are amazing and I don't understand why they aren't popular in the States. We don't know what we're missing... The drive to Townsville was about an 1 1/2 and I sat in the back playing with Siara and dozing off and on. After a couple wrong turns, Lachin drove me right up to Jeremy's driveway and transferred me from one group of amazing people to another.
Monday, March 31, 2008
And the Volunteering Begins
En route to Orpheus Island (Feb. 3 - Feb. 4)
Toward the end of traveling through New Zealand I decided I needed to slow down, do something more substantial, find a purpose, a goal that all of this traveling achieved. I thought that as soon as I graduated in December that I wouldn't want to work for a long time. I guess a long time was only a month. I began searching online for volunteer opportunities, specifically positions at marine research stations. I applied to be a volunteer research assistant at about 4 or 5 places. I finally got a positive response while in the Blue Mountains with my mom. Orpheus Island Research Station said that I could do maintenance volunteer work at the station for 2 weeks - not exactly what I had in mind, but I was ready to accept anything at that point. The deal was that I would work for about 4 hours per day in exchange for a bed (I had to supply my own food). I also had to find my own transportation to Taylor's Beach by 9AM Monday, where someone from the research station would meet me to take me to the island.
Taylor's Beach is remote, about 4 hours south of Cairns by car. I arrived in Cairns on a Sunday morning. I had about 3 hours to get from the airport to the Greyhound bus stop, where I would catch a bus to Ingham - the closest town to Taylor's Beach - and stay the night there. Stores in Australia close early. Especially on Sundays, if they are open at all. I decided to use my 3 hour layover to buy 2 weeks worth of groceries (after a lot of encouraging by my dad; and he was right as usual), just in case no grocery stores weren't open in Ingham when I arrived. It was hot in Cairns. And I had a huge backpack - not something I wanted to drag around the town or through a grocery store. I first went to the bus stop and luckily a girl was camped out, working on her computer with lots of bags. She agreed to watch all of my stuff, which was such a relief. I practically ran to the grocery store, got 2 huge bags of food, and speed walked back. Back at the bus stop all of my bags were there, and I still had about 30 minutes to spare (and to stop sweating before I got on the bus).
The bus ride was uneventful. And much longer than necessary. Bus drivers in both New Zealand and Australia love stopping frequently, and at least one of those stops is a 30 - 40 minute break. Maybe a break of that length is necessary on an 8 hour bus ride, but not a 4 hour one. Especially when there are bathrooms on the bus, not to mention I can easily hold it for 4 hours.
I stepped off the bus into a completely dead town. Ingham's streets were empty and the stores were dark. I quickly realized I had no idea where the hotel I had booked was in relation to the bus stop. I started walking up and down the sidewalks aimlessly until I saw a sign for a taxi company, which I immediately called. The cab driver picked me up about 15 minutes later and was such a nice old man. I told him that I was going to volunteer on an island for 2 weeks and had bought some groceries, but still needed perishables, like eggs, cheese, and milk. Did he have any idea where I could go? Of course he did! And he took me there for free, waited until I got what I needed, and then took me to my hotel.
I love reaching a destination. It's such a relief and usually quite amazing how well things work out. Around 8AM the next morning, I took (a really expensive) cab to Taylor's Beach and almost immediately boarded the boat to Orpheus.
Toward the end of traveling through New Zealand I decided I needed to slow down, do something more substantial, find a purpose, a goal that all of this traveling achieved. I thought that as soon as I graduated in December that I wouldn't want to work for a long time. I guess a long time was only a month. I began searching online for volunteer opportunities, specifically positions at marine research stations. I applied to be a volunteer research assistant at about 4 or 5 places. I finally got a positive response while in the Blue Mountains with my mom. Orpheus Island Research Station said that I could do maintenance volunteer work at the station for 2 weeks - not exactly what I had in mind, but I was ready to accept anything at that point. The deal was that I would work for about 4 hours per day in exchange for a bed (I had to supply my own food). I also had to find my own transportation to Taylor's Beach by 9AM Monday, where someone from the research station would meet me to take me to the island.
Taylor's Beach is remote, about 4 hours south of Cairns by car. I arrived in Cairns on a Sunday morning. I had about 3 hours to get from the airport to the Greyhound bus stop, where I would catch a bus to Ingham - the closest town to Taylor's Beach - and stay the night there. Stores in Australia close early. Especially on Sundays, if they are open at all. I decided to use my 3 hour layover to buy 2 weeks worth of groceries (after a lot of encouraging by my dad; and he was right as usual), just in case no grocery stores weren't open in Ingham when I arrived. It was hot in Cairns. And I had a huge backpack - not something I wanted to drag around the town or through a grocery store. I first went to the bus stop and luckily a girl was camped out, working on her computer with lots of bags. She agreed to watch all of my stuff, which was such a relief. I practically ran to the grocery store, got 2 huge bags of food, and speed walked back. Back at the bus stop all of my bags were there, and I still had about 30 minutes to spare (and to stop sweating before I got on the bus).
The bus ride was uneventful. And much longer than necessary. Bus drivers in both New Zealand and Australia love stopping frequently, and at least one of those stops is a 30 - 40 minute break. Maybe a break of that length is necessary on an 8 hour bus ride, but not a 4 hour one. Especially when there are bathrooms on the bus, not to mention I can easily hold it for 4 hours.
I stepped off the bus into a completely dead town. Ingham's streets were empty and the stores were dark. I quickly realized I had no idea where the hotel I had booked was in relation to the bus stop. I started walking up and down the sidewalks aimlessly until I saw a sign for a taxi company, which I immediately called. The cab driver picked me up about 15 minutes later and was such a nice old man. I told him that I was going to volunteer on an island for 2 weeks and had bought some groceries, but still needed perishables, like eggs, cheese, and milk. Did he have any idea where I could go? Of course he did! And he took me there for free, waited until I got what I needed, and then took me to my hotel.
I love reaching a destination. It's such a relief and usually quite amazing how well things work out. Around 8AM the next morning, I took (a really expensive) cab to Taylor's Beach and almost immediately boarded the boat to Orpheus.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Quick Update: 26 March 2008
I’m currently sitting in my parents’ living room in Kuala Lumpur (KL). Yesterday we returned from Langkawi (an island on the west coast of Malaysia) and before that I was in Borneo for 18 days volunteering at a marine research institute. I’ll be in KL for about 2 weeks – filing my taxes, getting Visas for Cambodia and India, doing laundry, helping my parents pack up the house because they’re moving to the awesome ole USA (Tulsa, Oklahoma) on 5 April, and updating this blog – more Australia and lots of Malaysia.
Dance Parties in Brisbane
Brisbane (Jan. 31 - Feb. 3)
Albert totally had a crush on my mom. We arrived in Brisbane Wednesday evening and took an airport shuttle to a small bed and breakfast. We walked into the entry way, searched for someone to check us in, and were eventually greeted by Albert - a man in his mid-sixties with a thick Australian accent and a warm smile who seemed to know everything about everything (or at least he fed us some very believable bullshit). We checked-in, all the while chatting with Albert. We told him what we'd been doing while in Australia, asked what there was to do in Brisbane, and my mom got the all too common compliment - at least for me - that we looked like sisters. How nice. Either I look 50 or she looks 24. Well, maybe we look somewhere in between, and actually its really not that bad. I hope I look as good as she does when I'm her age.
