I am in Nadi (pronounced Nandi with a long A) which is the main island in Fiji where the airport is. You really go from third to developing to a first world nation in a matter of seconds here. I haven't really experienced anything like it before. The exchange rate is wonderful with the Fijian dollar worth about .5 of the USD.
I spent the first night in Nadi because the plane arrived to late to make it to the Yasawas where I'd stay for the following four evenings. The smaller islands are the paradise ones that everyone always sees pictures of and hears about. The word "Bula" is used more frequently than "like" in spoken English. It means hello, welcome, and general happiness. The sunset was gorgeous on the first evening and little did I know that I was just getting started.
Departing at 7:15 am towards Densaru Port, the sun was already scorching. Wearing sunscreen in Fiji is not an option. Even if you are trying to get a tan, you must coat it all over your body to avoid a third degree burn. The boat ride was 2.5 hours long to our first stop, Waya Lailai. I have never in my life seen such white sand, turquoise water. The shells on the beach were ones you would normally purchase at a store. I forgot to mention that in Nadi the police station was smaller than a dorm room. Everyone is so unbelieveably kind and welcoming that the crime rate must be near zero.
Waya Lailai was an amazing, once (well, hopefully more) in a lifetime experience. I felt like I was on a honeymoon alone. It was the kind of time that you really wish everyone you loved was with you. I slept in a straw hut just feet away from the beach, with a big bug net surrounding me at night. It was hotter than balls 24/7 and I was constantly sweating. I didn't shower because I would just jump in the ocean. There is no way to describe how warm the ocean is without feeling it for yourself. All I can say is, there really were some parts that the water was warmer than a bath. North of 100 degrees and I am not exaggerating.
75% of all earnings went to the local tribe on the Island. They are still living rather primitively but with obvious upgrades from centuries ago. 800-100 Fijians inhabit an island and live about 4 hours away via boat from the main land. For 26USD a night I had a place to sleep, and three thanksgiving size meals per day.
Anyone who wants to go to Fiji can ask me more questions, but I am far too exhausted to type anymore. Back to Dunedin
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Last day in Sydney. This is not my favorite city I've been to in Australia, that would go to Melbourne. It is however the most I have enjoyed myself by far. Every day has been filled with fun events.
The first day I arrived I walked around downtown (my hostel is centrally located). I went to the world famous Botanical Gardens and saw the government house, I purchased groceries for my stay here, and I walked by the Sydney Opera House. The weather was perfect and I was really happy to be exploring the city without any restraints. I figured out the public transportation system and met some really cool people at my hostel. In particular, a 22 year old named Andri from Switzerland who only speaks German.
We've been getting along really well together and have hung out the past few days. He is always asking me what things mean in English. I used his computer and it was really difficult to type with all the new characters and symbols in different places.
The first night I also met a 29 year old teacher from South Africa who lives in London. She has really traveled the world and was so passionate about her life. A very inspirational person. I love cooking intricate, expensive meals from scratch now for a quarter of the price. The kitchen at the hostel is great and has everything one would need.
The second day I went on a Sydney tour bus type thing that lasted from 7am-7pm. It was totally worth it. I got to cuddle koalas, go to an all-you-can-eat buffet (I took FULL advantage), hike in the Blue Mountains, and take a night Ferry across the cove to get a gorgeous view of the city and Opera House. I think that has been my favorite day so far on this trip. I ate some "Grain Waves" which are a thicker, healthier version of Sunchips and absolutely loved em.
The waterfalls at Blue Mountains were gorgeous. They have that name because when the Eucalyptus gets hot from the rain forest, blue air rises up. My only complaint is that minimum wage in Australis is 15, and their dollar is equivilent so everything is at least twice as expensive. Andri said Swiss money (they refuse to join the EU, they are neutral) is equal and his min. wage is 23.00!
Yesterday I went to the world famous Bondi beach. One of the most popular beaches in the world. The weather has been perfect throughout my stay in Sydney.
Today I am going to the Sydney Aquarium and going to explore Darling Harbor. I think that I'll also run around a nice park close to my hostel. I leave tomorrow morning for Fiji, where I don't think there is internet.
