Leyte, Philippines, The Forgotten Post...

The Forgotten Blog...

After the rain started coming down in Siargao, it became impossible to dry any of our clothes. I wore the same shirt and shorts every day. We decided to take a small trip to Leyte Island. It took two ferry rides, the first to Surigao City, and the second to Illoan on the eastern island of Leyte. The ferry schedule is reliable and usually there are several different ferrys routes to get where you need to go.

Once off of the ferry Jess and I walked around with our backpacks for a while to see what was around the area. We wondered where we should go from there. We were pretty sure that there was a place to stay an hour bus ride north so as soon as we saw one drive by we jumped on.

Well from there everything fell into place....I sat next to a woman who happened to speak english, to be the niece of the chairmen of conservation for the whale-shark tourism, who is also a pastor of the local church. She called and arranged a home-stay with her family there in the small barrio of Son-Ok, the center of whale shark activity in Sogod Bay. We happily accepted her offer. If there ever was a sign from God saying "I've got everything covered, just go with it"....this was the time. We got off of the bus with her walked down a hill toward the barrio cradled inside of a bay formed inside of a towering cliff line.

We stayed in a bedroom of this nice family's house. Our hosts were Armay and her husband Reggy. Jess and I settled in pretty well there, the family made our meals for us and we were able to hang out with the family throughout the day, though much of our time was spent in the water.

The day after we arrived we arranged our trip out to find the whale shark (aka tiki-tiki), we went out with our guide Pastor Ernesto and started the search. They have a set routine for spotting the tiki-tiki. There are two small boats with a spotter in each who go out and search while you are in a boat with a guide who is also looking. Of coarse, the more eyes the better to watch for them and it is a good business for the local people. Many of the resorts from across the bay have guided tours arranged by the Pastor. They come over in the resort boats and meet up with the spotters and guide from Son-Ok. We enjoyed paddling around in the three person bangka boat. Our experience felt much more natural than I imagine it would have been with the resort. We did not see anything for the first three hours so it was decided that we would go have some lunch. Just before we started to eat one of our spotters ran up to the house yelling "tiki-tiki! tiki-tiki!!" Wow, what a whirlwind it was as we grabbed our gear and raced to put on our snorkel gear. We ran out to the banka and paddled over to where we saw two resort boats floating next to a bunch of snorkeling tourists....there it was the largest fish in the ocean. They live to be 70 years old on average and dive up to 700 meters deep.

We swam with a whale-shark. This was accomplished on our first day there and the pressure was off. From then on we snorkeled on our own in the protected marine sanctuary and saw many beautiful fish and sea snakes. We stayed in a families' home where all of the meals were made for us and we enjoyed the people. On Sunday we were invited to visit the pastor's church and to share an encouraging word with the congregation. It was a very good time. Pastor Ernesto took us around on his motor bike and gave us a tour of the area. We were blessed with this whole experience. It was more than we had hoped for.

Jess and I were the first tourist staying in Son-Ok of the season. We were given the special privileged of snorkeling in a preserved marine sanctuary. The whole reef was amazing. There were so many fish of all size shape and color. The coral was beautiful as well. Jesse and I saw many lion fish, damsels, and fire fish, also our swim was joined by a sea snake just under five feet long!! One of the days Jesse saw a manta ray around six feet wide from wing to wing. We had a beautiful time.

After spending four nights in Son-Ok Jess and I moved on to the other side of the Bay to a small town called Padre Burgos. This area doesn't have a lot of tourism but those who do come show up for the scuba diving. There are several amazing dive trips that can be made here, and many of them are taken right off of the shore. We decided to do two boat dives with one of the guides from the resort. Both were drift dives and were such an amazing experience! There were giant barrel corals as well as some that were splayed out like lace tables larger than eight feet in diameter with a couple hundred bright blue fish weaving their way through these massive coral homes.. This trip gave me a new excitement for scuba diving. But aside from the diving Jess and I went out snorkeling every day up and down the reef in front of our room. The variety of soft coral was amazing. All of them were various shades of red, yellow, peach, melon.... it was beautiful. We could see from our room when sea turtles were swimming around in front of the resort, so we would grab our snorkel gear and go out to the water. One morning we saw four turtles in the half hour that we were out. Here we also saw many more lion fish, sea snakes, and I had the priveledge of seeing a cuttle fish.

We met an awesome couple here, he was from Sweden, and she from Chile. Together we visited an orphanage nearby run by a German man. It was really good to see how it is run. There are around nine houses all with about 6-8 kids per house. Each house is created to simulate a family home. There is a house mother who cooks the meals and is a parent for the kids. Every Saturday all of the houses dine together and enjoy a movie. The whole thing is done very well. There is an area on the side of the property with livestock and building materials, where the kids can learn some everyday skills needed for Filipino life.

We ran into a friend from Siargao twice while we were in southern Leyte. We met a few diving instructors through him and learned a bit more about the wealth of sea life in the area. I would love to return to Leyte to do some more diving, there is so much more to see in the area. Next time around I suppose...

Cordillaras Mountain Province, Luzon

Goodbye Siargao

I just enjoyed my last day of surf here in Siargao. Jesse is out fishing now with his fishing partner Tung-Tung. I went out to Dako around 7:30 with one friend, and surfed clean, consistent, head high waves with only the two of us all morning. It was just beautiful. We came back in around 11:00 just as a boat full of some of our local friends showed up. What a beautiful way to start the day. To top it off, this is the first day in two weeks where it has not rained all morning...it was actually sunny.

About the rain, it has been relentless. Yesterday Jesse and I spent the day using the internet at a cafe in town, there were periods where it would pour down, then would stop then would start pouring again. When we first went in all was normal, when we came out there was water down the street! We were like, "hey, who diverted the river?" I was ankle deep in it and there were actually kids skim boarding in front of there homes.

Discouraged by the rain we decided to leave early to go to northern Luzon. So, today we will say goodbye to the island. We will say goodbye to the friends that we have made and the family that we have adopted. We will say goodbye to the food we have come to love and to eating rice with our fingers. I will miss taking the boats out to the picture perfect islands across clear blue water, and surfing without a wetsuit, where my fingers don't go numb.

Tomorrow Jess and I will fly back up to Luzon. We fly into Clark and then go by bus up to La Union aka San Fernando. We stay only two more weeks. Up there we hope to surf and do some diving. It will be a good way to finish off this trip.

Our good friends here have already decided to go home only to work enough to save to leave again and head back to Bali. They were saying that with 600 Euro you could live quite comfortably for eight months there eating well and living in a little apartment or room. This life doesn't sound so bad.....

Traveling you meet many interesting people living the most exciting kind of lives. Most of the French we have met work in the ski resorts back home for the winter and travel in the summer. This is very common even for many Americans.

