Toronto to Vancouver on the Train

I didn't realize what I was getting myself into when I booked my train ticket from Toronto to Vancouver. It was a spur of the moment decision to take the train and was largely due to me being able to take my bicycle along for relatively cheap ($28 CDN). At this point I've decided to rephrase the saying, "follow your heart" to "follow your bicycle" because I had a glorious experience. I am still in recovery as far as I am deeply missing the people that I met on the journey that we shared. Which is what it becomes when you travel a long distance at a slow pace, whichever method you choose: bus, bicycle, motorcycle, train… It becomes a journey and it teaches you to slow down and take in each moment. There is no rush, no way to hurry it along, all you can do is sit back and find ways to enjoy yourself and that is exactly what we did.
Within 24 hours of getting on the train, just about everyone that decided to hang out in the observation car had a nickname. Mine was yogi, as I would get up periodically and find interesting ways to use the small space we were in to arrange my body into new and creative yoga positions. I don't understand why everyone doesn't do this! I must be in the least pain of anyone I know, or maybe I just have more tension in my body because I force myself to sleep on a train in economy for 4 nights…go figure. I believe I slept on a different surface every night due to the fluctuation of people getting on and off and different seats becoming available to "stretch" out on. Some other nicknames that we all came up with were Dimples, Head, Frodo, Chewy (aka Chewbacca), Harry Shu, Harley and Mom.
I felt like a kid at summer camp all over again. Instant friends, instant camaraderie, we were in it for the long haul and we had a lot of time on our hands. Dimples had a couple of instruments and as always I brought along my trusty ukulele, so there were many a jam sessions and constant live or digital music, beautiful scenery, laughter, games, life stories, breakfast in Winnipeg, a brisk walk around Jasper, we all got into a bit of trouble at one point. I don't even know what we did but the days passed quickly and before I knew it we were pulling in to Vancouver and saying goodbye.
It was a pleasant surprise to have so much fun and I miss it. I miss the people and I miss the feeling of not having to do anything, no expectation, no where to go, being forced to relax. A great way to travel, 10 stars.

Toronto to Montreal- train of thought

I arrived in Montreal after a week in Toronto last evening. I am currently at the apartment that I lived in 2007. The funniest thing happened just now when I was signing in to my email I typed my old password from that time without even thinking. It triggers certain memories to be here, while I create new ones as well. I was pleasant to sleep in a bed for a change, so much room. Travelling makes you appreciate the little things: a few home cooked vegetables, being warm, and sleep. Friends have been unexpectedly kind to me and other's unexpectedly unavailable. But I don't get caught up in one moment for too long and I breathe and try to let go of my expectations, allowing myself to appreciate what everyone is able to give. Each moment can become very important because it is the last for a while, perhaps forever, but a moment cannot be created or forced into an important message or package to make "your life better". It's to do a lot with presentation. My mother always told me that I should think about my presentation when I wanted something from my father. I never liked that she said this, it seemed like a game I didn't want to play. But I was afraid of my father at the time, so a positive and enthusiastic presentation was more difficult to inspire. I have had a few conversations with different women friends as of late and come to the realization that few of them have very comfortable relationships with their fathers. Is this the majority, or do we all hang out together because it unites us? Why would this be?

It's been awhile...

Life went on and time passed quickly as it does when you're reflecting. I had a couple of friends recently discover this blog because I started a new blog and I got to thinking that I'd like to do an 'in a nutshell' account of the past couple of years before I forget it :)

SO after Australia, I came back to Kauai, Oahu and the Big Island to catch up with my family for a month and a half and play tourist with my then boyfriend, Tom, and his parents who decided to come for a visit. I got to see parts of Hawai'i that I'd never been to before, it was excellent. I feel like the longer time goes on and the more I come back to visit my perspective of Hawai'i broadens. Each island is pretty unique and has it's own beauty and ugly.

Then I went to live in Victoria, BC for 9 months. By chance, I arrived the day after my grandfather passed away. So I hung with gram and helped make arrangements for the cremation and dealt with the various phone calls and paperwork that come along with death. Boy it is a job! I'm not sure how some people manage it if they don't have other's to help out. 

I got a job after some frantic searching and began apprenticing at a small organic farm that was part of Saanich Organics. It was wonderful and through my boss I learned not only the art of food production, but about food politics as well. Unfortunately I hurt my back either from my 1 hour and a half bike ride to and fro from work (on what I now know was not really the ideal bike for the trip) or the farming, or a combo of the 2. Sooo, I got a job working at the Salvation Army Thrift Store where I somehow got a terrible rash all over my hands and had to take a couple weeks off and wear gloves after that. I think I'm allergic to some detergents. 

It wasn't the easiest time, but I forged a few relationships that continue today and I make a point not to have regrets. So that was Victoria.

I eventually left because my aunt and uncle invited me to stay with them in Calgary until I sorted out what I wanted to do next in my life. Working at the thrift store wasn't really inspiring me and the management was a bit all over the place and didn't make for the most cohesive work environment. So off to Calgary I went. 

Once I got there I joined in the daily dog walking routine and we came across a cafe that I decided I wanted to work at, Vendome Cafe in Sunnyside, so I got a job there. It's funny how things work out sometimes. It quickly turned into the usual bump and grind of the hospitality industry, which is probably best because I was trying to figure out what I needed to do next so it's motivating to be tired of your job.

I decided that I wanted to become a midwife. I researched all the programs available in Canada and choose to apply to Ryerson University in Toronto. Due to the high volume of applicants and the very low volume of intakes each year (32), my chances were low, but I wrote my letter of intent and made arrangements to move to Toronto.

I spend Christmas in Oregon with my brother, who had recently moved to Portland. While I was there, I saw two of my bestest ever friends from when I was growing up here on Kauai. It was chance that they were both there. I got a chance to meet my brother's girlfriend's family and had a beautiful Oregonian Christmas.

Then I moved to Toronto. It was great because I already had a few friends from when I lived in Montreal. And I rediscovered the glorious machine....The Bicycle. Due to having a lot of time on my hands I ended up spending a lot of time at the DIY bike shop around the corner from my new place, Bike Pirates. Not only did I build my very own bicycle which was one of the top 10 experiences of my life, but I found community which allowed me to stay in Toronto for a whopping 6 and a half months. After I build my beautiful bike, Esmerelda, I found a job and joined the world of bike couriering. Say that 3 times fast :) It was a wonderful experience. It was a crazy job in retrospect. Very dangerous and thrilling at times, slow and boring at others when we were sitting around waiting for calls. Once I made friends and wasn't the 'new girl' anymore, at least I had people to wait for calls with. 

