Jump to Other Countries:  Australia, Vanuatu, Samoa, Fiji

Day 930: Saturday, April 1, 2017

Today we cruised around the southern tip of the south island of New Zealand. The plan was to cruise through 3 different arms of the New Zealand Fjordland National Park and in the morning things were looking pretty positive weather-wise despite the forecast. We entered the first arm of the fjord lands greeted by spectacular weather, great scenery, and even 50 or so dolphins playing in the ships wake.

Upon exiting the first arm of the fjords the wind increased to an incredible 70 mph and the sky turned dark and rainy. What a quick change in weather. Given the change the ship could not enter the other arms and we turned west to Hobart, Australia; a 2 ½ day sail.

Cruising the New Zealand Fjordland National Park

Enjoying the sights of the New Zealand Fjordland National Park from our verandah.

Day 931: Sunday, April 2, 2017

Another day at sea today so we just enjoyed being on the ship playing games, watching a movie, and the normal eating, working out at the gym, followed by evening entertainment. Today was me and Patri’s 2nd year anniversary of the day we first met in Buenos Aires. We celebrated quietly with a bottle of wine for dinner.

Patri and I celebrating our second anniversary with some wine.

Day 932: Monday, April 3, 2017

Yet another day at sea today. Tomorrow we will arrive in Hobart, Australia. The weather was pretty nice but still very cool so it was not for sitting out on deck sunbathing. We followed what has become a bit of a routine for us.

We both ordered Prime Rib. Rare for me; extra well done for Patri.

Jump to Other Countries:  More New Zealand, Vanuatu, Samoa, Fiji

Day 933: Tuesday, April 4, 2017

When we arrived in Hobart we did not have a rental car reserved or a SIM card for my cell phone so the first order of business was getting the SIM card purchased. I could do that right at the pier so it was easy. I then got online and made a car reservation with Avis which is located just a 5 minute walk from the pier. It worked out perfectly. The ship was in port until 10pm which is very unusual so we had a lot of time for exploring.

Our first stop was about 30 minutes away at a place called Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary near the town of Brighton. We got there just in time for an 11:30am free guided tour which allowed us to get up close and personal with wallabies, Tasmanian Devils, and koalas. After the 40 minute tour we then were able to walk around the sanctuary where kangaroos roamed freely. There was food available to feed to the kangaroos and they ate right out of our hands. They had no problem with us petting them either. It was a really fun experience.
From there we drove a few hours to Port Arthur which was a penal colony from about 1825 to 1877. The drive was picturesque. The roads lined with forest along with views of the surrounding sea water reminded me so much of Western Washington where I call home.

Upon arriving at Port Arthur we joined a tour that comes with the price of admission that took us around the huge site and provided a lot of background information on the location. The information was interesting but to be honest due to the guide’s heavy accent I only understood about a half of what he said. After the 45 minute guided tour we were on our own to explore all the buildings on the grounds that still remain. Of course a lot of what was originally there is gone but the site was still impressive and worth the visit. I learned something about how the British used this area for penal colonies in the 1800’s which I failed to learn anything about in my schools growing up in the U.S.A.

Another 2 hour drive back to Hobart and our day was done.

Tasmanian Devil at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Patri having fun feeding the kangaroo out of her hand.

The principal prison building at Port Arthur.

Day 934: Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Today was a day at sea traveling between Hobart and Melbourne. The seas were very calm and the weather beautiful. We took advantage of the nice weather to spend some time on our verandah.

Day 935: Thursday, April 6, 2017

We were in the big city of Melbourne today. The weather was picture perfect which set the stage for a really nice day in the city. From the moment we stepped off the ship we were impressed. The city has great public transportation. They have a tram that runs right from the pier to the center of the city. The city is clean and the people friendly.

Our first order of business was to meet up with the son of a dear friend in Buenos Aires who is currently living in Melbourne. We enjoyed coffee and conversation with him for a while. We then hopped on another tram that took us to the city’s botanical garden. The garden is huge and quite beautiful. Best of all it was free. We must have walked for an hour and a half enjoying the nature of the park. In the park you would never know you were in the center of a city of 5 million people.

Near the park is a WWI and WWII memorial and museum which is excellent. The building is ultra-modern and houses great pictures, memorabilia, and insights into Australia’s participation in the 2 wars. It is well worth a visit.