I feel so weird for a twenty year old. I don't go out and get wasted at all in college because I got that out of the way in high school. I eat only healthy food, I always get enough sleep, and I try to exercise every day. I was reading about Fair Trade and other 1st world exploitations of 3rd world countries last night and I want to try and change some of my habits. I think it is crucial to be educated and informed on issues like this. Some of my actions manifest the inequalities, I know about. And some downright contradict it. Can't win them all.
The first day I arrived I walked around downtown (my hostel is centrally located). I went to the world famous Botanical Gardens and saw the government house, I purchased groceries for my stay here, and I walked by the Sydney Opera House. The weather was perfect and I was really happy to be exploring the city without any restraints. I figured out the public transportation system and met some really cool people at my hostel. In particular, a 22 year old named Andri from Switzerland who only speaks German.
We've been getting along really well together and have hung out the past few days. He is always asking me what things mean in English. I used his computer and it was really difficult to type with all the new characters and symbols in different places.
The first night I also met a 29 year old teacher from South Africa who lives in London. She has really traveled the world and was so passionate about her life. A very inspirational person. I love cooking intricate, expensive meals from scratch now for a quarter of the price. The kitchen at the hostel is great and has everything one would need.
The second day I went on a Sydney tour bus type thing that lasted from 7am-7pm. It was totally worth it. I got to cuddle koalas, go to an all-you-can-eat buffet (I took FULL advantage), hike in the Blue Mountains, and take a night Ferry across the cove to get a gorgeous view of the city and Opera House. I think that has been my favorite day so far on this trip. I ate some "Grain Waves" which are a thicker, healthier version of Sunchips and absolutely loved em.
The waterfalls at Blue Mountains were gorgeous. They have that name because when the Eucalyptus gets hot from the rain forest, blue air rises up. My only complaint is that minimum wage in Australis is 15, and their dollar is equivilent so everything is at least twice as expensive. Andri said Swiss money (they refuse to join the EU, they are neutral) is equal and his min. wage is 23.00!
Yesterday I went to the world famous Bondi beach. One of the most popular beaches in the world. The weather has been perfect throughout my stay in Sydney.
Today I am going to the Sydney Aquarium and going to explore Darling Harbor. I think that I'll also run around a nice park close to my hostel. I leave tomorrow morning for Fiji, where I don't think there is internet.
I feel so weird for a twenty year old. I don't go out and get wasted at all in college because I got that out of the way in high school. I eat only healthy food, I always get enough sleep, and I try to exercise every day. I was reading about Fair Trade and other 1st world exploitations of 3rd world countries last night and I want to try and change some of my habits. I think it is crucial to be educated and informed on issues like this. Some of my actions manifest the inequalities, I know about. And some downright contradict it. Can't win them all.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
I am safe and staying at a hostel in downtown Sydney after three days in Gold Coast, but the journey was anything but easy.
Sometimes it is impossible to show empathy or relate to someone without first hand experiencing what they have. I know what it is like to be homeless for a night now. Gold Coast airport closed down last night between 10-4, and I thought I was going to be sleeping there. Instead, I slept on a hard wood bench with my kacki shorts as a pillow and a towel as my blanket. It was soo gold and I don't think I even got a minute of real sleep. The good news: I still have all my belongings, I got to sleep on a bench that was not near a smoking section, and I was the first person in the airport this morning so I didn't have to wait in any lines.
Gold Coast was cool but it was too touristy and Americanized for me. Designer shops, beaches, food joints everywhere, hotels. That kind of thing. It was decent for a day and a half but not for as long as we stayed. I did go to an amazing wild life reserve though and hold koalas and seeing rare endemic species to Australia. I ate Mexican food for the first time in 2 months, much needed. I miss the Mission at home a lot.
I am solo in Sydney for the next four days and will be meeting the group at the airport to go to Fiji on Monday. Needed some space. Pretty overwhelmed by some of the tendencies of my travelling mates. You learn way more about someone when you travel with them than living, or any other kind of environment.
I'll check back in the night before Fiji.
