Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Final Wrap Up
Sooooo . . . My time in France was lovely. My main goal was to simply spend time with my grandfather Charles, who is now 91. Unfortunately, he's having significant trouble with his short term memory as the effects of age are beginning to show, but his wit and his charm are as strong as ever. We sat on his patio, overlooking the valley from the hillside on which he and Aby - his wife - live. Wine and cheese daily, with delicious home cooked meals at night. It was fantastic to do virtually nothing except shoot the breeze with him. I was also quite lucky to reconnect with their daughter and my aunt Isabelle. Isabelle is 30, speaks four languages fluently, and definitely embodies that Ramsden toughness that both my grandfather and father seem to have. She and I hadn't seen one another since we were children, and in my time their I made a new friend in her. It truly was a lovely time with family, a visit I will always remember.
I landed at JFK in NY on the 14th. On my flights from Nice and Dublin to get there, I sat next to a very engaging and fun French gal my age by the name of Catherine. Her very first words to me were "Can I write something in your journal?" as she noticed I was making notes in my journal about my time with my grandfather. She must have felt inspired as she jotted down on the top of my page "Wisdom begins with wonder -Socrates." My kind of person, simply going straight for the human spirit with her introduction. Turns out for the past couple of years she has been teaching science in Houston and loving every minute of it. She had a 12 hour layover in New York, so upon arrival we took a shuttle into the city, dropped our bags, and went for dinner and midnight stroll in the southern end of Central Park. She took off for Newark airport at 3:30am. I have a feeling she'll be a friend for a long time.
The next 3 days in New York were spent doing some sightseeing and visiting with my best mate Mike and his girlfriend Kat from California. Mike's from Connecticut a couple hours away, and they were spending a few days in the city. It was great to connect with him for the first time in about 10 months. After NY, I headed down to DC for my first visit of the nation's capital. Gorgeous time of year to be there. Thanks to the miracle of Facebook, I stayed initially with a friend from high school who I hadn't seen since 1992 probably - Julie Marshall. Julie is PhD in economics and a financial analyst on Capitol Hill. Whenever a Senator wants to pass a bill, she and her office assess the financial impact and credibility of it. Julie was an amazing host - she took me on a walking tour of the Capitol and the National Mall, bought me a pre-paid metro pass and took me to a Washington Nationals game with a bunch of her friends. Big ups to you Julie Marshall! Can't wait until my next visit. The second half of my DC stay was with the lovely Malia Fisher - clothing designer extraordinaire! Malia and I know one another through Mike, who used to live in DC before coming West to California. We took in a fair bit of fine dining and I got in some much needed resting time while she was at work. I didn't get to do one tenth of what DC had to offer.
After DC I headed down to Myrtle Beach to help run the Youth Sahavas youth retreat that I have been involved with over the years. Was wonderful to connect with old friends, but the biggest icing on the cake was the reunion with Javier, Joia and Camila Nunez from Buenos Aires. Throughout the year I spear headed a fund raising campaign to get them to Myrtle Beach for the event. It was an extremely emotional reunion for all of us. I haven't felt joy that like in a very long time. They are forever my family, and with any grace I theirs. It was a lovely week for all of them, and people who knew their father came out of the woodwork to meet the children of their dear friend. They were welcomed with open arms into the US Meher Baba community, got to spend time with their American brothers from their father's first marriage, and they traveled the US. It was an amazing honor and joy to be involved with helping them come to the US. Truly amazing!
