Day 56 pt 2 & day 57: no worries mate

We said our goodbyes at the harbor & went back to the hostel, where Nick & the guys were eager to hear about the trip. We got hi-fives for spotting sharks! We showered (for the first time in 4 days!!), dressed nicely & walked down to a bar to meet up with some people from the boat.

At first we thought we'd been stood up bc we didn't recognise anyone there, but Aussie Craig walked in as we were eating (late!) and we spotted Scottish Craig at another table - we just hadn't seen each other. No one else from the boat ended up coming but no matter. A couple pitchers of beer later, Nick & Daan & some others from the hostel showed up, and we ran into the helpful Welsch guy from the bus station! Small beach town.

Walked down to another bar where there was live music. Free drinks were poured, T & I were spun around the dance floor wildly, Daan stole my camera & documented the night quite well - basically, caos & tomfoolery ensued. I felt like the typical 18 year old backpacker, not my older, more responsible self. And it was fantastic.

We all made it back to the hostel safely, though not much sleep was had. Almost (it felt like) as soon as I'd dozed off, T woke up with a "F@*#!!!" - she was supposed to catch an early morning bus to the early ferry to the island airport for her plane & she'd forgotten. Whoops. Luckily that flight was just to get her to Cairns & wasn't connected to her flight home, so she sorted out a greyhound instead.

By that point, we were both awake, so I walked her down to the bus station, stopping for brekkie in the park & looking at the hilarious pictures from the night before. We wandered through the markets down at the waterfront & then I sat with her til the bus came. Sad goodbye.

She told me to stay here as long as I can; this place has gotten into us both. Believe me, as much as I miss you all, I'm having a hard time convincing myself to go home.

Trudged back up to the hostel & felt really alone without T. Got in the pool for a little bit & then took my book over to the hammocks, read for a while & then fell asleep. You just can't beat a nap in a hammock.

Woke up, changed, met up with Nick, Nicko (UK), Daan & the boys who were just hanging out by the pool. Some people started playing monopoly, Nick got out his guitar & started playing, and I laid on a bench with my head on his knee & stared up at a palm tree.

Nicks my unofficial "holiday boyfriend". We will sit & talk for hours at a time and everyone makes fun of us, suggesting rude things, but they're just being silly & I don't care. He's a good guy & I enjoy hanging out with him.

The day passed uneventfully. Sat by the pool, relaxed, ate pizza. The nightly movie was some footballer/prison thing so Nick & I sat in a hammock and talked, under palms, swayed by the night breeze. Seriously, this is the life.

Everyone was going out but I NEEDED sleep so I went to bed at 10. Best idea ever.

Today I'm so happy & grateful for:
~ parties worth not sleeping for
~ hammocks
~ no worries

Xo! n.

Day 55 & day 56 pt 1: "I'm on a boat!"

December 12 & 13 I spent living on a sailboat. I had no phone reception & I didn't want any. I didn't pick up my phone or think about blogging once. I'm sorry dear readers, but that's the truth. If you found yourself on a fast, sleek sailboat in the Whitsunday islands off the coast of Australia, you'd feel the same way.

We sailed on The Hammer, an award-winning racing sailboat in its day. It was a friendly & efficient 3 person crew to 22 travelers squeezed on board. I thought it'd be cramped but everyone was cool so it really wasn't. T & I had to share a bed but we actually got lucky bc it ended up right under a hatch so we got a breeze while the rest of the boat was hot.

I can't even describe how beautiful the Whitsundays are. Someday, I'd like to charter a boat & sail all the islands. Water in varying shades of brilliant blue, deep green islands, and maybe one other boat in sight every couple hours. Truly paradise.

I dove with T & a kiwi guy, I think it was luncheon bay; it was beautiful. Visibility wasn't as good as my last dive and I kinda freaked out bc I kept getting really close to the coral & thought I was going to kill it, but I'm getting really good at controlling my bouyancy and once I relaxed it was pretty nice.