Sometimes it is impossible to show empathy or relate to someone without first hand experiencing what they have. I know what it is like to be homeless for a night now. Gold Coast airport closed down last night between 10-4, and I thought I was going to be sleeping there. Instead, I slept on a hard wood bench with my kacki shorts as a pillow and a towel as my blanket. It was soo gold and I don't think I even got a minute of real sleep. The good news: I still have all my belongings, I got to sleep on a bench that was not near a smoking section, and I was the first person in the airport this morning so I didn't have to wait in any lines.
Gold Coast was cool but it was too touristy and Americanized for me. Designer shops, beaches, food joints everywhere, hotels. That kind of thing. It was decent for a day and a half but not for as long as we stayed. I did go to an amazing wild life reserve though and hold koalas and seeing rare endemic species to Australia. I ate Mexican food for the first time in 2 months, much needed. I miss the Mission at home a lot.
I am solo in Sydney for the next four days and will be meeting the group at the airport to go to Fiji on Monday. Needed some space. Pretty overwhelmed by some of the tendencies of my travelling mates. You learn way more about someone when you travel with them than living, or any other kind of environment.
I'll check back in the night before Fiji.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Great Easter weekend celebrated in Melbourne. A lot of stuff was closed on Good Friday and today, Sunday, but the four days spent here were still filled with activities.
I went to bed early every night so I could wake up early and have complete days. Friday we walked around town in the morning and saw a ton of really cool graphite; it is legal here which I think is something the USA should embrace. Definitely one of the more unique types of art that is just seen as a crime. One alley-way was completely coated with an array of colors, designs, and styles. I could not have taken enough pictures. The Chinatown in Melbourne is really small, but cool nonetheless.
Friday was mostly about just walking around everywhere and getting a feel for the city. The architecture here is awesome. I especially liked the Train Station and all of the surrounding areas. Orange/Auburn building that has a clock tower and ancient kingdom feeling to it. We walked through an atrium and the ceiling was similar to a spiders web made out of steel or something. I won't be able to post any pictures until the end of the trip, but I hope everyone goes through them once they are up and available. Melbourne has a white Eiffel tower type building as well as some really distinct cathedrals. I know that I need to live in a big city for a good portion of my young life, if not a suburb of a big city during adulthood.
In the afternoon on Friday we took a tram to an area called St. Kilda. It was a hip area about twenty minutes outside of the city center that is famous for desserts. The twins and I each got a sweet treat (a strawberry crisp cake, a chocolate almond cake, and a custard danish) that we split three ways. Really could not have been any tastier. St. Kilda is right next to the beach so we took about a five mile walk along the beach until we found the perfect spot. We ate lunch, and then took a nice nap in the sun. I saw jellyfish along the way. I don't think I have seen any not in an aquarium before. The place that we stopped also had about 50 different small huts that were each individually colored and designed. I guess people pay millions to say that they own them.
I have been waking up early so I can go on a run everyday. It is so nice to see the city before it wakes up. I run up and down the main sidewalks that are generally packed with people. I still have to use my agility to dodge people, but I think that is fun. Running is the best way to cover a lot of ground in the city and explore on my own. I went by the river and to the botanical gardens and around the sky scrapers on my runs. I have been doing about 5-6 miles a day that usually takes no more than 45 minutes. I love that it is 75 degrees in the morning and the fresh air near the river is really motivating. After a long day at the beach the girls made Eggplant mozeralla and noodles with greens for dinner. We crashed hard.
Saturday was another early morning and we went back to Queen Victoria market to get fresh fruit and nuts to last us through our next city. We also bought fresh Turkish bread for lunch. I got a kangaroo steak just so I could say I have had it. It tasted like a gamey steak. I only had a bite or two because I don't eat red meat and didn't want to upset my stomach. For some reason, red meat just doesn't taste or sound good to me anymore. I gave the rest of it away and had eggplant again for lunch.
The afternoon was scorching. We went to an AFL (Australian Footy League) game. It is a combination of soccer, football, and rugby. It was much more entertaining for me than NZ rugby. The players are built like soccer players and they really get after it. There is a wide and a narrow field goal like post. If you make a catch in the red zone area you get a chance to kick it through the post, 6 points in the narrow, 1 point in the wide. You can also kick it during the action into the narrow post to get six points. A player is able to kick or punch the ball (shaped like a football/rugby ball) to their teammates and cannot run with it for more than fifteen steps. A lot of deep receptions reminded me of the NFL.
