South America: Along the Andes, North to South

Ecuador

I left Minnesota on Inaguration Day, just when the temperatures began to drop (-20 F) and arrived, after a couple of delays and airport sleepovers, in Quito, Ecuador, where I found myself surrounded on all sides by the beautiful peaks and slopes of the Andes. I made my way to my hostel and was greeted by Cecilia, my friend from traveling in Southeast Asia. We immediately got to work touching up our itinerary, working out dates, and concluding that we were crazy for trying to do so much in such little time. But, we both wanted the same things out of the trip and were willing to survive some overnight bus trips and fast turnovers.

My friend Trisha had studied in Ecuador for a semester, so among her expert advice on foods and fruits to try was a recommendation to spend some time in the mountains, the rainforest, and on the coast of Ecuador, since all were different in terms of culture. So, after spending the day exploring Quito (basilica pictured on the left) we zipped out the next day on a bus to Tena, sort of a gateway town to the Amazon rainforest, with plans to return to Quito to meet our friends in a few days. The four hour bus ride was beautifully scenic, with long windy mountain roads across valleys and over the slopes.

Tena was a cute little town, much warmer than Quito, and it appeared to be an excellent jumping off point to organize tours and treks into the Amazon. We weren’t planning to stay that long, unfortunately, so instead we took a nice little self guided walk through the ‘Parque Amazonico,’ which gave us a great introduction to the rainforest climate. The trees were beautiful, the birds were cool, and there were plenty of strange bugs. We were satisfied. A treehouse in the park yielded a fantastic view of the surrounding forest.

After Tena, we headed back to Quito and spent the next day visiting the famous Saturday market of Otavalo. Otavalo is a small town up in the Andes, and still retains much of its native culture. We wandered the fruit stalls, the handicrafts market, and of course, tried some local Ecuadorian food. The food was very simple and basic, with a lot of focus on rice, maize (corn), Andean cheese (white, soft, and a little bland), beef, and potatoes. The hills were stunning, and we marveled at how the people there spend their lives, farming and maintaining the land for profit and for sustainability. We were glued to the windows on the way home, passing herds of llamas, cows, and goats grazing in the pastures while trying to catch pictures of the mountains out the window. We did a lot of window picture taking on this trip – the scenery was just too amazing to not try to capture.

When we arrived back to the hostel in Quito, we met up with Jen, who had been traveling with Ceci in Southeast Asia, and Kate, her friend from back home. We were planning to travel through Peru with them, so the next day we set off to get bus tickets to the Peruvian border. Unfortunately, we were held back a day due to Kate’s iPhone getting stolen right out of her hand, in broad daylight, in downtown Quito. We had been warned up and down about pickpocketing and petty theft, but we were still shocked at how fast and abruptly it happened. This led to a visit to the police but unfortunately we weren’t able to get it back. A lesson to be learned.

Although our last day in Ecuador wasn’t ideal, I still loved and was fascinated by this simple little country. A girl we met on the end of our trip raved about Ecuador, saying that even though it’s such a small place, it has everything: the mountains, the Amazon, the coast, the Galapagos, a small city. She was right. The people were warm and friendly, they spoke a very clear, slow, the food was great, and things were very cheap. I learned that the indigenous language of Ecuador, Quechua, is still widely spoken in the mountain towns and villages. This was, and still is, the language of the Incas, as their vast empire stretched all the way north of Peru to Quito and beyond about six centuries ago.

Ecuador was a great start to the trip and an appropriate introduction to the Inca culture, as we crossed the border to Peru on a series of bus rides, getting closer to our ultimate destination of Cuzco, the former Inca capital. Though it was a long stretch of bus rides, we still enjoyed the scenery, did a lot of sleeping, reading, and chatting, and had a chance to improve our Spanish by watching lots of action movies that played nonstop on the bus.

Peru

We walked across the bridge spanning from one country to another to begin our descent through the country, from north to south. After the border we hopped on another bus for the day, and arrived that evening in Piura, a town that I don’t think any of us will ever go back to. We arrived in a not-so-nice area, had a hard time finding a place to stay, and were shocked at how loud and busy it seemed, compared to our expectations for this little town.

The next day turned out much better as we gave Piura a second chance – we had all day to kill until catching a night bus to Lima, so after showering and relaxing in our hotel room we spend the day eating at a very cute local café, walking around the plaza and shopping district, stocking up on snacks for our bus ride, and relaxing until it was time to go. A noneventful day, yet now we can say we’ve experienced Piura. Again, I doubt any of us will ever go there again in our lives. The bus terminal was filled with excitement as literally every single male in the terminal was glued to the TV, watching the soccer game between Peru and Ecuador(?) Peru won.

And after yet another night of sleeping in a bus and waking up in a new city, by the next morning we were in Lima, Perul. Lima was a beautiful city, especially in the old historical district, reminiscent of the once grand Spanish Empire who ruled from this capital city. There was street after street beautiful colonial style buildings, one of the largest cathedrals in South America, and plenty of museums and things to see. Since we only had one night and two days we kept busy with a tour of the old Catacombs basilica (slightly creepy!), eating at sidewalk cafes, and we even celebrated national Pisco Sour Day with, what else? Pisco Sours all around – a yummy, sweet drink featuring pisco, a local alcohol similar to brandy, lemon, and egg whites.