Toronto was great, it reconnected me and deepened my relationships with old friends, made me new friends, I got to live in a tent for a bit, it is a place that I will return to with pleasure. 

In a whirlwind of decision making and 2 weeks getting lost around Montreal, I ended up back on Kauai where I am now. 

Back to bicycles. I am now apprenticing as a bike mechanic, again with the flukes of life, learning to talk politics, and reconnecting with my family. I can't complain, my life is...pretty...sweet.

Since being back, I've had 2 canadian visitors that have allowed me to truly see and appreciate the beauty of this rock. I am saving up for my next adventure that will begin this coming January...Europe, Africa, Canada of course.

Another room, another bed...

..Another city. I've slept on at least 50 different surfaces in the past year give or take. I am no longer travelling. I am a gypsy. I carry my life possessions on my back, when I leave them on the ground because they are too heavy to take to the bathroom with me, I realize that I don't care about them anyway so someone could take them, and I would be that much lighter for the next leg of my journey. I've found that I have a fondness for blankets or anything blanket like, my winter coat is quite like a blanket itself. Things that are multi-purpose are absolutely a blessing. I can see elements of Thai massage popping up in my life, although I did have a difficult time in Thailand emotionally, that experience is really paying off.

Things happen, at times they're really hard. Sometimes I've felt the most angry, scared, furious, humiliated, lonely, flipping high on life. All when I'm travelling. I'm addicted. It makes me feel ALIVE. I just want to transmit this feeling through my words, through my music, through my eyes. And I can. And I do. I have these insane, intense, overwhelming, beautiful connections with people that are from different places, live in a variety of locations. I miss them, but I appreciate their visit in my world, their gorgeous spirit that played with, danced with, dreamed with mine, intertwined...making....love. Not sex. Beautiful, passionate, intense, melding of spirits to create a baby of pure joy.

Right now I'm high, but days ago I was so low. Are these back and forth, ping ponging of emotions worth the effort? Would it be better to feeling somewhat closer to mellow all the time? It is an unanswerable question for me, I am torn between belly laughter and crushing merry go rounds of thought complete with the terrible music playing on repeat. Belly laughter. So hard that it hurts, you feel pain in your 'opu, you can't breathe, it even goes against your parasympathetic nervous system (unconscious bodily responses). It feels SO dang good. Even when I had stitches in my stomach from appendicitis, I remember laughing, oh did it hurt, but oh did I need to do it. Much thanks to Whitney French and Vanessa Delsooz for coming to my rescue in that hospital. Oh 17, how old I thought I was.

But am I so different now? I sometimes have epiphanies that I am still me. All the changes I have gone through, lifestyle, food I eat, where I live, what I'm doing, things I have learned. I am still essentially and totally myself. I just met someone I met when I was grade 6, I haven't seen them for years. And today we had a cup of tea like no time had passed. There is an essential 'something' that connects us to each other and that stays inside us for a long, long time. What is it?

I love so hard, so deeply my friends. The people that have been in my life an extended period of time. Also that I connected so deeply with. Connected. What is it? What does it mean? How does it happen? Why this person or not that one? Is it similarity, a fascination with difference, right place right time a random meeting in the world of possibility. I almost said universe, but sometimes I like to remember the sheer size of the universe. The fact that as a human being I CAN'T even comprehend it. HA. The smallness of our planet, our solar system, OUR galaxy. 

I saw one of the most amazing things when I was in Australia. I watched footage from the Hubble telescope in the largest Imax theatre in the world. It was so emotional. I was so surprised by my reaction. I would have never thought that I would have an 'emotional' reaction to such a thing. But it was so beautiful. They even showed the islands of Hawai'i from space, it was lovely. Just gorgeous. 

We'll, that was my rant for the evening. Thanks for listening.

Wandering spirits unite

I am a wanderer of the world. Thus the title vagabond. Even within one place, I seek adventure and the unknown. I seek others' perspectives and new tastes and sounds. I've been called indecisive, irresponsible, but I think I'm just curious. What is the difference between the east and the west of Canada? The difference between the US and Canada? The difference between Hawai'i and the US? There is no true answer from a personal perspective. Mine and others' experience of these places is difference. On paper you can compare stats and government practices, and weather. But while these factors play a part in one's experience of a place, they are far from the only factor.

For me it is often the people I meet, or don't meet, and connect with. I can deal with snow, rain, humidity, being arrested for in downtown Toronto, waiting for hours in a ER, but if there's no one to go tobogganing with or bring me a snack in the waiting room, or dance in the rain with, then life is a lot harder. And I don't mean a romantic partner, just another soul floating around in the universe to have good conversations with, to make fudge with, to give you a hug.

People that live in one place and never leave seem to get so caught up in their lives that they have a hard time including newcomers. I wouldn't have survive so long as a wanderer, without all the other wanderers that have shared many beautiful moments with me.

So this post is to them, thank you for sharing your beautiful spirits with me out there is the big bad world.

Love,

Rose

Romance's ugly hold: a second eradication

I'm sure that romance can be a beautiful thing, but so far in my life romantic endeavours have been far from the picture perfect image that I have strived for since crying my eyes out as a 12 year old wondering why I did not yet have a boyfriend. I have had many positive experiences in romantic relationships, but romance's ugly head always seems to rear at some point. Why aren't things working out like I thought they would? Why am I not always the center of attention? Why isn't sex always perfect, with beautifully timed placement of hands and mouths and kisses that make you forget your name? Why aren't you perfect????!

What a high expectation to place upon someone, I've finally realized. A standard that can never be met. A giving up of oneself completely to another's wants and whims. It's quite unrealistic and realizing that has been part of growing out my ego-centered life of being a child. The number of times I've accepted a partner into my life and then belittled them for not being some impossible imaginary thing is quite sad. I can see this theme in my own life, as I tend to do it with myself. Have impossibly high expectations and then not meeting them and then belittling myself for being 'not good enough' or 'stupid' or 'lazy'. Sometime I confuse these feelings of not meeting my high expectations of myself as not doing the right thing and become quite susceptible to others' suggestions. Maybe I'm applying for jobs wrong or the wrong jobs, or doing the wrong hobbies, or eating the wrong food. But as I've strayed down to road of engaging in everyone else's advice, I've found myself as lost as before.