Just a 10 minute tram ride from there is the National Gallery of Victoria. It too is free and it a first rate facility. I am certainly not one for museums but this one was really great. There is even a really nice outdoors area in the back of the building for relaxing which I could not help but take advantage of. Every museum should have a place like this and I might go to more of them. My enjoyment of this museum is also in part to the fact that we only had 40 minutes to see it all before we had to head back to the ship so we had to go through it quickly.

We got back on the ship and back to our cabin just in time to catch a beautiful sunset over Melbourne as the ship pulled away from the pier.

Meeting up with the son of our friend from Buenos Aires, Bruno.

Patri having fun at the Melbourne Botanical Garden.

Now this is what I call a museum!

Day 936: Friday, April 7, 2017

It is a full day journey from Melbourne to Sydney so today was another day spent at sea. This time however it is our last day on the cruise and along with that comes some sad feelings. It seems like just yesterday when we got on the cruise but now it is coming to an end.

Day 937: Saturday, April 8, 2017

we got off the ship in Sydney. From our cabin’s verandah we could see the iconic Sydney Opera House. I have seen a picture of it a thousand times and now I was looking right at it.

From the pier we needed to go to Hertz to pick up our rental car. I tried to use Uber for the first time ever. The first car did not show up. The second car showed up but then said he couldn’t let us get in because there was a police car sitting nearby. I don’t know what that was about but I gave up and hailed a cab. In the end the cab price was the same as what Uber would have been. From this one experience I do not understand how Uber became popular.

After getting the rental car we drove 45 minutes to our hotel north of the city. We were early so had to wait an hour to get our room but we made good use of the time by getting online and making plans for the day. We decided to go to the Blue Mountains about 2 hours west of Sydney. During my research I also found a one night only performance at a community theatre in Summerwood at the foot of the Blue Mountains that was a tribute to Cat Stevens and his music. I got tickets online for an 8pm performance.

The drive to Katoomba was nice and the scenery once we got there was even nicer. It was kind of like a mini-Grand Canyon but with a lot of trees from top to bottom. In one spot we took a short hike called Leura Cascades down a trail along a creek that cascaded down the hillside.

From there we drove an hour back to Summerwood, had dinner, and got to the theatre just in time for the performance. When I went to pick up the tickets the gentleman was surprised I was American and Patri Argentinian and welcomed us warmly. He said they do not get many out-of-towners there. The performance of Cat Stevens life and music was 2 ½ hours and incredible. We were sad to see the show end. The performance was done by a guy named Darren Coggan. I don’t know if he ever performs his act outside of Australia but if you ever get a chance to see his show take it.

The iconic Sydney Opera House as seen from our cabin.

Living on the edge – Blue Mountains, Austalia

Leura Cascades

The Three Sisters at Katoomba, Blue Mountains.

Peace Train” Performance by Darren Coggan

Day 938: Sunday, April 9, 2017

After yesterday we did not have a lot of energy to be too aggressive with our plans today. In the afternoon we went to Bondi Beach near the city. From there is a 6 km trail along the coast which connects several other beaches. We had a leisurely stroll along the trail stopping along the way to sit and take in the surroundings. When we arrived at Bronte Beach we got some fish & chips for a late lunch. It was nearing dusk by the time we go back to the car.

From there we drove to The Rocks which is basically the same place our ship came in the day before. The area has a lot of restaurants and other touristy things. We were only there for 20 minutes before thunderstorms rolled in and we had to hightail it back to our car. We called it a day and went back to our hotel.

Sydney’s most popular beach, Bondi Beach.

Along the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk we take a break to enjoy the view.

Day 939: Monday, April 10, 2017

This morning we flew from Sydney to Gold Coast near Brisbane. Once arriving we got our rental car and headed straight to our new home for the next 4 nights; the Marriott Resort at Surfers Paradise. The place is really fantastic and has everything we need for a relaxing stay. I don’t know how it happened but we got a room with the best possible view. By the time we got settled it was already evening so we ventured out to a nearby pedestrian area along the beach and found dinner.

The view of the pool area from our room’s balcony.

Day 940: Tuesday, April 11, 2017

First thing this morning we attended a Marriott timeshare presentation in exchange for a $150 voucher to be used at the resort during our stay. We resisted the temptation (there was none) to buy and collected our voucher. It is the most “money” I’ve earned for 1 ½ hours of work in nearly 3 years.