We stayed at a beautiful hostel in the city center, which used to be the home of a rich Spaniard, evidently a very avid art collecter.  The hostel, aside from having an impressively decorated interior, even featured some pets – turtles, parrots, and a magnificent peacock. The next day we spent chasing down a Starbucks, after receiving pretty much every possible direction from every person we asked. At the end we didn't even care about actually having coffee, we just needed to have the satisfaction of finding it. We mixed our hunt with some souvenir shopping, picture taking, and eating local foods, which made it a lovely day. We all wished we had more time in Lima, but since we were traveling at the speed of light, it was sadly time to move on by the next evening. 

Our next bus ride was probably my favorite of the whole trip. We went to sleep after watching the sun set over the Pacific coast of Peru, and woke up in the middle of the Peruvian Andes. The windy, curvy, hold-your-breath roads were totally worth it for the views. Vast farmlands, tiny valley villages, snowy mountain peaks, and forested slopes were everywhere you looked. Though bus rides can be brutal, there really is no better way to see the landscape of a country you are traveling in. And it beats having to drive those terrifying mountain roads yourself. 

About 22 hours later we arrived in Cuzco. The former Incan capital city, built on a series of hills, was our gateway to Machu Picchu. It has a beautiful city center with long standing churches and cathedrals, built on top of former Incan foundations. We arrived at our excellent hostel and quickly got to work figuring out how we were going to get there. We were in luck, as our hostel happened to offer some excellent value tours that ended up equaling or being cheaper than the price we would have had to pay to do it on our own. I’ll tell you about the tour and the experience in another post, but just know that Machu Picchu is everything it’s cracked up to be.

After Machu Picchu, we headed down to Puno, gateway to the famous Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America. We were lucky enough to arrive in Puno at the start of the annual Calendaria festival, which celebrates the Virgin Mary. However, Puno and Lake Titicaca are also sacred locations for the Inca people, who believe their gods were born from the lake. As a result, many of the original Inca festivals have been passed off as modern day Christian festivals. Either way, it was a party. We watched the enthusiastic dancing, listened to live music, and enjoyed the festive atmosphere throughout the weekend. Puno is centered around the main town square, with shops and restaurants bordering the edges. Though touristy, we enjoyed the cafes and delicious restaurants, as it was our last weekend together as a group of four.

After Ceci and I made arrangements for our night bus, we said goodbye to Jen and Kate – it was strange not traveling with them after spending nearly three weeks together. They were planning to stay in Peru and travel back up the coast to Ecuador, while Ceci and I were going to bus even farther south to the Chilean border, then cross over to catch a flight to Argentina – flights were cheaper from Chile than from Peru. And that’s where our adventure will continue, just as soon as I tell you about Machu Picchu.

And in closing, if anyone read the previous post where I alluded to waiting on hearing from jobs in two potential places this fall,  I’m happy to announce that I’ve received a job offer in Petrozavodsk, Russia, to begin in August. Yes, Russia sounds much colder compared to Spain, but honestly, as I am writing this from my home kitchen table in Minnesota, while staring at a backyard full of snow, I kinda think I’ll be okay. Yes, snow in the middle of April. What is this world coming to? 

Welcome to Chilamate

Hey everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well and staying warm! I’m writing from Chilamate, Costa Rica, where I have spent the past month as a volunteer for the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center. I arrived at the beginning of March, after a five week trip through South America, then a wonderful week vacationing on the west coast of Costa Rica with my family. Here in Chilamate I have spent the past month living with a family, working at the center, and learning more about life in the rainforest than I ever thought I would. It’s been a fantastic experience, through which I’ve improved my Spanish, made new friends, and embraced “la pura vida,” (pure life) as they say here in Costa Rica.

Before I catch you up on the past few months, I’ll let you know what’s coming up next. I return to Minnesota next Tuesday, where my stepdad Brent will be graciously waiting to pick me up around midnight. (Thanks again Brent!) From there I’ll be spending a week in the Cities, to attend one of my best friend’s weddings and catch up with some other friends. After that, I take off for New York City to visit an old friend and tour some potential graduate schools. From New York I’ll be leaving the country once again to explore South Africa for a couple of months. This will be the final stop in my around-the-world trip, as I return to Minnesota in early July to enjoy the summer at home, then I’ll head back out into the working world. Where will I be teaching next? That’s to be determined – as of now I have two potential locations; both will start this fall and will finish in May, leaving me a free summer before returning to the States to begin graduate school. Provided I get in somewhere, of course. Fingers crossed. I should find out any day now about the teaching job.

So that’s my life. A little crazy, yes, but all I can hope is that I continue to make the most of my opportunities and appreciate each new day, no matter what it brings.

So what does a new day bring in Chilamate, Costa Rica? It typically starts around 6 AM, when the sun is already up and the roosters right outside my door start crowing. After lazing in bed for a little while I get up and get ready – I try to go running if the weather allows it, but more often than not it’s been raining in the mornings. After taking my shower (only cold water) and getting dressed in my little cabina (pictured – basically a room with a bathroom included, in the other picture I'm the door on the left) I head over to Rosy’s house for breakfast.

Meet Rosy, my host mom. She is always full of energy, smiling, and usually found singing around the house. The past two months she has been pretty occupied by…Baby. His name is Gael, but we all call him Baby. Every morning it is essential that we have Baby time, even if it is just sitting on the bed and staring at him. He is just far too adorable not to. Rosie has two other teenage sons that live with her, Kenneth and Pancho, but they are either sleeping or at school by the time I go to breakfast, so I usually see them in the evenings. This is how they typically spend their time when I see them. 