Jess and I are ready to head back home now. We have gone through highs and lows of wanting to return or not. But now we miss our family, we miss the mountains in California. Happy Thanksgiving

Day at the Market

Pieces of Siargao

We flew into the Siargao airport, and looked for a van, but instead spotted our good friend Biboy who had come to retrieve and take us to GL. As we made the drive everything felt so familiar, like returning home. I half watched out of the van window the passing hillsides of palm, bamboo, and banana trees, and half listened as our friend began to tell us that there had been some changes while we were gone. His sister Ging-Ging was no longer working at Renaldo's, and soon he would be leaving as well. Unfortunately there had been some troubles between them and NyNy Alda. But, life was still going here. Biboy filled us in on some of the things that had happened since we left, and we told him how we liked Indo. We passed more palms, and rice fields, mud caked water buffalo, and proudly displayed roosters. Finally we pulled into Renaldo's, and we were home. There was a happy reunion then Jess and I settled in. We were excited to return and I was anticipating my brothers arrival . This would be Dan's first time out side of the US aside from Western Europe. He would be seeing all of this tropical goodness for the first time.

This trip to Siargao we have been so blessed to have many old friends and new friends. We flew in with a Finish couple, who we are extremely cool and have spent a lot of time with them. We are also hanging out with a French and Slovenian couple who are also awesome as well as our old friends Steve and Char.

From here it is hard to know where to go. We have been on Siargao for 22 days now. This has already surpassed the length of time we were here before. As it is said..."time flies." Jess and I enjoyed walking everywhere our first week as we waited to rent a motorbike. There were always familiar faces as we passed to smile and wave to. We dug up the $800 in pesos that we buried in the cemetery. Thankfully it was still there. We surfed the reef in front of the cemetery, and also surfed my favorite spot at Dako Island. This first week was the beginning of the Billabong Professional surfing competition. Consequently it was one of the most festive times of the year. Many tourists were in town to either participate or to observe the contest. San Miguel Brewing Company strung up triangle fliers back and forth across miles of road. Women swept the streets and Renaldo's packed there freezer with extra meat in preparation for this busy time.

The Contest was successful. It was postponed one month this year in hopes that there would be better waves than there had been in the past. The first two days of the contest were not disappointing. There were hours of barreling waves. The opening ceremony was a special event. There was a traditional dance performance and several speeches made by the local governor. The sun was shining and the day was beautiful. Aside from that every evening through the contest there was some sort of event. There was a battle of the bands which was surprisingly impressive. A miss earth contest was held, and that was also well done. Everything led up to the final days of the contest and the awarding ceremonies where we all enjoyed a live reggae band and good company.


Daniel showed up a week after us. From that point on we were busy. We took Dan out snorkeling a total of around 9 times in 9 days. We had nonstop fun. Every day we would either be snorkeling or exploring or out Island hopping.

Dan and I took a trip by motorbike around the island. It only took around seven hours, but by that time our bums were sore. There are a few attractions, the first being the rock pools of Pilar, then the beaches of Burgos, the Takanaka waterfall (water trickle), and lastly the beautiful mangroves on the northern side of the island. We stopped and got lunch of lentils in coconut milk, and a pumpkin curry soup served with rice for less than a dollar.

Dan's second day we went out for a BBQ on Dako with some of our local friends and an Australian friend. Here we grilled and ate fresh tuna, sliced fresh pineapple and mango, rice and a very special vineger soy sauce with lime and chili that you can really only find here. The whole meal was absolutely amazing and satisfying. All was laid out and eaten on banana leaves minimizing the clean up. We snorkeled here and enjoyed the absolutely pristine landscape.

On October 31st our good friends Steve and Charlyn were wed. I was honored to be their official photographer. It was such a blessing to take part in this special day with our friends. I was able to observe many different cultural customs and felt like part of the family. Our French friends came to the wedding also. Oh, one thing that was a a total blessing, was that a couple of weeks before the wedding the flash on my camera broke. I would not have been able to take the photos if it weren't for a spectacular friend Tom from Australia (who is a commercial photographer in Hong Kong), taught me how to use the manual settings on my camera!!! After almost five years of procrastination and laziness on my part, I learned this invaluable skill (in it's basic form) in only around 45 minutes! For the next few days I took some wonderful photos, inspired by my new gift.

Our time here has been fun....Jess and I decided to take a trip to Leyte to dive and snorkel.

Siargao Photos

Bali

Driving through Bali we passed countless terraced rice paddies, traveled through small towns, and passed rivers with locals bathing and swimming. Eventually we made it to the outskirts of the city where the home furnishing stores began. The craftsmanship and artistry of the Balinese is world renown. The style is irresistible. I love the dark wood, balanced colors, the carvings and the intricate fabric patterns. I admired the creativity in the designs such as the tables made out of tree roots, the giant inviting pillows, and the hanging lounge chairs.

Bali is a beautiful place. There is something for everyone on this small island. Couples can enjoy a private honeymoon, singles can retreat for creative inspiration. Friends can join for reunions and fun. The adventurer can dive, and hike, and surf their hearts out. It is a place for old and young. Any type of food you could imagine will be found in Bali, and at very good prices. This is just what Jess and I had been craving after traveling through the islands, eating only slight a variation of the same things over and over and over again. Including these ingredients rice, veggies, fish, oil and top ramen.

Jess and I stayed in Legion our first time in Bali. Our return trip we stayed in Kuta. Legion is known to be a quiet version of Kuta. While Kuta is the lively crazy tourist central. We enjoyed both with the small amount of time we had. I loved the variety of restaurants and the inexpensive menus. Jess and I drank fruit smoothies (avocado shakes) every day for less than a dollar each. By this time I had learned enough Indonesian to do a decent job bargaining at the shops. The Balinese really appreciated the effort I put into my bargaining. We had a San Diego friend who really helped me fine tune my offers. If you can imagine bargaining in Tijuana on Revolution St. You can imagine the bargaining here in Bali. They mark everything up by at least four times what could be paid. "Rule number 3, Divide by four" as our San Diego friend put it. Always keeping a big smile and amiable attitude really gave me an advantage. I only know around twenty words in Bahasa Indonesia ( Indo language) but by arranging and rearranging these words I put together a good bargaining language. So many shop keepers commented"wow you speak Indonesian so well!" ( I guess so when compared to many of the one week tourists ) There were a couple of women shopkeepers who I sat talking with for a long time and left feeling like I had made a life long friend with each of them.

We spent some time with new Swedish friends. At our goodbye breakfast we were a couple of Americans eating breakfast in Indonesia at a Mexican restaurant with four Swedes. I laughed at this blend of cultures.