After that we needed to drive up to Brisbane which is an hour north of Surfers Paradise so I could submit my visa application for Papua New Guinea. Because my plan is to enter PNG by boat from the Solomon Islands to Bougainville Island I need a visa in advance. I got everything submitted and it will be ready for pickup next Tuesday morning which is the day I fly out to Vanuatu.

Instead of hanging out in downtown Brisbane we opted to hurry back to our hotel so we could enjoy all it has to offer. In the afternoon we hung out by the pool. At night we did a bit of window shopping and had dinner at the Surfers Paradise pedestrian mall.

Day 941: Wednesday, April 12, 2017

The highlight of the day was a nice long walk on the beach. The beach goes on for what seems like infinity and is simply beautiful. Needless to say we also spent more time lounge around the resort’s pool. It was a perfectly peaceful day.

Nothing much better than a walk on the beach with your partner.

Day 942: Thursday, April 13, 2017

Today is Patri’s last full day before heading home to Buenos Aires. The day was spent quietly. At night we used the voucher we “earned” the first day to go to the Japanese Steakhouse (think Benihana) at the hotel. It was Patri’s first time at such a restaurant. Needless to say we had a great meal and left stuffed.

We had fun and a great meal at the teppanyaki restaurant in the hotel.

Day 943: Friday, April 14, 2017

This morning I took Patri to the airport. It was a very sad farewell after being together since January 1 when I went to Buenos Aires. After the airport I had all day to make my way a couple hours south to my hostel I am staying at. Along the way I stopped back by Surfers Paradise, went to Starbucks, and worked on my computer for about 3 hours.

The drive to the hostel was done in the dark and took me through some very mountainous roads which showed a lot of signs of Cyclone Debbie that hit the area with huge amounts of rain just about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately with it being dark I did not get to take in any of the scenery.

I checked into my hostel and because I was late there were only top bunks open in the dorm room. I spent the night in a bunk bed in a room with 6 other guys. What a rude and immediate change from the lifestyle I had been living with Patri the past 3 weeks.

Going from the Marriott resort to a hostel…Very tough.

Day 944: Saturday, April 15, 2017

Even though I had reservations for another night at the hostel I packed up everything this morning and put it in my rental car just to give myself the option of not returning. As it turns out the place is really out of the way and I was not too keen on either the hostel or its location.

Today was my big day for skydiving. I have never skydived before and it was always on my bucket list. So this morning at 10am I arrived at Byron Bay Skydiving for my scheduled adventure. I had to wait around a few hours before it was my turn. It is a big operation and the must put a couple hundred people through each day.

Needless to say it was a fantastic experience. It was a tandem skydive of course but the guy let me “drive” for a while. It is really not much different than flying a plane so I had fun with it including doing a spiral turn. I must say I am so happy I did it and I would do it a hundred more times if not for the cost. It would be a very expensive hobby so I think it will be a long while before I do it again.

After the skydive I drove into Byron Bay which is a great little seaside town which also happens to be the easternmost point in Australia. Being Easter weekend the place was packed with people which made it fun but only after I made it through the 40 minute traffic jam getting into the town and finding a spot to park. I found a café, used the Internet and found a better place to stay. The hotels were mostly sold out due to the holidays or were way too expensive. I found an Airbnb house near Surfers Paradise and booked it for my last 3 nights in the area. It was a great decision not to go back to the hostel.

Getting ready and getting excited about my first-ever skydive.

Doing it!

Day 945: Sunday, April 16, 2017

I did some last minute shopping at the mall today after working on my blog all morning. I think it was the first time in nearly 3 years of traveling that I bought new clothes on the road to replace worn out clothes. You might recognize a new shirt in some of my pictures from now! In the evening I had to spend a lot of time planning for the next few weeks of my travels including making hotel and SCUBA diving reservations.

Day 946: Monday, April 17, 2017

Today was another day of mostly hanging out at the Airbnb house and working on blogging and planning for upcoming destinations. Tomorrow I am finally departing Australia for another new country, Vanuatu.

My Airbnb hangout. Not a bad place to spend a day!

Jump to Other Countries:  More New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, Fiji

Day 947: Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Leaving my Airbnb accommodations this morning was hard. It felt like home and was so comfortable. Dianne and Trevor were great hosts. I expect it is the nicest place I’ll be staying for the next several months. My first stop was the Papua New Guinea Consulate in Brisbane to pick up my passport and PNG visa. I got there, got my passport, and was out again in just 5 minutes.

