Reflections

So I'm back in New York now.  The trip is over; it's back to the real world.  In retrospect, the trip was infinitely better than I could have ever expected.  When I made the decision to go, my intention was to do something completely different.  I wanted to see a different part of the world, figure out how to live on my own, and just get a new experience.  At the time, there were some mixed reactions from people about it because a lot of details weren't set in stone.  I wasn't sure how long my money would last me, where I would live, where I would work if at all, what I would do, etc.  I'd also left my job not too long before.  I didn't know anything about Australia so there was no guarantee that I'd even like the area.

Now, as I look back, it was the trip of a lifetime.  I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen.  I've met a lot of people: other travelers from all over the globe, local families, and students.  I organized and planned my own itinerary.  I got better at preparing my own food.  I learned a lot about the region and it changed my perspective of the world.  I found a place where I'd like to return to one day (New Zealand).  Basically, I continued to find myself.

The question is: what's next?  It's not determined yet but some kind of continuation of this journey needs to happen soon.  In retrospect, it would have been better to be away for a year like some other travelers I met.  Whatever happens, this trip is one of the best things I've ever done.

The Jewel of Fiji

I went with most of the group on a tour called the Jewel of Fiji.  We took a boat to the Koronakawa Village in Pacific Harbour.  The water was very brown, almost reddish-brown, like some of the soil there.  Once we arrived at the village, they performed a traditional welcome ceremony for when a chief arrives in their village.  We all drank some kava, which is the national drink of Fiji.  They performed some songs and dances for us and cooked us lunch, Fijian style, as well.  In Fiji, they have these earth ovens where they wrap food and cook it in a hole in the ground.  The guide gave us some history of their village, their people, and their country.  It was great to see them giving us a taste of their culture, very informative and definitely a highlight of the trip.  I could see why it is consistently a favorite among visitors.  That same day, after we left the village, we saw a waterfall and got to swim a bit as well.

Another day, I went with a few other people to a rain forest and waterfall walk.  The scenery was great.  There was a pool area where we did some swimming.  Some Fijians came to swim in that area while we were there, making it more fun.  They were doing flips and diving off of a rope used to swing into the water.  They were quite good at it too!.  The map we received for that walk wasn't the best though.  We ended up walking the wrong way and had to get someone to drive us back to where we started.  Regardless, it was fun.

The next day, I went for an introductory scuba dive.  When I first put on the equipment for the practice session in the pool, it felt weird because it was so heavy.  Some of the techniques I learned in the water took a little time to get used to.  But once I went for the actual dive in the open water, it was amazing!  The coral reef and fish were really colorful.  Everything (including me) moves a lot slower down there.  There's virtually no noise.  It's a completely different world.  I saw some clams, seaworms, some nice coral reefs, along with some fish of course.  I was in the water for about 40 minutes and went 11 meters deep.  I felt like an explorer of a new world.  It's definitely something I'd like to do again.

Fiji was definitely worth going to, even though I was only there for 5 days of activity.  The last day, I took a 3:30 AM shuttle to the airport (2 1/2 hours away) for a 9 AM flight to Sydney for a a day before returning to New York.

Fiji Palms, Suva

The Fiji Palms Resort where I'm staying is beautiful.  After an opening meeting to get info on the area and what to do, I got to meet the other guests at the resort.  This made the experience better as a little community developed between us, although I came by myself and stayed in my own apartment.  There was a group of other backpackers, several married couples, a family, etc.

One day, I went to Suva (capital of Fiji) to look around a little.  It had a look more like a village than a city.  The buses in this country for the most part have no windows.  Fijian attire is colorful with some designs.  People where sulus on the bottom, which kind of look like skirts.  The city kind of smelled.  I like the feel of Fiji though.  It reminds me of Uruguay and Ghana while I was there.  It's the third world, nature, simple-life kind of feel.

Lunch at the Pearl hotel

1st Day in Fiji

I arrived in Fiji around 8-ish in the evening.  While leaving the plane, there was a group of Fijians playing live music and singing to welcome everyone from my flight to the country.  I'd never seen anything like that in my life.  It completely caught me off guard.  That got me excited about being there.

After going through customs, my experience wasn't as great.  I waited at least half an hour for the person who was prearranged to pick me up.  The people I'd asked at the airport weren't going to my destination, which was 2 1/2 hours from the airport in Nadi.  Finally, I found someone who got in touch with the manager of the resort who informed me that the person who was supposed to pick me up drove other guests but forgot about me.  So, someone else had to come pick me up and take me to the resort.  I ended up staying at the airport for like 2 hours.

One thing that did make it better was the person who helped me sort out the situation invited me to have some food while I was waiting.  Also, I negotiated for a lower price because of the hassle.  I did get to the resort by like 12 or 12:30 am.

New Zealand...Home

So everything about New Zealand while I was there has been right during the first week.  The second week was no different.  I really like the vibe of the place.  It just feels like a new home.  The scenery is beautiful, there's many different places to see, it's laid back, and people are really friendly.  I'd definitely like to come back one day.  I met a couple Maoris (indigenous peoples of New Zealand) as well.  It was interesting talking to them about their people and story.

Here's some last photos of New Zealand:

Quad Biking (this time on a dirt/mud track)

River Rafting (good workout but very serene)

Jet Boating (dodging the rock to my left...just in time)

By the way, because I only had 13 days in New Zealand and was towards the end of the trip, I decided to only see the top of the South Island.  I didn't want to rush and spend one night in each place.  Because of that I missed a glacier hike that would have been amazing to participate in.  It hit me hard at first but it ended up alright because I was able to see enough to keep me satisfied.  It just puts it at the top of my list to come back and see the rest of the country later.