After dropping our bags in our room, we found Albert and asked where we could get some food and a beer. He suggested a few bars only a block away. The first bar said no flip-flops. As those are the only shoes (besides running and hiking shoes) that I brought, we couldn't go there. The next bar had a tacky Hollywood theme, but allowed flip-flops and had a decent menu and beer, so we went in and had an absolutely awesome dinner of bruschetta, cheese bread, and Guinness. I love hanging out with my mom - sitting, laughing, sharing beers and stories for hours makes me remember just how much we have in common, that we know almost everything about one another, that we've shared countless different experiences, and that she really is one of my best friends I have and will ever have. Needless to say, we had fun.
The next morning we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel: toast and juice - although I typically prefer something more substantial like eggs and toast, or oatmeal with nuts, fruit, and whole milk, or now that I'm in Asia a bowl of noodles and a steamed bun filled with black bean paste (yes, I know that sounds gross, but it's amazing). We ran into Albert one final time and like always he talked our ears off - in a good way - and then gave us the Kangaroo Jack DVD, a movie that he claims is one of the funniest he's ever seen. My mom and I spent the afternoon at the Koala Sanctuary and then went to the Hilton where my dad had already checked-in. To pass the time before my dad came back from work, we surveyed our new luxurious accommodation, hooked up the computer to the radio so we could listen to some music, then started doing a combination of yoga and pilates, which quickly turned into a dance party - a no pants dance party (at least me); Barnard boys aren't you proud?!
My dad had to work again on Friday, so my mom and I went to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the local modern art museum. Quick aside: did you know his real name is Andy Warhola? When we told my dad that we planned to go see the art exhibit, he said, "Oh Andy Warhola? I was growing up I was good friends with his nephew, Jamie Warhola!" Ha, yeah right. We didn't believe him until we got to the museum, where one of the first things we read was Andy's real last name. Anyway, after the museum my mom and I walked along the river that runs through Brisbane, and then met my dad back at the hotel and he and I went for a run before dinner. We planned on going to a local brewery for dinner. And my dad new exactly where it was...it only took a couple laps around the city to find it. Dinner was good, but the best part was stopping at the 7-11 after dinner to buy a Cherry Ripe (cherry flavored coconut covered in dark chocolate)- my dad's favorite. Of course dinner and dessert were followed by another dance party in our hotel room, and this time my dad got to participate!
The three of us spent Saturday at the Australia Zoo - home of Steve Irwin. The zoo was beautiful; the enclosures were huge and natural. It rained most of the morning, but we quickly dried in the intense Australia sun. That evening we drove up to the Sunshine Coast and walked along the water. Before leaving, we needed to rinse the sand off our feet and stopped at one of those fountains that, without warning, sporadically sprays water from different locations on the ground. Tons of kids were running all over the place having a blast. I walked over to what I thought was the edge of the fountain and waited for one to shoot water into the air. But I wasn't at the edge, and luckily neither was my mom - she got a full blast of water to the butt and blocked me completely. Thanks, mom. My dad and I had quite a good laugh at her expense.
The following morning my mom and dad returned to Kuala Lumpur and I flew to Cairns, beginning my next adventure: volunteering on Orpheus Island.
Albert totally had a crush on my mom. We arrived in Brisbane Wednesday evening and took an airport shuttle to a small bed and breakfast. We walked into the entry way, searched for someone to check us in, and were eventually greeted by Albert - a man in his mid-sixties with a thick Australian accent and a warm smile who seemed to know everything about everything (or at least he fed us some very believable bullshit). We checked-in, all the while chatting with Albert. We told him what we'd been doing while in Australia, asked what there was to do in Brisbane, and my mom got the all too common compliment - at least for me - that we looked like sisters. How nice. Either I look 50 or she looks 24. Well, maybe we look somewhere in between, and actually its really not that bad. I hope I look as good as she does when I'm her age.
After dropping our bags in our room, we found Albert and asked where we could get some food and a beer. He suggested a few bars only a block away. The first bar said no flip-flops. As those are the only shoes (besides running and hiking shoes) that I brought, we couldn't go there. The next bar had a tacky Hollywood theme, but allowed flip-flops and had a decent menu and beer, so we went in and had an absolutely awesome dinner of bruschetta, cheese bread, and Guinness. I love hanging out with my mom - sitting, laughing, sharing beers and stories for hours makes me remember just how much we have in common, that we know almost everything about one another, that we've shared countless different experiences, and that she really is one of my best friends I have and will ever have. Needless to say, we had fun.
The next morning we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel: toast and juice - although I typically prefer something more substantial like eggs and toast, or oatmeal with nuts, fruit, and whole milk, or now that I'm in Asia a bowl of noodles and a steamed bun filled with black bean paste (yes, I know that sounds gross, but it's amazing). We ran into Albert one final time and like always he talked our ears off - in a good way - and then gave us the Kangaroo Jack DVD, a movie that he claims is one of the funniest he's ever seen. My mom and I spent the afternoon at the Koala Sanctuary and then went to the Hilton where my dad had already checked-in. To pass the time before my dad came back from work, we surveyed our new luxurious accommodation, hooked up the computer to the radio so we could listen to some music, then started doing a combination of yoga and pilates, which quickly turned into a dance party - a no pants dance party (at least me); Barnard boys aren't you proud?!My dad had to work again on Friday, so my mom and I went to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the local modern art museum. Quick aside: did you know his real name is Andy Warhola? When we told my dad that we planned to go see the art exhibit, he said, "Oh Andy Warhola? I was growing up I was good friends with his nephew, Jamie Warhola!" Ha, yeah right. We didn't believe him until we got to the museum, where one of the first things we read was Andy's real last name. Anyway, after the museum my mom and I walked along the river that runs through Brisbane, and then met my dad back at the hotel and he and I went for a run before dinner. We planned on going to a local brewery for dinner. And my dad new exactly where it was...it only took a couple laps around the city to find it. Dinner was good, but the best part was stopping at the 7-11 after dinner to buy a Cherry Ripe (cherry flavored coconut covered in dark chocolate)- my dad's favorite. Of course dinner and dessert were followed by another dance party in our hotel room, and this time my dad got to participate!
The three of us spent Saturday at the Australia Zoo - home of Steve Irwin. The zoo was beautiful; the enclosures were huge and natural. It rained most of the morning, but we quickly dried in the intense Australia sun. That evening we drove up to the Sunshine Coast and walked along the water. Before leaving, we needed to rinse the sand off our feet and stopped at one of those fountains that, without warning, sporadically sprays water from different locations on the ground. Tons of kids were running all over the place having a blast. I walked over to what I thought was the edge of the fountain and waited for one to shoot water into the air. But I wasn't at the edge, and luckily neither was my mom - she got a full blast of water to the butt and blocked me completely. Thanks, mom. My dad and I had quite a good laugh at her expense.The following morning my mom and dad returned to Kuala Lumpur and I flew to Cairns, beginning my next adventure: volunteering on Orpheus Island.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Travellin' With Me Mum
Sydney and the Blue Mountains (Jan. 24 - Jan. 31)
Got off the plane. Walked through customs, down to baggage claim. And there was my mom. Really, I couldn't have started my trip to Australia off any better.