My flight to Luganville, Vanuatu was on time and the flight was smooth. Sitting at the front of the plane I was the first one off and through immigration. Much to my surprise my bag was the first one out and I found my scheduled ride to the hotel right away. Unfortunately I was not to only one being picked up for my hotel. I ended up waiting 30 minutes before the others came out. So much for that.

By the time I got to the hotel and settled in my shared accommodations room it was dark outside so I couldn’t see what looked like should be an idyllic setting. I got connected to their Wi-Fi and started working on my blog. Other than a short break for dinner I worked until late. No one else came to my room so I had it to myself. The night air was warm and heavy with humidity and the pool was warm as well so it called for a midnight swim under the stars.

Saying goodbye to my Airbnb hosts Dianne and Trevor.

Heading to country #109, Vanuatu!

Waiting for my ride at Luganville Airport. Time for a picture.

Day 948: Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Today was a great day of diving. The SS President Coolidge sank just a hundred yards from shore very near Luganville in 1942 after hitting 2 “friendly” mines. It is ranked as one of the best wreck dives in the world. Today I found out why. While I could only do 2 dives on the wreck it would take several more dives to see everything. What I did get to see and experience is something I could never in my life have thought of seeing. Most impressive was seeing all the jeeps and even a tank inside the cargo holds of the ship. Going through narrow passageways in the dark is particularly impressive. Thank you in particular to my dive master Ian for showing me a great time.

An Army photo of the SS President Coolidge evacuation.

Another Army photo of the SS President Coolidge evacuation.

Me inside the wreck at about 100′ depth.

Day 949: Thursday, April 20, 2017

I am staying at the Turtle Bay Lodge which is 30 minutes from town and situated just inside a coral reef that protects a large lagoon. Outside the coral reef is a deep ocean channel with an island about 2 kilometers away. Inside the lagoon and at the other end is a river and at the end of that river is what is referred to here as a “blue hole.”

Today’s goal was to kayak over to the island and then to the blue hole. From the hotel the ocean looked very flat so I thought nothing of crossing the 2 kilometer wide channel. I got in the kayak, crossed the coral reef through a narrow opening, and was in open waters. About a third of the way across the channel the swells started picking up. They were nothing too big but enough to make the ride adventurous. I have sea kayaked before, including in the Antarctic but this is the first time I had to deal with 1-meter swells.

I approached the uninhabited island such that the island blocked the swells and the water was pretty calm for pulling the kayak up on shore. After surveying my surroundings and making sure I was indeed alone on the island I got out my snorkeling gear and went for a swim. The coral formations starting just a few feet from shore were really amazing. In all the snorkeling and diving I have done around the world I think this was a unique experience for me. The coral looked like huge fans stacked on top of each other creating great views.  My research indicates these are called Acroporid table corals.

In my kayak I headed back towards the lagoon but on the opposite side of a small island that sits in front of my hotel. Based on what the hotel owner told me it should have been easier to cross the coral reef protecting the lagoon there than just in front of the hotel. As I approached the coral reef I could not find any obvious opening as the waves were breaking all the way across the 500 meter gap between islands. My rudder was not working on the kayak which made maneuvering more difficult and just as I approached the point where the waves were breaking I got broadsided from behind. Within a split second I found myself in the water with the kayak upside down. Fortunately the water was only waist deep. Unfortunately the bottom was mostly coral.

Holding on tight to the kayak and the paddle I made my way over to a sandy spot a few feet away. There I was able to stand safely while getting the kayak upright, emptied out and me back in it. Once back in I breathed a sigh of relief and paddled the remaining 50 meters into the safety of the calm lagoon. There I washed off some blood on my right leg where I scraped the coral when falling in before paddling back to the hotel 15 minutes away.

After taking a break at the hotel for water and a snack I went back out in the kayak and made my way to the blue hole. The paddle there took about 1 hour. The ride up the river was incredible as it was completely quiet. No sound or sight of human activity. I was one with nature. It is the first time I have done a kayak trip on my own in such a remote place and I loved it.

The blue hole is supposed to be a super clear pool of blue water which is the source of the river and feed from underground. Unfortunately there was an earthquake here a few months ago and there is silt getting into the water so it was not as clear as it should be. I took several pictures of the scenery along the river on the way out.