In the end I have the theory that I am doing it all quite right and quite well, as I am not 'lazy' or 'stupid' and I am plenty good enough. I am doing my best and I need to start given myself credit for doing so. I'm doing what I want to do, that's pretty awesome. I respect people that do what they want to do and then find the satisfaction and happiness in that. So I'm halfway there. I just need to start realizing that I am doing what I want to do, instead of constantly striving for it. Some might ask what I am doing. Well we'll save that for another post.

The point is, once I start accepting myself and my actions and my motivations, then I can engage in dialogue where I'm not afraid of being controlled by others. Because at the moment I'm afraid of suggestions because they make me feel lost because I'm not feeling very confident about myself. But I am confident about myself I'm realizing through this post.

It's all a mindset anyways.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

I have found myself as part of a community who's values lie beyond monetary, who strive more to live for the pursuit of satisfaction then for the pursuit of comfort (satisfaction being comfortable). Wherever I have spent an extended period of time, I have ended up a part of this community as if by some sort of fate. There is one attitude that I have encountered and acquired along the way that I don't quite feel comfortable with, that of being 'guilty until proven innocent'.

People wonder how I meet my basic needs without working for more than minimum wage and sometimes having long periods of time where I don't work, where I might be traveling or learning in other unconventional ways, WWOOFing for example. I have occasionally been accused of taking advantage of others and being 'lazy'. I have encountered the attitude that I am taking advantage until I prove my worth through some sort of series of invisible tests that I must pass.

When this attitude comes to pass I feel like I will never be able to prove myself, perhaps because I can't. If someone is suspicious of me, then they will be keeping their eye out for things that could be interpreted as devious or untrustworthy instead of noticing the ways in which I am a good person. And also, If I'm feeling guilty I will be feeding this idea of distrust by acting as if I need to prove something and seeming guilty because I allowed myself to buy into that feeling.

The first and foremost way that I am able to meet my needs with what is deemed "little" money, is to reevaluate the definition of 'need'. Need to me has changed from what need was growing up. My needs bend and mesh and flex to what resources are nearby. What is available? The second is to reevaluate money. Not everything can be bought and not everything needs to be bought. What other resources do I have to offer?

I have found a variety of ways around using money, and I'm not talking about stealing, I'm talking about free piles, dumpster diving, exchanges, seeking out free activities and workshops, riding a bicycle and learning how it works, and living with people who have similar ways of life. Is this taking advantage? Who would I be taking advantage of? It's far from lazy. It takes just as much work to avoid using money as it does to earn money so you can buy convenience, as far as I can tell. It's just a different kind of work.

I'm not sure where 'guilty until proven innocent' came from, but I'm working towards eradicating it from my life.

Birthday cakes and massage outings

Last Friday: My special day this year started with a senior's home. Everyone from school went to give 2 different seniors a 2-hour massage. It went really well and I think the seniors were very appreciative. It will be the hardest massage we will ever give, first because it was our first to a stranger and second because it was very difficult to communicate since most of us didn't speak Thai. It was definitely a good experience albit a challenging one.

My birthday night was wonderful. I found a really cool bar/restaurant near my house that had live music every night and warned them in advance that a large group of Falangs (foreigners) would be showing up. Almost everyone from my massage school made an appearance! I was very touched by their wishes and the gifts they showered me with. I now am the proud owner of two ukuleles :) Let me know if anyone wants to have an uke jam!

I recieved three cakes as well, the most ever, and some lanterns which we waited till dark to set off into the air. Very beautiful. Everyone had a good time that night and there was much dancing and making merry. A party not to be forgotten. Thanks again everyone for all the birthday wishes. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Today we went to a special children's school and massaged some kids and some of their teachers. We had a lot of fun. First I had a little boy with cerebral palsy, meaning he didn't have very good control over his left side, but he was very sweet and we played a lot. Then I had a boy with severe autism which was challenging because he can't express emotion in the same way we do, so it's hard to connect with him. By the end I had him laughing by making funny noises and playing with the zippers of his pillow. Then in the afternoon I worked on a boy with blood cancer. He was so cute. He also seemed like he was emotionally challenged and had such a crooked spine that he had to be in a wheelchair. Very sad. He became very attached to me right away. Then I did another very quiet boy also with autism, who was so relaxed that he fell asleep :) A very tiring, but rewarding day.

A lot of us are glad that the course is coming to a close, only 3 more days. I've been practicing after school as well with some friends, which has been helping me to remember all the different sequences. Tonight I've taken a break though. It's my guesthouse owner's, Aoy, birthday so I got her some art supplies and a piece of cake from the shopping center. I've made plans to spend some time with my friend Aude from France on Saturday before I head out in the evening and am looking forward to that. On Friday afternoon we're having a little celebration at school for our graduating class with some food and a ceremony and then I'm sure some people will be going out in the evening, but I'm not sure I'll join them. I am feeling so tired.

This Thursday is a big festival called Loi Katong, which the city has been preparing for since November started. There are fireworks going off every night and laterns being set out into the sky. They look like orange coloured stars. On Thursday there will be many more laterns and a big display of fireworks, as well as candles being floated down the river. I will go out with Aoy and her son and maybe if there's anyone else in the guesthouse that wants to join, to see some of the displays. It's meant to be very beautiful, so I'm looking forward to it.

Busy, busy, busy!

This will probably be my last post before I head home. Much aloha for you readings :) Pehaps I shall continue from beautiful Kauai.

A bit of massage here and there

It's funny how time passes when you're away floating around. It seems as if all the friends and family that are in other countries live their lives in fast forward, whilst I am still moving at a normal pace. I can now understand why grandparents may still treat us as if we are much younger than we feel ourselves.

I am into the 3rd week of my Thai massage course and I can't say that it is what I expected considering I made the decision to attend so quickly that I didn't really have the chance to expect anything. But I'm enjoying it. It's a different kind of massage than I am used to. We are currently discussing the 10 energy lines and a lot of the massage follows these lines to unblock energy blocks and relieve people of different kinds of ailments. All very interesting stuff.

This morning we did a special Thai ceremony to honour our teachers and the teachers that came before them. We each brought a flower to school and an alter was set up and we did our prayers all together setting our flowers on the alter and bowing to the buddah. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Each morning we all do our prayers in smaller groups, but it was a nice sound to hear everyone as one voice together, much more powerful and beautiful.