After Myrtle Beach, I headed 5 hours West to Asheville, NC. I went for the opening weekend of Roz Taubman and Bobby Buga's restaurant, Black Bird. Delicious southern inspired gourmet cuisine, Blackbird is simply a phenomenal restaurant, unmatched in quality and price for the area. Well, as it turns out Roz's daughter and my dear friend Molly and her husband Meherwan were in the midst of getting a restaurant of their own going. They had just signed a lease on a prime location in downtown Asheville to open an Indian street food place. The idea was inspired, and well thought out - something that would do really well in Asheville. Since I had time in the schedule, I offered my services to Molly that weekend. I could help them get whatever done they needed to get the restaurant up and running. "How much work do you have?" I asked. "About four to five hours a day for the next two weeks!" "Great!" I said, "Let's do it!" Well, 8 weeks and 10 hour+ days later, Chai Pani was finally born. For two months I cleaned, lifted, painted, gutted, scraped, stained and a million other things. There were tons of friends who participated in the work too, which made it incredibly fun. It was an amazing time, one which I don't have the time to completely recount. In the first couple weeks of being in Asheville I returned to DC for another 5 day visit, mainly to visit my dear old friend Aubrey and her family and get to see some more of the museums and monuments. And, while staying in Asheville I passed the second of two licensing exams for the CA Marriage and Family Therapist license . . . without studying for over a year! It was a beautiful fluke perhaps, or just a sign of my relaxation as I wasn't even attached to or focused on my chosen career field at that time. Either way, I'll be returning to California newly licensed and ready to hit the job market. All in all it was an incredible two months, and a perfect way to end what has been an incredible 13 months.
I left Asheville last on Thursday the 8th and spent a long weekend in Myrtle Beach to simply decompress and relax on the Center. I'm currently in Fayetville, Arkansas visiting some friends from the Meher Baba community Jessica Bender and her father Joe. I'll be here through the weekend and flying back to San Diego early Tuesday morning. I am very much looking forward to connecting back with family and getting back to work. I imagine I will offer one more entry, but for this world stepper, things are coming to a close. To any and all of you who have been along for the ride, many thanks. It's been a pleasure sharing the journey.
Best wishes from Fayetville, and soon to be San Diego!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Post India Reflections from South of France
Monday, May 25, 2009
India, Happy and Hot
I stayed with Roy and Aparna a total of 5 nights. Aparna and I, I believe on the 13th, took a little tour of downtown Mumbai. We walked around, and stopped at Leopold's Cafe, one of the several places attacked in the Mumbai bombings and shootings on November 26th. Leopold's was of interest to me because it is owned by a follower of Meher Baba. The spirit of the place felt relaxed, with very little residue of the past trauma. That said, there were still a few sobering bullet holes in plain view, a couple in the glass lining the top of the wall, and one in the ceiling. Aparna and I also visited the Royal Taj hotel, one of the other sites attacked, just a couple of blocks removed from Leopold's. It actually appeared to be in good shape from the exterior, though there was still repair work going over large portions of the building. In typical Aparna fashion, she coordinated a lunch gathering that included 3 people she met on Couchsurfing.com, and two of her friends from capoeira class. After lunch, we headed back to the apartment to beat the heat and take naps.The remainder of my days in Mumbai were mellow. I walked the local markets, enjoyed the fresh food cooked by Roy and Aparna's cleaning and cooking lady, watched movies, and relaxed. Most days it was really too hot to go out. I discovered the absolute best tandori chicken I have ever had, and that's saying a lot accounting for all of the Indian food I've eaten in my life. Just in this little neighborhood place down the road from their apartment. I can't remember the name, but I know where it is and will never forget.
Friday night, the 15th, things got a little interesting. I was scheduled to leave for Ahmednagar that night on an overnight sleeper bus. I had to take a rickshaw about an hour (because of traffic) to the bus pick-up point. I began to get a little uneasy when the rickshaw driver first stopped for gas, and then dropped me off at what I discovered minutes later to be the entirely wrong place. Luckily - for the moment anyway - I found a group of young men who were more than happy to tell me and my new rickshaw driver, where I had to go. Friday night traffic in Bombay will blow your mind, there's nothing else that can be said. It's impossible, and yet somehow, it works - barely. My next rickshaw driver dropped me somewhere in the vicinity of where I needed to go, and I spent the next 15 minutes wondering around, asking everyone where a particular store was. Luckily, a very happy and enthusiastic young guy came right up to me, asked me where I wanted to go, and escorted me there. He also assured me not to worry because Indian buses are always late. I was comforted, for the moment.