The rest of the day I spent quietly at the hotel working on my computer.

Safely beached on the uninhabited island ready for snorkeling.

Acroporid table corals in abundance.

Enjoying the peace kayaking to the Matevulu Blue Hole.

Matevulu Blue Hole, Espirito Santo, Vanuatu

Tremendous reflections created an illusion making it hard to know up from down.

Picturesque Turtle Bay Lodge

Day 950: Friday, April 21, 2017

I had to get up really early today to get to the airport for my flight from Luganville to Port Vila. I arrived in Port Vila at 9am and got a bus that took me straight to my hotel in town. A taxi would have cost nearly $18 (USD) but by taking the bus instead I got the ride for $1.50 (USD). As I was the only passenger and the driver was nice enough to take me to my hotel it was like having a taxi at 1/10th the cost. The research I did in advance payed off this time.

The hotel let me check into my shared room right away which was great. Being really sleepy I took a 2 hour nap. Around noon I walked into town and got lunch. I found a Chinese restaurant that had beef and noodle in spicy soup on the menu. That really hit the spot. It was very good.

From there I walked through town, signed up for a tour for tomorrow and got some stuff at the grocery store. Back at the hotel I spent the rest of the day on my computer working on scheduling and my blog.

My plane from Espirito Santo to Efate

Day 951: Saturday, April 22, 2017

I don’t usually join tours but I was too lazy to figure out how to see the island on my own so I broke down and took an organized tour today. I join 2 other couples as we and our 2 guides Terry and John journeyed the 168 km around the island. Our first stop was to see some turtles. One was 100 years old.

From there we went to a blue hole. This one was much clearer than the one I visited near Luganville so I went in for a nice refreshing swim. Our guides prepared a really nice snack of fresh coconut, banana chips, papaya, and a fruit that was a cross between a grapefruit and orange. It was really good.

Next up was a stop at a small village where some boys and men performed some traditional dances for us. Despite the fact that it was a staged event it was a lot of fun to experience. The little boys were so cute.

After a stop for lunch we continued on around the ring road circling the island where we passed a long abandoned US airstrip built during WWII. Further up the road and only 30 kilometers from our starting point of Port Vila we stopped to see a couple of US tanks that were purposely scuttled off the beach at the end of the war. It is surprising just how small the tanks were. Nearby is Ernest’s Bottle Shop that has a small collection of war relics and a lot of Coke bottles from the time of the war. It was a special stop on the tour at my request as I had read about it before going.

The last stop was for snorkeling at a beach used in the filming of Survivor Vanuatu (season 9).

Efate’s Blue Lagoon

First time in 3 years of travel I was in fear for my life.

Standing on a discarded WWII era US tank.

Some of the war relics found at Ernest’s Bottle Shop.

Day 952: Sunday, April 23, 2017

Today I spent all day at my hotel working on my blog and making future travel plans. Every once in a while I need a down day just to catch up on my blogging. One change I made to my travel plans was to shorten my upcoming stay in Samoa. In trying to find accommodations I found out that anything nice was really expensive and anything on the low end is really not nice. So instead of a week I was able to change my return flight to Fiji to April 29th giving me just 4 nights in Samoa and an additional 3 nights in Fiji.

Day 953: Monday, April 24, 2017

My flight to Samoa was not until 5pm so I spent all morning hanging around the hotel working some more. I finally sent out a Manic Nomad newsletter. It is the first one ever. Two years ago when Roy and I started the Manic Nomads website we had grandiose plans to send out frequent newsletters that never happened. Well I final sent one out and hopefully it is just one of many more to come.

Also because I am now going to spend 3 more nights in Fiji than earlier planned I needed to get a place to stay in Fiji. I found a place I liked and in looking at the reviews I found one from just a few days ago. It said that Survivor was currently being filmed on the island that the hotel is on so a lot of the island was inaccessible. I contacted the hotel and sure enough Survivor is going to be on the island until July. Being a huge Survivor fan I am excited to be on the same island they are doing the filming even though I know I want be able to get anywhere near the production. If I get lucky I may just run into Jeff Probst though. That would be awesome. The hotel did tell me though that the production company was giving the hotel funds to pay for its customers to do things like catamaran sails, sunset cruises and the like as compensation. We’ll see what I really get for the “inconvenience.”