The island is mostly Hindu. Every shop that I saw in Bali placed an offering outside of it's entrance each morning. Usually this was a small square basket made of palm leaf, containing rice a cracker or two some leaves and flowers. There is a prayer said with and sprinkle of water, then they set it down. From that point on they get stepped on and trampled, but once the prayer is said the job has been completed. There should always be one sale at the shop for the day, just for good luck.

I look forward to traveling back to Bali someday.

G-Land Photos

G-Land

There is such an abundance of beauty here on the Southeastern Corner of Java. It is only a short boat ride from Bali to this jungle paradise. We are in our last week of our two months in Indonesia and I am for the first time feeling my connection to this place and the beginning of sorrow for the time that we will leave. We have met some beautifully natured people and some kindred spirits this last leg our Indonesian journey. This has enabled me to connect all of our experiences and reflect upon them with these good feelings I have now. I have a clear view unjaded by previous discomforts.

We made a spontaneous choice to come to G-Land. One of those divinely timed, pack your bags now kind of decisions (and a good one it was!). I could stay here for a while. We are situated in the back of the Bobby's Surf Resort amidst giant bamboo clusters and away from the general bustle of the resort. But we are still close enough to the beach to wake at night and through the stillness hear the roar and the crashing of the waves across the reef. Every morning I hear my gecko alarm clock it usually starts to sing around 5:30, "Ge-kooo Ge-kooo." I wake up, walk out with a pillow to my golden hammock and see the morning light shooting through the bamboo canopy. Before too long I more than likely have walked down to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee to sip in the hammock while turning pages of whichever book I am in the middle of. Besides book reading I am fully entertained by the jungle around me. Just this morning I saw a procession of monkeys emerge from the trees in a single file line jumping from bamboo branch to bamboo branch, into the forest of our camp. There were maybe thirty of them, male, female, youth and babies clinging to their mothers bellies. I hear the birds chirping, and some crying out a piercing song to one another. The camp dog, a golden retriever named Molly, has become a good friend of mine. She tags along as I walk to the beach or back to my room. Once the monkeys see her they all come out of the trees in order to yell and hiss and bear their teeth. But she still follows me regardless of the harrasment. In return I shower her with affection and food. She always has an amiable smile especially while showing off by chasing small sea animals through the tide pools.

Each day is over before I know it. Breaky lunch and dinner provide enough structure to let the time slip through the day like water from a glass, so smoothly, then one day into the next so that I can not distinguish which was which. Each day is so enjoyable.

We came here with our Swedish friend Fredrik who we had met in Sumba then saw again on our plane to Bali. He had also been to Rote earlier this trip just like us. The three of us travelled to the camp first in a large van from Legion (Bali) across land then onto a ferry (which I had completely forgotten about untill our return) then a few more hours by land, and finally onto another boat which took us straight to the resort. This sounds like a bit of a hassle but it was the easiest trip we have had in Indonesia. Everything was taken care of for us. We were like the kids in the back of the car with no worries. After getting to camp we settled into our budget rooms and kicked back.

A few days after our arrival an American guy joined us. It was his 40th trip to G-Land in the last 30 years. This poor guy was so sweet, but was taken away by the police after someone tipped them off that he was smoking stogies. There is a heavy sentence here for those caught with marijuana. "Punished by death" is what all of the signs say throughout the airports. This fellow has some good connections, hopefully that will be enough to get him out of the Indonesian justice system sooner than later. I just saw an Indonesian newspaper with his photo on the front, saying that he will have to serve 15 years. It is hard because the crime he committed is nothing big in our culture but here in Indo it has such devastating consequences. The whole situation really affected my heart, seeing this guy leave was like watching a dead man walking. The morning they took him, we'd checked the waves together and shared a pack of oreos and enjoyed a conversation, then a few hours later he was being forced away to the unknown, to a new very difficult sort of life.

It is funny how some people follow the same path but separately. Aside from Fred traveling to the same places we had in the same order, our second day here in G-Land we saw a couple from Canada who we had met in Rote, then missed in Sumba by a few days, they hit Bali then showed up here just like we had. It is interesting to see the patterns and meet the personalities of these travelers. Aside from having nearly fifteen thousand islands Indonesia is a small country when it comes to surf tourism. I think that Jess and I have covered a lot of ground while traveling here. We've done a good job taking the road less traveled by most first timers.

There is something about meeting people when you travel, where you bond on a different level than if you had met at home. There is an openness available, and a connection of shared experiences. Our orientation to G-Land introduced us to some wonderful friends, Rachel and Jeff, and Analiese and Chris. These Australian couples were so much fun, and such wonderful people. I hope to see them again in the future.

Yesterday I met a Hawaiian named Cora. We went surfing together down the road at tiger tracks with a few friends from camp. This was possibly the most amazing day of surfing I have ever had. We walked from the road and through the jungle on a hard packed earth trail speckled with little orange fallen flower. Once we hit sand we wound through the long white arms of the beach trees which had a canopy of bright green flat leaves. Then, looking out I saw the water, blue like glacial ice merging with cream colored sand bordering it. The sunlight poured out across the horizon creating a thousand sparkling diamonds. Each wave that would break looked like an avalanche of fresh snow. This place was a piece of paradise. As beautiful as anyone could imagine. Only our group was surfing that day, so we joked and laughed and shared the waves cheering each other on. As we left that afternoon, I did my best to take each sensation and memory from the day. I replayed them and savored them, I wrapped myself up in them breathing them into me. Carefully preserving the wealth of joy they had given me.

When we returned I found the boys watching nature take it's course as a snake had skillfully wound it's body around a gecko and was in the process of strangling it. The gecko had no chance. Ah, the circle of life. I actually heard the bones of the gecko crack as the snake tightened it's grip.....Cora came over and we took advantage of this rare opportunity to have a mini photo shoot.

Aside from from these photos, everyday I walk out onto the reef and shoot photos of Jesse and other surfers. It takes a bit of time walking out to take the photos, and my toes have become soar from bending to the contours of the reef. But there are always interesting creatures to observe and I definitely appreciate the exercise. The boys have had some awesomely gigantic waves and overall are really happy with the surf. The food is decent, actually more than that, it is really good and healthy. There is a nonstop flow of coffee ready to feed my habitual cravings, I do not resist. And I have been thinking about how amazing it is, how rich and flavorful is. Until just this morning I saw one of the staff refilling it with Nescafe, really Nescafe! I must be desperate or just fooling myself, but I really like it.

We only made a few trips outside of camp other than walking to the surf. A group of nine of us piled into the clunky jungle truck provide by the resort and took a trip to a local cave, temple, and animal feeding ground. The walk to the cave was much more exciting than the cave itself. The temple was fun to see and the feeding grounds had a peacock, a heard of deer, a pig, and hrmm, I think that was all. It was a fun day, and well worth going for. Another fun "cultural event" was shared one night when a instrumental group and four traditional dancers came to the resort. They performed then had everyone come out and dance with them four at a time. I think that everybody enjoyed this.