I walked up to the store front and was relieved to find several people with bags waiting there. The area was Sion Circle, a main transit stop for private bus companies who aren't contracted to actually go in and out of proper bus stations. There were buses whizzing around all over place. Surely, it was just a matter of time now. I purchased water from two young guys selling drinks out of a cooler. One of them, who's named turned out to be Chundon, took an interest in me (as most Indians do with Westerners. They can just about burn a hole through you with the intensity and duration of their stares). We chatted a bit about where I was from and where I was going, and he reassured me that I was in the right spot. The bus was due to come at 10:00. I arrived at about 9:50 or so, so I felt good. Ten o'clock, no bus. No worries, it's early by Indian standards. Ten fifteen, no bus. It's ok, there are plenty of people still here waiting too. Ten twenty, I see a bus with markings of the bus company I'm traveling with whiz around a corner and vanish. No problem, they're a big company, they have lots of buses. That one would have been in the wrong place anyways. Ten thirty, no bus. Indian buses are always late, aren't they? Ten forty-five, no bus. I tell Chundon I'm a bit concerned. "Relax Mr. Johnson (his best attempt at "Jonathan"). Bus will be right here soon." Eleven o'clock, no bus. Ok guys, someone help me out. I corralled yet another group of very helpful young men who were able to make phone calls to ascertain that one, I had missed the bus by over 30 minutes, and two, I was in the entirely wrong spot. That's India. Turns out, despite what the booking company people told me, I needed to be across the street and down the next corner. That bus I saw whiz by earlier in the evening
A little defeated and really tired, I phoned Roy and informed him that I'd be heading back to his place for the evening. I would have been screwed at that point had those nice fellows not let me borrow their mobile phones to make calls to both Roy and my father, who I also informed I would not be arriving as scheduled. I did get the number of the bus operator who actually rides the bus and collects fares. He said that because of the mix up I could ride the next evening, but for 200 rupees more. Oh well, that's India. The next day I finally got a mobile phone for India, which was good to have. I relaxed, ate, and headed back to Sion Circle armed with the correct spot to wait, a mobile phone and the phone number for the guy riding the bus I was due to take. Because of less traffic, I got their two hours early. I took up my stoop, and waited. Moments later, who walks by but Chundon! "Oh, Mr.Johnson, how are you? Good to see you!" Turns out he works there nightly, working for a travel agent across the road by day and hawkin' refreshments at night. His family are from Sri Lanka, and undoubtedly he was working to send them money home. Chundon went out of his way to be nice to me, to sit with me and assure me that now I was definitely in right spot. He even ran off and came back with a delicious sweet Indian snack filled with grain and sweets. He apologized for keeping me in the wrong spot the night before. I showed him photos of my travels and learned about his family. Friends are made in the strangest of ways sometimes.When the bus finally arrived, after three or four confirmation calls to the guy on the bus, I was truly relieved. Chundon anxiously and happily escorted me to the bus - where I paid my 200 rupee penance - and even went as far as to show me my sleeper compartment. I gotta' tell you, once I was on, all worries of the past 24 hours had vanished. Air conditioned sleeper buses are the way to go! Plenty of room to stretch out and sleep the trip away. I arrived Ahmednagar, as scheduled, on Sunday morning and was picked up immediately by my father in his old 1950's Ambassador He took me to Meherazad, where he lives, and I slept a few more hours.
The next couple days I just got settled in. Dad gave me a tour of the free medical dispensary he runs about a kilometer from his quarters. He then took me to the home of Roshan and Sam Kerawala about 30 minutes away in Meherabad, who have lovingly offered me a place to stay free of charge. They have an apartment unit on the second floor of their home the size of the ground floor. It's huge, with four bedrooms, each of which has it's own bathroom. Mine has been room number one, first on the left. Truly, an amazing gift. Roshan has also given me use of their scooter, which is an immense help, given that 3 or 4 days a week I've been making the 23 kilometer trek from Meherabad to Meherazad and back to help out in the dispensary.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Couldn't be truer for India, at least when it comes to driving the roads. First of all, the sun is unlike any sun you've ever felt in the hot season. It's hot, but it leaches energy and life from you if you're exposed to it for even a few moments uncovered. Sunblock does not do the trick at all. You have to cover up, plain and simple. Light long pants and long-sleeved shirts, including serious head coverage. So, in such garb, which includes a light colored scarf, wet and wrapped around my head, I hit the roads of Ahmednagar each day on the scooter, and variably take my own life in my hands each time I do it.