My mom had already been to Sydney with my dad, they're world travellers now, so I had my own personal tour guide. We checked into our hotel, where we had our own room AND our own bathroom - a complete luxury after staying in so many hostels - and then headed into Sydney. It's become a habit that the first day I spend in a city I have to walk all over the downtown until I can navigate without a map and in the process always make a point to find the botanic gardens. And that's what we did; we walked straight to the gardens. My mom knew exactly where to find the Flying Foxes - huge fruit bats. There were hundreds of them, all hanging upside down from tree branches with their leathery wings wrapped tightly around their bodies like cocoons. Then an ibis or cockatoo would land on a branch and disturb a few bats, sending them into a screeching, frantic fury as they searched for a new perch. Australian has so many amazing birds (yesyes, I know bats aren't birds), birds that you would only ever expect to see in a cage in someone's living room. But here, there are flocks of sulfur-crested cockatoos (and damn are they loud), vibrantly colored lorikeets (small but again really loud), ibises, and so many more. I never used to be very interested in birds, usually because it takes so much effort and patience to see them, but here they're impossible to ignore.
2 nights in Sydney, 2 dinners on roofs, and lots of wine and beer. The first night we ate at a rooftop restaurant and both ordered beers and salads. I don't think we ate that much that day, so the alcohol was quite effective. We laughed so much, mostly making fun of Alex. The next day we took a ferry to Manly Beach. We hiked along the coastline and up along the cliffs. The views were spectacular. We also hiked under countless spider webs, each with at least 2 spiders no smaller than my hand. I tried to walk with my head down and ignore their looming presence. But after awhile I decided I wanted no surprises and that I would prefer to see the spider drop on my head, so I walked with my face up to the sky. That night we got Chinese take-away and a bottle of pinot noir and sat on the roof of our hotel.
26 January. Australia Day. We spent the morning and afternoon walking through crowds of people around the Sydney Harbor. We watched the chaotic parade of boats, saw one really good band and one not so awesome guy singing, had an amazing lunch of some Turkish fried chicken, spinach thing, and then took a 2 hour train ride to Katoomba.
Katoomba was such a nice change from Sydney: calm, quiet, quaint, natural. We stayed in a house turned hostel - I think one of the nicest I've ever stayed in. We spent two full days in Katoomba. 1) A full day of walking. We walked to Echo Point and checked out the Three Sisters, a rock formation composed of 3 separate spires that are coincidentally named Liz, Megan, and Alex. We walked along the ridgeline of the mountains for hundreds of kilometers. We walked to a couple different waterfalls. And we walked through the town of Leura, where we took our afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is such a wonderful concept. I'm always hungry around 3 or 4. Plus, it's not really like a meal, but a dessert snack. Obviously you can't just drink tea, you have to eat some cake, too. 2) Horses! We went for a 2 hour horse back ride through the Megalong Valley. My horse was named Vicki and she was awesome. My mom's, I can't remember his name, was stubborn and hated to gallop. The funniest part though was listening to my mom try to make him run. In a high-pitched, not at all commanding voice she would coax, "Up, up, up, up," as they bounced along the trail at a slow trot. Finally our guide gave my mom a tree branch as additional encouragement for her horse, and that got him galloping.
We returned to Sydney for one more night and one more day. Next city: Brisbane with my dad, a mini Podowski reunion.
Got off the plane. Walked through customs, down to baggage claim. And there was my mom. Really, I couldn't have started my trip to Australia off any better.My mom had already been to Sydney with my dad, they're world travellers now, so I had my own personal tour guide. We checked into our hotel, where we had our own room AND our own bathroom - a complete luxury after staying in so many hostels - and then headed into Sydney. It's become a habit that the first day I spend in a city I have to walk all over the downtown until I can navigate without a map and in the process always make a point to find the botanic gardens. And that's what we did; we walked straight to the gardens. My mom knew exactly where to find the Flying Foxes - huge fruit bats. There were hundreds of them, all hanging upside down from tree branches with their leathery wings wrapped tightly around their bodies like cocoons. Then an ibis or cockatoo would land on a branch and disturb a few bats, sending them into a screeching, frantic fury as they searched for a new perch. Australian has so many amazing birds (yesyes, I know bats aren't birds), birds that you would only ever expect to see in a cage in someone's living room. But here, there are flocks of sulfur-crested cockatoos (and damn are they loud), vibrantly colored lorikeets (small but again really loud), ibises, and so many more. I never used to be very interested in birds, usually because it takes so much effort and patience to see them, but here they're impossible to ignore.
2 nights in Sydney, 2 dinners on roofs, and lots of wine and beer. The first night we ate at a rooftop restaurant and both ordered beers and salads. I don't think we ate that much that day, so the alcohol was quite effective. We laughed so much, mostly making fun of Alex. The next day we took a ferry to Manly Beach. We hiked along the coastline and up along the cliffs. The views were spectacular. We also hiked under countless spider webs, each with at least 2 spiders no smaller than my hand. I tried to walk with my head down and ignore their looming presence. But after awhile I decided I wanted no surprises and that I would prefer to see the spider drop on my head, so I walked with my face up to the sky. That night we got Chinese take-away and a bottle of pinot noir and sat on the roof of our hotel.
26 January. Australia Day. We spent the morning and afternoon walking through crowds of people around the Sydney Harbor. We watched the chaotic parade of boats, saw one really good band and one not so awesome guy singing, had an amazing lunch of some Turkish fried chicken, spinach thing, and then took a 2 hour train ride to Katoomba.
Katoomba was such a nice change from Sydney: calm, quiet, quaint, natural. We stayed in a house turned hostel - I think one of the nicest I've ever stayed in. We spent two full days in Katoomba. 1) A full day of walking. We walked to Echo Point and checked out the Three Sisters, a rock formation composed of 3 separate spires that are coincidentally named Liz, Megan, and Alex. We walked along the ridgeline of the mountains for hundreds of kilometers. We walked to a couple different waterfalls. And we walked through the town of Leura, where we took our afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is such a wonderful concept. I'm always hungry around 3 or 4. Plus, it's not really like a meal, but a dessert snack. Obviously you can't just drink tea, you have to eat some cake, too. 2) Horses! We went for a 2 hour horse back ride through the Megalong Valley. My horse was named Vicki and she was awesome. My mom's, I can't remember his name, was stubborn and hated to gallop. The funniest part though was listening to my mom try to make him run. In a high-pitched, not at all commanding voice she would coax, "Up, up, up, up," as they bounced along the trail at a slow trot. Finally our guide gave my mom a tree branch as additional encouragement for her horse, and that got him galloping.We returned to Sydney for one more night and one more day. Next city: Brisbane with my dad, a mini Podowski reunion.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
No Worries
Good God I finally finished New Zealand. And I've only been in Australia for a couple weeks!
I will become a more diligent blogger. I promise. Tomorrow. Or maybe in a week.
I will become a more diligent blogger. I promise. Tomorrow. Or maybe in a week.
Life with Justin
Rotorua and the Bay of Islands (Jan. 12 - Jan. 24)
Justin Herman. My international friend and lover. We met at the airport in Auckland on 12 January. I came up from Christchurch and he came over from Tasmania. Together we're unstoppable.