Snorkeled a bunch. The first snorkel was actually better than my dive because the visibility was better - the colors underwater are just stunning. The second snorkel wasn't as good; large patches of coral were covered in algae, which, we learned from the marine biologist the other day, indicates its very sick. It made me sad; I felt like I was swimming over a graveyard. But then again, the fish were chowing down on the algae, so maybe its just the circle of life.

On both snorkels, I stayed out as long as I could & when the dingy made its last trip out to collect us (bc the boat can't get too near the coral), T & I opted to swim back. It is just so amazing out there.

We put up the sails - we all had to help, makes me really wish I'd paid attention when I went sailing as a kid - and let the wind power us three times. Feeling the boat tack, almost vertical in the water & sitting with my legs over the rail catching spray made me feel five years old & giddy. God, its such an amazing feeling to have the wind in your hair, the waves at your feet, and just flying, skimming the water that gleams & shines like so many diamonds beneath you. And, of course, with that huge Australian sky, comforting in its neverendingness, domed overhead.

They actually fed us really well on the boat and since we did our dive the first day, that night T & I were able to drink & be social with everyone. After a brilliant sunset, we were transfixed by the night sky & lost track of shooting stars. We had such a fun time, especially with Canadians Amy & Lauren and Scottish Craig - we all had goon bags (Craig was drinking his from a water bottle) and talked about everything from Halloween costumes to books to why for a guy being "cute" is better than "hot". We decided we'd all buy a boat together, call it "The Shimmering" (long story, you don't want to know) and sail the reef for the rest of our lives. We were the last to bed & we didn't stop laughing the whole time. The boat rocked me to sleep & I slept soundly.

On our second day, we went to whitehaven beach, which was full of backpackers from boat tours but still empty by California standards. Incredibly beautiful place.

We hiked to the crowded lookout & then down to the beach where, even though the clear water was calling us, we couldn't get in without our stinger suits. There are two deadly jellyfish in the Whitsundays this time of year & I wasn't willing to risk it. So we all looked a bit dorky in our lycra suits, but it didn't detract one bit from the day.

T & I sunned for a while then donned the suits & headed into the water with Craig. At waist-high, we could still see the bottom and as we were walking we noticed there were stingrays everywhere! They were beautiful but I got so paranoid I was going to step on one! I may or may not have shrieked once or twice.

As we got closer to the sandbar in the middle of the crystal water, I saw something swimming away and realized it was a shark! We looked closer & saw that there were SIX sharks swimming around in a little group! They were little ones, about 2 or 3 feet long, maybe sand or reef sharks(?) and not scary at all. They seemed completely uninterested in us; I tried to get a little closer for a picture but they swam away. So so cool.

We sat on the sandbar in the shallows & marvelled at how beautiful everything was. This place is actually real & we're actually here!

I'd brought my springy Santa hat & everyone at the beach wanted to take pictures in it. It took a trip of international heads: France, Finland, Canada, Germany, Slovenia, UK, etc, etc. I was spreading Christmas cheer.

This place really makes me want to stay in Australia. To work on a boat or work at the beach & take weekend trips to the islands. This is the life.

On our last sail, we put the big multicolored racing sail up & just flew. It was sad to be headed into the harbor & I could've stayed longer but 2 days was, surprisingly, enough time.

Today I'm so grateful & happy for:
~ a beautiful boat in the beautiful lislands
~ deciding to take the boat with T & not split up
~ no seasickness
~ seeing the reef
~ my ability to swim

Xo! n.

Day 54: the longest day

(December 11)

Eleven hours on a Greyhound bus. Dozed on & off but no real sleep. Cracked my eyelids at sunrise & thought, I should take a picture, but I couldn't stay awake. People got on & off, lights went on & off, voices faded in & out. My knees hurt bc my feet didn't touch the floor.

We stopped in some nowhere town & T and I went in search of coffee & chocolate. The chocolate melted instantly in the 9am sun. Back to the bus.