Massage is exhausting to say the least. We spend the entire day either massaging or being massage and it sounds wonderful, but really it's very hard to enjoy. While I am being massaged I am usually focusing on the technique of my partner and going through the sequences in my mind as they do them to my body, making sure I have the number of each sequence correct in my head.

A few of us girls go to yoga each week and there are lots of get togethers outside of school with the other massures. Movies nights, girly-boy shows, dinners, elephant treks. I don't know how everyone does it, by the weekend I'm usually so wiped I end up spending a lot of my time reading in bed. But considering that the weekend after next is my birthday, the big 24, I'm going to try and make an exception and organize a little dinner gathering in celebration.

There are plenty of other interesting people at the school, including yogis, massueurs of different varietys, travellers, and all ages as well. I've had many a interesting conversation and am going to try out a digestive system cleanse that was recommended to me by the yogi specifically tomorrow. Wish me luck. It doesn't sound as gross as the cleanse another friend is doing that involves grapefruit juice and olive oil...  We all are into weird things to say the least :)

I'm enjoying being amongst a bunch of weirdos, I fit in nicely and am constantly entertained. There is much laughter at all times.

Looking forward to heading home, just 2 1/2 weeks to go!

The Mystery of the Market

I was invited to go the market in the wee hours of the morning this morning by a woman orginating in Japan, living in Amsterdam, and owning a cafe in Thailand that teaches microbiotic cooking and theroy. Say that 3 times fast! A very interesting woman to say the least and speaks a variety of languages, one of them handily Thai which is a great asset when going to a market where you are the ONLY white person. Not that I minded, and no one really paid me much attention. It was very fun.

They have quite the variety of different foods. The market is held next to the mosque so there was quiet a variety of middle eastern halal foods, people come down from the mountains and over from Myanmar. Lots of avocados, vegetables, chilli concotions, soybean products, whole dead chickens of the white or black type, a variety of smells certain to please anyone. We had doughnuts dipped in molasses, I tasted many things that I can't pronounce, some more familiar falafels and samosas, and we had a soybean soup which was quite gelantenous, but also very delicious!

The market is quite a popular concept here in Thailand, and is gaining popularity more and more around the world. You can find a market just about any day here in Chiang Mai. There is a particular Sunday market that I've been frequenting each week. It's visited by tourists and locals alike and is live with music and food and various wares for sale. Some of the most interesting things I've seen is a food stall selling only deep fried insects, some of them quite large in size! You can even smell the oil as you pass by. Some of the more tasty foods that I've seen are bananas and grapes dipped in chocolate, smoothies and fruit juices everywhere, banana leaves piled with little fried quail eggs or noodles, phad thai (which has continued to disappoint me in Thailand), there are many different foods to be had.

The market is so big that I still haven't see all of it and it gets so busy as the evening wares away to night that you often find yourself slowly inching your way between stalls surrounded by other people, which I find a bit clautrophobic and exhausting after my limit of 2ish hours. There are so many colourful things to look at, paintings, and dresses, and baggy pants in all shapes, colours and sizes. And bargaining is always welcome. The typical thai pants are not so typical after all, I've only really seen tourist wear this baggy monstrous things, all the Thai people seem to be wearing normal tshirts and tank tops just like the western world. I have to admit to owning quite a few pairs myself :O

Markets are fun. Great place to just people watch if you're not in the mood to buy anything. Find a curb, plop yourself down with some watermelon juice, and you'll see all kinds of different people speaking ALL kinds of different languages. No end to entertainment.

The Shopping Mall Experience

I went to the mall today and really took a look around. It felt like a very foreign place. I'm not one to go to the mall even when I'm home, but somehow it was more interesting in Thailand. It's a very strange place, the mall. It could almost be an American mall, but there are so many clues as to the fact that it is a very, very Thai mall.

My first clue was when I kept getting randomly lost down these hall ways that seemed endless and when I got to the end of them I wasn't really sure what a lot of the stores supplied. I followed a sign for about five minutes that led down one such hallway, it was advertising the "IT store". I was really curious what 'it' could be. Is 'it' even a That word? I think not. It ended up being an electronics store, not very interesting. Except for the fact that it looks like laptops cost as much as cars, due to the fact that prices are in baht.

There was another hallway I wandered down with loud music and noises. I just followed the noise past random shops that were hard to identify, lots of game machine tooooo... a whole section set up with booths to play video-game karoke! And there wasn't even an empty booth for me to play :( I'll have to run there before school gets out next time :) Seems to be the 'thing to do' after school hours. Shove as many people as you can into a tiny room and sing away! 

Another clue telling me I am not in Kansas anymore, was when I headed upstairs to follow a craving for some comfort food. A big red glowing "DQ" sign. Dairy Queen is the original mcflurry. I don't care what McDonald's has to say about it, they totally stole the idea and DQ has better flavors, RESSES. Although I'm sure they don't have an inkling what peanutbutter is in this country, so of course they didn't have Resses. BUT if I really wanted to I could have gotten a waffle cone with corn ice cream. CORN, really! Big yellow kernals of it mixed into white soft serve. I went with the safe dipped in chocolate variety myself, but I was a bit tempted. Why make it if it isn't good right? Somebody must eat it.

Since I am taking my foot reflexology course I had the mission of finding all the materials I needed to practice. It's always good to have a mission when you enter a shopping mall, or you get lost, or maybe that's just me :) Foot cream was on my list, and while I was scouring the pharmacy shelves for cream, I just happened upon the lustrious and wonderful 'beer and egg' shampoo. LOL! I couldn't help but secretly smile to myself. Really I need a friend to laugh with. I hope you guys think these things are funny and I'm not just slowly going crazy unbeknowst to myself...tell me if I am would yah?

Crazy Thai people with beer shampoo and doughnut sushi and tiny, tiny clothing. I'm always afraid to try anything on because I'm not sure if my size is really my size. What if nothing fits me? It would be embarrassing to carry all these clothes to the changing room, if I could figure out how to get to one, and then all things are too small.

The whole thing was a mystery to me. A shopping mall of mysteries.

I wonder what Thai people think of us when they come to our shopping malls?

Where in the world...? ( title thanks to Whitney's family :) )

Sometimes I pause a moment and I think, 'where the heck am I and what am I doing?'. I look around myself, sitting on a hard, lumpy little mattress on the floor, surrounded by the few meager possessions I own in this world, the rest of the large white room empty, except for the small picture of my boyfriend Tom next to my bed, whom I miss dreadfully.