I took a break for lunch and went to a nearby Thai restaurant. There I ran into Michael, the new owner of the Traveller’s Budget Motel where I am staying and his 2 daughters Olivia and Gaby. I joined them for lunch and had a great Chicken Pad Thai. It was better than the Pad Thai I had in Thailand and as good as what I get at my favorite Thai restaurant in Seattle.

My flight to Fiji was all good and on time. Upon arrival I got through immigration, baggage claim, and customs in all of 10 minutes. My hotel advertised that it was only a 10 minute walk from the terminal to the hotel so I just started walking. By now it was dark out but the street lighting was good, at least until I got about two-thirds the way there. Then the lighting disappeared and I found myself on a pitch dark street with nothing or anyone around. It was a bit spooky to say the least. When I got to the spot after walking 20 minutes there was no sign for the place. It was a residential street and it could have been one of 3 buildings. I stood in confusion for a minute when luckily the owner came out and spotted me. I am scheduled to say there again for one night the next time I am in Fiji but I will be canceling that reservation. I will never go back to that place despite it is in walking distance of the airport.

Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu

Lunch with Michael, the new owner of Traveller’s Budget Motel and his daughters.

Jump to Other Countries:  More New Zealand, Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji

Day 954: Tuesday, April 25, 2017

My flight to Samoa was at 7:20am so I left the “hotel” and walked back to the airport. The sun was just rising at 5:45am so at least I had some light to walk back to the airport with. At the airport the food was way over priced so I didn’t eat. I figured I’d get food upon landing in Apia, Samoa.

Again the flight was on time but with another 1 hour time change it was noon when I arrived and much to my chagrin the airport made me feel like I was back in 1965 and there was no food to be had. The taxi drivers descended on me likes flies on cow dung. I could not shake them until I ducked into the ATM booth to get cash. It was air-conditioned so I stayed in there a good 5 minutes after getting my cash. All but one taxi driver was gone when I came out.

I walked the short distance to the highway and found the bus stop. I got lucky and only had to wait about 15 minutes for one of the rare public buses to come by. The ride into the city was 45 minutes and cost me $2 USD equivalent instead of a taxi which would have been 10 times that price. I was the only foreigner on the bus to no surprise. Using my Maps.me phone app I knew just where to get off the bus. The bus will stop wherever, not just designated places so I only had a 10 minute walk from the main road to the place I am staying. It is not a hotel but an “apartment” so I have a big room but it is not in a desirable location. I do not have a view of the ocean but a view of a concrete block wall. Oh well. It is hard to get used to this style of travel again after the recent 3 weeks of luxury travel I had with Patri in New Zealand and Australia.

Sunrise in Nadi, Fiji on my way to the airport.

Waiting for the local bus. Sure do miss my motorcycle.

Riding in a bus with locals.

Day 955: Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Yesterday I stopped by the visitor center and was told that today at 10:00am there would be a 2 ½ hour culture show taking place there that is free. So I decided to stick around town today and do that and also go to a “marine reserve” for snorkeling that was within walking distance. I also decided that would give me time to check into a rental car to see the rest of the island. After doing a little research last night I came to the conclusion that getting around by public bus was just not going to cut it for the limited time I have here.

I arrived at the cultural center at 10:00am to find out the show actually began at 10:30. When 10:30 came around they started doing some weaving but with very little narrative to go with it. I actually sat there for over 45 minutes while a few of the staff weaved headbands for each of the 30 people that showed up. To be fair, at the same time the weaving was going on there were also some musicians there playing Samoan music.

I thought things couldn’t get any worse so I stuck it out. Next up was a presentation of traditional Samoan cooking. After that we saw an actual tattoo being applied to a person. Tattoos are essential in Samoa for both men and women. I am glad I am not Samoan. The last demonstration was how they make a material from tree bark used to make traditional dresses. As you can imagine it is a drawn out process and I could stand any more culture in one dose and left before it was done. I did my best.

From there I walked to the “marine reserve” with high hopes. It turns out the place is no more than paid beach access. All land here is privately held including the beaches so almost any beach you may want to go to requires a fee be paid. I paid the $3.50 USD and went inside. The beach was anything but pretty to my dismay but not to my surprise. It was just 500 meters past the city’s port. I tried snorkeling there but it was just mediocre at best. It is not a place I would recommend.