Unless you experience it, you can't comprehend it. The roads are shared by huge trucks, buses, SUV's, large tractors, small tractors, rickshaws, goats, cattle, buffalo, pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, taxis, horses, horse drawn carriages and dogs. People and animals cross wherever and whenever they feel like crossing, and every vehicle it would seem is out to overtake everyone else. Which means on any given trip you'll be staring down a huge bus or truck (the two fastest vehicles on the road, sadly) coming right at you in its attempt to overtake a pedestrian or buffalo, or any of the aforementioned things. It's madness, and yet somehow, it works . . . well, most of the time. The only things you have to keep you safe and moving are your heightened senses and your horn. Because of the the me-first nature of the traffic, everyone and their mother (including me!) lays heavy on the horn. The road is a cacophony of every pitched and volumed horn you can imagine. Enough to give you a headache, or startle you out of your seat And yet, it works, somehow.After my daily trek out to Meherazad, I arrive at the medical dispensary where I've been working in the pharmacy filling prescriptions. It's really an amazing place. All available services, including medications, are free. The place is supported by an endowment and fundraising, that's it. The budget is tight, yet they are able to service about 100 patients daily. That's a tremendous amount of medical care given in a week, in a month and a year - all for free. I felt really moved to be there, getting to know the staff, as I stumbled through learning the organization of the medications.I was certainly filled with a lot of love and respect for my father, who administrates 4 doctors, 5 staff and a tide of ever changing volunteers, all in exchange for simple staff quarters where he inhabits a single room with an attached bathroom - that's all. His food, his gas and everything else are on his dime. Meherazad is a small, amazing place in the world. The residence of Meher Baba when he lived and his closest disciples called the Mandali, it has been a place of pilgrimage for years for people all over the world. And here I sit, writing this entry from Dad's simple room.That's about it for now. Pictures to follow, again depending on upload times. Wishing everyone the best.
Catch you again soon.
Jonathan
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
As Things Would Have It
A couple of very long periods of waiting later - 5 hours in Phuket airport and nearly 8 hours in Bangkok airport, I was finally on the flight to Mumbai. I arrived yesterday to discover the new airport which I've heard so much about. After an extra step of going through a survey screening for swine flu, I was through customs with my bags in less than 15 minutes. I don't know what the hell happened, but that sure was not the Mumbai airport I used to know. I hopped in a cab and headed to Bandra West where I turned up at the doorstep of my wonderful friend who I met in Argentina, Aparna. Aparna opened the door with her usual smile, and welcomed me into her home. I have had a good 36 hours here with Aparna and her husband Roy. We have dined, drank, and done some touring of Mumbai together. I will head for Ahmednagar, and Meherabad, on the weekend, where my father, and the retreat center of Meher Baba await. I will write more of Mumbai in my next post.
That's it for now for this world stepper. It's good to travel. It's also good to be in a familiar place with good friends and just chill out for a while. It's funny, on the surface Bangkok and Mumbai have similar qualities - hotter than hell right now, gritty, dirty in places, congested, noisy, polluted, and did I mention hotter than hell? Bangkok I could not wait to get out of, Mumbai I am thrilled, and even relieved to be here. You never really know what's moving you from the inside. Suffice to say, in some ways I feel very much at home in India, as I know many of you do as well. And if you've never been, you simply must come at least once in your life. I describe India as the photo negative of pretty much everything you know - something to be experienced. More on it later.
That's it for now. Much love to you all. And, GO LAKERS!!!
Jonathan
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Southeast Asian Slowdown
Well, life has certainly taking a few interesting twists and turns since I last wrote. At last check in I was on my way to Bali. Currently I'm in Thailand, enjoying the sand, sun and beautiful blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand. But it hasn't been all fun and relaxation. Traveling is just like anything else in life - you do it long enough and you're bound to hit some rough patches along the way.
I arrived in Bali feeling awful. Some general abdominal pain, coupled with really low energy had me thinking that something serious was going on. I spent my first two days in Bali visiting doctors and trying to get sorted. The medical docs couldn't come up with anything after an abdominal xray turned up nothing. Oh wait, they did suggest I take and pay for a 980 dollar CT scan! No surprise there. The next day I took myself to the chiropractor. I found an excellent one in Kuta - the tourist mecca of Bali. After some massage, and adjustment, and electro-stim treatment to my lower back, I felt about 90 percent better. When you're used to exercising the body almost daily, and going in for regular chiro adjustments, after nearly 6 months of doing none of that, I was more than due to feel something. On the mend but still needing to rest, I spent my first 4 nights in Bali indoors, watching several very cheap (and very suspect) DVD's I purchased,and just generally taking it easy.