After the game we were starving and walked and trammed for at least an hour or two to little Italy or Lygon St. I was so hungry by the time my meal came that I had to refrain from practically drinking it. I ordered Salmone Spinach Fettucine with a wine cream sauce. It was so authentic. I don't think I've had italian food like that since New York City at my Global Young Leaders Conference, or the east coast trip with my dad, jo, chase, and hannah.
Speaking of which, Hannah messaged me something like "holy.shit.i.got.into.harvard." I could not possibly be more proud of my sister. She has worked her butt off and deserves it. I now have a great excuse to go to the east coast! And get sweet Harvard gear :-). I don't want to even try and compare myself to her. She is two years younger and already far superior as a reader, writer, in math, science, and probably the arts. Not just for her age, but in general. I can see why my parents have had a hard time getting her to do what they want. She isn't just a "know-it-all". She actually knows it all. Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon, Harvard. Which one stands out? Its not hard to tell hahha. I love you Hannah, best of luck!
Today has been really low key because nothing is really open on Easter Sunday. I went for a run and then have just been reading in the sun and at the appartment. I also went to McCafe to get some things lined up for Brisbane/Gold Coast.
I leave tomorrow morning really early, but I will check in on my last day in Brisbane.
I went to bed early every night so I could wake up early and have complete days. Friday we walked around town in the morning and saw a ton of really cool graphite; it is legal here which I think is something the USA should embrace. Definitely one of the more unique types of art that is just seen as a crime. One alley-way was completely coated with an array of colors, designs, and styles. I could not have taken enough pictures. The Chinatown in Melbourne is really small, but cool nonetheless.
Friday was mostly about just walking around everywhere and getting a feel for the city. The architecture here is awesome. I especially liked the Train Station and all of the surrounding areas. Orange/Auburn building that has a clock tower and ancient kingdom feeling to it. We walked through an atrium and the ceiling was similar to a spiders web made out of steel or something. I won't be able to post any pictures until the end of the trip, but I hope everyone goes through them once they are up and available. Melbourne has a white Eiffel tower type building as well as some really distinct cathedrals. I know that I need to live in a big city for a good portion of my young life, if not a suburb of a big city during adulthood.
In the afternoon on Friday we took a tram to an area called St. Kilda. It was a hip area about twenty minutes outside of the city center that is famous for desserts. The twins and I each got a sweet treat (a strawberry crisp cake, a chocolate almond cake, and a custard danish) that we split three ways. Really could not have been any tastier. St. Kilda is right next to the beach so we took about a five mile walk along the beach until we found the perfect spot. We ate lunch, and then took a nice nap in the sun. I saw jellyfish along the way. I don't think I have seen any not in an aquarium before. The place that we stopped also had about 50 different small huts that were each individually colored and designed. I guess people pay millions to say that they own them.
I have been waking up early so I can go on a run everyday. It is so nice to see the city before it wakes up. I run up and down the main sidewalks that are generally packed with people. I still have to use my agility to dodge people, but I think that is fun. Running is the best way to cover a lot of ground in the city and explore on my own. I went by the river and to the botanical gardens and around the sky scrapers on my runs. I have been doing about 5-6 miles a day that usually takes no more than 45 minutes. I love that it is 75 degrees in the morning and the fresh air near the river is really motivating. After a long day at the beach the girls made Eggplant mozeralla and noodles with greens for dinner. We crashed hard.
Saturday was another early morning and we went back to Queen Victoria market to get fresh fruit and nuts to last us through our next city. We also bought fresh Turkish bread for lunch. I got a kangaroo steak just so I could say I have had it. It tasted like a gamey steak. I only had a bite or two because I don't eat red meat and didn't want to upset my stomach. For some reason, red meat just doesn't taste or sound good to me anymore. I gave the rest of it away and had eggplant again for lunch.
The afternoon was scorching. We went to an AFL (Australian Footy League) game. It is a combination of soccer, football, and rugby. It was much more entertaining for me than NZ rugby. The players are built like soccer players and they really get after it. There is a wide and a narrow field goal like post. If you make a catch in the red zone area you get a chance to kick it through the post, 6 points in the narrow, 1 point in the wide. You can also kick it during the action into the narrow post to get six points. A player is able to kick or punch the ball (shaped like a football/rugby ball) to their teammates and cannot run with it for more than fifteen steps. A lot of deep receptions reminded me of the NFL.