 Breakfast is always gallo pinto, the typical Costa Rican dish of black beans, rice, onions, and spices. Not quite like our typical Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs, but this breakfast is delicious, and usually accompanied by the local white cheese – very soft and mild. Rosie always has a pot of strong, delicious, Costa Rican coffee brewed for us in the morning as well. Meet Yazmin (left), my next door neighbor, fellow coworker at the Center, and other occupant at Rosy’s house. The three of us (plus Baby) usually enjoy our breakfast and coffee in a mixture of Spanish and English. That baby will be bilingual before he knows it.

The Center opens every day at 9 AM, where there are about seven of us working on a daily basis. It is just a ten minute walk down from the little neighborhood where I and most of the other volunteers live. There are four long term volunteers, two short term volunteers, the director, and Yazmin, the volunteer coordinator. Two are from Canada, five from the States, and one is from Germany.  We make a very nice and multinational team.

I’ll write more about the Center and its specific role in the community later, so for now all you need to know is that some days are busier than others, and I am usually at liberty to choose what I want to work on each day, depending on what needs to be done when. For the past two weeks my project has been working on organizing the library, which has been fun and manageable to do as a short term volunteer. If you remember, I originally came with the intention to work as an ESL volunteer, but when I arrived it turned out there were already three long term volunteer ESL teachers, so because March is a busy month for eco-tourism at the Center, I ended up helping with more of the tourism activities and adopted the library project.

 

So, between the library, the occasional cooking duty (terrifying), reception desk duty, general cleaning up and maintenance, weekly staff meetings, and tourism activities, I manage to keep myself busy at the Center. After the Center closes at 5, I usually stay a little later to do some Internet work or Skype, and sometimes stop in to observe and help out with the evening adult English classes. We are encouraged to return to our homes before dark, which happens around 6 PM. My evenings consist of eating dinner at Rosy’s, then spending a couple of hours reading books, catching up on my long lost American TV shows, and relaxing before an early bedtime – I’m usually under the covers by 9 PM. Early to bed, early to rise, and so begins another day in Chilamate. I'll be sad to leave this little place I've called home for the past few weeks!

So now let me take you back a few months to when I first left home in January – I’ve finally gotten my act together and can share my experiences with you over the next few weeks. First stop: Ecuador and Peru.

Home.

Hello and Happy Near Year to you all!

I hope 2013 is starting off wonderfully, and that you’ve had some time to relax and enjoy the holidays with friends and family before getting back into the work world again.

I’m sorry, but this is another post mostly about me, since I can’t really teach anyone about what to do or see in Minnesota. (Although if you’re bored, I just discovered there is a Wikipedia page entitled “Minnesota Culture.” Give it a read, it’s great.) More like I need other people to teach me about how to live in the US again – I kind of feel like I lived in a cave for two years, missing out on things like what a Blu Ray disc really is, references to recent commercials and TV shows, how to eat gluten free, and my personal favorite – being able to check out books from the library online to read on a Kindle app. How did I not know that?! Luckily I still remembered how to drive, though two years away from the wheel seems to have turned me into a more cautious driver (I’m sorry Emily, I know I was responsible for getting you to the church to get ready for your wedding, but I wasn’t about to pull out in front of traffic that was coming at us way too fast on an icy road. You still made it.)

I’m just finishing some things up back here in Mankato (at Caribou Coffee, of course) before I take off again on Monday for three months – this time I’ll head to a few countries in South America for about five weeks worth of a whirlwind backpacking adventure with a friend of mine, then I’ll hop up to Costa Rica to spend some time with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents, and I’ll spend my last month in a different part of Costa Rica teaching English in about four or five area public schools as an assistant volunteer. I’ll return to Minnesota in April for a wedding, then take off again shortly after for a summer in South Africa.  It’s hard to say what I’m most looking forward to, though I’ve been asked a lot, so instead of answering that question I’ll just say that I’m going to try as hard as possible to appreciate each and every moment of every day, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. Yes, that goes for unfortunate bathroom situations as well – speaking of, I’m almost back to following the normal rules, so it must be time to take off again. If you don’t get that at all, check back to the end of my post about Bali that refers to Asian bathrooms.

Resuming my role as big sister.

But besides being overjoyed to tears at using normal bathrooms again, I’ve actually had an emotional roller coaster of feelings the past two months – being home has affected me more deeply and profoundly than I could have ever imagined. It’s been a necessary learning and growing experience, with the most important lesson being I can plan out as much of my life as I want…but I can’t plan for how these experiences and interactions will affect me.  From Thanksgiving to Christmas, a good friend’s wedding to New Year’s, and a bunch of random road trips around Minnesota and Wisconsin, I’ve had the most wonderful opportunity to catch up and see just about everyone I wanted to see, and even reconnected with some unexpected old friends. I really have to credit my friends for still sticking with me even though I basically deserted them for the past two years – thanks you guys, for making time for me and picking up right where we left off. I was reminded of how many amazing people I was lucky enough to look up to, be supported by, and surround myself with while growing up – people like old coaches and teachers, my numerous ‘second families,’ and all my friends and family. I love all of you, and thank you for making my time at home unforgettable. You’re making it even harder to leave this time around, but I promise I won’t be gone as long this time. 