Well, we leave G-land soon, back to Bali for a few days, and then we will take four flights to Siargao. (weather permitting) Love to all!!! Jessica

Faces

Sumba: Waingapu -> Wakabubak -> Pero -> Waingapu -> Secret Surf Spot...

Once we got to Sumba we stayed a few days in the town of Waingapu where we had internet and some decent food. We scheduled our ticket to Bali and set out to Western Sumba. The Wild West. This area is known for its traditional beliefs and tribal practices. Megalithic burial is still extremely common here as well as in the rest of Sumba. When there is a death of a King or member of the royal family, there are hundreds of buffalo chickens and goats sacrificed, and the servant of the King is always buried with him. So if he hadn't died yet, he would before the ceremony. We took a five hour bus ride from Waingapu to Wakabubak with a nice Swedish girl named Ida who we met on the Ferry ride.

Wakabubak was a special town, slightly smaller than Waingapu. The treat of visiting Wakabubak is being able to explore the villages on the hills called Kampungs. (shown in the last slide show) They are comprised of traditional style homes built out of colossal bamboo for the walls and floors and have thatched roofs with a tall center. The middle originally had an area where the men could exit the roof and fight for there homes and families if under attack. Also being built on stilts and on a hill, the homes within these kampungs have the advantage of height to ward off invaders. There are giant tomb monoliths on the outside of most peoples homes, made out of cement or stone slabs, with carvings of bulls lining the sides. While eating dinner in Wakabubak, we met a really nice Indonesian named Ringo from Jakarta. We later found out that he is a high ranking police officer assigned to help in Sumba for two years, away from his family in Jakarta. We made plans to all travel together the next day to Pero.

Pero is full of born warriors and is constantly at odds with the surrounding villages. As soon as we drove in, we found out that two people had died that day as a result of a conflict between the villages. Just walking down the street you can sense a difference in the people and the streets compared to peaceful Rote.

That night we enjoyed a bonfire on the beach, underneath a sky full of stars. Four Austrian guys and Ida joined Jesse Ringo and I. We had a really nice evening. The next morning Jesse, Ringo, and I hired some local boys to take us out on their boat a little ways up the river to do some fishing. There were no fish, but the scenery of mangroves surrounding the river were enough for us to enjoy. On a whim Jess and I decided to leave that day with Ringo, back to Wakabubak, and then to Waingapu. We'd had enough of the area. and were glad to have at least seen it. We went back to Waingapu and spent the night before heading out to Tarimbang.

The ride from Waingapu to Tarembang was insane. (shaking head) How do I describe this....well, to start, we were told by several different sources where to wait for the 6:00am bus. We showed up at 5:30 to find that they were all wrong. Luckily we found the bus and got on before they left town. Actually, we got on then stopped and didn't leave town for another two hours while they gathered supplies to take. The bus is not a bus at all. It is a giant truck with five rows of wooden slab seats for people to sit on five across. It is loaded to the brim with rice bags spare tires, boxes, cartons of oil and food supplies. There are two giant speakers on either side (probably made in the 80's) blasting fuzzy Indonesian pop songs. Jesse and I layed out a blow up sleep mattress across and up the back of our seat, then popped in some earplugs and dramamine in effort to make the trip endurable. Every seat was full and there were three guys who would rotate between the roof the side of the truck and a small crawl space inside to flirt with the girls. Within two hours of our trip we blew out a tire. That delayed us an extra hour or two. The last bit of the road, was a one lane goat path across the mountainous ridges leading to the ocean. The truck swayed from side to side and chugged up the steep potholed hills. Aside from being scary, this last part was very beautiful. There were hills as far as my eyes could see, covered with fresh grassy growth and crisscrossed by buffalo walkways and covered with the shadows of heavy gray bottomed cumulonimbus clouds. Eventually we made our way down through some dense jungle where I saw monkeys sitting in the crutch of several trees. There were vines falling across branches connecting one tree with another. Finally we made it to Tarimbang, haggled our way back down to a fair price from the overly inflated one the driver suggested, and settled into our hut at Marthens. The only thing I could think of was how excited I was to eat oatmeal in the mornings as it had been said we would.


Earlier today our friend from California, Micheal, gave me a chunk of milk chocolate with almonds from Trader Joe's and I teared up. I never knew how much a piece of chocolate could affect my emotional status. There are many joys from home that we miss. Jess and I have to be careful not to talk about these things too much we don't want to taint our experience here with pointless thoughts.

It has been five months since we flew out of SFO, and we have three months before we will return. The brightest thing in the next month to happen will be the visit from my brother Daniel. Having home come to me is more than I could ask for.

Jess and I have been in Sumba for around two weeks now. The beach is a short walk away with white sand and blue water, nestled between two towering cliffs. The beach is such a long stretch around. At high tide the water hits the rocks on the cliffs and at low tide you can walk across the hard packed sand comfortably. There are hardly any people around. I walk down to the shore in the afternoon and am the only one there.

There are five individual huts and two four bedroom shared structures, as well as a common area in the center where all of the guests share meals and spend the day. Right now this place is packed with people .This is the busiest Marthen's Homestay has ever been. There are actually two mattresses being used by some Aussies in the family's home. Jesse and I have our own hut, then three other southern Californians and an Austrian have huts, there are seven Kiwis, three Australians, a Swede, two French, and an Indonesian staying in the other rooms.

It is basic here. I really mean basic. The family has help around because they are building a home. So on top of the extra guests there are construction help staying on the property and there is only one bathroom. It is the worst bathroom I have ever seen (except for the one on the boat to Sumba). A small room with a raised area that the squat toilet sits on, it is built poorly and angles down aginst the wall so there is a constant puddle of accumulated water that has been spilled or splashes out of the toilet onto it. Half of the time this toilet is clogged up anyways. Most of the people at the camp go number two in the woods or down by the beach. Where it is much cleaner. Around four days it has rained here. I was talking to the French guys who had a leaking roof, and pigs sleeping direclty benieth one of their rooms. Apparently when there is nobody sleeping in that room, the dogs use it as a bed. One said the stench was terrrible and it was difficult to sleep at night because the dogs were scratching on the door for hours after he barred them out with his surfboard bag. Later he lifted up his besheet and found dog "poo" on the matress!!! This poor guy. He was so nice and so ufortunate.

When asked what Sumban people like to eat more, and given the choices of chicken, pork, beef, fish, or dog. They agreed that they much prefer dog over the other choices. They said that the meat was better......wow. This is culture shock. Every night we had a plate of mystery meat on the table. This is one thing I didn't touch. Most of the people here are really nice. The family rom San Diego, I have adopted as my temporary family structure. They have been wondereful to have around. There are plenty of Kiwis and Aussies. We've made some nice friends.