By this point it was 3pm and I was more than hungry so I walked back towards town and stopped for lunch along the way. Then I stopped by several rental car places and found the best one for my needs. I will get the car first thing tomorrow morning. After getting some groceries and sitting out a huge rain squall I went over to the bus stop which is the terminus for all buses. I tried to find one among the 25 or so buses there that was going my direction but after asking for help from 5 different people and searching for 15 minutes without luck I grabbed a cap for $4 USD.

The disappointments for the day were not over. An hour after dark while I was in the shower the electricity went out. The place was pitch-dark. Fortunately I was just finished rinsing off so I managed to get to my phone and turn on the flashlight app. It turns out the pay-as-you-go meter on my unit ran out of money. The manager had to drive somewhere to pay I guess because 15 minutes later when she got back she was able to turn the power back on.

Demonstration of how to open a coconut.

Samoan Fales. It seems that almost every house has a “fale”.

Day 956: Thursday, April 27, 2017

I went to get the car at 9:00am and was told I first needed to go to the post office to get a local certification of my driver’s license so I’d be legal to drive here. That set me back $8 USD and 20 minutes. My goal for the day was to drive to the south side of the island and visit a few of the main tourist attractions.

First up was Togitogiga Waterfall. It is a national wetlands so it was free to visit. After seeing it I was glad it was free. I think Nebraska probably has a higher waterfall than this one. I stayed all of 10 minutes and moved onward.

In the village of Lotofaga there is a blue hole called To Sua Ocean Trench. It is a deep hole in the ground that is filled with salt water and the water even moves slightly as if affected by waves from the ocean only 100 meters away but which you cannot see from inside the hole. The water is pretty shallow and makes for a fun place for a swim. Outside the hole is a really nice park for relaxing and taking in the view of the expansive ocean.

At the very southeastern tip of Upolu Island is one of the islands most beautiful beaches called Lalomanu. There I got a late lunch right on the beach and then went snorkeling. There was a hurricane that hit Samoa back in 2009 and so much of the coral reefs were destroyed. It was like snorkeling through a graveyard of coral. There was still some sea life to see but it required some perseverance. After snorkeling I did not want to leave the idyllic beach so I threw down my beach “blanket” and soaked up the atmosphere. Not one to just lay around I got bored of that after 40 minutes and packed it up.

It was still a 2 hour drive back to Apia so it was time anyway. On the way back while driving along the northern coast the sun set and I was able to take a picture of it that I really like. I was exhausted when I got back to my place at 7:30pm. When I got out of my car the manager came out and said “Here. It is for you.” and handed me a candle. She then explained the power had just gone out because an old power pole fell over and the cable was severed. OMG! A second night in a row without power but this time it would not be resolved so quickly. So much for the shower I so desperately needed. On top of that the room was hot. Obviously there was no AC and there was not air circulation whatsoever.

There was nothing I could do about the power so I got as comfortable as possible on my bed and started watching a movie on my tablet. I figured the power would be fixed before the movie was over. Sure enough a few hours later and just when I thought I was going to die of heat exhaustion the power came back on. I took a shower while the AC cooled the room.

To Sua Ocean Trench. It was a fun place for a refreshing swim.

This picturesque beach is at Lalomanu, Samoa.

A stunning sunset in Samoa.

Day 957: Friday, April 28, 2017

The first place I went to today is called “Sliding Rocks” and is only 10 minutes from where I am staying. It is a series of waterfalls on a small river where the rocks are smooth enough to slide down. While I was not brave enough to slide down most of them I did have fun sliding down a few. I remembered when I was 18 years old and went to Yellowstone National Park that had the same thing. I remember being much braver then. It made me feel old which is not a good feeling. The fact is my body gets hurt much easier now and takes much longer to heal. That makes me think twice about doing things that at a younger age I never gave a thought at all.

So with that humbling experience behind me I drove to the northwest end of the island in search of past Survivor filming locations. Survivor was filmed here 4 times. The first place I came across is where a couple of tribe beaches were. Unfortunately the location has changed significantly since then and now there is development on the beach. Still it was fun to see and now I have to go back and re-watch those seasons to see if I can identify anything.