Our first destination was Rotorua to see the thermal springs and Maori culture. Not one of my favorite destinations. It's a town where you need a car. Most of the good sights are about 20km out of town and we were cheap. We are cheap. We needed places within walking distance. So one day was spent hiking through a national park full of Redwoods. Even with our typically flawless navigational skills we managed to get lost. I know, you're surprised. So were we. Another day was spent at the "Living Thermal Village" - the original location of Maori tourism. We went on a pretty informative tour and got to see how the Maori people utilize the hot springs - they use the boiling water to cook all kinds of food (eggs, corn, meat) and also collect the hot, overflowing water in communal bathtubs. The water is supposed to be amazing for your skin and sinuses. Full of sulfur and minerals. It smells delicious, too.
Enough of Rotorua. The Bay of Islands is where we spent the majority of our time. And that trip was mostly about the people we met. I have to start with Justin though:
Justin: He likes to talk. He talks about anything to anyone. But it works well, because I can listen. We both have a common love for pasta salads, and I think we had some variation of pasta salad every night for dinner. Once we made a pizza. But the oven didn't work. We microwaved it - it was edible, but didn't come anywhere close to it's full potential. He's an amazing dancer, and when I dance with him I coincidentally look good too. Some might even say we look like professionals. If I ever had to spend a celibate life with a male (because we all know Des is the love of my life), it would be Justin. Hands down.
Manuela: 21 and from Switzerland. Absolutely a beautiful person and sincerely considerate. Probably one of the nicest people I have met travelling. She is an awesome foosball player; she kicked Justin's ass repeatedly. I didn't even try. She danced with us nightly and relaxed during the day with us in the hostel. AND she gave me her National Geographic once she was finished. After that I was in love!
Allie: Beautiful, articulate, and interesting. And from the US. I'm glad Justin took an immediate interest in her, because then, by default, I started talking to her as well. We stayed in the same hostel for 3 nights and she was perfect just to chill out with - it was nice to have someone that wanted to go to a calm bar to relax and listen to live music.
Hester: From Denmark and travelling through New Zealand then later Australia. The first night she arrived at our hostel she came out with Justin and me. That night sealed our friendship. The following day we grocery shopped and cooked dinner together (Justin had already left to return home to the US) and the next morning we woke up and cooked an awesome breakfast of eggs and bacon before I hitch hiked with my new friend, Roland, to Whangarei.
Sebastian (Sebby, Bob): From Ireland and he's coming to meet me in Malaysia! I think just the mention of orangutans (or as Alex would say, "Orange Utans") in Borneo was incentive enough to persuade him to come. Mom and Dad, he's promised to, "get (you) pissed and force (you) to eat the most fantastic Irish stew on.. the.. planet." I'd like to be a part of the stew-eating and beer-drinking, too. Although Justin and I didn't spend much time with him, the three of us have been diligently sending one another random email updates.
Those are just a few of the people that we met. Pahia, the town in which we stayed in the Bay of Islands, is so small. I think everytime I walked down the street I saw someone I knew. It was nice feeling like a part of the town and not just an outsider passing through.
Justin Herman. My international friend and lover. We met at the airport in Auckland on 12 January. I came up from Christchurch and he came over from Tasmania. Together we're unstoppable.
Our first destination was Rotorua to see the thermal springs and Maori culture. Not one of my favorite destinations. It's a town where you need a car. Most of the good sights are about 20km out of town and we were cheap. We are cheap. We needed places within walking distance. So one day was spent hiking through a national park full of Redwoods. Even with our typically flawless navigational skills we managed to get lost. I know, you're surprised. So were we. Another day was spent at the "Living Thermal Village" - the original location of Maori tourism. We went on a pretty informative tour and got to see how the Maori people utilize the hot springs - they use the boiling water to cook all kinds of food (eggs, corn, meat) and also collect the hot, overflowing water in communal bathtubs. The water is supposed to be amazing for your skin and sinuses. Full of sulfur and minerals. It smells delicious, too.
Enough of Rotorua. The Bay of Islands is where we spent the majority of our time. And that trip was mostly about the people we met. I have to start with Justin though:
Justin: He likes to talk. He talks about anything to anyone. But it works well, because I can listen. We both have a common love for pasta salads, and I think we had some variation of pasta salad every night for dinner. Once we made a pizza. But the oven didn't work. We microwaved it - it was edible, but didn't come anywhere close to it's full potential. He's an amazing dancer, and when I dance with him I coincidentally look good too. Some might even say we look like professionals. If I ever had to spend a celibate life with a male (because we all know Des is the love of my life), it would be Justin. Hands down.
Manuela: 21 and from Switzerland. Absolutely a beautiful person and sincerely considerate. Probably one of the nicest people I have met travelling. She is an awesome foosball player; she kicked Justin's ass repeatedly. I didn't even try. She danced with us nightly and relaxed during the day with us in the hostel. AND she gave me her National Geographic once she was finished. After that I was in love!
Allie: Beautiful, articulate, and interesting. And from the US. I'm glad Justin took an immediate interest in her, because then, by default, I started talking to her as well. We stayed in the same hostel for 3 nights and she was perfect just to chill out with - it was nice to have someone that wanted to go to a calm bar to relax and listen to live music.
Hester: From Denmark and travelling through New Zealand then later Australia. The first night she arrived at our hostel she came out with Justin and me. That night sealed our friendship. The following day we grocery shopped and cooked dinner together (Justin had already left to return home to the US) and the next morning we woke up and cooked an awesome breakfast of eggs and bacon before I hitch hiked with my new friend, Roland, to Whangarei.
Sebastian (Sebby, Bob): From Ireland and he's coming to meet me in Malaysia! I think just the mention of orangutans (or as Alex would say, "Orange Utans") in Borneo was incentive enough to persuade him to come. Mom and Dad, he's promised to, "get (you) pissed and force (you) to eat the most fantastic Irish stew on.. the.. planet." I'd like to be a part of the stew-eating and beer-drinking, too. Although Justin and I didn't spend much time with him, the three of us have been diligently sending one another random email updates.
Those are just a few of the people that we met. Pahia, the town in which we stayed in the Bay of Islands, is so small. I think everytime I walked down the street I saw someone I knew. It was nice feeling like a part of the town and not just an outsider passing through.
My New Zealand Favorite
Te Anau and Milford Sound (Jan. 6 - Jan. 9)
The two hour drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is almost entirely through a national park. No pastures. No sheep. No houses. No one. Just mountains and natural forest. Once in Milford Sound, the fiord is nothing short of spectacular.
The day I arrived in Te Anau, I met Sandra. Sandra is from Scotland and was travelling some of the South Island before heading north to Auckland for a friend's wedding. We were roommates in our hostel. The first night she shared her beer with me, and we discussed the many differences between the US and the UK on healthcare, public education, and employment. The next morning Sandra was driving down to Milford and invited me along. Of course I jumped at the chance. Sandra was awesome and the main reason I came to Te Anau was to see the fiords.
The day was not ideal. From the moment we got in the car until the moment we got out 2 hours later, it rained. We wanted to take a cruise through the fiord and out to the Tasman Sea. But the point of cruising through the fiord was to be able to see it. In the heavy fog and torrential rains, we couldn't see anything. Not even mountains a few hundred meters in front of us. We decided to wait out the weather and got lunch at the only cafe.
After an hour of waiting, the clouds seemed to be lifting and the rain lessening. We hoped for the best and bought tickets for a 2-hour boat ride. The boat was relatively empty. Maybe about 20 people total. 20 people on a boat that easily could hold at least 100. Not long after the boat left the dock, the rain stopped, the clouds slowly crept up the steep slopes of the mountains, and the waterfalls gushed. The landscape was spectacular. Fur seal colonies decorated outcrops of rocks, bottlenose dolphins swam at the bow of the boat, and the fiord was ceaselessly stunning.
