The Goodheart and Whitecorn Adventures

One Year Later

a_and_a — Sat, 7 Nov 2015 12:16:00 GMT

Exactly one year ago we left New York for an adventure we couldn't predict would change our lives in the way it did. While we had both travelled before, this was our first time planning and prepping completely on our own. We had followed other people's itineraries but never our own and we were about to do it half way around the world. We were scared. We were excited. We were nervous. We were hopeful. One year later we are not the same people.

I know we left you in the lurch after Korea. We really did want to update everyone but it turns out returning isn't as easy as you would think. We still have days where we wake up unsure if coming back was the best idea and the struggle to find some sort of working routine has been challenging in a way that is impossible to explain. We ache to get on a plane and explore. We yearn to be away from everyone we know yet are ecstatic to once again have access to everyone we love. That simple Netflix and Seamless night we longed for on the trip has become too commonplace. We need adventure, challenges, new faces, the unknown....

We returned from Korea to New Mexico where we could rest and recover without the pressures of a busy bustling rushing city- where green chile was in abundance; sunny skies and wide open spaces provided a backdrop for all the hikes or runs we could want. Despite the beauty of Canyon de Chelly and the Painted Desert, despite the glorious tastes and smells of the southwest, and despite the comfort of family and the familiar it was soon excrutiatingly clear the Land of Enchantment is not where we belong. The glorious feeling of being able to read labels on medicine boxes and take a shower without the entire floor becoming a soaking mess was overshadowed by the overwhelming sense that this was not the place for us. So we ran.

We ran back to the widespread waiting arms of New York. The sights, smells, and sounds greeted us with the enveloping warmth of a mother greeting a long lost child. We were home. It all felt right again. But this too was short lived.

Because we had returned a month earlier than planned we were displaced. We knew this would happen, but as the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months our hopes and dreams for our return faded into the distance. It is a challenge to return from such a long trip but to return to a place that is not yours is beyond a simple challenge. It is standing at the base of a mountain that feels taller than Everest with no equipment. For months we smiled our way through welcome home dinners, meetings, interviews, and nights out only to return "home" feeling exhausted and defeated. While we love everyone dearly those who truely understand the pain of return are few and far between. Life did not stop while we were gone yet we were expected to be able to jump right in. How? We are not the same people.

This is not to say we haven't experienced our share of wonderous and exciting events. June brought the birth of Goodheart's nephew. If nothing else, this child was worth coming home for. We love this baby with the passion of an aunt and uncle who are going to spoil him to no end. We moved into a wonderfully large 1 bedroom apartment at the end of September, immediately next door to our old studio. We are now the proud owners of a real bed and full fridge. Whitecorn was hired within 2 weeks of returning to New York and is teaching a fantastic group of 1st graders at Brooklyn Friends School in Downtown Brooklyn. Goodheart is all set to *finally* shoot his short film next weekend. Life moves on and so do we.

About 2 weeks ago we were graced with the visit of a dear friend. We met Caroline in Cambodia on a long, winding bus ride to the middle of nowhere. We disembarked to find we were all scheduled to volunteer at the Elephant Valley Project in Sen Monorom. This brave solo traveler quickly became one of our dearest friends. We later met again in Vietnam where we all desperately needed a familiar face. Caroline is one of those beautiful, fearless people who puts her heart and soul into the toughest of situations because she believes in the equality of humankind. After Vietnam she flew home to Switzerland before returning to her job with the Red Cross and has been stationed in South Sudan ever since. I could go on for pages about the amazing work she does abroad but that is not why her visit was significant. Caroline's visit was grounding in a way we never thought possible. Not only were we able to reminisce about our adventures, we were able to talk beyond that. It was our first real opportunity to bring a part of the trip into our everyday lives. It was a chance to share a piece of ourselves with someone in a way that so many people had shared with us throughout our trip. It made us feel at home.