Finally arrived in Airlie Beach at 11:30am & we were shattered. We stumbled off the bus & looked around, preparing to lug our heavy bags around town to find a hostel, but -lucky! - there were vans from 2 hostels waiting at the bus stop for tired travellers like us. We chose Backpackers By the Bay (highly recommended - its beautiful) & were thankfully whisked away.

Settled in, did a load of laundry - wet mildewy bathers & towels - considered a nap but it was just too gorgeous, new & exciting to sleep the day away.

Instead of a shower, we opted for a jump in the pool - I can't tell you how nice it felt. Slowly, the pool started to gather a crowd & we started making friends. Guys from the UK, yet another Daan from Holland (yes girls, more dutchies!), a polish girl, and heaps of aussies including Nick, whose family owns & he runs the hostel. Everyone was talking, playing pool games, there was music on & the bar was open. It was so fun. We all ordered pizzas & played card games, Nick & I had a good talk about music & LA, dutchie Martin stole my camera (got some funny pictures), and it was one of those perfect lazy afternoons. With everyone swimming, laughing, drinking, it felt like a 4th of july party, except there were no fireworks at sunset & its almost Christmas. Weird.

Later that night, they set up deck chairs around the pool & projected the movie "Pineapple Express" onto a screen, so we all sat around & watched it, laughing. Then more drinks & chatting, and I stayed up way, way too late. But who needs sleep anyway? It was fun.

Today I am so happy & grateful for:
~ stumbling onto a great hostel
~ pool parties in December
~ a beautiful place & really cool people

Xo! n.

Day 53: the Great Barrier Reef, yall!

(December 10)

T & I woke up early to go on a day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. We were supposed to be downstairs to put our bags in storage at 7:15 & catch the bus to the boat at 7:20. BUT the bus was 10mins early, the front desk of the hostel was 10mins late & the bus driver wouldn't wait. The jerk left without us! We had to leave our bags in the lobby, book it, in the heat & humidity (yes, even that early) by foot, all the way down to the wharf -normally a 20min walk - and got there JUST in time. Sweaty & starving & exhausted, we collapsed into cabin seats & found out from the other passengers that the bus driver was early for everyone, rude to everyone, & had actually had a change of heart & turned around to go back for us but we'd already left. Yikes.
We caught our breath, said our gratitudes for having caught the boat, & immediately things got heaps better. It was SUCH a perfect day.

There weren't many passengers, the crew was friendly & funny, and they fed us breakfast, lunch & wine & cheese. The day was overcast but it didn't matter - we were diving!

I was one of only 3 certified divers on the boat & the only one that made it through the whole dive! One guy got too low on air & the other guy just wussed out & wanted a boat lift back. So the last 15 mins of my dive, it was just me & the instructor & it was great. I also got to dive without a wetsuit, which was so fun.

The visibility was really good & even down 50 feet, the colors were brilliant. We swam over shelves of coral & down into valleys, through fissures, and actually got to touch down & feel the sandy bottom! Every other time I've dived, I've had to wear a wetsuit & gloves, so picking up a handful of reef sand was really amazing.

After that dive, we had lunch & talked to a really cool single mom from Canada who gave herself a holiday as soon as her youngest turned 18. We all signed up for a second dive (they had done the intro dive), but changed our minds when we heard we could go on a guided snorkel with a marine biologist! Yes, we're nerds.

It was a good choice. We learned so much about the reef, saw a sea turtle & a deadly fish, and got to touch a sea cucumber, pineapple sea cucumber, and the inside of a giant (and I do mean GIANT) clam - felt like velvet!! It was a really cool experience & since only 5 people signed up, it lasted longer than the scuba dive!

I got tons of (if I do say so myself) beautiful pictures - just not on my phone. I can't wait to upload & share them with yall!

If you are ever in Cairns, do the Reef Experience; its a great value for the money & so much fun. I'd do it again.

Enjoyed the wine & cheese on the way back, talked & looked at pictures. Got back to the hostel & had 7 hours to kill before we had to catch a greyhound to Airlie Beach. Yikes. Retrieved our luggage & the hostel manager was kind enough to let us take showers even though we didn't have a room for the night. It was so hot that as soon as we were clean, we were sweating again. Ugh. Got caught up in a conversation with a super nice guy from Israel who's been traveling for a year & has a ton of interesting stories. We talked for while, until our hunger got the best of us.