Reunited in our home country.

Lambeau Field, Green Bay.

When I tried to explain my crazy life to people back home (their words, not mine) I liked to describe the two months at home as ‘phase 2’ of my travel year – and I think I can actually justify that due to all of the traveling I did while home. I went back and forth between Rochester and Mankato numerous times, and enjoyed some time in uptown Minneapolis, where it seems half of my graduating class has now relocated to and are now working ‘real jobs.’ I explored some new places that I had never been, such as Merrill, Wisconsin, and I spent some time in Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, MN to visit Sara and finally meet her family (we enjoyed telling everyone that America was now our fourth country together.) On the experience level, I went to my first professional football game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and stood up at one of my best friend’s weddings. I also beat my family at Monopoly. It just goes to show that you can always have new, exciting, meaningful experiences no matter where in the world you are. Don’t take anything for granted, people. And just to leave you with one last cliche, it has to be said, something that I realize now more than ever: There's no place like home. 

Sunset over Mankato, Bluff Park

Feel free to send me an e-mail or Facebook message here and there – I’d love to hear from you! Here are some final impressions being home has made on me:

Top Five Reality Checks of Returning to the United States.

5. Getting carded at a bar.

4.  Leaving tips at a restaurant.

3. Driving over the medians when making left turns in Wisconsin.

2. Going to Wal Mart. There's really no place like it anywhere in the world. 

1. Noticing just how distinct, and slightly distracting, the Minnesota accent really is. 

Sunset at Bluff Park, North Mankato

P.S. If you remember, when Sara and I separated in Thailand last September, I was off to Cambodia on the same day she was heading to Tanzania for three months of living and volunteering in a local village. When we reunited in January, she shared her experience with me. She ended up unexpectedly teaching English in a nearby school, where the students drastically outnumbered the teachers, so much so that most of the older students were acting as teachers to the younger ones. She said they were "so hungry for knowledge," but the reality for most of her students is that they aren't able to afford the cost of attending school beyond just a few years, which means their futures are limited. She decided that she had to continue helping her students after her trip ended, so upon her return she set up a scholarship fund with the hopes to raise money to help support her students to attend school longer, in order to graduate and get jobs. She has ensured that as much of the donation as possible will directly fund the students at her school, thanks to a nonprofit organization based out of Minneapolis. I encourage you to read the link if you're interested. 

www.kscholarshipfund.org 

Bula Fiji

Bula Fiji

“Bula!” The Fijian word for ‘hello’ is as infectious as Hawaii’s ‘Aloha,’ and said with the same cheery, Southern Pacific smile. As I landed at Nadi’s International Airport, after 24 hours of transit with no sleep and three flights, I decided I had chosen a pretty great place to spend my last week of my travels. I was greeted with a blast of warm tropical air and Fijians working at the airport wearing grass skirts and playing the ukelele – a little cheesy but hey, it added a nice touch. 

After fending off the taxi drivers and trotting out the front of the airport to catch a bus that I wasn’t even sure existed, before I could even figure out which side of the street to wait on I heard a voice yelling “Lautoka?” out of a minivan. “How much?” I asked. “2 dollars!” “Okay!” And the next thing I knew I was in the van and on my way. Easiest (and cheapest) airport transition ever. 

The drive to Lautoka, about 40 km north of Nadi and on the opposite side of Suva, the capital, took about half an hour. The views were gorgeous – bright green volcanic mountains on the right and sparkling blue ocean on the left. It reminded me a lot of Oahu, and I was struck by how untouched the land seemed to be – I barely saw any villages, just luscious green fields – sugarcane, not rice this time. The van was playing  island-y songs, and everyone was wearing bula shirts - a kind of wide patterned print, again very similar to aloha shirts but with a special Fijian touch. The men also traditionally wear the sulu, a long wraparound type skirt (pictured below). Welcome to Fiji!

Bula shirt and Sulu skirt.

Lautoka was my destination based on a strange series of networking and dumb luck. I had been searching for some volunteer opportunities throughout my travels, and grew frustrated with the options limited to either long term commitment, unreliable scams, or expensive, ‘packaged volunteer vacations’ which seemed to completely defeat the purpose of volunteering. I just wanted to show up, do some work, preferably with kids, and experience a new place in a different way than how I had been traveling. The Google search ‘volunteering in Fiji,’ on my last attempt after many frustrations, ended up leading to a travel post by a current volunteer at a daycare center, whom I then contacted, received a reply and a contact number, called the center via Skype to ask if it would be okay if I came to help out for a few days in November, and she said yes. And that was that.

Lautoka was a great experience – not a touristy town at all, which made it a much better experience. I had landed myself there the evening before Diwali, a Hindu festival and national public holiday in Fiji due to their large Indian population, which meant that the evening before was filled with an excitement of people getting off work and preparing for the holiday. I found the daycare just a little too late past their closing hours, and then discovered it would be closed the next day due to the holiday. My walk around town took about 20 minutes – not much to it, but I had fun poking around the supermarkets and people watching, listening to everyone wish each other a Happy Diwali. Most conversation was conducted in English, as it is the common language between the Fijian-speakers and the Hindi-speakers. I learned that the Hindi language is actually Fijian Hindi, not the same as what they speak in India, though it was derived from Indian Hindi when they brought the Indians to Fiji as contract laborers in 1874. Since then, the Indian population has grown and developed into a part of Fijian society, though unfortunately it hasn’t always been a harmonious relationship. There have been three military coups since 1987 in Fiji in response to an Indo-Fijian domination of the government, and in some parts of Fiji tensions are still high between the two races.