Finally feeling better enough, I hopped on my rental scooter and headed to the village of Ubud, about 45 minutes from Kuta. There I was greeted by Ketut, the friend and business client of my good friend Mikey Files. Ketut showed me around the local monkey rain forest and took me to dinner at a phenomenal restaurant. Best fish I'd ever had! The next day I joined Ketut and her son Oneness (yes, Oneness) for a day trip out to the reef at Ahmed on the Northeast corner of the island. We snorkeled the reef, ate pizza, and generally had a wonderful time. Ketut had never been for a proper snorkel because of her fear of the depths. So I took her along with me, keeping her close by. She lit up like a Christmas tree for having seen all the beautiful fish and corals. Her seven year old son took to water like a fish, and followed me all around the reef. Imagine swimming in clear tropical waters over beautiful reef with a golden child named Oneness at your side. It was ethereal.
I stayed two nights with Ketut, Oneness and Uli, Ketut's business partner and Oneness's father. I returned to Kuta set on just relaxing, and enjoying some of the beach. All was going quite well on the hour scooter ride home, when all of a sudden - the shakedown. Bali law enforcement is notorious for corruption, particularly when it comes to tourists. A motorcycle cop pulled me over and fined me 3,000,000 rupiah (a touch less than $30 US) for not carrying an international driver's license. And this dude wouldn't even haggle. No money on the spot, and I'd have to go downtown as it were. Oh well, easy come, easy go. Later that day I checked out famous surf spots Dreamland and Balangan. Beautiful spots for sure. Dreamland wasn't rideable when I arrived - only shore break. Balangan I surfed a little bit on the inside, but generally took it easy. At the end of my beach day, I was cruising along in the last afternoon when BAM! - flagged down by another cop. This time, for apparently not stopping completely before I made a left onto a the main highway. Bastards! I wasn't having it though. I angrily told him that this was the second time in a day I had been pulled at that I only had 50,000 rupiah left for food for the next two days (I lied - but was still angry). He acknowledged my complaint, and let me go with a begrudging handshake.
My last full day in Bali I had another chiro appointment, and dealt with some travel logistics online. I feel like Bali was more of a rest stop for me than anything else. Though, I did have the opportunity to visit some very beautiful spots on the island. If you've never taken the opportunity to experience the beauty and calm of seemingly endless rice paddies, do it. They're spectacular in Bali. Every turn through the country reveals another scenic vista of stepped rice paddies, green and wet. Ketut and Uli lived in a house that backed up to a rice paddy. Completely amazing.
After a brief layover in Jakarta, I arrived Bangkok on the night of the 16th and rendezvoused with my old time friend, Ella Dascalos. Ella, who I hadn't seen or heard from in years, tracked me down on Facebook a few months back. Needing a break herself, I suggested she join me for some exploration of Thailand with me. She accepted, and here we are!
After one day in hot, hot Bangkok, we hopped on an overnight bus and headed south for the islands. The first two nights we stayed on Kao Phangan, and now are currently on Kao Tao. It's beautiful here. The water is blue, the accomodation next to nothing, and the food is varied and fresh. All of the islands in the Gulf of Thailand have something of beauty and relaxation to offer. Take yourself here one day if you ever get the opportunity. It's been wonderful having Ella here with me for this 10 day leg of my journey. Traveling alone certainly allows for optimal flexibility, but from time to time lonliness, or even boredom can set. Having a travel buddy has been refreshing, and it's been wonderful to reconnect with someone who I hadn't seen in about 15 years.More to come later on. Right now I find myself debating whether or not I venture into Vietnam and Laos, or whether I just relax here in Thailand for a few more weeks and then make an early jump to India in mid May instead of early June. Funds are beginning to fall, and so is my thirst for adventure a bit to be quite honest. We'll see what presents itself to me in the next few weeks.
Much love to all still following along. More soon.