Four days later.... We have finally had a bug swell come through! This made T-bang, a huge success for Jesse and everyone had a great time surfing. The waves were awesome and big. I hiked up one of the cliffs directly in front of the wave around 6am with Coreen (SD) and Joeanne ( OZ) and took photos of the waves all morning. It was so beautiful and we had the best view possible. Jesse got so many epic waves. After a few hours the tide shifted and one set of waves came out of nowhere (which is expected to happen eventually). It was a bomb set! Joe and I stood up and were drop-jawed.. We yelled, "wooooohhhh heyyyy outsidddde!!!!" and watched thee luckily guys make it over the top and the others get worked by these solid 25 foot set waves. Jesse took two on the head, but Joe's partner got hit by the first one and had his board broken right away. One other guys leash broke. fortunately a charter yacht was parked in the bay and they used their dingy to retrieve the guys and there boards then take them to shore.

At the end of the day Joe and I put up slide shows of the photos that we took and everyone was stoked on the day, nobody was hurt, just happy. Jesse loved it. He surfed some of the biggest waves of his life and had so much adrenaline and fun. I will put up the pics. :O)

Next we go to Bali. We are looking forward to the food! We hope that everyone is doing well at home and enjoying the beginning of Fall!

Western Sumba Pics

Ferry Ride to Sumba

As soon as we stepped foot onto the boat we were weaving our way between chickens, building materials, and countless boxes with locals piled across the tops of them. A slight panic swept through me as I saw the slender passageway leading up to the ladder. We sidestepped our way through beetle nut chewing hawkers selling snacks with wide stained red smiles. Jess and I climbed up the staircase, hardly able to squeeze through with our bags and surfboards. Once we reached the next floor we were even more apprehensive, there was no space to turn or sit or stand....the smoky room was dark and chaotic. There we families layered out like a double decker sardine can. We went to the next ladder hoping we could pay for a room on the upper deck. No such luck. Immediately after climbing the latter I was told to head back down,which at that moment was impossible, as I tried to explain that there were too many people in my way, out stepped one of our acquaintances who we shared a Bemo (small van) with while leaving Nemberala. Relief swept through me. He helped us communicate with the captain, but there was no way he was going to allow us to rent a room. I thanked our friend and made light hearted jokes about the adventure in which we were about to embark, and what a story it would be once finished.

Back down the stairs we went into the unfamiliar life so normal to the Indonesian people. Every inch of the room was claimed as someone's sleeping or storage area. Once again we felt lost and on the edge of hopeless (where were we going to rest during this two day boat ride?). A small voice asked "can I help you?" I turned to her...."yes! please!" And so it was, we made a new friend of whom we could not have been more grateful for. Her name was Washtea. She gave us an area to put our bags and to sit. She told us about her ministry preaching and teaching at a Christian church turned into a high school for students on the Island of Savu (our 1st stop). She told us of her love for Jesus, and affirmed His faithfulness. I really enjoyed visiting with her. At only 26 years old she looked 19, but all 25 of her students (14-17 yrs. old) call her Mother. She was a blessing to us, a true hero of our trip.

That first night was intense in every way. Hundreds of people were laying all around us, there were movies and Indonesian love songs blaring all night from a speaker five feet away from where we lay. The smell of clove cigarettes wafted over us, and the constant rise and fall of the ship was only avoided when we got an hour or two of precious sleep. The ocean was a deep cobalt blue almost black, and the moon illuminated the the wake of the boat to a brilliant ivory. Jesse spent about five hours leaning over the rail of the ship watching the sea, nauseous. Another passenger didn't make it to the rail and vomited all over one our bags. Every time I woke up I was struck, "is this really happening, are we seriously on this boat?" To fall asleep I would talk to the Lord, making a game of complementing His goodness until I could sleep again. I can't imagine what it was like on the bottom deck. Around 3:00 am, the roosters started to crow, undeterred by the change of scenery. At 4:00 am we reached Savu, our first stop, and said goodbye to Washtea, then watched the sunrise. The second half of our trip was actually enjoyable. It is strange being so far out to sea. There is nothing in any direction but the sapphire ocean. that night I watched the moon rise and looked out at the southern cross. We arrived in Sumba at 1am after 36 long hours. By 3 we were asleep in a bed on dry land in Sumba.

We decide to do a little bit of sight seeing the first week and a half that we are here. Today we took a bus to western Sumba. This island has the least western influence of Nusa Tenggara and the strongest tribal culture. It is famous for it's horse breeding, ikat weaving, megalithic tombs, and sacrficial burials.

Everywhere you go in Indonesia, there is always someone yelling (or blurting) out "hello mister!!". Or "where are you going mister!!" But then, when you look at them or reply in any way, the kids especially, run away giggling. It is very different here to say the least. That is all for now. Love to all Jessica

Rote Photos

Rote Island, Indonesia

Jesse and I are in a region of Indonesia called Nusa Tenggara. Our first stop was the Island of Rote, just off the coast of Western Timor. Our destination was the small village of Nemberala. Known to be home to one of the best surf breaks in Eastern Indonesia.
Our accomidation for 12 days was a homestay owned by Mr. Thomas, and his wife Mama. They had several members of the family working for them who did all of the cooking for breaky, lunch, and dinner. Which was always fried fish, veggies, ramen noodles, salsa, and of course rice. Breakfast was coffee and freshly baked banana, or white bread, accompanied by homemade donuts which was difinitly a treat. It was great to stay with other travelers. We enjoyed friendship and fellowship with many of them.
To get to the beach we only had to walk three minutes down a path passing the local well, where women were always filling their buckets, and through a gem of a palm grove. We never knew what kind of animals we would pass. Sometimes goats, pigs, chickens, or dogs, sometimes giant cows that look like big bambis, and sometimes slightly built horses. We could always count on the smell of burning leaves or branches, or smoke from a smoldering garbage pile to accompany us on the short trip to the waters edge. The view from the beach showed the life of many on the villagers. We would see boats drifting in or out from a fishing trip, or from dropping a surfer off at the break. There were women and men walking out across the reef collecting seaweed from the steaked farms. The beach would never fail to have a few families of pigs running across it, eating seaweed off of the shore, or rooting in the sand. There was always activity, and every night families would walk down and enjoy the sunset together before eating their evening meals
It took twenty minutes to walk across the reef (littered with wooden stakes for seaweed harvesting) out to the surf break called T-Land. It is a long fun wave breaking to the left. Overall it was great surfing there. Life here was slow paced, but interesting. Three of the guests at Mr. Thomas' were from Australia there working with the local government to help with education One day we went on a trip with them and about thirteen of the village boys to an underground cave to go swimming. We had flashlights to explore and goggles and squirt guns for entertainment. Another of the teachers, Libby, who has studied weaving for years, originally came to the island to learn more. She took us to her weaving teachers house where we were able to ask questions and observe the beautifully woven ikats. She is one of the three remaining weavers in the village and is 76 years old and is still using natural dyes and the traditional patterns native to Rote Island.
It took a little while to adapt to Nemberala, but once we created friendships with our fellow travelers everything settled into place. Jesse drank the well water, it had a thick taste of hickory smoke. I resorted to bottled water. Two days before we left Jesse was having one of his best sessions surfing. On the last wave the fin of his board hit his shin. I gave him ten stiches and he is healing well.
The day after this happened an guy stopped by who looked vaguely familiar. He recognized us first. We met this him (Chris) during a camping trip to the east cape of Baja over four years ago. We were just out of tech school and I had sewed up a man's forehead who was hit by his board. Chris had a picture of me doing this on his i-pod! We couldn't believe it, after all those years we met again on another continent.
We decide to leave the day after Jess hurt his shin. He could not surf and it made sense to travel to our next destination and where that was we had no idea. We started by leaving the island on the five hour ferry. We were planning on going to Bali but then changed directions to Sumba. All of the flights were booked due to the Islamic holiday Ramadan. From there we decided to take a boat. We had no idea what we were in for. But that is for the next blog. Love Jessica