From there I went to Matareva Beach where some of the challenges were held. The beach there is now developed as well. I tried snorkeling here but the visibility was bad, there was very little coral, and hardly any fish to see so the snorkeling was a bust.
Somehow the whole day got by me so I made the long drive back to Apia. When I got back I filled up the car with gas using my last Samoan money. I had just enough money to fill up the car. I had no cash left. Perfect. Back at the hotel there was uninterrupted power which was nice for a change. I packed everything up ready for a very early departure tomorrow and then worked more on my blog.

Ready to slide at Sliding Rocks, Samoa.

Matareva Beach, Samoa where some of Survivor Samoa was filmed.

Perfect breaking wave at Matareva Beach, Samoa.

Jump to Other Countries:  More New Zealand, Australia, Vanuatu, Samoa

Day 958: Saturday, April 29, 2017

My flight this morning was at 7:30am which meant getting up at 5am. When I arrived in Fiji I met up with the guide from the place I am staying for the ride from the airport to the port and then onward by boat to Mana Island where I am staying.

Currently Survivor is being filmed on the island so most of the island is off limits. Being a Survivor fan it is cool being at the same place it is being filmed. I am hoping I run into Jeff Probst but I seriously doubt that is going to happen.

I arrived at 11am, had lunch at noon, and by 1:30pm I was on a dive boat heading out for some SCUBA diving. Today’s dive was okay but not great. Tomorrow however is going to be an up close, intimate dive with sharks. I hope tomorrow night I am writing my blog about it.

At 5:30pm I went on a sunset boat ride around the island. To watch the sunset we went to a small, round sand beach that is about half a kilometer from the island I am staying. The sand beach is perfectly around with a diameter of only about 60 feet. It only sticks up about 5 to 10 feet above the ocean. The sand is a perfect white powder. But it is so small there is not a single plant or tree on it. It was a strange feeling standing on such a small piece of land surrounded by ocean. The sunset from there was perfect.

From there we continued to circle our island. On the backside of the island is where Survivor is being shot and thus it is closed to access as I mentioned. However from the sea we were able to see challenges setup and ready for use. There were guards on the beach warning us to keep our distance. They are very serious about keeping everything a secret.

Diving at Seven Sisters dive site, Mana Island, Fiji.

Today’s sunset in Fiji.

Day 959: Sunday, April 30, 2017

This morning was my shark dive. The dive master takes some liquid in a bottle down with him. It is a special concoction that makes the sharks think there is food. We all got down to the bottom and got stationary and then the dive master opened the bottle and squeezed. Within a minute sharks started appearing. Within just a few minutes there must have been about 25 sharks around. Because they find no food they swim around looking for where it might be. After 20 minutes of being stationary we then swam around with the sharks for another 10 minutes.

It was a very interesting experience and of course never felt threatened in any way. The sharks really don’t care at all that we are there. The closest one came to me was probably about 15 feet. I have another shark dive on May 8th at another location on Fiji. Maybe I can get closer then.

Almost as exciting as diving with the sharks, two of the divers are doctors for the show Survivor and it is there day off so they came out diving. Needless to say I had tons of questions for them knowing that they could not say much. But they were nice enough to at least listen to my questions and give me a little insight into the production of the show. We also passed by the beach that I saw last night that was set up for a challenge only this morning the filming was actually going to happen. The doctors said that the challenge would begin in one hour so the Survivor contestants were still not there but there must have been 50 people or so there setting up the shoot. I asked the doctors if they say Jeff Probst today to let him know there was a super fan, Dave staying on the island and to come over and have a beer with me. We’ll see if he shows up. As with when I was down diving with the sharks, I am not holding my breath!

In the afternoon I took a trip over to Castaway Island which was about a 30 minute boat ride from Mana Island where I am staying. Castaway Island is where the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks was filmed. I got to see the beach where a lot of the movie took place as well as climb to the top of the island which was also in the movie. There was even the rock that Tom Hanks wrote on to mark the days he was on the island. I could not get to the cave as seen in the movie because part of the island was blocked off since that is where the Survivor tribe’s beach is. I did some more snorkeling there before we got back in the boat to go back to Mana Island.

After dinner about 10 crew members from the show Survivor were at my hotel hanging out and having beers. Unfortunately I could not overhear their conversations. It is now time to pack it up and call it a night. Jeff Probst did not make an appearance.

Diving with the sharks in Fiji.

About 25 sharks showed up to put on a show.

Coming right at me.

Castaway Island. Notice the “Help Me” sign in the sand.

From atop Castaway Island. Great view.