Having a romance while you're traveling is both very exciting and very difficult. We both think about each othre all the time and write loads of emails each week. We're currently working out the skype thing, but so far only one us has been able to get the video to work and it's a bit off-putting watching yourself talk and hoping you don't forget the other person can see you in case you decide to pick your nose or something :) But we're in love and absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I promise ;) I love you Tommy!

So why am I on a hard, lumpy mattress desperately missing my wonderful boyfriend?

Because every night I get to see the biggest rainstorms of my life, the fattest drops, the thunderous noise on the tin rooves that I fall asleep to, they are spectacular. AND I had forgotten how much I love to read, but now I read for hours on end, EVERY single day. AND even though my massage class wasn't that great today, as far as a class could have been in the teacher even pretended she wanted to be there...I Loved It. I really did. Im so excited to practice my new techniques I learned yesterday and memorize them before I learn any more! First thing tomorrow I'm going out to get some massage tool, and a new book :), and I'm going to practice on Aoy (the owner of my guest house).

My boyfriend, my friends and my family all love me even if I'm not close by, and I can only love myself and be fun for them to be around when I'm doing what I love and sear4ching for what that is.

Sometimes I just need to remind myself :)

My whereabouts and what-doings

I am in Chiang Mai at the moment, just settled into my new residence for the next few months just outside the city square cause I got a good price. I've also rented myself a shiny red bike for the month so I can whip around. I considered a motorbike cause they're really fun to ride, but figured exercise is more important and I won't be travelling far enough to merit a motorized vehicle, but I'm definitely inspired to one day have a motorbike :)

I took a cooking course yesterday which was good fun. It's a very popular tourist activity and is advertised everywhere so it wasn't hard to book in. We started out at the market and were explained a few typical thai ingredients, and then just wandered around a bit, I saw a kg of dried grubs for sale! Yummy! Then we headed to a house to cook up a storm. We began with a soup, then a stirfry, salad, curry paste, curry with our paste, and a dessert. Got a handy dandy cook book at the end so I can make some stuff for my lucky friends when I see them again!

My new residence is 3500 baht per month, which is about $113 USD and I'm sure the cheapest I will ever pay in my life. The owner, Ayi (pronouced OYE), is a really lovely woman who is determined to make me feel at home, starting with introducing me around the neighborhood. I am currently the only occupant besides Ayi and her son, who's 19, but I'm hoping that will change and I'll get a companion of some kind at some point. My room is quite big, with a little balconette, but I have nothing to fill it with so it sits quite empty. There's cat images all over the walls and there are two pet ginger cats lurking around during the day. I'm on the 3rd floor and just below me is a little tea area with cushions, perfect for a tea and a chat with a friend when I make some.

So life is looking good. Just passing the time until my course starts. Learning a few key thai phrases, kaa poon kaa (or kap for man) means 'thank you' and saa waa di kaa (or kap) means 'good day, good morning, good night'. They really hold their vowel sounds. These are pretty useful and I use them about a hundred times a day. I'm slowly learning my way around and am looking forward to taking the bike for a nice long spin to get my bearings. There are times where I wish I could just run to the store and grab a chocolate bar or some similar familiar comfort food, but my figure is saved from the fact I wouldn't know where to get these things. I did have the most delicious chicken skewers and a small bag of sticky rice for breakfast though, so it's hard to complain.

I took the train here from Bangkok and I saw the strangest sight I'd ever seen. Apparently there had been quite a bit of flooding in some towns along the way and the train passed directly though them. The water was surrounding the tracks, if it had been much higher the train wouldn't have been able to run I'm sure. There was water for miles and house after house flooded, some of them only had rooves visible and there were people on the sides of the train tracks, just sitting. I guess they just wait until the water receeded. What a crazy sight to see though. Really sad and heartbreaking for all the houses ruined and lost. Something I will never forget I'm sure. I can't imagine they had house insurance. It makes me understand what a privilaged life I lead. We should all thank the heavens for our wonderful lives.

I rant in your general direction and your grandmother smells of elderberries!

Feeling a bit lonely on the street of Phuket Town.

I tried to get a late lunch and was turned away from an adorable looking food place just near my hostel. I assumed it was because I was white, but know now that I've gotten over the hurt, I realize that I was in a negative mood which merits negative thinking.

After crying into the 4th book I've decided to conquer since I've gotten here, I went across the street to a 'safe' restaurant. Obviously catering to tourists, having english signs and advertising Phad Thai. I know now being here, that it is the most commonly ordered dish here in Thailand, as it is the only one that most Westerners recognize. I'm not even sure if it's a real Thai dish, or if we invented it ourselves. Needless to say that tourist restaurant across from backpackers= worst phad thai I've ever tasted. If I get food poisoning from it, that's just the icing on the cake. They probably poison it on purpose because they're tired of all the cliched tourists.

I'm a bit of a party pooper when it comes to tourism. I'm still trying to understand what it is for me. I'm never really interested in the real touristic tours offered everywhere, and would much prefer to stay in a place for a minimum of a week. I don't see the point in spending heaps of money on one day doing something really fun, when you could use that money and spend an entire week somewhere and really experience it. But on the same hand I'm here experiencing it and I wonder why. I don't doubt being here 90% of the time. I'm happy to be, but why come and spend it with other tourists doing things like tubing (a popular tourist activity in Laos), when you could tube anywhere? Maybe there's something I'm missing.

I want to be superior to all these other 'tourists' that don't make any effort to experience the place, they're just hungry for these 'sights'. I spoke to a girl that went to see the famous beach from the movie with Leonardo Dicaprio called "The Beach". She said there were hundreds of people there and tons of tourist boats and it didn't really look that beautiful considering. Sounds like a nightmare to me. I'm happy making jokes with the lovely lady at the front desk and listening to the monsoon rains going on outside while I peacefully read my book.

I'd love to hear someone's opinion on all my ranting if anyone cares to share.

I'm headed to Bangkok tomorrow. Not sure how long I'll stay, I feel anxious to get to Chang Mai and learn the city that I'll be spending 5 weeks in before my massage course starts. I want to find a guest house that I like, a favorite place to take my breakfast, settle in and mine my niche. I just want to fit in really. I hate standing out. I hate when people try to sell me things when I know that if a Thai person walked by they would be ignored. I don't like being paid attention to because of the colour of my skin or my race! How can I be upset though, when I'm new in another country and have that typical lost look on my face?

It's not all bad, and I don't mean to make it sound that way. I'm not a masochist if that's what it sounds like. I do truely want to be here, but it always takes awhile to settle in to somewhere new.