But, luckily, there was no tension at the daycare center I was lucky enough to volunteer at. There was a cheerful mix of Hindi , Fijian, Muslim, and even an Australian child who didn't care about anything except having fun together. The center is actually an early childhood learning center, so in addition to watching the children while their parents are working they work on songs, rhymes, teaching English (most kids grow up speaking Fijian/English or Hindi/English, or sometimes a mix of all three), and other early learning skills. However, the week I was there I was lucky enough to help out with rehearsals for the annual holiday concert in December. Performances included Christmas carols, rhymes, a drama, and lots of dancing.

Christmas carols practice.

Practicing dance moves for the holiday concert.

At the center I was fortunate not only to be accepted by the kiddies, but I was welcomed so warmly by the women working at the center - I had so much fun with them and they taught me about Fiji, their variety of cultures, the cuisine, and the ins and outs of running a center. We also had tons of fun with the kids - reading stories, doing Zumba, playing games, and munching on fresh mangoes from the tree outside the front porch made the week pass by way too fast. It was so nice to have tasks to do each day and feel like a part of something again after three months on my own. I wished I could have spent more time there but it was closed on the weekend and since I was flying out on the following Tuesday I wanted to be closer to the airport. Therefore, on Saturday morning I made my last bus journey before the trip home - I traveled from Lautoka to Nadi Bay, to park myself at Bamboo Hostel for the weekend. Bamboo turned out to be one of my favorite hostels of all time, and was the perfect place to end this leg of my journey. 

Why did I love Bamboo so much? Well, for starters, this was the road that led to it:

This was the beach right across from it:

This was the daily schedule:

Please note: at 2:00, the sign says 'lovo making,' not love making.
Lovo is a traditional Fijian dish. Sorry.

This was what we did all day:

And this was the best part: 

Bamboo had the perfect travel hostel atmosphere - everything ran on 'Fiji time,' and every morning we all sat around the cafe area and ate delicious cheap food for breakfast while asking: 'so what are you going to do today?' "Beach." And beyond that? "No plans." I got extremely lucky with the company at Bamboo: everyone got along, people shared travel stories, met up for meals, went to the beach together, took naps in the hammock, played volleyball or ping pong, read in the sun or the shade, maybe took the bus into town, or just sat and chilled. Even though we didn't do much of anything the warm, sunny days passed by quickly. One of my favorite parts of the day was going mango hunting. Bamboo had four mango trees on their little property, and I happened to arrive during peak ripe season - they kept long sticks and a mango catching pole lying around for people to pick them whenever they wanted a snack. I was thrilled about this situation, but anytime I tried to hit down a ripe mango the Fijian workers would see me trying, then come over, shimmy up the mango tree like nobody's business, and knock the ripe ones down before I could even say "thank you." I felt a little bad because I was perfectly happy doing it myself, but hey, I got some very tasty mangoes out of the deal. Win.  

In the evenings, as the schedule indicated, we all sat around in a circle and did some chatting while passing around a bowl of the traditional Fijian drink, kava. It's a very strange experience to describe - it looks and tastes like a bowl of watered down mud, but then it gives your tongue and mouth a very tingly and buzzing feeling. It's not a drug, but it has some 'relaxing and sedating powers.' It made for a fun evening and a strange, yet appropriate considering the balmy weather and palm trees, bonding method

And then, before I knew it, it was the day of my departure. I was so excited yet also sad to leave Fiji and Bamboo. I felt like all the homesickness and anxiety had evaporated, leaving nothing but excitement and anticipation. I was going home, after two years and nearly four months. I had just completed the trip I had been dreaming about since I was young, with added adventures and new friends beyond my expectations. 

Stage 1: Southeast Asia - check!

Stage 2: Minnesota for two months! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

ANZAC

My two weeks in Australia were a wonderful welcome back to the Western world, and a necessary transition to make. The biggest element of shock that I received was actually facing the prices – the Australian dollar was just as strong as the US dollar, and prices were really really high – we’re talking $3.50 for a can of pop at a gas station, $3.00 for a small bottle of water, and $4.00 for a muffin at any given café or coffee shop. And just in case you’re not convinced, a grande Starbucks brewed coffee at $3.60 was the cheapest I could find, as any given small espresso or latte was $3.50 or $4 for a much smaller amount of coffee. Having just come from Asia, this wasn't fun. I wasn’t prepared for it, but I did welcome the option to finally go shopping at a Western grocery store again. Enter three weeks (New Zealand was similar pricewise, but a little better) of eating hummus, veggies, canned fish, granola bars, nuts, and fruit. Sounds sparse, but it was actually wonderful fun for to me to be able to eat these familiar foods again. 

I hit up three cities in Australia, and one in New Zealand – flying back and forth between them all, due to the cheaper prices (honest!) of budget airline flights compared to the Greyhound buses or long distance trains. I didn’t get to see as much of the landscape as I would have liked, but for saving money and time it was ideal. As always, I’ll just have to come back to see what I missed the first time around.