Beyond the scenery, our boat companions were friendly and almost just as interesting. Sandflies are nasty. They are tiny tiny flies and you don't notice them until they're munching away on you legs, arms, back, shoulders....anywhere flesh is exposed. One man, from Alice Springs, hunted those sandflies mercilessly. It didn't matter where one landed. On the side of the boat - he'd scurry over and kill it. On his own body, the flies had no chance. Refuge couldn't even be found on other passengers' legs or backs - he'd smack a stranger if it resulted in a sandfly death. He was quite animated in this sandfly chase, and Sandra and I intently watched he and his victims (both sandflies and other passengers).
The two hour drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is almost entirely through a national park. No pastures. No sheep. No houses. No one. Just mountains and natural forest. Once in Milford Sound, the fiord is nothing short of spectacular.
The day I arrived in Te Anau, I met Sandra. Sandra is from Scotland and was travelling some of the South Island before heading north to Auckland for a friend's wedding. We were roommates in our hostel. The first night she shared her beer with me, and we discussed the many differences between the US and the UK on healthcare, public education, and employment. The next morning Sandra was driving down to Milford and invited me along. Of course I jumped at the chance. Sandra was awesome and the main reason I came to Te Anau was to see the fiords.
The day was not ideal. From the moment we got in the car until the moment we got out 2 hours later, it rained. We wanted to take a cruise through the fiord and out to the Tasman Sea. But the point of cruising through the fiord was to be able to see it. In the heavy fog and torrential rains, we couldn't see anything. Not even mountains a few hundred meters in front of us. We decided to wait out the weather and got lunch at the only cafe.
After an hour of waiting, the clouds seemed to be lifting and the rain lessening. We hoped for the best and bought tickets for a 2-hour boat ride. The boat was relatively empty. Maybe about 20 people total. 20 people on a boat that easily could hold at least 100. Not long after the boat left the dock, the rain stopped, the clouds slowly crept up the steep slopes of the mountains, and the waterfalls gushed. The landscape was spectacular. Fur seal colonies decorated outcrops of rocks, bottlenose dolphins swam at the bow of the boat, and the fiord was ceaselessly stunning.
Beyond the scenery, our boat companions were friendly and almost just as interesting. Sandflies are nasty. They are tiny tiny flies and you don't notice them until they're munching away on you legs, arms, back, shoulders....anywhere flesh is exposed. One man, from Alice Springs, hunted those sandflies mercilessly. It didn't matter where one landed. On the side of the boat - he'd scurry over and kill it. On his own body, the flies had no chance. Refuge couldn't even be found on other passengers' legs or backs - he'd smack a stranger if it resulted in a sandfly death. He was quite animated in this sandfly chase, and Sandra and I intently watched he and his victims (both sandflies and other passengers).
Monday, January 21, 2008
On My Own
Dunedin (Jan. 3 - Jan. 6)
I started in Dunedin. It wasn't that exciting. The town was dead. The people in my hostel kept to themselves. And I was still adjusting to a more solitary lifestyle. I met a man on the bus ride from Christchurch to Dunedin. His name was Tom and he had just moved back to New Zealand after spending about 20 years in San Francisco. He was really friendly and adamant about showing me around Dunedin. Once we arrived in the city, I got the low-down on good jazz bars, a little historical background, and an invitation to stay at his ranch. I didn't accept the invitation, partly because I had already booked a hostel for 3 nights, but mostly because staying with a stranger alone in his house made me a little nervous. My declination didn't deter him. He gave me his phone number and email and insisted I call if I needed anything. Anything at all.
The first full day I spent in Dunedin, I did what I typically do in any new city: I became acquainted with the city's layout and found the botanical gardens. I spent a few hours in the gardens reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns". Actually I spend most of my time in Dunedin reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns." Whenever I had extra time (which was often) I found some green space in the city and opened my book. I couldn't put it down; no matter how disturbing the story became I was compelled to continue reading.
I scheduled a wildlife tour for the afternoon/evening on that first day. Dunedin is at the base of the Otago Peninsula, which is famous for its native fauna: albatross, fur seal colonies, blue penguins (smallest species of penguin in the world), and yellow-eyed penguins. I can't remember exactly why I chose to visit Dunedin, but I'm sure the wide array of wildlife was one of the main reasons. The tour was impressive. Longer and more intimate than I expected. Plus they picked me up from my hostel - transportation is a constant dilemma since I hate spending money.
We started at the Royal Albatross center on Taiaroa head - the only mainland albatross breeding colony worldwide. The birds were spectacular. The first ten minutes was filled with seagulls and shags. But once an albatross began to fly, it demanded your immediate attention. Their wings span up to 3 meters and they glide effortlessly through the sky, never once flapping their wings. I didn't get any pictures...once we spotted an albatross I couldn't take my eyes off of it long enough to take out my camera.
After observing the albatross and checking out the small museum we loaded into the tour shuttle and drove to the other side of the peninsula. We parked on the edge of a farmer's land and walked down the side of a steep hill toward the water. We all squeezed into a small wooden hideout and looked down. Directly below us, not more than 5 meters, was a fur seal colony. There were pups playing in pools, adults lounging on the rocks, and others trying to escape the pounding waves and seek refuge in the rock outcrops.
Leaving the seals, we went in search of yellow-eyed penguins. Walking down the other side of the steep hill, we headed toward a secluded beach. The penguins do not nest on the beach, but instead prefer the protection that high grasses provide. Walking through the grasses to the beach we passed two penguins. They let us get so close, and we stood about a meter away, taking pictures - not me, my camera batteries died and I didn't have a spare set. Dumb. We continued on the beach and up to a few wooden hideouts. Occasionally we would see a penguin waddling right next to a sheep, who continued grazing unaffected by the incongruity of the situation. Those sheep don't know how good they have it - grazing on spectacular landscapes, chilling with penguins, eating, sleeping....
Friday, January 18, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Nightlife
Christchurch (night of Jan. 2)
It was our last night in Christchurch and we finally decided to hit the bars. Megs, Alex, and I first cooked an awesome dinner of leftover pasta, carrots, cheese, a yellow pepper, and Italian dressing. Nothing beats pasta salad. After begging Alex (for hours and hours) to join us on what we promised to be an adventure (she declined every time) Megs and I walked to the city center. I had checked our Lonely Planet to see where the bar scene was, but the entire town looked empty. We walked up and down a few dark streets until we found a promising alley. The alley led us to an outdoor terrace surrounded by bars. Not too many people were there, maybe 10 at the most, but we didn't care, we'd finally found some bars!
First beers we bought were $9 a piece. Isn't that crazy??!! We should have asked before we ordered; luckily we soon made some new, male friends that were more than willing to pay for more drinks. Less than 10 minutes of sitting at a table alone, a guy approached us and asked what we would do if we had a really possessive boyfriend that was constantly jealous? In unison we told him we'd dump him, obviously. His name was Brandon, and breaking up with his boyfriend wasn't all that simple. We invited him to sit with us and quickly the conversation evolved. I love Brandon! He was so nice and hung out with us for the next couple hours as we took turns buying drinks.