After the game we were starving and walked and trammed for at least an hour or two to little Italy or Lygon St. I was so hungry by the time my meal came that I had to refrain from practically drinking it. I ordered Salmone Spinach Fettucine with a wine cream sauce. It was so authentic. I don't think I've had italian food like that since New York City at my Global Young Leaders Conference, or the east coast trip with my dad, jo, chase, and hannah.
Speaking of which, Hannah messaged me something like "holy.shit.i.got.into.harvard." I could not possibly be more proud of my sister. She has worked her butt off and deserves it. I now have a great excuse to go to the east coast! And get sweet Harvard gear :-). I don't want to even try and compare myself to her. She is two years younger and already far superior as a reader, writer, in math, science, and probably the arts. Not just for her age, but in general. I can see why my parents have had a hard time getting her to do what they want. She isn't just a "know-it-all". She actually knows it all. Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon, Harvard. Which one stands out? Its not hard to tell hahha. I love you Hannah, best of luck!
Today has been really low key because nothing is really open on Easter Sunday. I went for a run and then have just been reading in the sun and at the appartment. I also went to McCafe to get some things lined up for Brisbane/Gold Coast.
I leave tomorrow morning really early, but I will check in on my last day in Brisbane.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
One of the longest dayssssss of my life. I got little to no sleep Tuesday night, and then zero Wednesday night. It is now Thursday at 10 pm in Melbourne, so midnight NZ time, 4 am Pacific.
I left Dunedin at 915 pm Tuesday night and took a Knightrider bus to the Christchurch airport. Rather than just my head being on swivel because of a crazy driver, my whole body was. The stereotypes are dead on about guys that have to drive semi trucks and buses at night. He was on some combination of drugs because he was insane. He looked like he had just blown about 25 lines of booger candy and only had about ten teeth: "I don't give a shit about none of yalls bags, i got no responsibilities, make sure yall grab the right ones." I didn't even mention the amount of stutters and stalls in that quote. It takes four hours to get from Dunedin to Christchurch, but for some reason it took us 6.5. You meet some of the wildest characters on earth at NZ gas stations in the middle of the night, let me tell you.
By the time we reached the airport deliriousness was in the distant past. Our group collapsed on the airport floor with our bags as pillows. We were waiting for the international terminal to open at 4 am to check in and catch our 6 am flight to Melbourne. Accidentally slept through the opening and had to wait in line behind the whole city of Beijing to check in. That sucked. All of our flights between cities are at 6 am because they were the most economically efficient so I will be a zombie for a lot of this 19 day adventure. I "slept" the entire time on our flight from Christchurch to Melbourne so I was somewhat recharged for the day. We landed at eight and met up with Paiges twin sister by 10. I am so glad we don't have to pay for accommodation for a few nights in Melbourne. Saving me a good 100 bucks.
We had our priorities straight and went to the food market after dropping our stuff off. This place had the largest plethora of food I had ever seen in my entire life. Fresh vegetables, fruit, baked breads, meats, cheeses, nuts, dried fruit, EVERYTHING. I have never seen so many different kinds of meat in one place. Kangaroo...I am going to fry some up Saturday night for dinner. No joke at all. There were at least 15-20 different kinds of every single food group. Ridiculous. There was also a flee market. I would say it was like a 6x6 NYC block area. Definitely my favorite few hours of study abroad. I wish I were with my Dad because it was totally the kind of thing we would have loved together. As in, wake up at 8 am and dont leave til 8 pm because we are trying every single thing we could put in our mouths as fast as possible. They also had live ducks and chickens you could slaughter yourself. Almost bought a duck for eight bucks so I could let it go in honor of the U of O. I could tell by their faces that the locals weren't feelin it.