The In-Between Post

Hello family and friends! We have been on the remote Islands of Rote, and Sumba. There has been no wireless!! I have so many pictures that I would like put up but they will have to wait until we reach Bali (two more weeks!). Jess and I are doing well. We are enjoying the experiences that we have been having some are fun and some inspire growth.
We will be in Bali for one week then are going up to Western Kalimantan (Borneo) where we will be guests of a missionary run hospital with a busy surgery department. We are both excited about this new opportunity! Well I will fill in all of the details as soon as I can. Love to all! Jessica

Cimaja

Cimaja, Indonesia

Well, I wrote an extensive version of our travels from Siargao to Cimaja. Jesse told me that every detail was maybe a little too much to hold someone's attention. :O) So perhaps I will do a more simplistic recap of the most demanding 72 hours of my life.
Our going away dinner was so much fun. We have found a wonderful addition to our family in Siargao. They treated us with such hospitality and generosity. I am thoroughly anticipation our return.
The flight from Siargao to Cebu then Cebu to Manila was uneventful for the most part. Once we arrived in Manila, we had to get two hours away to Clark airport for our flight the next morning. The taxi driver who took us to the bus station, drove through a one way pedestrian outdoor market in order to avoid the traffic of the roadways. I can only imagine what would have happened if we had encountered another cheeky taxi driving opposite us! Once at the bus station we found that there were no buses leaving until 3:30 so around 10:30pm we found a by-the-hour motel and slept for five hours. Next thing I knew it was 3:00 am and I was eating precooked rice at McDonalds in downtown Manila. Our bus didn't leave until 4:00 but at least we were on it. A motorbike and a taxi later we were at the Clark airport and waiting for our next flight to KUL, Malaysia.
We arrived in KUL, and caught our delayed plane to Jakarta at 11:30pm. We flew through a lightening storm on the way there. I was so excited to touch ground again!
We were miraculously let through immigration considering we did not have an exit ticket, then we slept three hours in the airport before catching our 06:30 bus from Jakarta to Bogor. We caught a bus from Bogor to Cimaja. This 25 seat bus was packed with around 40 people and our surfboards. It took us three hours through congested two lane(made into three) urban roads, then through 2 1/2 hours of mountainous curves. We passed building supplies, freshly cut bunches of bananas, coconuts, bamboo, water buffalo, rice fields, about two hundred motorcycles, and a dozen Mt. villages. Most of the women wear head scarves and the men are constantly smoking, filling the air with a spicy clove scent.
We took a taxi from a neighbor town to Cimaja found a room and were so grateful to have nothing more to think about for a couple of weeks.
It is a crazy feeling to be so weak that your body is too exhausted to eat. This is the first time that I have experienced this. But since we arrived our appetites are slowly growing. We are catching up on sleep, and Jesse has still managed to surf the double overhead waves breaking about two hundred meters from our room. :O)
I am looking forward to the rich cultural history of the Indonesian Islands. There are officially 17,508 different islands that make up the country. At low tide there are estimated to be around 18,000. :O) Although the country has served as a main crossroad for merchants exchanging goods, it has maintained it's own unique culture.
Java is the leading island of Indonesia both politically and economically. There are more than 120 million people cramped into this Island which is half the size of Great Britain. It has the most abundant natural resources of the country. There are three main ethnic groups in Java though the divisions are blurred. As a whole, the Javanese are Muslim. This is ever present as we hear prayer calls throughout the day from a nearby loudspeaker. There are still pockets of Hinduism in East Java. Much of the arts are a cocktail of pre-Hindu, Hindu, and Islamic influence. One of the main ways of preserving the Hindu-Buddhist heritage in Java is through Javanese wayang or puppet theatre. I have yet to see this.
Bogor was an interesting city. It was originally a haven from Jakarta but was connected later connected as an arm to the massive city. The botanical gardens which lay in the city's center are world renown. In the 19th century they were used to help develop several cash crops including tobacco, teas, and coffee. Now they are still used for botanical research and development.
Well.....enough for now! I love and miss you family and friends. I will update with more photos soon! Jessica

Leaving Siargao

Hello family and friends! We are going to be flying to Jakarta Indonesia tomorrow afternoon. We have had a fantastic time here on the Island and have made some awesome friends. We are saying goodbye until November. We have left our extra luggage here and are excited to return. I will write when I find internet in Indo! Love to everyone! Jessica XOXO

Siargao #2 Pics

Siargao #2

Hello family and friends! We hope that everyone is doing really well and having an awesome summer. I was shocked to find that we are now entering the month of August!! It is crazy how time flies by. Jesse and I are really enjoying our time here on Siargao Island. By now we have settled in well.

Jesse and I rented a motorbike that we now use to ride to the surf, to our friends' houses and to the market. Our room at Renaldo's is cozy and convenient. The woman here Ate Alda (Mamma Song) is very kind, and always is making us our meals. She teaches me how to cook traditional dishes and I also use her kitchen to cook on my own. The "family" of people where we are staying consists of Mamma Song, B-Boy, Gin-Gin, Di-Di, Janet, and Hero (from Japan). Jess and I have not been fishing yet but Jesse is working avidly setting up our fly rods to make them fish worthy. We have been surfing every day. The past two days we have had a great swell come through. Jess has been stoked on trying waves other than Cloud "Croud" Nine. Today and yesterday he went to Touson and had fun. The day before, he surfed a spot called Cemeteries (it is directly out and across the reef from the cemetery). I really like surfing Cloud Nine and go out there most of the time. Yesterday morning at 0600 our friend Ballong came by and got us up to go out on the brothers' boat to Rock Island to go surfing. We went out at 0630 and enjoyed the boat ride then found no waves on that particular island. We hung out at their house the rest of the morning and surfed Touson later with them. I took photos.