Cairns

The Lagoon

If you are a young backpacker coming to Australia on a one year work visa and you like to party, I’d say Cairns is the place for you. Cairns (pronounced ‘cans’ with an Australian accent) is a beautiful little town with a plethora of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and bars. There’s a nice shopping mall, a beautiful harborside street called the Esplanade, and a public pool called The Lagoon located right on the edge of the water, where everyone hangs out and lays out in the sun on the grassy grounds. There are lots of free things to do and options to stay active, as well as a fantastic place to base yourself to get out and discover more of Australia from, namely the Great Barrier Reef. That was my primary purpose for coming to Cairns. 

My hostel was typical backpacker, and I shared a room with three other people my age, all on working holiday visas. I discovered that for Americans, (similar for other Western countries too, I believe) you can pay about $200 for a year long visa to live and work in Australia. With a minimum wage starting at about 15 dollars an hour, and so many hospitality jobs available as long as you can speak English, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal – if you shared accommodation or lived at a hostel it would be easy to either work and save money, or use your money to travel more around Australia or Asia. Definitely a good option to keep in mind.

But, I only had one thing in mind in Cairns and that was to get to the Great Barrier Reef. After making prior arrangements through an excursion company, I left for my day trip bright at early at 7 am. It was a beautiful morning, nice and sunny, with a cool breeze. I had signed up for my first scuba dive experience, so after the safety talk and debriefing I was suited up, strapped in, and thrown in. Not literally. The scuba gear was much heavier than I imagined, and I actually had a bit of a panic when I first started out – I’m used to holding my breath underwater, not breathing normally. The ear pressure was hard to get used to at first too – I wasn’t a fan of scuba diving for the first ten minutes. But then we got  further down and I had my first glimpse of the reef from below.

The way I like to describe what I saw is “like being inside the Discovery Channel or National Geographic.” It was unreal how many colors and fish and different kinds of sea life there were. It was difficult to maneuver with all the scuba gear at first, and I kept losing my guide because I couldn’t stop looking up close at the reef. It was an incredible experience, and I was lucky enough to have an underwater camera to use for pictures and video. We surfaced after about 15 minutes, with our guide monitoring our pressure and depth for safety. After surfacing we traded gear with the next group and were free to snorkel around on the surface of the reef – just as fun to get even more up close on the surface. 

After lunch (my first time having cold cuts in a long time, just in case you were interested) we had a second dive. On the second dive I saw a clownfish (left) and anemone,  schools of fish, and a giant clam that snapped open and shut when we touched it (right). I couldn’t have asked for a better GBR experience, nor for a better first time scuba diving. Unfortunately, there is truth in the reports that the Great Barrier Reef is disappearing due to a series of events (I just Googled it and found a bunch of recent news reports – the disappearances are credited mainly to cyclones and a certain kind of destructive starfish), so I can only hope that there will be a positive effort to preserve this natural wonder so more people can have the same experience.  

Sydney

Next up was Sydney. I absolutely loved the city. I found no apparent faults with it, and it’s the first place I want to go back to if I return to Australia. It’s a stunning city, blessed with natural beauty, a cosmopolitan population, and the excitement of a metropolis. 

The first boatload of convicts was shipped to Australia as a result of the American Civil War, when the Brits basically ran out of places to put them because they had to go fight the war. The people were brought over for small petty crimes, such as stealing loaves of bread, but nevertheless they were imprisoned and sent to Australia in order to ‘straighten them out.’ The idea was to transform the convict colony into a settlement decent, hardworking citizens. It mostly worked – but the main  problem was that in order to create this ideal society they felt that the natives, the Aboriginal population, needed to be either pushed off their own land or exterminated. 

The Rocks

So, between the tensions with the Aboriginals and the poorly treated convicts, Australia got off to a rocky start. In fact, the historical district of Sydney, just to the left of the harbor, is called "The Rocks," now a lovely historical district with nice restaurants, shops, and cafes. Real estate runs pretty high in The Rocks, and there are numerous attempts to preserve and protect Sydney's early history.

Beautiful Bondi Beach

View of Sydney Harbor from the bridge. 

In Sydney pretty much all I did was walk around. I had the great fortune of being connected up with friends of a friend, Joanne and Stuart, who were fun to meet up with and kind enough to show me around a bit. They let me tag along on their "Sculpture by the Sea" walk, an annual outdoor sculpture walk that hugs a three hour stretch of Sydney's coast, starting at Bondi Beach and ending at Cogee Beach. My first glimpse of Bondi was breathtaking - I knew the name but hadn't ever seen pictures, therefore wasn't prepared for the view. I learned that on Christmas Day hundreds of residents come to Bondi for a barbecue - Christmas is during the middle of the summer weather in Australia.



The day after our walk, Jo met up with me in the heart of Sydney - the CBD, or Central Business District. To me, the best part of the CBD is Circular Quay, the ferry docks of Sydney Harbor. Standing at Circular Quay railway station, you are facing the water, with the beautiful Harbor Bridge (and The Rocks historical district) on your left, the Sydney skyline behind you, and the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor on your right. It's stunning. To me, everywhere in Sydney, especially if you are blessed with nice weather, as I was lucky enough to be, is picture perfect. It's just impossible to take a bad one. We walked around the harbor, The Rocks, and even went up on the Harbor Bridge (where the picture on the left was taken from) to get breathtaking city views.