I walked around the city pretty much all day probably clocked north of ten miles on the ground. Melbourne University has 44,000 and the campus is amazing. The food is soooooo good everywhere I turn. I will not be able to eat the sushi at home I can already tell. I had prawn pizza for dinner for four bucks, are you kidding me? I hate to say this because I love Dunedin and New Zealand so much, but if I were to do it all over again, after one extremely biased day, I would have lived in Melbourne. This place is perfect for me. 3.8 million people, but it is very accessible. Reminds me a lot of San Francisco in terms of the art, food, public life, and transportation.
I am have hit the wall and feel like I am floating so that is probably a sign to crash. Paige and her identical twin are going out to bars to meet all of Abbeys friends, I am sleeping. Tomorrow is Good Friday here and its Easter weekend which means absolutely nothing to me, but apparently the city shuts down. Not very happy about that. I am going to the beach during the day tomorrow and am gonna just post in the sun. There is a missing ozone layer here so I plan to coat my body in SPF 45 sunscreen.
Goodnight guys. I'll try and check in before I leave for Gold Coast/Brisbane.
I left Dunedin at 915 pm Tuesday night and took a Knightrider bus to the Christchurch airport. Rather than just my head being on swivel because of a crazy driver, my whole body was. The stereotypes are dead on about guys that have to drive semi trucks and buses at night. He was on some combination of drugs because he was insane. He looked like he had just blown about 25 lines of booger candy and only had about ten teeth: "I don't give a shit about none of yalls bags, i got no responsibilities, make sure yall grab the right ones." I didn't even mention the amount of stutters and stalls in that quote. It takes four hours to get from Dunedin to Christchurch, but for some reason it took us 6.5. You meet some of the wildest characters on earth at NZ gas stations in the middle of the night, let me tell you.
By the time we reached the airport deliriousness was in the distant past. Our group collapsed on the airport floor with our bags as pillows. We were waiting for the international terminal to open at 4 am to check in and catch our 6 am flight to Melbourne. Accidentally slept through the opening and had to wait in line behind the whole city of Beijing to check in. That sucked. All of our flights between cities are at 6 am because they were the most economically efficient so I will be a zombie for a lot of this 19 day adventure. I "slept" the entire time on our flight from Christchurch to Melbourne so I was somewhat recharged for the day. We landed at eight and met up with Paiges twin sister by 10. I am so glad we don't have to pay for accommodation for a few nights in Melbourne. Saving me a good 100 bucks.
We had our priorities straight and went to the food market after dropping our stuff off. This place had the largest plethora of food I had ever seen in my entire life. Fresh vegetables, fruit, baked breads, meats, cheeses, nuts, dried fruit, EVERYTHING. I have never seen so many different kinds of meat in one place. Kangaroo...I am going to fry some up Saturday night for dinner. No joke at all. There were at least 15-20 different kinds of every single food group. Ridiculous. There was also a flee market. I would say it was like a 6x6 NYC block area. Definitely my favorite few hours of study abroad. I wish I were with my Dad because it was totally the kind of thing we would have loved together. As in, wake up at 8 am and dont leave til 8 pm because we are trying every single thing we could put in our mouths as fast as possible. They also had live ducks and chickens you could slaughter yourself. Almost bought a duck for eight bucks so I could let it go in honor of the U of O. I could tell by their faces that the locals weren't feelin it.
I walked around the city pretty much all day probably clocked north of ten miles on the ground. Melbourne University has 44,000 and the campus is amazing. The food is soooooo good everywhere I turn. I will not be able to eat the sushi at home I can already tell. I had prawn pizza for dinner for four bucks, are you kidding me? I hate to say this because I love Dunedin and New Zealand so much, but if I were to do it all over again, after one extremely biased day, I would have lived in Melbourne. This place is perfect for me. 3.8 million people, but it is very accessible. Reminds me a lot of San Francisco in terms of the art, food, public life, and transportation.
I am have hit the wall and feel like I am floating so that is probably a sign to crash. Paige and her identical twin are going out to bars to meet all of Abbeys friends, I am sleeping. Tomorrow is Good Friday here and its Easter weekend which means absolutely nothing to me, but apparently the city shuts down. Not very happy about that. I am going to the beach during the day tomorrow and am gonna just post in the sun. There is a missing ozone layer here so I plan to coat my body in SPF 45 sunscreen.
Goodnight guys. I'll try and check in before I leave for Gold Coast/Brisbane.
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