We have our good days and our bad. Slowly but surely we are finding ourselves again and settling in. I know everyone craves updates and information but some days it's hard to get out of bed. We're not remotely moved in or unpacked. Whitecorn is in the middle of parent teacher conferences. Goodheart is in the heart of the previously unknown world filmmaking. Just know that we are here. We love you and are doing our best to keep moving forward one step at a time.

Jeju WWOOFing style

a_and_a — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 07:34:00 GMT

Hello! I promised you a post on WWOOFing on Jeju Island in South Korea and that is what I will give you!

For those of you who don’t know- WWOOFing is volunteering on a farm in return for room and board. Typically you work anywhere between 4 and 8 hours a day, depending on what your host family needs. This is a program that has posts all over the world. The average stay is about 2 weeks, but if the farm is flexible you can stay longer or shorter. Jeju Island is a small island off the southern coast of South Korea. It is touted by Korea as the “island of the gods” and the “Hawaii of Korea”. It is a volcanic island that is known for its peanuts, oranges, and shellfish. It seems, however, just about anything edible that is grown on Jeju is worth a pretty hefty sum on the mainland.

We chose to spend our time on a small farm on the southeast of the island. This organic farm is run by an absolutely lovely woman named Sungboon. She has two children- ages 6 and 3 and her husband is an archivist for Jeju City. The farm grows several different kinds of foods including tangerines, lettuces, and root vegetables. She also makes her own vinegar, soy sauce, and kimchi.

We arrived at night on a Monday. Without a phone we were a little nervous about being stranded or lost, but Sungboon pulled up to the bus stop in her truck within 3 minutes of our arrival and greeted us with a giant hug. We were immediately set at ease and she immediately prepped us for the following day. On Tuesdays she has several neighborhood children over that are around the same age as her oldest son. She tries to do cultural activities with them and when WWOOFers are visiting this means having the WWOOFer cook something that is traditional to their home country with the children and teach them a game. Well hello to you too! Haha We were given a private room with a traditional Korean bed…two foam mats on a floor. While we never got to truly experience this, the cool thing about said floor was that it is actually the top of a fireplace of sorts. In the winter families light a fire in a chamber underneath the house (in this case under our bed) which heats the floor and keeps you and the house warm. Pretty nifty no? Assuming we were hungry, our dear hosts set about heating up some food for us, we ate, and retired to our room.

Goodheart and I thought hard about what to cook the next day but let’s be real- what else do you consider “American” food besides hamburgers and hot dogs? Those were off limits so…Whitecorn stepped up to the plate and decided to make…Indian (Navajo would have been too confusing) Tacos. Yay! This turned out to be a bit more of an interesting process than expected as the cheese selection in Korea is fairly limited and there were no pinto beans to be found on Jeju. Also, chili translated into bell pepper but whatever. We also decided to teach the children the game Duck, Duck, Goose. We passed night one peacefully and got to work right away the next morning. The children weren’t scheduled to be at the house until 2pm so Sungboon sent us into the tangerine trees. Our job was to essentially seal off parts of the trees that had been cut off recently due to a fungal infection of some sort. We spent the morning painting orange goo on the trees while Sungboon ran off to meetings. In the afternoon when the kids came Whitecorn got their assistance making frybread and they all got their own little Indian taco. The verdict? “Tastes like heaven!” I kid you not, that is a direct quote. Well, they said it in Korean and Sungboon translated anyway. But it HAD to be true because Sungboon requested Whitecorn make them for dinner too. The downfalls of being a good cook. Haha The kids also loooooved Duck Duck Goose which was hilarious to watch and participate in. After the kids left Whitecorn prepped the dough for dinner which ended up being a huge hit with the kids, father, and neighbor who stopped in! So, it’s official folks- rez food had made it to Korea!

We were given the next day off (we were shocked too!) and we took a trip to a little island called Udo which is just off the northeast coast of Jeju. This island is small enough that we were able to walk the entire thing in our day. The real highlight though was the incredible ice cream served just below the lighthouse on the island. Udo is known for its peanut ice cream and the place we chose served mandarin ice cream as well. WOW. Pricey, but so worth it.