The river rafting and jet boating was at a town called Hanmer Springs towards the north part of the island.  When I first arrived at the hostel there, it was weird because it was noticeably empty.  Most of the rooms were empty with all the doors open.  At one point, though, a group of like 15 girls came in at the same time.  I ended up watching TV with them and chatted a bit.  It turns out they're all 17 year old high school students in some kind of challenging outdoor competition for an award.  Talking to them was interesting because they were all from Wellington (capital), and weren't used to meeting backpackers from abroad.  When I said I was from New York, their eyes all lit up.  It was kind of cool.

Anyway, in Christchurch, a city on the east coast, there was the World Busker's Festival going on.  They had dozens of street performers and comedic acts performing on outside stages for 2 weeks.  I ran into a couple of them and some were funny, some were impressive.  Here's a couple photos of what it looked like:

Leaving New Zealand didn't feel the same as leaving Australia.  Maybe it was because I was only there for 2 weeks, or maybe because it felt like home, but it was business as usual.  It didn't kick in until I was on the plane headed for Fiji that I felt a little sad leaving.  I started questioning what I was doing leaving my home after I'd found it and doubting Fiji would be worth going to.  But then again, I doubted New Zealand would add much to the trip when leaving Australia.  One thing I was looking forward to in Fiji was scuba diving.  Regardless of how Fiji is, New Zealand was the best.

A Couple Adventures

So I decided to try skydiving near Nelson, which is the north part of the south island of New Zealand.  It was crazy!  Although I was strapped to a professional who operated the parachute and did all the work, it was still kind of weird in the beginning.  While I was posing in front of the camera on the wing of the plane, I was hanging off the ledge of the plane.  It almost felt like I'd jumped already!  When I did go, the free fall was sick...basically dropping straight down from 13,000 feet.  The best part for me was when the parachute opened and I was just floating down, watching the amazing view beneath me.  It's better than getting a view from anywhere else, including the top of a mountain because you're higher and you see the land approaching and getting bigger and more detailed.  It was amazing!

Here's another one.  I went to Abel Tasman National Park, one of the most visited in New Zealand, for a 6-hour hike.  The scenery was incredible, especially because the water was so blue!  However, it wasn't clear to me where I was going or whether I was going the right way.  It took me a while to figure that out.  When I did, I had to rush to my final destination where I was supposed to take a 5 pm boat to the bus pickup point.  The only problem was, I only saw a couple boats suited for 2 - 4 people.  The person who was operating one of them said he had no idea what my ticket was for.  It got past 5 and I still hadn't seen any boat come in.  Finally, I met this couple who figured out that the boat I was supposed to take had gone to a nearby beach because of a low tide.  So all I could do was try to get on the water taxi they were taking at 5:30, the last one.  If they didn't have room, I would have to camp out somewhere and stay the night.  Luckily, the water taxi did have an extra seat.  The person steering the boat had to call the bus company to make sure the bus wouldn't leave because I wouldn't get there in time for its departure.  I ended up making it.  It was a relief to say the least!

Impressions of New Zealand

My first impression of New Zealand is that it's really laid back and has a village feel.  I have about 13 days here so I'll only get to see so much but the sights I've already seen have been amazing.  I've also met 2 Maori girls (indigenous peoples of New Zealand) already.  One thing about this place is most of the attractions are near water.  In some places, the water is a beautiful blue color, making the sights that much more incredible.  I love it so far.

Here are some pics that show what I'm talking about:

Dolphin Watching

Kaikoura

Abel Tasman National Park

Seal Colony

Truman Track Walk

Pancake Rocks

Sydney Festival 2009

In my last week in Sydney, they started their annual festival.  It's basically consists of a series of concerts, shows, performances, etc. over about a month's time.  It doesn't seem to have much culture behind it but some parts of it were pretty good.

Here are some pics from the first night:

After the first night, they had a few nights in a row where they played a movie at Darling Harbour on an outside screen.  There was a live band playing different music to go with the movie.  I saw a German film called "Run Lola Run" and part of "Enter the Dragon."

Enter the Dragon

Christina (Germany) & Max (France)

Max (France), me, Nasrah (UK), Sabine (Germany), Jim (UK)

Here are some pics from Cockatoo Island, an extension of the festival I had a ticket for as a Christmas present from my family.

Afrirampo (best performance of the day)

In the crowd during an African tribute song

Psarandonis

James "Blood" Ulmer

I had mixed feelings about leaving Australia.  On the one hand, it's been an incredible experience that I don't want to end.  On the other hand, Sydney was getting old and it's time to move on.  There are other places in Australia I didn't get to see like the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, and Darwin, but I don't have the time or money right now for all that.  So, I'm ready to go and see what New Zealand has to offer.

Last Month in Sydney

As my time in Australia winds down, I'm feeling good because I'm ready to move on to something new.  At the same time, Sydney's still a good city and I've settled into the area.  It feels more like I'm about to take a second trip rather than moving on to the next part of the same trip.

Here are some pics:

This is an area called the Rocks and a weekly market I checked out one Saturday

Soccer in the Park

So Christmas doesn't seem to be a big thing over here.  I did see some trees in major malls but very little outside that.  It also seems to be a time to go out and get drunk rather than spend time with family.  Maybe that's because there's a lot of travelers here but that's the impression I got.  Anyway, I just ended up hanging out with a friend.

New Years was a big deal because Sydney's supposed to have the best fireworks.  I saw them from the Sydney Opera House and they were spectacular.  I'm not usually into fireworks but they did a great job with this one, especially at the Sydney Bridge.

New Years Eve Fireworks