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This is an adventure I had yesterday which I very much enjoyed and wrote my boyfriend about:
I did venture out into town, but not far as I came across a market to explore. I scoured for good bananas and cheap purple garlic fruit, which I found and purchased. (purple garlic fruit are these delicious fruit that are round and purple and when you squeeze it open with both hands, the little fruit inside look like cloves of garlic, but are very delicious and sweet). The garlic fruit was 60 baht per kilo, around $2, while the other ones I saw were more like $10+ per kilo. I also found this other fruit that I used to eat when I was a kid, my dad's friend had a tree and gave them to us. We called them jabong and they look kind of like a citris fruit, but they're not sour. At the market they were already peeled and sectioned and put in plastic wrap with this spice made from chilli and sugar. Delicious!

I also tried to eat at the market, curry. When I approached the food stall another man was in the middle of his order, but he turned to me and pointed to the curry directly in front of us and said, 'spicy'. Without thinking, as soon as I was handed a bowl of rice, I took a giant scoop and smothered the rice with it. I sat down at the table, complete with the tolit paper rolls and random condiments, and battled through, trying to impress all the Thai people around me. They were all laughing at me and saying 'spicy, spicy'. God it was spicy. The spiciest thing I've ever eaten. I was practically crying against my will. I struggled for about 15 minutes or so and finally gave in with about 3 more spoonfuls of rice left in my bowl. You would think I could've of done it, but I was really suffering that much. I'm not really looking forward to my poo tomorrow.
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It was totally worth it by the way. I've been back to the market twice already today. Once in the morning and again after the awful phad thai, right away I passed a food stall that was selling freshly bbqed meats in all different delcious smelling sauces...lesson learned, no matter how homesick you are, do not trust tourist-trap food places! On both visits I got some more jabong. I ate one and the other is for my 13 hour bus trip to Bangkok tomorrow. Which reminds me, I need to go book my accomodation.

Thanks for listening my avid readers. I really means alot to me. Aloha.

Time travel to Thailand

My dear readers, I'ved skipped off to Thailand without warning, booking my flight 3 days in advance because it was cheaper. This may have seemed reasonable at the time, but a hasty departure ends up costing more and making up for the money saved in the first place.
But here I am and so far so good. It has only been about 15 hours since I arrived and half of them were unconscious.
I decided to land in Phuket, instead of the usual Bangkok, which involved me flying backward to Sydney and then forward again from whenst I came. It was worth the hassle though because it's nice to arrive in a calmer environment.
I was feeling quite nervous just before I boarded the airpland, but once I was on there's no turning back so my mind and my nerves slowly adjusted accordingly.
Thailand reminded me of Bali in quite a few ways, so I'm very glad to have had that experience under my belt with company beforehand.
I'm staying in a Thai version of a hostel in Kata Karon. It doesn't involve bunk beds and you are allotted your own privacy, but still get the benefits of meeting fellow travellers, which I am very happy for as I am on my own.
Hazel is about my age and from England. She's already well seasoned in SE Asia having visited Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and this being her second time in Thailand, her favorite of the big four.
I'll be in the country for 2 months and my 5-week Thai massage course startes October 10th in Chang Mai, which is over 1,000 kilometers from where I am currently.I hope to travel the distance all by land so I feel like I'll see a bit of the country along the way.
Being in a foreign place makes me want to hide in my room, but thankfully I am human and get hungry and thirsty and am forced to venture outside at some point, where I realize that it's not so scary afterall. I walked all the way to one of the three nearest beaches.
One of the things that helps me when I'm feeling vervous about going somewhere is to picture my dad and imagine how he walks, the long, slow, careful steps, and before I realize it I"m out of the hostel and on my way to new adventures! Thanks Dad!
A second thing that always calms me is being close to the ocean. THe sound of the waves crashing, the smell of the salt arir and the feeling of the warm ocean rushing around my ankles always drags me away from my fears and worries and clears my head to make room for some more positive thinking.
Today was no different. The water was so warm, the sun bright and the sand soft and wonderful under my bare feet. I couldn't ask for more.
I've eaten 2 meals so far. For breakfast a chicken and coconut milk soup with all the usual beautiful Thail fresh herbs and spices: lemongrass, ginger, chillis and these delectable mushrooms! A few Thai people nearby were impressed with me eating the local cuisine so early in the morning.
And just now was my second meal, some fish with a sweet, sour, spicy sauce. Delicious.
Both meals were between $4 - 5 USD, and I reckon I can find cheaper because both places sported a large selection of "western food" on the menu and are obviously quite touristic.
I saw a food car motorbike drive by, but I was neither close nor brave enough to stop them or get a good look at what they were serving. Soon enough I will be frequenting these travelling delicacies.

More to come soon I do not doubt. I have enough time on my hands for 10 people at the moment.

Much aloha to my faithful readers!

Beans, beans the musical fruit

I've landed in Ayr, where I've been residing for the past 3 weeks. Living at a working hostel, which is pretty much a  hostel that doesn't put any frills into the package, but instead finds you a job, or 2 or 3, at a nearby farm.
After doing our research, we found that Ayr, was the best place for farmwork. So here I am, 4 jobs later on one of the few days off that you are allotted. The veggies don't wait for you!
I just reread my previous post and realized that I already said we were in Ayr, what ended up happening was that we moved to another hostel that got us work the day after we moved in. Looks like we chose the wrong one in the first place.
I started with 1-day gig planting and picking chillis. Luckily we had picked up these rediculous sobreros in Cairnes at a Mexican-themed bar night just before we left. So in addition to half a bottle of suncream and a 4-Liter jug of water, I donned my stylish hat.
The planting wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't prickly surprises waiting for your tender fingers every time you poked a hole for the little seedling you needed to stuff into the ground. I think we planted around 10,000 seedlings between the 6 of us. For the second half ot the day we picked chillis, was was sweet relief for our fingers and our backs.
My 2nd job was a permanent one, if you could stick with it. Chillis again. 9 hours of them each day every day. 57 cents a kilo then minus tax. The first couple of days I hadn't figured out how to prevent myself from becoming dehydrated so I was suffering a bit. But after that I began to get used to the routine of picking chillis and was improving my numbers each day 180 kilos, 200 kilos, 224 kilos! I did it for a week and then decided I wasn't satisfied getting less that $10 per hour for the labour. I used to get paid more to clean the house for my mum! I knew there were other better paid jobs out there from fellow backpackers, but in order for them to be available to me I needed to quit my job and take a gamble hoping I got something better assigned to me next.
My next gig was at an eggplant and chilli farm, but everything paid a decent per hour wage. I weeded the eggplant (or eggfruit as they called them) rows the whole day, but was mysteriously asked not to return the following day with no explanation offered. Still not sure what happened.
The next job I was assigned was back to the original chilli planting/picking place, but this time just to pick and also to help with the sugar cane. I picked in the morning and afternoon for 40 cents per kilo cash-in-hand and in between stared at a conveyor belt that carried shredded sugar cane past my eyes faster that you could say boo. It made me feel pretty motion sick, but I steeled myself and got myself through. My job was to pick out the big bits that didn't get shredded enough.
Thankfully the next day I was assigned a new permanent job at the green bean shed. Everyone had told me it's one of the best jobs. You're not in the hot sun and you work long hours so you get paid heaps. Little did I know what they meant by Long hours. I am now an expert green bean sorter, taking out the rotten, broken, or old beans so fast that you can't even see my hands move. I worked alongside 5 other women and feel a bit like I'm back in the 50s when women started working and got jobs at the factory. Again I was staring at a conveyor belt, but it was moving a lot slower and the only time it gets dizzy is when the belt stops, then it looks like it starts moving backwards. Neat trick on your eyes.