The rest of the CBD is filled with, as you can guess, skyscrapers, which at street level turn into more shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels, buildings, you name it. Pretty typical city stuff. I remember waking up early on a Monday morning and walking my way down to the CBD from my hostel, joining the throes of businessmen and women on their morning commute. Correction: businessmen and women exercising on their morning commute. I had an added bonus to my morning people watching session: the exercise/commuters. There were people walking to work in tennis shoes, jogging with backpacks (most likely filled with business attire), biking with backpacks - I even saw one guy with a suit coat hanging on a hanger attached to his backpack. It was great fun to observe. It had been my first time in a big Western city for a long time, so to see familiar routines like morning jogging in T-shirts, going to work in workout clothes, walking with a large cup of coffee, riding bikes, etc., actually made me feel closer to home. Even though geographically I'm pretty sure I was farther away than ever.

Syndey has tons to do - you can take ferries all around the harbor, go to the beach, join all the avid exercisers for runs in the beautiful parks, workout in the outdoor exercise facilities, do adventure sports, shop til you drop, walk around and gawk at things of your choosing, go to museums, eat ethnic food from almost any country in the world (only a slight exaggeration), you name it. One of my favorite afternoons was spent wandering around the harborside, looking at the shops and the boats coming in, then making my way up to the Opera House and actually walking around the perimeter, just to get a closer look, then walking a few hundred yards down the road from the Opera House to reach the Royal Botanic Gardens, 30 hectares of beautifully maintained grounds. People were laying out in the sun, reading books on benches, strolling, having picnics - it was wonderful to see them enjoy and appreciate such a beautiful part of nature in Sydney. By the time I finished walking around, the sun was setting, so I parked myself at Mrs. Macquarie's Point, a part of the RBG that Mr. Macquarie, one of Sydney's first governors, designated as a perfect viewing point for his wife, Elizabeth, and even . She must have been a pretty special lady, because this was the view she got to see each evening from her own personal point in Sydney Harbor (minus the bridge and Opera House, I suppose.)

Melbourne

I went to Melbourne simply because I was told I should. I knew it was a city and I had heard it was the more ‘cultural’ city in Australia, so based on reviews from a couple of friends I decided to check it out after Sydney. With luck, I happened to be in Melbourne at the time of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the second largest international horse race in the world, which made it an exciting and busy weekend to visit. I stayed in Brunswick, a little suburb north of the city center that was easy to get to by train, tram, or walking. 

Melbourne, formerly the capital of Australia when it was first granted independence in 1901, was a gold rush town, and it grew at exponential speed in the 1850s, earning the nickname ‘ Marvelous Melbourne.’ This was when the infamous Sydney vs Melbourne rivalry grew, a competition which actually spurred the original idea to build a landmark that became the Sydney Opera House after Melbourne hosted the 1956 Olympic Games. Today Melbourne has only expanded and developed upon its original wealth, with a magnificent skyline and Central Business District centered around the Yarra River. It was a fun city to walk around in, explore, people watch, and experience. A relatively new city, it still retains its wealthy beginnings, which is evident in the beautiful Victorian architecture all around the neighborhoods and districts. It is also a very diverse city, with a prominent Chinatown, Greektown, and pretty much any kind of ethnic food you could want.  

At the hostel I met a lovely Japanese woman who became my Melbourne buddy for the week - we visited the zoo together, because I decided I had to see a koala and a kangaroo in Australia. The Melbourne Zoo was also very impressive - there was a lot of emphasis on wildlife protection and preservation, and the exhibits had a lot of interesting information about Australia's native creatures. My absolute favorite part was the koala bear exhibit - we got lucky and found them during the four hours they stay awake during the day - all four of them were pretty lively and active - they jumped around from branch to branch. They were so adorable I felt I could have watched them all day. After the zoo we went downtown, took a walking tour together, and enjoyed exploring the CBD of Melbourne. I found the city very easy to walk around and enjoy - one of my favorite buildings was the iconic Flinders Street Station, below, built in 1905.

2012 marked the 151st anniversary of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, a five day event that includes the 3,200 meter race to win the Emirates Melbourne Cup, also known as "the race that stops a nation." We enjoyed the parade downtown the day before the race, which represented the sixteen horses, trainers, owners, and jockeys for the sixteen horses participating in the race, and then on race day we headed to the CBD to join the crowds of people tuning in to watch the race in the afternoon. One of the best parts of the race atmosphere was that everyone who goes to the races dresses up - the men in suits and the ladies in stylish dresses and (our favorite part) hats. It was so fun to take the train into the city on race day and catch everyone taking the train on the way to the racecourse - we people watched for about a hour.  The sports bar we went to was packed, and sure enough the atmosphere grew more exciting as the race time grew closer - you can see everyone tuned in (see the hat on the bottom right) and getting ready to watch.I didn't place any bets or have any horse to cheer for, but it was exciting nonetheless. Congratulations to Green Moon, this year's Melbourne Cup winner. Cup Day was my last day in Melbourne, so after watching the race and saying goodbye I took the Skybus out to the airport, to depart for my second to last destination, Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland

I’m including Auckland in here because now I can explain the title, ANZAC, which stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. The ANZACs were the 'pride of the Pacific' during the First World War, which was when they both distinguished themselves as separate nations from their mother country, Great Britain, during the 1916 Battle of Gallipoli in Turkey. They came back as national heroes, and even today “Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, originally commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honor the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).” (Wikipedia).