Walked down to get some dinner & stumbled across a $9.50 dinner & a drink deal so a place with live music! (T is pictured with the musician behind her) It was nice & cool, the music was good, the food was decent, and both of us, at the same time breathed out a contented, "what a perfect day."

If only it'd ended there.

Went back to the hostel, sat on the couch and read. For 3 hours. Tried hard to not fall asleep. T didn't succeed.

At 11pm, we gathered up our heavy-as-hades backpacks & bags onto our exhausted bodies, and stepped out into the thick night air to immediately begin sweating again. We kept ourselves from cursing by playing the "it could be worse" game - it could be raining, the bottoms of our feet could be sunburned... Etc. It was possibly the longest walk I've ever made, to that bus station.

Finally got there & couldn't find the dang correct bus bay! Luckily there was a really nice Welsch guy waiting for the same bus & he knew where to go. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as we got there it started pouring. It could be worse...

The bus driver was in a terrible snippy mood but we finally boarded the packed bus & settled in for, well, hopefully a couple hours of sleep...?

Today I'm so grateful & happy for:
~ scuba diving!!
~ seeing the Great Barrier Reef - the only collection of living organisms that can be seen from space.
~ catching the boat, catching the bus
~ the kindness of strangers
~ having a travel buddy in all this madness

Xo! n.

Losing track of the days

I'm so behind! We've been busy & on a boat for two days without reception & I realize I owe you 4 days posts - they're coming. Don't worry, I'm healthy (and tan); I haven't fallen overboard. You'll be hearing from me soon...

Xo! n.

Day 52: one green island & the bluest of blues

T & I got up, went downstairs to sort out our travel, and ended up booked on a 10:30 boat to a rainforest reef island.

Ran through the mall to get cheap tennies for me (can't hike in flip-flops!) and sunnies for her, then speedwalked the streets to the harbor & made it just in time to catch the boat. Whirlwind morning.

In leiu of breakfast, the ship had free coffee & cookies... I ate eight (they were one inch diameter & I am terrible without food, don't judge!), then went out on deck to watch Green Island approach.

The ocean is bordered by misty mountians and is so many blues - "shades that aren't in the crayon box" as T said. Green Island is tiny & completely covered by rainforest. And there's almost no one there!

We disembarked, shopped the dive shop (T is a bad influence! But I didn't buy anthing), claimed our included snorkel gear & rented stinger suits, then headed into that clear water.

By the way, there is nothing less flattering than a stinger suit. Head to toe & mittened fingers of bright blue lycra, hugging every curve & bulge. With our masks on, we looked like hilarious smurf aliens. But so did everyone else. :)

Submurge. The world dissapears. Slowly, the movement of aquatic life comes into focus, colors seem muted but then sharpen, & all you can hear is your own breathing: in, out, in, out.

A flat fish, expert in camoflauge, distinguishes itself from the sand with the wave of a fin. Bright red & purple crabs regard passersby coolly from tunneled holes. A school of big silver fish scurry past & a school of little rainbow fish play recess games in bits of coral. Jellyfish billow by & you're glad you opted for the stinger suit. Green grasses and brown seaweed wave with the current as tiny fish dart through their tendrils. Small plants that look like monochromatic flowers or looped ribbon open & close. A giant silver fish dips its mouth to the sand to eat & turns an unblinking eye your way. Striped fish and green fish and fish with yellow spots; its like a Dr. Suess creation. Two multicolored fish strut & shine for you, swimming right up to your goggles, spitting rocks & darting all around you like an interactive circus - until one nips your ankle & you realize they weren't being friendly...

I took lots of pictures & video (my new underwater camera is awesome!!) and we snorkled for about 2.5 hours. Warmed up on the beach & then explored the rainforest. Its a small island & the walking trail isn't very long, but it takes you to some secluded beaches that I almost wish we'd seen before we returned our scuba gear.