Well I wrote all that on my 2nd day off, which I had off from the beans because my boss was 'punishing' me for asking for a day off. I though after working for 50 hours in 4 days that it wasn't too much to ask, and my fellow workers wrongly lead me to believe that I was expected to request a day off when I felt the need. So after my 1 day of 'punishment' I was fired on the basis of being "too slow". Another job down. It's a bit disappointing, and the manager of the hostel told me he was running out of places to put me, so I felt a bit down, but I was one of many that had been fired from the beans so I didn't feel too alone about it.
By that evening I was already assigned a new job...the dreaded zucchinis! I had been told how they were the hardest thing to harvest, but everyone thinks their job is the hardest in this industry, so I was keen to give it a go. It was pretty hard. Pretty really hard. I realized that I just didn't have the motivation to do this work about 2 hours into the day, but I stuck out the remaining 5 hours with a smile on my face and the manager said I did a good job but it was a hard job so she didn't blame me for quitting.
Now I'm leaving Ayr. All the other backpackers have the motivation of receiving a 2nd year on their Australian visa that pushed their behinds to go to this kind of work and break their backs every day. I only came to make a bit of money and to be with Tom, but it's time to go. When I'm travelling I always know when I hit the point when it's time to move on, just instinct. No one tells you, you just have to feel it. I'm sad to be leaving Tom behind, but am excited to see him again when he comes to visit me in Hawai'i in December!
Not sure when I'm going next. Will keep you updated!

Since Bali...

Well, it seem like it's been awhile...

We flew our way to Cairnes and chilled out there for a few days, gathering information on how to aquire harvest work, meaning working on farms. We made a lot of phone calls, celebrated Tom's 21st, and then decided we needed to stop wasting time in the city and get into the thick of farm country.

We managed to get a few rides from fellow backpackers and made our way to the country town of Ayr.

Here we are four days in and number 18 and 19 on the waiting list for work. Today we're moving to a competing hostel, as we went to check them out last night and they seem to have better luck with work and they have a shorter waiting list as the hostel holds 50 people less than our current one. We've booked in till Wednesday here, so we're going to lose a bit of money which stresses both of us out, Tom and I that is, but hopefully it'll land us a job quicker and make up the difference. (Tom has decided to eat 2 minute noodles for a few days out of guilt, I don't know how he does it)

Everyone says there really isn't much to do in Ayr, but we've definitely managed to entertain ourselves these past few days, having instruments always helps. We've walked around and explored many different nooks and crannys of the town, found a few favorite benches to sit on, spoken to some of the locals, read and read some more, lots of sitting the park, thought about climbing a tree (Tom is deathly afraid of spiders, and Australia has a bad reputation for deadly ones), visited the open-air cinema (awesome!), cooked, library, internet, and stared at each other with the question in our eyes of 'what now' (every minute counts you know :).

So yeah, we're a bit bored, and the stress of not having work, and all the other backpackers boredom combined makes for an interesting environment. We'll see what happens....

The Real Bali

Tom and I decided after 3 nights in Kuta, that it was high time to see "the real Bali". We did our research, talked to other tourists, looked at fliers, and haggled with various motorbike rental guys and settled with a lovely feisty blue number for 35,000 rupia per day, as in around $3,50 Australian. Crazy good, helmets and insurance included.

But, if you've never been to Bali, you don't really know what you're getting yourself into when you climb aboard a motorbike. Boy did we find out. You pretty much make your own rules on the road, especially if you're on a bike. Going the wrong direction on a one way road, flying through red lights, and parking wherever you stop is commonplace. By the fifth day, Tom had a good handle of the road, but I was happy to return the bike still alive and unhurt from our wonderful, yet heart-stopping adventure.

For a better image go to http://mapsbali.com/areas/bali.php

We began the real Bali experience in Uluwatu, which is at the Southwestern most tip of the island. Spent a night there in our first homestay and watched the sunset from the cliffs. The next day we headed to Sanur for a bit of a dip before zooming over to Denpasar where we spent, literally 7 hours looking for our hotel. Really I don't know how we kept going after the 4th or 5th hour, but Tom was really determined as we had already paid for it, and I think men are just determined like that :)

We had a couple of different addresses for Piliau Residence, as they may have moved or had a really terrible webdesigner, I may have to refer them to Reg, but the website only gave street names and no number for the address. So 7 hours of driving, crying, rain, darkness, and mixed language conversations later, we stopped at a restaurant that was about to close in defeat to find out where else we could stay. The woman, Melan, was wonderful to us and called all her friends, who called all their friends, and no one knew it, but the hotel happened to call us back in this time and gave her directions so she drove me there with Tom following behind. To this day, we would never be able to find our way back there. PHEW!

The next day we were pretty exhausted, but we made our way to ubud and saw the monkey forest, where there were heaps of monkeys wandering around, jumping on my head and reaching straight into my purse to look for goodies. Those buggas even know how to use zippers! They're pretty darn cute though. That night Tom took a nap, I got a massage, and we went to a shadow puppet show. The next morning we got a tour of the Gaia Raja, which is a Hindu temple also in Ubud, and we learned heaps about the Hindu religion and how the Gaia Raja came to be. Afterwards the tour guide took us swimming in a lovely river. Nice day.