However, though the remembrance of the Anzacs unites Australia and New Zealand, (according to some Australians I asked, they have a big brother-little brother relationship like the US and Canada) and they have basically the same food and accents, that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

For example, I came to New Zealand thinking the original inhabitants were pretty much the same, but I was quite wrong – New Zealand’s Maori tribe echoes the Polynesian Pacific Island cultures much more than Australia’s Aborigines, who have been natives of Australia much longer than the Maoris have in New Zealand. Also, unlike in Australia when they basically just took over everything, New Zealand's first white settlers actually drew up a contract with the Maori tribe (although it must be said that the Maori and the English translations are slightly different...guess whose favor the treaty is in). I actually found this website to illustrate some more fun facts and differences between the two countries, if you're curious.

 I enjoyed my visit to the Auckland Museum, with really impressive displays of Maori carvings and housing structures, along with tribal artifacts from all the Pacific Islands that we hear about in travel promotions, such as Tahiti, the Cook Islands, and Samoa. The top floor of the museum was dedicated to the war history of New Zealand, which wasn’t much, but more than I had realized – there was a New Zealand Civil War with the Maoris when they first arrived, they they helped fight in the Boer War in South Africa, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and were involved in a few other global peacekeeping issues.

But enough about the history – of all of my trip, New Zealand was my biggest regret, simply because I didn’t plan well enough for it. By the time I got there I was out of both time and money so I didn’t see anything beyond Auckland. When I was planning, I knew it was supposed to be very scenic and beautiful, but I decided I’d rather be interested in people and cultures on this trip, and didn't think I'd be as heartbroken to miss more of the country than I actually was. But, the good news is - I can always go back. And now I have a better idea of what New Zealand is about and what I want to do next.

View from Mt. Eden

I still got to see some beautiful parts of the city and get a feel for the country. The city itself isn't very big, about 1.4 million people, which is one third of New Zealand's entire population. As always, the best views are from above - I spent a beautiful morning hiking up to Mt. Eden, a sunken volcanic crater, for some lovely pictures and a great view of the city, which as you can see is built around the harbor. The city is nice to walk around in and explore, but not overwhelming like some big cities - there are tons of ethnic restaurants, cute little shops, cafes, and restaurants. I was lucky enough to time my visit out to be there when a friend of mine from my university swim team was studying there, so I was able to meet up with her a few times to hang out and catch up - at that point I was getting pretty homesick, so it was great to meet up with someone familiar. I also had my first Korean food outside of Korea since leaving - it was pretty good but nearly three times the price as in Korea, sadly.

Another highlight of Auckland included running along the harborside trail (pictured) in the afternoon - I didn't realize how beautiful the water would be so I didn't even have my camera along - the iPod doesn't do it justice. Across the harbor (not pictured) is an island called Rangitoto, also a volcanic island, which is popular for hiking and was actually the location for part of the filming of Jurassic Park, I learned.

"The Cloud"

This is another view of part of the harbor - the funny white thing is a venue called "The Cloud," recently built, which echoes a part of New Zealand's early history. When the first Maori tribes arrived in New Zealand, they came in canoes, and had no idea whether they would find land or not when they had to leave their former islands (most were usually kicked off by losing to cannibalistic tribes - leave or be eaten...tough life.) So, after long days at sea, their fates unknown, all of a sudden before they could even see New Zealand, they saw a long stretch of white clouds, for which they praised the gods because that meant there was land nearby. They named it Aotearoa, or ""the land of the long white cloud." The Auckland Airport has a beautiful cloud statue suspended from their ceiling as well.

The Domain was the last part of Auckland I explored - a large public park area that included the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the wintergarden greenhouses, sports fields, and beautiful grounds for strolling and enjoying nature. Fun fact: "The Auckland Domain volcano, Pukekawa, is one of the oldest in the Auckland Volcanic Field...Originally, the crater floor was filled with a lava lake, which the western half collapsed slightly and became a freshwater lake which later turned into a swamp, before being drained by Europeans for use as playing fields and parkland. These origins are still somewhat visible in that the Duck Ponds are freshwater-fed from the drainage of the crater." (Wikipedia) Call me ignorant, but I actually had no idea that so much of Auckland was built upon volcanic remains. It was really interesting to learn about at the museum - I guess I must have fallen asleep that day in Earth Science after a morning swim practice.

So, Auckland, much like the previous three cities in Australia, was made most enjoyable due to its natural beauty and accessibility for walking around and exploring. I spent most of my days outside wandering, even though a few days were even too cold for me back in Melbourne. Due to cost, I avoided most of the museums and attractions, choosing to enjoy the city life as an observer instead - people watching, grocery store and tourist shop wandering, and coffee shopping all made my time in these two countries more fun. I learned a lot from people I talked to and books I read along the way - I'd love to go back to both countries to do more, learn more, and see more, as always. Both Australia and New Zealand were wonderful introductions back into the Western world, and it was nice to once again be back in familiar feeling territory (hence the grocery store wandering). I haven't decided yet if it helped or hurt with reverse culture shock, because I think it triggered early onset homesickness, but also helped ease the transition back to the West. My last stop, Fiji, was kind of a mix between the two - it wasn't Asia, but it wasn't quite the West - but either way it was a wonderful place to end my trip. That one is up next - the last travel post of 2012. I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season!