Auckland

We arrived at 1 pm and after getting our tent sanitized we proceeded to unpack and put together our bikes. This took all of 4 hours. I think we were a bit of a spectacle. Our first impression of kiwis is that they are very helpful. Three people in the airport approached us (separately) and chatted to us for a while, telling us about good places to go and such. We finally set out and...yikes! we realize that we have to bike on the left hand side of the road - weird! Round abouts proved to be especially mind boggling. On the way to the campground we stopped at a strawberry farm - yum! The farm that had the campground was beautiful, a bit like farm in Ruckle Park back home.

New Zealand

Auckland

 

We arrived at 1 pm and after getting our tent sanitized we proceeded to unpack and put together our bikes. This took all of 4 hours. I think we were a bit of a spectacle. Our first impression of kiwis is that they are very helpful. Three people in the airport approached us (separately) and chatted to us for a while, telling us about good places to go and such. We finally set out and...yikes! we realize that we have to bike on the left hand side of the road - weird! Round abouts proved to be especially mind boggling. On the way to the campground we stopped at a strawberry farm - yum! The farm that had the campground was beautiful, a bit like farm in Ruckle Park back home.

Cunqalai

 

Cunqalai was incredible. We walked on the white sand beach around the island in 20 minutes. There was a dive shop on the island and one hostel. The hostel was owned by another island nearby called Motoriki that was resident to 11 villages and no hostels nor tourists. The staff all came from Motoriki. The staff cooked us all our meals. Apart from cooking, maintenance, and getting food and other supplies from Levuka and Motoriki, the staff spent most of the time relaxing, playing guitar, and singing songs. Every night they sang to us while we ate dinner. Our first night after dinner we sat around a beach bonfire and drank Kava. Kava is a drink that is made by pounding the root of a certain pepper plant into a powder and then mixing it with water. Apart from tasting rather like bitter chalky water, it makes you a bit sleepy and gives you a numb tongue. Kava is probably the fijians favourite thing - better than cigarettes! To drink kava you all sit on the floor in a circle and one person passes the kava out to each person in turn, one at a time in coconut shell. It can take 2 hours or so to finish the bowl) since they keep filling it back up again) they REALLY love their Kava! We spent the rest of our time playing volleyball, swimming, relaxing, meeting new people, and snorkeling. The dive shop was taking divers out each day and took us along for free to snorkel. The coral was magnificient! We hadn't seen anything like it in Honduras or the Philipines. The fish were amazing too, and i saw a 4 foot long shark!

FIJI

Nadi

 

Nadi (pronounced Nand-ee) is a tourist trap. We had one week in Fiji so we wanted to make the best of it. We knew we wanted to see a little island with a pretty beach but in Fiji, the choices are endless. Our bank account is not endless. Steering clear of the expensive, hugely advertised, all inclusive, picture pecfect Fijian islands, we weren't left with much but...Cunqalai (pronounced Cung ga lai.) To get there was the real endeavour! It took a 4 hour bus ride across Fiji's biggest island to the hideous capital "Suva," another 1 1/2 hour bus to the ferry terminal, 1 hour ferry, 1 hour of bussing to the town of Levuka, 30 minutes on a motorboat....and we were there! we actually split this journey up into 3 days since the ferries busses and motorboats just don't coordinate with each other!

 

Rain Tree Lodge

 

We were forced to spend one night in the capital "Suva" and so we opted for a 20 minute bus ride out of town to the Rain Tree Lodge. You would never guess Suva was so nearby when you are surrounded by thick jungle rainforest. It was beautiful. The next morning we did a 3 hour hike in a protected area of the jungle to some waterfalls and swimming holes with a rope swing.....before getting back on the bus.

 

Levuka

 

We arrived in Levuka to find that the motorboat to Cunqalai didn't leave until the following day, but that was okay. The town was full of smiling fijians, bunny old battered looking shops and a smell of fish that you could slice with a knife. The following day the tuna cannery burst into flames! We watched huge billows of black smoke erupt upwards. Often there were explosions and great bursts of flames shot up. Hoards of people lined the streets to watch the madness - the whole town was watching! It appeared as though the entire cannery was engulfed but we learned from others who had been closer that only one of the many large buildings was on fire. The fire fighters were doing there best to keep the fire from spreading to the post office and to the gas station just across the road! We wondered if the post card we had mailed earlier that moring was ever going to make it to Canada.

LOS ANGELES

L.A. well....its big. It is massive. It is a never ending city on a flat dry landscape; a city entirely for cars. It is NOT in the LEAST designed for public transit or cycling. Cars, cars and more cars. Nobody on the sidewalks....everbody in their Range-Rover SUVs. An all american tragedy. But oh the sun, the sun! Walking around west hollywood, peering through the glass of chanel, dior, gucci, escada...well it is far better than the miserable north-west-coast weather of vancouver. And surprisingly fun peering into outrageous modern furniture stores and admiring the subtropical gardens and complimenting mexican-influenced exteriors of cute L.A. homes. Eat lots. Rest up. It's L.A. !