After the tour, we made our way though the mountains to the north coast, buying a snack of fresh strawberries for $1 along the way, and stopping for a cup of coffee at a local families house that we just stopped for a stretch.We were admiring their view, when Katrina, who's 7 decided to practice the only english she knew by asking our names. The mother heard and came to investigate and offered us some coffee. It was a bit awkward because we couldn't really have a conversation, but they were very lovely.

Then we arrived in Singaraja, where a man on his motorbike invited us to stay at his homestay, we got there and it was full, but he set us up with a friend and we got a pretty good deal on a sunrise dolphin cruise and snorkeling. Tom's first time snorkeling! The dolphins were beautiful and intent to impress us with flips and twists and the coral and fish were beautiful and reminded me of home.

Finally we made our way back to Kuta area, stopping in Tanah Lot to see a temple on a small island in the ocean and getting a feast of some of the best chicken I've ever tasted from a local family grilling some on the side of the road. They were very pleased to show off their delicious cooking to some foreigners. Along the way we have been eating as local as possible, and have discovered that we quite like the local cuisine, even thought we're not sure we always know exactly what we're eating, but it doesn't necessarily agree with our stomachs. I think I had to visit the little girls room 4 times last night and again twice when I woke up this morning. Tasted good the first time around anyways :)

Tonight we head back to Darwin and the next morning to Cairnes to look for work. Wish us luck and blessings to you all.

Billy Bali

It's my first time in Asia and we have been here for 3 days now. I'm really glad Tom decided to come along with me, as the people that are constantly getting in your face was a bit intimidating to me in the few few hours. I do believe I would feel a bit lost by myself, but as the days pass I'm feeling more comfortable and would be okay with venturing off for a walk alone. Bali does not feel like an unsafe place at all. I would guess the biggest cause of deaths would be tourists getting drunk and getting hit by a motorbike, as there are many. I don't think there are many road rules either. Do whatever you can to avoid the obstacles. We considered renting a motorbike and found out that you could probably rent one for a month cheaper than what a small bottle of sunscreen costs. Apparently suncream is a tourist item because the darker skinned locals wouldn't need it.


I have been thinking lately about heading to Southeast Asia, as I feel I have seen as much of Australia as I care to, for the moment, and would like to experience a different culture. These ideas have caused much stress to me as I have been getting mixed messages from both my family and my friends. My family all have warned me how dangerous Asia can be and that a young woman should not travel there on my own, while one of my very good friends has told me how she went there for a few months on her own and had no troubles besides the usual theft and over charging that can occur to anyone. It is commonplace for people to either go from Australia, both Aussies and backpackers, to SE Asia, or through SE Asia on their way to OZ. From these backpackers I have heard the occasional story of something bad that may have happened to them, but not one of them has told me not to go, and all of them say it's definitely worth it. So you may understand my confusion surrounding the issue. I think I will do a bit more research, being in Bali is part of that, and will have to come to my own conclusions as we adults must do every day, don't we?

There are a few tricks I've learned so far in Bali, such as booking hotels online is much, much cheaper than actually booking at the hotel, we usually get about 50% off what the hotel tells us. The price is ALWAYS negotiable. There aren't really prices marked on anything and most people look at the color of your skin before making the price up. I haven't really been comfortable with bargaining yet, something I need to work on, but I still haven't spent much on anything. We're looking to get out of Kuta tomorrow and see some other, less touristic, parts of Bali where people aren't trying to sell you stuff constantly. We'll see what happens.

OH yeah, about the rest of the road trip. It went pretty smoothly until the very last day where we lost 2 of the girls for about 3 or 4 hours, it was dark by the time they were found. So the next day there was still a few fuses blown when we arrived in Darwin and it was hot and we had to prepare the car to return, which took hours, there were many arguments and a few unkind words, but all in all we worked it out and the day was done to get a well-deserved beer and hot meal.

Darwin was nothing to write home about for me. Mostly a party city and I just wasn't really in the mood, so happy to be off to Bali and experience something new and different.

ALLLLLLLLLLOOOHA.

The Red Center: Chapter 1

It's day 15 of our epic road trip through the center of Australia and I'm having the most awesome time of my life.

I'll set the stage:
We have Lara who's from Ulm, Germany and a cosmotologist by trade, she cooks a mean meal every now and again
Amy is from Adelaide and is currently finishing her nursing diploma, she loves to have us pull her finger and let it rip loud and clear so everyone can hear
Baptiste from Paris, France has a certificate in wildlife preservation, he is a bit self-centered, but very good at eliciting help from strangers when we're having car troubles
Vanessa, Baptiste's partner, from Montreal, went to Concordia at the same time as I and studied sociology, she is very nice and says she never farts, how disgusting!
Tom, my boyfriend, from Dresden, Germany is a musician and is about to study something when he returns home from Australia, he's wonderful and adorable and loves to count my hiccups and make wishes on them...
AND me

We don't always get along being smashed into a car together for 21 days straight. There have been a few arguements, a couple of breakups and reunions, and heaps of swearing in various languages.

But we laugh CONSTANTLY and we cry and we are getting to know each other and their habits REALLY well.

We started in Adelaide and our target is Darwin, but currently we are in Alice Springs and sleeping in beds for the first time in 2 weeks, which feels amazing.

Along the way we saw The Olgas, Ularu, King's Canyon, a domesticated Emu that grumbled at me when I disturbed it to go take a pee in the middle of the night (who expects to see a giant bird outside their tent at 3 in the morning??), Flinder's Ranges, a crazy 4WD trek to Palm Valley, tons of mice (as there is a plague at the moment), heaps of nothing but salt bush dotted with random mountain formations, a baby joey in his mother's pouch, some wineries, done a few bush walks, got stuck in the mud at Lake Eyre, had a few car problems, slept under ground in Coober Pedy, saw a few wild dingos, and met many wonderful friendly people along the way.

We've named our rig Trudy, after a woman we met in the first couple of days. When Trudy's feeling a bit temperamental, she doesn't like to start, this can happen in the middle of nowhere off the main road or in a small town, which, let's face it, it's all in the middle of nowhere. We give her pats and tell her we love her and that usually gets her going. So, we're chugging along.

We only have 6 more days to go and it's passing quickly. Four of us are hoping to go to Bali together to keep our trip going because we love each other so much.

Will have to update when I get to Darwin, until then send your love to Trudy, we can use it!