Later, Megan met some local guys that started buying her drinks and consequently me and Brandon. The New Zealanders were quite intrigued that Megan and I wrapped our gum around our finger while we were drinking so that we were able to chew our gum once our drinks were finished. In fact, they were so intrigued by our gum wrapping that they continually snuck pokes at our gum, then immediately giggled. Ha, I'm laughing now as I reminisce.
After awhile our local friends decided to head to a new bar and Megan and I were all for that idea. We said bye to Brandon and then Jamin (one of the New Zealanders) picked me up on his back and we were off. Maybe 50 meters from the bar, we thought it was a good idea for Jamin to jump on his friend's back while I was still on his. Awesome idea, I know. I was on the ground in seconds. Just scraped my elbow though, no big deal - much better than my last face dive into pavement.
On the walk to the next bar, Jamin gave us his business card (he sold real estate). Instantly Megan and I were laughing uncontrollably. On the card was his first name spelled in big, black, block letters and dressed in a business suit, Jamin was leaning up against his own name. It was hilarious. I wish I still had the card, but Megan lost it at the bar when she tried to buy drinks with it.
Finally Megan and I headed home. It was a good last night in Christchurch and I had a long bus ride to Dunedin the next morning to sleep the alcohol off...
It was our last night in Christchurch and we finally decided to hit the bars. Megs, Alex, and I first cooked an awesome dinner of leftover pasta, carrots, cheese, a yellow pepper, and Italian dressing. Nothing beats pasta salad. After begging Alex (for hours and hours) to join us on what we promised to be an adventure (she declined every time) Megs and I walked to the city center. I had checked our Lonely Planet to see where the bar scene was, but the entire town looked empty. We walked up and down a few dark streets until we found a promising alley. The alley led us to an outdoor terrace surrounded by bars. Not too many people were there, maybe 10 at the most, but we didn't care, we'd finally found some bars!
First beers we bought were $9 a piece. Isn't that crazy??!! We should have asked before we ordered; luckily we soon made some new, male friends that were more than willing to pay for more drinks. Less than 10 minutes of sitting at a table alone, a guy approached us and asked what we would do if we had a really possessive boyfriend that was constantly jealous? In unison we told him we'd dump him, obviously. His name was Brandon, and breaking up with his boyfriend wasn't all that simple. We invited him to sit with us and quickly the conversation evolved. I love Brandon! He was so nice and hung out with us for the next couple hours as we took turns buying drinks.
Later, Megan met some local guys that started buying her drinks and consequently me and Brandon. The New Zealanders were quite intrigued that Megan and I wrapped our gum around our finger while we were drinking so that we were able to chew our gum once our drinks were finished. In fact, they were so intrigued by our gum wrapping that they continually snuck pokes at our gum, then immediately giggled. Ha, I'm laughing now as I reminisce.
After awhile our local friends decided to head to a new bar and Megan and I were all for that idea. We said bye to Brandon and then Jamin (one of the New Zealanders) picked me up on his back and we were off. Maybe 50 meters from the bar, we thought it was a good idea for Jamin to jump on his friend's back while I was still on his. Awesome idea, I know. I was on the ground in seconds. Just scraped my elbow though, no big deal - much better than my last face dive into pavement.
On the walk to the next bar, Jamin gave us his business card (he sold real estate). Instantly Megan and I were laughing uncontrollably. On the card was his first name spelled in big, black, block letters and dressed in a business suit, Jamin was leaning up against his own name. It was hilarious. I wish I still had the card, but Megan lost it at the bar when she tried to buy drinks with it.
Finally Megan and I headed home. It was a good last night in Christchurch and I had a long bus ride to Dunedin the next morning to sleep the alcohol off...
Thursday, January 10, 2008
A New Year a New City
Christchurch (Dec. 27 - Jan. 3)
We arrived in Christchurch the evening of December 27. After checking into our hotel and showering we headed out to find some food. Apparently most places aren't open for dinner after 9PM. Standing on a corner trying to decided which direction to walk, we met a bunch of men in short, tight shorts doing a pub crawl. They were pretty funny and big time close-talkers. They invited Megan, Alex, and me to join them, promising my parents they would take good care of us. Reluctantly, we declined.
We spent the next day walking through Christchurch. We went to the free art gallery, watched a man bounce between banks as he tried to kayak down the small river that flows through the city center, had lunch at a pub with really good raspberry beer, strolled through the botanic gardens, and later got take out from a Thai restaurant and relaxed with a movie.
Alex, Megs, and I woke up the next morning and went and did Alex's soccer workout in a nearby park and then walked with my parents to the city center where every weekend booths are set up that sell locally made crafts, clothing, and food. I had a lamb gyro. It was pretty good, and since I've been in New Zealand I've eaten more lamb than I have in my entire life. I'm still not sure what I think about it. I don't like the fact that I'm eating a baby. Later in the afternoon we took a gondola up to the top of a mountain overlooking Banks Peninsula. Once at the top of the mountain we hiked around a bit, descended on the gondola and drove to the wee (people here say "wee" so much) town of Lyttleton. We first went to a bar called the Wunderbar. The decorations inside were a little quirky and included a lamp shade covered in baby doll heads; it was reminiscent of the bald baby doll head that was jammed on the stick shift of our little Toyota pickup for a few years.
During the next couple of days we went to Akaroa, a small town on the Banks Peninsula, visited the local wildlife park, and celebrated New Years in Cathedral Square in downtown Christchurch. I think one of everyone's unexpectedly favorite excursions was going to a sheep farm. We learned a ton about sheep farming (and the fact that it doesn't seem at all profitable, yet there are 10 times more sheep here than there are people), watched how effective border collies are at rounding up sheep, and even got to help shear a sheep, a big, fat sheep.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Swimming with Seals
Kaikoura (Dec. 27th)
On the morning of Dec. 27th we left Picton and started the 4 hour drive to Christchurch. Halfway through the trip we stopped in Kaikoura, which is right on the eastern coast, in order to go swim with the local fur seals. Tons of local businesses will take you to swim with dolphins and seals. My dad had booked one on their way from Christchurch (where my family originally flew into) to Picton. We all got into wetsuits and got fitted for snorkel gear, then all loaded into a bus with a few others and drove down the road about 15 minutes. We then transferred into a little motorboat and headed a few hundred meters off the coast to a huge rock where the fur seals typically rest and sun themselves after days of diving for food.
The water was freezing. I thought my hands were going to fall off. But, just as the guides said, after 2 or 3 minutes I was fine and in heaven. Not only were we swimming with seals, but we were also swimming through beds of bull kelp, so there was tons of other sea-life to see if the seals weren't in the water with us. The seals were amazingly friendly and I had a few swim directly underneath me and look me straight in the eyes. They were beautiful and graceful and huge! My dad had one glide right up against him! The kelp was awesome too. I loved swimming right through it and watching it sweep rhythmically back and forth with the current. We were in the water for about an hour and by the end of it we all started to get a little cold. Still, the experience was amazing. Being able to be observe such a magnificent animal in its natural habitat is quite incredible. This is still one of my favorite things I have done in New Zealand, this and fiordland.
On the morning of Dec. 27th we left Picton and started the 4 hour drive to Christchurch. Halfway through the trip we stopped in Kaikoura, which is right on the eastern coast, in order to go swim with the local fur seals. Tons of local businesses will take you to swim with dolphins and seals. My dad had booked one on their way from Christchurch (where my family originally flew into) to Picton. We all got into wetsuits and got fitted for snorkel gear, then all loaded into a bus with a few others and drove down the road about 15 minutes. We then transferred into a little motorboat and headed a few hundred meters off the coast to a huge rock where the fur seals typically rest and sun themselves after days of diving for food.