We sat & enjoyed the view for a while. Watched a lazy turtle gliding in the shallows. It was quiet but for bird calls, insects buzzing and waves. Paradise.

Just before we had to go back, we tried to get lunch but the restaurant was closed. We settled for a piece of banana bread & a daquiri, saw 3 more turtles as we boarded the boat, then watched the island retreat into the horizon as if the whole day had been a dream.

Walked back to the hostel, picked up sushi, had a whole travel debacle (don't need details but I just want to put it out there: someday, I'd like someone to just take care of booking all my travel for me. And pay for it), got the next weeks plans sorted, showered, ate our sushi on the floor, packed for tomorrow, listened to music from the party hostel next door (and some inappropriate sounds from the room next door), ate mangoes T found fallen from a tree - delish! - and fell into bed exhausted from a full day.

Today I'm so happy & grateful for:
~ my first view of the Great Barrier Reef!
~ having a travel buddy
~ beautiful places

Xo! n.

Day 51: goodbye Perth, hello Queensland

My alarm went off way too early this morning & I realized I'd been having crazy, sit-up-in-bed-&-think-its-real dreams, so I really didn't sleep well. At least I'll be on a plane all day so maybe I can snooze.

AB drove me to the airport. Neither of us can believe I'm already leaving; despite my time in Perth being full-on & packed with stuff, it feels like I only just got here. I'm so SO glad I came; I can't thank you enough, Ron & Amanda, for everything. I really love you guys & I'm really going to miss you. I can't wait to stand up there as a bridesmaid & cheers to you getting hitched! :)

Apparently, here, you can go all the way to the gate at the airport even if you're not a ticketed passenger. So AB came in with me & we sat & had a coffee together & talked for about an hour. It was really nice. When we hugged goodbye, aint gonna lie, I teared up. But she's coming to LA in January, so I'll see her in a month! No need to be sad.

Two mostly empty flights traversing the country. I had a row to myself both times, and I got two full meals as well. I nodded off for a little bit, but not for long. Wrote a lot in my journal to pin down all the stuff that's been rattling around in my brain. Stared out the window at the red earth, white clouds, blue sky. As we flew through the red center, I felt a strong affinity for it. It gets to you, this land - the richness of its colors, the starkness of its landscape & how much it changes as you cross the country. I don't feel like I have enough time here.

Landing in Cairns & Oh. My. God. This place is BEAUTIFUL. Its what I pictured Fiji would look like (which I realize makes sense given geography), all rolling green hills & distant shrouded mountains bordering patchwork farmland, golden rays of sun breaking through cotton clouds to illuminate points of spectacularly blue ocean. And I expected it to just be an beachfront city!

Driving to the hostel, the suburbs remind me of Charleston - palm trees & tin roofs, hurricane shutters on houses built up on stilts. Oh be still my heart.

I'm meeting my friend T here (she arrived yesterday); I haven't seen her in years so I'm not sure what to expect...

The moment I walked into the hostel, T was entering the lobby - we saw each other at the same moment, huge smiles, huge hug. We fell into step immediately.

After dropping my bags in the room & a quick catch-up, we headed out so I could get a feel for the city & some dinner. Wandered down to the water - mud flats (again, like Charleston!) - passing by big hotels, little shops, crazy multi-trunk trees, and lazy music from buskers on the corners.

We stopped into some travel centers for brochures on the rainforest, reef & islands, and then sat down for dinner with the glossy pages spread out before us in all their infinite possibility. Overwhelming. It took us a couple hours, but we finally came up with 3 tentative plans of action, including a definite top choice. We also decided we need professional help to book all of it so that's the first step, first thing in the morning.

I think we're going to have a great time together.

Came back to the hostel - its really nice, clean and adorable - talked some more & then went to bed under the cool of the (thank God) AC & the untuned-ukelele sounding ceiling fan.

Today I'm so happy & grateful for:
~ friendship
~ safe flights
~ a nice double room
~ reconnecting
~ a new adventure

Xo! n.