Jonathan
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Don't Cry For Me Australia . . . :-)
So, I flew to Canberra and was greeted by Megan, a friend I had made while in Fiji. Megan, like so many in Canberra, works for the government - the air force specifically. She took me to the Australia War Memorial museum, up Mt.Ainsely for a panoramic view, out to dinner at local eatery, and out for my first ever netball game (watching, not playing). I have to say, as hard as I tried, I'm not really all that fond of watching netball. Must be my love of basketball getting in the way! GO LAKERS!!! And if all that wasn't enough given that I arrived at 2pm, after watching her friend play netball, we went up to Telstra Tower to the revolving restaurant for a true panoramic nighttime view of the city. Back to my hostel, and off to sleep.
The crowd was huge outside the stadium as we walked up. Luckily, some very nice strangers had three extra tickets to sell before we arrived. We happily accepted, not knowing that had we not we wouldn't have gotten in. Sadly, the Sharks lost in a somewhat defense-heavy game. Back to the apartment where I met Matt's roommate Carolina and saw my old friend Sage. We spent the evening hanging out and generally enjoying ourselves.
The next few days were spent visiting with friends and touring Sydney. I noticed that I was a bit off my tourist game as I didn't really push myself to see and do all things tourist while in Sydney. That said, Sydney is an absolutely beautiful city. Very clean, appealing, and easy to get around in. The Harbor, with the bridge and Opera house were one of very few man-made spots that have taken my breath away. Well worth a visit!
After staying with Matt for three nights and Sage for a couple, I spent the weekend with Roshan Keating. Roshan, Sage and Roshan's friend Sherie and I all went sub thermal as we visited Sydney's Ice Lounge. Sadly I have no photos to share as the bar did not allow us to take pictures. It essentially a large freezer room with a bar, decked out in ice sculptures and ice furniture covered in animal skin. Even the glasses were ice - so the drinks had to be strong to prevent them from freezing. We got buzzed, ran around and had ice block races with the furniture. At -15 celsius, the allotted time of 30 minutes was more than enough to hang there. Once I get the photo that they take and make you pay for scanned, I'll put it up!
Friends who opened up themselves and their homes to me - Matt, Sage, and Roshan Keating and her family - thank you so much. It was really amazing to reconnect with all of you while here. I got to see Sydney as a tourist and an insider. Yesterday, I finally got together with Amy Clay, another old time friend from the Baba community who moved to Sydney over 6 years ago. Amy, an Olympian in Beijing for Australia'a rowing team last summer, is the daughter of my beloved friend Barbara back in Myrtle Beach! After a couple of hours of catching up, I was picked up by Sage and we headed to Stuart's 43rd birthday BBQ. Great to see Stuart and Meherose on my last evening in Sydney. All the best to you all. Until we meet again . . .
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ah, Family
After 4 nights, the next day it was back to Cyril and Monica's. On the way we stopped by for a visit with Rosie (another cousin of Mom's). Rosie delighted me with her surprising quick wit and dry sense of humor. Back to Grand Central, where I was greeted and picked up by Monica (another cousin, not to be confused with her own mother). Monica took me back to her home where I met husband Chris, and sons Michael, Simon and . . . Stayed a couple of nights there. Monica and Simon and I went down to Portsea for a nice day out at the coast and lunch. Later that night Michael took me out with his mates, and we had a few beers and some good laughs. The next day, Michael took me back to Grand Central where I was greeted by Bernard and Anne. I drove with them 3 hours to their home in a charming seaside town called Warrnambool. Over the next 4 days I relaxed, worked somewhat obsessively on a 1000 piece puzzle, went for a bike ride, went to the beach with Anne, and befriend their dogie Pip. Bernie extended a special invitation to be a part of his Pudding Club - a regal group of men who gather monthly to share in food, drink and proper English pudding. As Bernie was hosting this months gathering, the invitation was somewhat obligatory. Thanks for the honor Bernie. On my last day (last Friday) Bernie was kind enough to take me on a tour of the Great Ocean Road, the world famous stretch of coast with stunning cliffs, beautiful water and scenic stacks of eroded cliff face. Most notable of all of them are the 12 Apostles, which by our count, are now down to 10. Bernie and Anne have two daughters Sarah (19), who I met for about 10 minutes, and Clare (21), who I didn't meet . . .
Deep. Breath. . .