There have been a few cultural dances and get togethers that we have seen. There was a sail boat race a couple of days ago. We went out on a boat to go snorkeling about five days ago. We snorkeled from the boat to a small island and found aa family having lunch. They had us join them. The Philippino culture is amazing for it's hospitality and kindness, among other things. We have continued to enjoy our time here and are thankful for the great friends that we have made. Love and miss you all at home! Jessica

Siargao #1 Pics

Siargao #1

The last few days have been so fun and busy. We switched rooms to one next door to Renaldo's BBQ. It is in General Luna and we are walking distance from town and all of the good food. That afternoon the family put on a special lunch towelcome us .
I mentioned an English fellow before. He has a girlfriend from the Island who is my age named Charlotte. We have gotten along really well and have all hung out the last few days. We attended a special lunch just out of town. It is put on twice a week by a German man who has a cave exploration tour. He is a true treasure hunter and was once a five star chef. He lived on the coast of Florida for thirteen years or so diving for lost ships and treasure (just like in the movie Fools Gold). He has also traveled all over the world searching for gold and has never had as much success as he has in the Philippines. Before lunch we went to church. We were able to help with the small children! It was so much fun. The fun thing is that a couple of days ago while we were in town we were introduced to a guy named Leeno who we were talking to about fishing and surfing. Yesterday he invited us to go play volleyball. So we jumped on the back of Steve and Leeno's motorbikes (hobble-hobbles) and went to Leeno's place. As it turns out, the house isa cross the street from the Siargao YWAM base. Leeno and his brothers Bullong and Bunsai are all really awesome with great hearts. They know some of Jesse's friends (from his DTS Maui) like brothers. What a small world.... This afternoon we went with the brothers and Steve and Char, and joined a group of German travellers who had put up a tite-rope at a local resort. It seems like we have been so busy. There is always something going on. Maybe it is just the activity of settling in. We will see. This evening Jess and I got a hobble-hobble down to cloud nine from our new room and went for a surf. The waves are nice, but small (and crowded). The pictures will show it all. :O) Well we are having a great time so far. Love Jessica

Brisbane, Manila, Siargao

Siargao

Hey all! This entry will show the extreme contrast between our experience in Manila to where we are and will be staying! Yesterday Jess and I flew into the small island called Siargao. It is so beautiful and lush. The main village is called Dapa and the one closest to us is called General Luna. The main industry on the island is fishing and rice harvesting. It is home to the world famous surf break called Cloud Nine. During the last week of Sept every year a surf competition is held by Billabong and the whole area is teeming with surf pros, camera men, and spectators. We are staying at the original resort called Cloud Nine which is literally right in front of the the break. It has been here for 15 years. The owners David and Rose origionally built it planning to have the wave all to themselves, but before too long it became one of the most popular surf destinations in the world. It made sense for them to make some cash. Jess and I will stay here for a while then probably will rent a room in general Luna. Jess and I went surfing last night. The water is so perfect. We met an amiable englishman yesterday. He has spent more than a year here over the last few years and knows all of the ins and outs. Jess is snorkeling with him right now. It is fortunate to have met someone right away to have as a friend. :O) Well I will put up some phots and hopefully they will explaiin the beauty of this place. Lots of love to you all! Jessica

We just spent the last thirty hours traveling, from Brisbane OZ to Cooly OZ, to Malaysia to Philippines, Clark to Manila and all around Manila in a tricycle motorbike with four bags and three surfboards bigger than the cycle in the rain in the middle of the craziest city I have ever been to because the driver was lost then I waited in an internet cafe two hours and thought that Jesse was lost, then he came back and we did the whole trike thing over again around in circles because the driver didn't have a clue where to take us... and we walked into our hostel as everyone was leaving and they were like " are you sure you don't want to catch the train and go to dinner with us?" Ah! Travel is soo exciting! but home is Luxurious.

There are so many joys to traveling. Like not missing your flight. Along with meeting 20 smiling Filipinos when you reach the country. What a beautiful culture. Now we need to sort out the five different currencies in our wallets. Thank God for our safety!
Love to all :O) blessings

Byron Bay to Coolangatta Pics :O)

Byron Bay to Coolangatta

I just waved goodbye to Coolangatta. We stayed there for just over a week. We met so many great people and had some great surf. Also, Jess and I went Opp shopping (thrift store) , and found 'most everything that we need for Asia. We now have three surfboards, two bags for them, snorkels, masks, flippers, our fishing gear, several excellent hats for sun protection, and all the other odds and ends. Praise God, we found so many amazing deals!

Our hostel was great. It took me a few days to warm up to it. Jess and I met and spent time with kids from many different countries (Germany, Argentina, Venezuela, OZ, US, France, Japan, China, and Taiwan) . Each person was so special.

The surf was awesome. There was a solid swell for about five days. I was out the first day, and the rest I took pictures. Jess surfed the famous wave called Kirra, most of the time. from Coolangatta you can look across the ocean and see Surfer's Paradise in the distance. The whole city looks like a surreal phantom.

Before Coolangatta we spent a week or so in Byron Bay. It is known to be the "coolest" most relaxed place up the coast. All of the backpackers we have met love it. Jess and I had a great time. We surfed a bit in Lennox, and hung out in Byron. Also, we had the opportunity to visit an awesome church called New Earth Tribe. We met the pastors and several other wonderful people. They showed us around and had us over for dinner a couple of nights. It was such and awesome blessing. They have a powerful ministry in the area, and radiate God's love. They are also well connected with Bethel and have a sister church starting in Santa Cruz. We met up with the Byron YWAM team and they gave us some contacts in the Philippines and Indo. Hopefully these will be the leads we need to connect with some medical missions and/or relief teams in Asia.

Jess and I have four days left in OZ. We are flying out of Brisbane on the 19th with is the 20th in America. These last few days we will be preparing for out trip. We are both ready to move on. Haha, We just checked the weather in the Philippines, where we will be staying and the water temp is 85 degrees, the same as the air temp. :O) That sounds awesome!

We visit the beach front McDonald's every day to use the internet and get a 50 cent ice cream. There are always pigeons walking around inside eating off of the floor and sitting on the ledges.
Ah, in Byron we were there for the monthly market. It reminded me a lot of Humboldt county fairs, lots of bongos and tie-dye and organic goods. We ate a kangaroo burger, complete with shredded carrot beets and whole wheat buns. This is something we had to try before we leave. We made it to a little town fair in Coolangatta too. It is so much fun to take part in a local activity like that.