The water was freezing. I thought my hands were going to fall off. But, just as the guides said, after 2 or 3 minutes I was fine and in heaven. Not only were we swimming with seals, but we were also swimming through beds of bull kelp, so there was tons of other sea-life to see if the seals weren't in the water with us. The seals were amazingly friendly and I had a few swim directly underneath me and look me straight in the eyes. They were beautiful and graceful and huge! My dad had one glide right up against him! The kelp was awesome too. I loved swimming right through it and watching it sweep rhythmically back and forth with the current. We were in the water for about an hour and by the end of it we all started to get a little cold. Still, the experience was amazing. Being able to be observe such a magnificent animal in its natural habitat is quite incredible. This is still one of my favorite things I have done in New Zealand, this and fiordland.
Christmas in Picton
Picton (Dec. 22 - Dec. 27)
After taking a 3 hour ferry ride from Wellington, I arrived in Picton on Saturday night. I slept most of the ferry ride and then listened to the little boy sitting behind me bitch for the rest of ride: "Lasagna mum? I hate lasagna. Give me fish n' chips." Fish and chips arrive.... "What mum?? I hate fish n' chips." It was quite entertaining and then eventually quite annoying.
My whole family was there to pick me up and we drove back to our bach. The bach, a quaint little cottage, was right on the Marlborough Sound. I didn't appreciate the location until the next morning. From our family room we had a huge window overlooking calm turquoise water out of which rose huge mountains. We also had a covered porch which had the same view as our family room. Absolutely beautiful. Everything about the bach was beautiful. We did Podowski yoga (a combination of my yoga classes, Alex's soccer workouts, and my mom's pilates class) in the mornings on our porch. Megan, Alex, and I all shared a room, which could only be entered from outside, below the main part of the bach. We had two single beds and one double bed, but of course we kept Podowski tradition and all three slept in the one double bed. The only night we actually used the single beds was when I had to sleep in the middle and in the middle of the night had to move because I thought I was going to overheat. We also really had to conserve water as all of our running water came from rain water collected in a basin, and it really didn't rain that much while we were there. Luckily we never ran out of water, likely due to the fact that we only flushed the toilet twice a day, if that.
Our first full day in Picton we went mountain biking on the Queen Charlotte Track. The ride was much more tedious and exhausting (grueling as my mom would describe) than any of us anticipated. However, it was an absolutely amazing and scenic 24 km of track. Almost the entire ride one side of us was bordered by a steep hill that disappeared in the turquoise blue water of Marlborough sound. The ride was about 12 km one way, where we stopped and had lunch/dessert (the only place serving food had a wide selection of cakes and pastries and ice cream, but almost no substantial food). That first leg of the ride was absolutely the hardest and took about 2 1/2 hours, as it was almost entirely uphill). The return trip only took about 1 1/2 hours. No one fell over the side, although I think most of us had some close calls. Megan did go over her handle bars, and some strangers were lucky enough to witness it, however we all missed it. My dad went over his handlebars too, but again, we didn't get to see that one either!
The next day (Dec. 24), still on bikes, we took it a lot easier. We drove to Blenheim, a neighboring town with tons of wineries, and did a wine tour on bikes. We stopped at 5 or 6 wineries, had lunch at one, and brought 6 bottles of wine with us back to our bach. The ride was beautiful and flat and very relaxing. Some of the winemakers were really really friendly, one guy even showed us around his vineyard and winemaking facilities. He was quite excited since he had just recently started his winery business - I'd be excited though, too.
Christmas day was just like any other Podowski Christmas in any other part of the world: slow and relaxing. We spent most of the day drinking wine, reading our new books, had leftover lasagna (our traditional Christmas Eve dinner) for lunch, and made a big pot of soup and sandwiches for dinner. It was absolutely wonderful!
We spent Dec. 26th kayaking on Marlborough Sound. It was just our family, our guide, and a woman on holiday from Australia (Sandra). I'm sure we overwhelmed her at first. Our family can be pretty loud. My mom designated herself as the one who decided who would paddle with who. After some intense contemplation and strategic planning I ended up in a kayak with Sandra, Megan with my dad, and Alex with my mom. The water was beautiful and for the first half of the trip was very calm. We looked in lots of little coves for stingrays, but only saw shags and some huge jellyfish. After kayaking for a couple hours up one coast, we crossed the sound and found a cove to have lunch. We were all very successful getting in and out of the kayaks; no one fell in the water. Megan did however give the women having a picnic on the shore a good show when she not only pulled off her kayaking skirt (seals you in the kayak so no water gets on your legs) but also her pants. On the way back down the coast we had to cut the trip short as dark clouds quickly began to roll in, winds picked up speed, and our guide got a call informing us that hail was about to begin falling. During the entire trip, not one of us fell out of our kayaks - we were much better in boats than on bikes.
After taking a 3 hour ferry ride from Wellington, I arrived in Picton on Saturday night. I slept most of the ferry ride and then listened to the little boy sitting behind me bitch for the rest of ride: "Lasagna mum? I hate lasagna. Give me fish n' chips." Fish and chips arrive.... "What mum?? I hate fish n' chips." It was quite entertaining and then eventually quite annoying.
My whole family was there to pick me up and we drove back to our bach. The bach, a quaint little cottage, was right on the Marlborough Sound. I didn't appreciate the location until the next morning. From our family room we had a huge window overlooking calm turquoise water out of which rose huge mountains. We also had a covered porch which had the same view as our family room. Absolutely beautiful. Everything about the bach was beautiful. We did Podowski yoga (a combination of my yoga classes, Alex's soccer workouts, and my mom's pilates class) in the mornings on our porch. Megan, Alex, and I all shared a room, which could only be entered from outside, below the main part of the bach. We had two single beds and one double bed, but of course we kept Podowski tradition and all three slept in the one double bed. The only night we actually used the single beds was when I had to sleep in the middle and in the middle of the night had to move because I thought I was going to overheat. We also really had to conserve water as all of our running water came from rain water collected in a basin, and it really didn't rain that much while we were there. Luckily we never ran out of water, likely due to the fact that we only flushed the toilet twice a day, if that.
Our first full day in Picton we went mountain biking on the Queen Charlotte Track. The ride was much more tedious and exhausting (grueling as my mom would describe) than any of us anticipated. However, it was an absolutely amazing and scenic 24 km of track. Almost the entire ride one side of us was bordered by a steep hill that disappeared in the turquoise blue water of Marlborough sound. The ride was about 12 km one way, where we stopped and had lunch/dessert (the only place serving food had a wide selection of cakes and pastries and ice cream, but almost no substantial food). That first leg of the ride was absolutely the hardest and took about 2 1/2 hours, as it was almost entirely uphill). The return trip only took about 1 1/2 hours. No one fell over the side, although I think most of us had some close calls. Megan did go over her handle bars, and some strangers were lucky enough to witness it, however we all missed it. My dad went over his handlebars too, but again, we didn't get to see that one either!
The next day (Dec. 24), still on bikes, we took it a lot easier. We drove to Blenheim, a neighboring town with tons of wineries, and did a wine tour on bikes. We stopped at 5 or 6 wineries, had lunch at one, and brought 6 bottles of wine with us back to our bach. The ride was beautiful and flat and very relaxing. Some of the winemakers were really really friendly, one guy even showed us around his vineyard and winemaking facilities. He was quite excited since he had just recently started his winery business - I'd be excited though, too.