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Reef and Rainforest
We arrived at our accommodations around 4 in the afternoon. A hip place called PK's, it was situated in the rainforest and about 75 meters walk from the beach. To see rainforest meet ocean is spectacular, and apparently quite rare. Only one other spot in the world has rainforest down to the ocean. Bonus points if you can name it. I relaxed on the sand, took a walk to Cape Tribulation beach, and sacked out for the night. The next day I did a canopy zip-line excursion. About 40 feet up in the trees you zip along the rainforest taking in the view and beautiful forest around. Sadly, most of the time was spent waiting on each platform, as each participant had to be harnessed, unharnessed and harnessed again from platform to platform. That said, it was still amazing to be up in the tree tops, that's for sure.The remainder of that day and the next was just spent relaxing, having a beer, and getting to know some of the other travelers. I returned to Cairns last Monday evening, stoked for trip to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef the next day.
The dive on Tuesday was spectacular. I did three dives, in a group of only five, with a guide who knew his stuff. The boat ride was smooth given the conditions, the equipment in great shape, and the weather was beautiful once we got out to the reef. Couldn't ask for anything else. The reef was amazing - huge and expansive, even just in the little sections that we dove. I took tons of photos with a rental camera. Here's just a taste.
And that brings us to today. This morning I caught a flight down to Melbourne, where I was greeted by Marian, one of 9 of my mother's cousins. She, her husband Peter and son Michael have graciously taken me in for the next couple of nights, and organized days and nights and for me to stay with the other relatives in the Brisbane area, as well as activities for while I'm here. Finally I get to meet this wonderful extended Australian family!
That's it for now. Apologies for not yet getting all the photos up yet that I promised. Tomorrow I'll begin the process hopefully.
Wishing you well.
J
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Things Have Been Picking Up
The Sunday night of our return to Hervey Bay, I enjoyed dinner with some new friends on the boat - Ekaterina and her mother Doris from Germany, and Christoph and Christina, a sweet couple also from the Germany. We happened upon a really delicious Italian eatery, and enjoyed the evening, namely to jokes and stories of Dingo Dave. The next morning I caught a lift back to Noosa with Ekaterina and Doris. Surfed a little, hung out with the Foleys some more, and relaxed. The next day, Tuesday, I caught a shuttle down to Brisbane, and flew up to Townsville, to visit my friends from San Jose, Lelena and Daniel.
My last couple of days have been eventful. I visited Billabong wild animal sanctuary just 20 minutes down the road from here. I finally got to hold a koala, as well as a wombat named Willemina, a black headed python and baby crocodile. Then there was the crocodile feeding, which was one of craziest things I have ever witnessed. Salt water crocodiles can grow up to 23 feet long, though the ones at Billabong were only a paltry 16! To see these beasts lunge their bodies out of water to grab at meat was unreal. One of the females came darting out of the pool, right for the handlers, jaws snapping at full speed. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy as the handlers whacked her repeatedly on the head with large wooden rods. After a few good whacks she retreated into the pool. Apparently that's the only way to show dominance over a croc - whack it heavily on the head with something heavy! Also saw wallabies, cassoweries, emus, dozens of other tropical snakes and reptiles. And of course, the kangaroos. Go my Facebook albums for all of the pictures.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing more scuba diving, and this time I rented a camera using my own memory card. I took a 2 1/2 hour boat ride - each way - to the dive site of the shipwreck Yongala. It's a rare site, located several hundreds of kilometers between and away from any of the natural reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. It's 103 meters (over 300 feet long), and is now home to hundreds of corals, plant and animal species. Visibility was not that great, and in truth diving the wreck you wouldn't know it was a ship at first, looks more like a sea mount. But the fish were plentiful, and this time I caught 'em all on camera. A bull shark came swimming by, which really excited most on the trip. Me, now the seasoned bull shark diver, did notice it to be slightly larger than most, but otherwise didn't bat an eye! :-) A basic rule of diving is that the deeper you go, the less amount of time you can be underwater. Generally dives deeper than 20 meters only last 30-40 minutes max! So, we did two dives of the Yongala, but only for about 35 minutes each, which really isn't all the much time. I really love my underwater time, which is why I think I'll pursue slightly shallower reef dives from here on out.Whelp, that's about it. Tonight I fly up to Cairns to take in city, local rainforest and diving adventures. I'll update more when I can.