Well we miss everyone back home and are happy to see the fun things you all are doing. Love you! <>< Jessica and Jesse

Sydney!

Sydney

We spent a week in Sydney. Jess and I stayed at a backpackers near the major shopping and business areas of the city. All week our diet consisted of Thai, Chinese, pizza, and more Thai. We had a mixed time. Jess and I bought five different airline tickets, and took care of our Philippines visa and Indonesian visa. Needless to say we were very busy. I don't feel like I could accurately record the beauty and character of the city because of my slightly jaded emotions....but here it goes.
Jess and I thought Sydney to be a normal (average) city for a few days, until we took a walk down to Darling harbor and watched the sunset and the light fade. This led from the colorful reflections of the city buildings, to the brilliant shining of city lights dancing across the water. The air was much warmer than all of NZ and Melbourne. This was just the beginning. The next day Jess and I paid a visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens and The Domain. (The most diverse and beautiful gardens that I have ever seen)
Walking from the city we headed in to Hyde Park. As we walked in we passed a giant chess set where a couple of Italian men were in a match. The walkway led up to the Archibald Fountain, which is there to commemorate the relationship between Australia and France during WW l. There were groups of school children on a field trip running around and music from a man playing Spanish guitar. A little further and we were at St. James Church. The construction of the church was completed in 1824 and is Sydney's oldest existing place of worship. From there we went past the Anzac Memorial, up past the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and into the Gardens. One of the garden's most striking features is that it is inhabited by thousands of fruit bats (flying foxes). They hang all over the trees around the palm groves. At night their silouettes can be seen souring across the sky. Other attraction within the gardens are ponds (with eels), a succulents garden, the rose garden, the herb garden.....and so much more.. Jess and I loved the giant cockatoos that live in the trees. They have a menacing screech that can be heard from a mile away. We had the opportunity to have them perch on us. The photos will say it all. This was an unforgettable experience. We walked up to the famous Mrs. Macquaries Chair ( a seat fashioned out of a rock) from there one can view the harbor.
The next day we walked to the famous Sydney Opera House. Something that was new to me was that it is made out of tons of square white tiles. It was lovely. That night we went back to the Art gallery of New South Wales for a night at the museum. Literally. There was a special program where we had a guided tour through the "Truly Dutch" exhibit. This display was of post WW ll abstract paintings from Holland. It was interesting and informative to hear about the the influence upon the art community after the war. The rest of the museum was fun. My favorite area was in thee style of art nouveau, one piece in particular was of a young woman playing a flute in the woods with about ten magpie's gathered around her watching. It was titled, "The Music Lesson".a
We saw a professional skate competition the day that we left. That was exciting. We watched it with two of our roommates. Ah, our roommates. We were staying with a French, an Italian, an Irish and a Chinese. All in one room. We were the first Americans that the Chinese guy had ever met. He talked to us about the Chinese culture and his experience as an international student with a desire to immigrate. There are so many challenges... I cannot even begin to explain how he described his experience. We are so lucky to live the lives that we do.
Well, Love you Family and Friends!! Hope summer has been so much fun back home!!

Kyneton Photos

Bushland

Jess's parents gave us the gift of a week stay in Bushland! We had a nice time. We stayed in our own little house, in a Eucalypti forest. This was so much different from a hostel. We had a fresh breath of privacy, comfort, and peace. The main activities we enjoyed were riding our borrowed bicycles around the lake, and over to the tennis courts daily. This is where we would duke it out, on the court. We were happy to at least be able to hit the tennis ball back and forth for a while.
We were both excited to received our 10 lb, and 8 lb four piece fly rods in the mail. Along with backing, fly line, flies, baskets, reels, and a few more bits and pieces. It was like Christmas. Jess and I took turns opening each box within a box.:O)On Tues. at sunset we were riding around the lake to see if any fish were rising, when we spotted a bon fire off near a house. Being the country kids that we are, we couldn't resist the thought of throwing a few sticks in. We ditched the bikes and wandered over. Once we reach the fire we met a couple of musicians. Steve and his wife Sarah. Steve works on one of the largest thoroughbred race horse land in the country.
After the fire they introduced us to their Stallion in the back named Walky, then played us a concert. It was fantastic. Jess and I had just been talking about how this is the area where we would meet real Australians. We enjoyed how down to earth and nice all of the local people were.
The night before we left, Jess and I had the pleasure of seeing about ten kangaroos. One had a joey in her pouch! It was a beautiful sight!
We enjoyed the wildlife. Mostly the Magpies, who were even noisier than the crows. They would flock from tree to tree singing abstract flute-like songs.
Thanks mom and dad!

Melbourne!

Melbourne!

We just spent the last week in Melbourne. Our first experience in a big city in Australia. We had a great time visiting museums, exploring side alley cafes, and viewing the diverse architecture. Melbourne is truely the city of lights and color. There was a theme to it, " light up the winter". Many of the downtown buildings had an abstract swirl or splash of a color capping it off or incorporated into the design. Jess and I were both amazed at the creativity many people (particularly youth) used in there daily wardrobe. Everyone was so "stylish". It was fun for us to walk around being the obvious backpackers. We stayed right around the corner from an ally way know to be the crowded cafe scene of Melbourne. We had a slice of cake and coffee there a couple of nights and (to me) it felt like being in a scene of a movie, having such a nice ambiance. Also, about two blocks away was the Melbourne Art Museum! We spent three different days exploring each level and admiring the vast array of works. We enjoyed each time period and seeing many paintings and etchings from well known artists ( Cezanne, Degas, Monet, Manet, Picasso, Pissarro, Renoir, Modigliani, Rembrandt etc.) It was such a different experience going from small New Zealand to such a densely populated city! We walked down the streets shoulder to shoulder with so many different people with such different ethnicity. We also ate some fabulous Indian, Chinese and Indonesian food! Jess and I visited the Royal Gardens, the Immigration Museum, and the Queen Victoria Marketplace with over 1000 stalls. Including an indoor area with permanent stalls selling meats, cheeses, wines, dips, olives, and candies. This was such an old world experience for me! We had was a very interesting time visiting the city. We may go back in a week or so for a day visit. Right now we are in a small town called Torquey. This is home to world famous Bells Beach (Point Break). In fact I am on the surf spot at the moment. Currently the waves are better than they have been in weeks, and Jess is thouroughly enjoying them. What a gift! Though, it is about 48 degrees and slowly dropping.... my fingers are cramping up a little and I have a steady nose run....BUT the sky and water are beautiful shades of blue and peach and gray. So this is what makes the trip! The times when your senses are in full effect and awarness rises. You take in the memories a little bit deeper.