Christmas day was just like any other Podowski Christmas in any other part of the world: slow and relaxing. We spent most of the day drinking wine, reading our new books, had leftover lasagna (our traditional Christmas Eve dinner) for lunch, and made a big pot of soup and sandwiches for dinner. It was absolutely wonderful!
We spent Dec. 26th kayaking on Marlborough Sound. It was just our family, our guide, and a woman on holiday from Australia (Sandra). I'm sure we overwhelmed her at first. Our family can be pretty loud. My mom designated herself as the one who decided who would paddle with who. After some intense contemplation and strategic planning I ended up in a kayak with Sandra, Megan with my dad, and Alex with my mom. The water was beautiful and for the first half of the trip was very calm. We looked in lots of little coves for stingrays, but only saw shags and some huge jellyfish. After kayaking for a couple hours up one coast, we crossed the sound and found a cove to have lunch. We were all very successful getting in and out of the kayaks; no one fell in the water. Megan did however give the women having a picnic on the shore a good show when she not only pulled off her kayaking skirt (seals you in the kayak so no water gets on your legs) but also her pants. On the way back down the coast we had to cut the trip short as dark clouds quickly began to roll in, winds picked up speed, and our guide got a call informing us that hail was about to begin falling. During the entire trip, not one of us fell out of our kayaks - we were much better in boats than on bikes.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
North Island - 1st Trip
Auckland:
The day after Megan and I arrived in Austin after driving 24 hours from State College, I boarded a plane to Auckland. I left two days before everyone else in my family, so I was flying alone. Halfway through the flight, I recognized a family friend (Lisa) that we met while living in Liberal, KS. Isn't that crazy? Some of the family members Lisa was travelling with were sitting right next to me and she had come over to talk to them. Lisa and I talked for a little while and then I saw her again when I got off the plane and we made plans to meet for dinner.
I took an airport shuttle to downtown Auckland and checked in at my hostel around 7:30 AM. I quickly threw my stuff in my room and went to explore the city. Auckland is very clean and easy to get around. I found the train station where I would need to be the next morning, found a nice little park that I later ran and slept in, bought an international cell phone, got lunch at a little cafe, slept some more in the park, and then walked down to a restaurant on the water where I had dinner with Lisa and her family. By 9PM I was passed out...
Wellington:
7:30 the next morning and I was on a train to Wellington. I cannot stay awake in moving vehicles. As much as I try and want to see the scenery, I'm out in minutes. After eating breakfast - a meal I absolutely refuse to miss - I went to sleep basically until we took an hour break in Tongariro National Park. The Park was beautiful. From the station we were able to see three different volcanoes and snow capped mountains. I walked around a little and then sat down outside of a cafe and found a little dog that hung out with me until I had to get back on the train. I stayed awake for the second half of the ride and spent a lot of time standing outside between cars in a little observatory space. The air was so refreshing compared to the warm, stuffy air in the train. There are so many sheep in New Zealand. So many. It's sad how much land has been cleared and turned into pasture land.
The best part of the train ride was that near the end around 6PM: all sandwiches went on sale for half price. I was so proud of myself for holding out to that point! Dinner for $2.50!
I arrived in Wellington around 7:45 PM and took a bus to my hostel. I missed my stop because the bus driver forgot he had promised to tell me when to get off. I got off at the next stop, which wasn't too bad except that I nailed every person in my path with my backpack in the process of trying to get off. After getting my room I went directly downstairs to the bar because the guy at the front desk gave me a coupon for a free glass of champagne in exchange for a piece of gum. While at the bar I met a really nice girl from Germany who was making her way through New Zealand and working at farms on the way (WWOOF) and we also talked to the bartender for awhile, who was from Seattle.
The next day I spent the morning in the botanic gardens and then walked around downtown for awhile. That afternoon I went to New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, and walked through an exhibit about the impact invasive species have had on the country's native wildlife. One thing that is absolutely amazing about New Zealand is that most of the museums and art galleries are free. They should be though, because everything else is so damn expensive. I really liked Wellington. It's smaller and more personal than Auckland. Auckland, I wasn't that impressed. Just another city, really.
That night I took a 3 hour ferry ride to Picton, a small town at the northern tip of the south island. My family was there waiting. I love them!
Ok this is only up to December 22nd. I'm way behind. I'll write more soon!
The day after Megan and I arrived in Austin after driving 24 hours from State College, I boarded a plane to Auckland. I left two days before everyone else in my family, so I was flying alone. Halfway through the flight, I recognized a family friend (Lisa) that we met while living in Liberal, KS. Isn't that crazy? Some of the family members Lisa was travelling with were sitting right next to me and she had come over to talk to them. Lisa and I talked for a little while and then I saw her again when I got off the plane and we made plans to meet for dinner.
I took an airport shuttle to downtown Auckland and checked in at my hostel around 7:30 AM. I quickly threw my stuff in my room and went to explore the city. Auckland is very clean and easy to get around. I found the train station where I would need to be the next morning, found a nice little park that I later ran and slept in, bought an international cell phone, got lunch at a little cafe, slept some more in the park, and then walked down to a restaurant on the water where I had dinner with Lisa and her family. By 9PM I was passed out...
Wellington:
7:30 the next morning and I was on a train to Wellington. I cannot stay awake in moving vehicles. As much as I try and want to see the scenery, I'm out in minutes. After eating breakfast - a meal I absolutely refuse to miss - I went to sleep basically until we took an hour break in Tongariro National Park. The Park was beautiful. From the station we were able to see three different volcanoes and snow capped mountains. I walked around a little and then sat down outside of a cafe and found a little dog that hung out with me until I had to get back on the train. I stayed awake for the second half of the ride and spent a lot of time standing outside between cars in a little observatory space. The air was so refreshing compared to the warm, stuffy air in the train. There are so many sheep in New Zealand. So many. It's sad how much land has been cleared and turned into pasture land.
The best part of the train ride was that near the end around 6PM: all sandwiches went on sale for half price. I was so proud of myself for holding out to that point! Dinner for $2.50!
I arrived in Wellington around 7:45 PM and took a bus to my hostel. I missed my stop because the bus driver forgot he had promised to tell me when to get off. I got off at the next stop, which wasn't too bad except that I nailed every person in my path with my backpack in the process of trying to get off. After getting my room I went directly downstairs to the bar because the guy at the front desk gave me a coupon for a free glass of champagne in exchange for a piece of gum. While at the bar I met a really nice girl from Germany who was making her way through New Zealand and working at farms on the way (WWOOF) and we also talked to the bartender for awhile, who was from Seattle.
The next day I spent the morning in the botanic gardens and then walked around downtown for awhile. That afternoon I went to New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, and walked through an exhibit about the impact invasive species have had on the country's native wildlife. One thing that is absolutely amazing about New Zealand is that most of the museums and art galleries are free. They should be though, because everything else is so damn expensive. I really liked Wellington. It's smaller and more personal than Auckland. Auckland, I wasn't that impressed. Just another city, really.
That night I took a 3 hour ferry ride to Picton, a small town at the northern tip of the south island. My family was there waiting. I love them!
Ok this is only up to December 22nd. I'm way behind. I'll write more soon!
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