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April - May 1999 (5/7/6
days)
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The first stop on my around the world trip was Hawaii since it is the first piece of land west of Canada. Although its packed with tourists, over-developed and expensive, Hawaii has beautiful natural sights and a good party atmosphere. Oahu, Hawaii (3/99). |
The US battleship Missouri which served in WWII is now a floating museum in Pearl Harbour. Oahu, Hawaii (3/99). |
Photographs shot from aeroplane windows rarely turn out good. This one did. Approaching the coral atoll of Aitutaki, Cook Islands (4/99). |
Me and Sylvie (French) enjoy the bath-tub waters of Aitutaki's lagoon (4/99). |
The most beautiful beaches I have ever seen are in the South Pacific. Aitutaki Lagoon, Cook Islands (4/99). |
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Aitutaki, Cook Islands (4/99). |
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Its ironic that the cheapest accomodation in Raratonga ($10 per night hostel) sits on the island's nicest beach. Raratonga, Cook Islands (4/99). |
Many places advertise themselves as a tropical island paradise but in reality, most have been over-run by huge resorts, cruise ships etc. Not so in the Cook Islands where I truly found the unspoilt island paradise everyone dreams of. Veg'ing out in Muri Lagoon, just a few meters from my hostel room. Raratonga (4/99) |
I am the worst, most impatient fisherman in the world. If I could catch these 2 Red Snappers then you know the fishing here has to be idiot-proof. On my aunt's farm, Coromandel coast of New Zealand (4/99) |
I stayed on my aunt's farm for a week and got a taste of the farm life. Her 200 chickens produce enough eggs for daily trips to the market to sell them. Coromandel, New Zealand (4/99). |
Cathedral Cove, New Zealand (4/99). |
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Email Reports
| Subject: Warm and sunny in Hawaii |
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 |
Today was a good sunny warm day in Hawaii......and I am still getting paid !! Hostel is really good, lots of freebies such as surf boards, food and internet access. The flight was long, 6 hrs! On the plane, dinner was being served and lady asked me, "chicken or beef?", I relied, " errr, how about both?". She said NO but I asked again after the stuff was cleared out and soon enough, she brought me a second dinner tray which I devoured. It was bizzare because I was the only person still eating at that point. Hawaii is mid-twenties but the water isn't as warm as expected, nothing like 80's in Baja but still very confortable to swim and play. I took out the surf board this morning, waves were perfect for beginner but I SUCKED. In 2 hours I got up on the board twice for about 2 seconds each time, then bailed. Waikiki is really touristy and developed but has nice clear water and smooth sand. Tommorow, I am going on a van-trip (organized by hostel) to North Shore, should be fun. See Ya |
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| Subject: Food problems begin already | Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 |
Guess what my first trip meal was ? Foot long Subway...some things don't change. Since then I've been to McDicks and Burger King. This evening I finally smartened up. I was on the bus returning from Pearl Harbour when I noticed lots of Chinese signs etc. so I figured I was in Chinatown. I got out, had a plate of Spore Fied Keow Teow, walked a block...still felt hungry and got a bowl of Wonton soup too. Pearl Harbour was pretty good for war buffs. Mum and Sue would have been bored but Dad and Tsuan would like it. USS Arizona is still there under just 10 ft of water, clearly visible. People here think I am Polynesian or a local, especially when I have a surf board in one hand. All the people bugging tourist (constantly trying to hand stuff out to them) just ignore me and others stop me to ask directions (I don't know but I just point to one direction anyway). |
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| Subject: Goodbye to Hawaii....boo hoo but still have 99% of my trip left | Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 |
Well, 5 days in Oahu has passed by pretty quickly. Weather has been very kind to me past 5 days, its been sunny everyday, mid-twenties but windy as hell at times. Too bad I do not windsurf. Most people will probably not even recognize me anymore due to my "polynesian" look. I have had more sun in the past 5 days than the entire Van winter, no kidding. I actually try no to be in the sun too much (no lying on the beach etc) but all my activities are outdoor stuff so I can't help it). The hostel here has been fantastic, cozy atmosphere, interesting people and they organize daily trips out to places you could not reach by yourself. Today it was a beach picnic to a remote beach. They set up a BBQ and it was all you can eat and drink so lots of very drunk people by the days end.
Overall, Oahu has been a nice surprise especially when you get out of
Waikiki and the hordes of fat Americans and Japanese shutter-happy
toursist. Next time I visit though, it would definetely be to the Big
Island with its amazing volcanoes.
Tonight I fly off to Raratonga. There is no e-mail there so, Mum, do
not freak-out if you do not hear from me for the next 7 days. |
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| Subject: Its me again...yes I am still alive - Travel Report of Raratonga. | Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 |
If anyone is looking for paradise on earth, you can stop looking because I have found it, its called Raratonga. Hawaii is like that scummy swimming pool on Commercial Drive on a 50% off crowded Tuesday night, compared to Raratonga !!! The island is small (just 3 hours bike ride around it) with an encirling reef protecting a lagoon inside. Too bad I am not the poetic writer type because I cannot even begin to descibe how beautiful this place is on words. The water here is turqouise blue, so its like Lake Louise only its 28 C instead of 2 C ! Since its so small, locals are super friendly too. I hitch-hiked to town everyday whenever I got hungry (10 times a day) and hitching a ride here is like flagging a cab. Went to church for the first time in about 5 yrs. Unbelievable eh ? It was Easter Sunday, everything is closed and this place is very religious, so what the heck. After church, there was no food (I was assured by another traveller that there would be) so we (me and 5 others Brits) walked to the other church and sure enough there was a big spread. We just stood outside like idiots staring at the table of food so sure enough the locals invited us in and its was CHOW TIME. I made sure I ate enough to last the whole day too ! Went to Island night, we you eat you face off and they have these Polynesian dances with the locals in the grass skirts etc. I still don't know how these female dancers shake and sway their ass like that. Anyhow, at the end of the dance they start dragging members of the audience up to dance and sure enough I get dragged up by this cute Polynesian skantily-clad girl. Boy, did I suck but by then I was half-drunk anyhow. Apparently on of my kind fellow traveller took some photos and will send it too me. Funny thing is, I initially was quite sad to leave Hawaii but Raratonga has been such a blast that Hawaii is a distant memory. I guess thats the beauty of traveling. |
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| Subject: Farm life in New Zealand | Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 |
Well, just spent 5 days staying with my aunt here in New Zealand. She lives in a farm here were she and hubby have 15 sheep, 200 chickens, 10 ducks and 9 pigs. City boy like myself was quite useless with the farm work and if I had stayed any longer would have surely killed some animals. Too bad they were too busy entertaining me since I would have liked to have seen some slaughterings. Apparently, when some-one places an order for a pig, Brian (aunts hubby) gets out his shot-gun and just points it at the pigs head and BLAM !!!! For the chickens, he grabs a machette and chops of the head, throws the head into the pig-stye (pigs will eat anything, he says,"I you laid-down there, they'll eat you too". Scary shit). They are almost fully self-sufficient on the farm, they only have to buy milk, bread, sugar etc. Everything else comes from the farm. Incredible. Went fishing yesterday, there is tons of fish out here. I was totally useless, I would put bait (mussels), drop the line and the fish would pinch all my bait (before I could hook it) and I wouldn't catch anything because I suck. So after losing a bucket-full of bait (the fish thought it was christmas with me around), I finally caught a 3 lb Red Snapper, which we ate for dinner. I think I am better with the office type jobs. |
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| Subject: Dorm Life | Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 |
Yesterday night, this one bastard was snoring so loud that even my ear-plugs didn't work ! I wanted to just punch him but he looked pretty big. Its too bad that hostels usually have men and womens rooms becasue I really enjoying sharing room with women. They rarely snore and they stink less. For a couple of nights in Raratonga I was in a 6 person room, 5 girls and me. It was great. After a while I wouldn't even bother to knock when I came in and some of them would be half-changing in their under-wear but they would just say, "Oh, its just Chai". I guess its my pleasant deamenour and perpetual grin so I am thought to be pretty harmless. Girls, unfortunalety your present is still un-opened. Shit. |
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