Honestly the rest of our time on Jeju was a bit of a blur. Our work on the farm included cleaning out the two open and two closed greenhouses, planting taro root and two other mystery vegetables that we kept forgetting to ask about, and helping with housework. Off the farm, but still considered “work” was gosari picking. Gosari is a Korean word for bracken. In case you don’t know (and we didn’t) bracken is essentially a fern. Gosari is used in Korean cooking- it is picked while still young, boiled, dried, and later thrown in soups, salads, or fried up. Naturally, Jeju gosari is a big deal on mainland Korea and we went on several trips with Sungboon to go picking. This was probably our favorite job on the farm. It’s a bit like a scavenger hunt but with only one thing to look for. We picked A LOT of gosari.

Aside from working Sungboon insisted on giving us a decent amount of time off to explore Jeju. One day she took us to climb a big hill about a 30 minute drive from her home. It was a great hike and we got an incredible view of the island. Another day she sent us to Micheongul Cave located in the cheesy but pleasant Ilchul Land grounds. No, this isn’t an amusement park…it’s sort of garden-esque but certainly nothing spectacular. The cave was small and interesting, but I admit we were a bit spoiled cave in Vietnam. Jeju also has walking/hiking paths that go around the entire island. One day we took route #8 and saw Cheonjeyeon Falls, Yakcheonsa Temple, Jusangjeolli cliffs, and Seonimgyo Bridge among other smaller sites. Sungboon also gave us a private tour of sorts of a Folk Village where we learned about old Jeju customs.

If you couldn’t tell, Sungboon is an exceptional host. We felt like we should have done more work for her but she insisted on helping us see the island. Our final day there she prepared a huge barbeque for us (and I mean HUGE) which we shared with the WWOOFer replacing us and two women who stopped by for a visit (one woman was the mother of a WWOOFer who had stayed on the farm last summer). After dinner we were invited to her neighbor’s house where the neighbor’s 10 year old son played the drums for us. It was a perfect end to our stay.

I know everyone is always anxious for more but that’s really all I have time for now. We miss you all!

W&G

Photos: South Korea

a_and_a — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 22:10:00 GMT

And the winner is....

a_and_a — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 22:07:00 GMT

South Korea!

Yup, we have changed directions entirely and it was a really good decision. South Korea was not on our radar to begin with but throughout our travels we have heard consistently good things about the country so we thought- why not? Not only is there reliable transportation, there are subways! We can’t speak a word of Korean but people are helpful! And friendly! We are in a city that looks and feels like a city (ok ok like NYC but still). I think we missed home.

Our first two nights in Seoul we splurged a little for a private room in a hostel and it was so sweet. We both felt like we could have lived in it were we still in college. It had a little fridge, microwave, stove top aaaaand…washing machine. LOVE. The second night the hostel hosted a party and we not only ate an absurd amount, we learned a lot about Korean drinking culture. We did have to move to a new hostel the next day because the one we were in was too expensive to stay longer, but it was worth staying up late.

Our next hostel was in Queens. Not really but we climbed out of the subway and probably the first thought in our minds was- are we in Jackson Heights?!

But who really wants to hear about our hostels? I’m getting to the good stuff, don’t worry. Seoul is a lovely place- parks and old palaces/temples mixed right in with the skyscrapers. We took in many of the older sites, but wandered through beautiful parks and caught a weekend antique market as well. The food is very different from what we’ve been getting the past 2 months, spicier and new. What is really fun about food here is everything comes with sides. You don’t get to choose the sides, they vary by restaurant but usually one of them is kimchi and they are unlimited. Yay! We can actually eat fairly cheaply here as we share a dish (which are pretty big themselves) and eat all the sides we want. Oh, and rice is usually unlimited too. Goodheart is in heaven.

We took a day trip out of Seoul to Suwon- a city with a fortress in the center. We took a little trolley around the outside of the fortress wall and wandered around the “castle” in the center.

South Korea’s second largest city is Busan, located on the southeast side of the country. Busan is very spread out as it clings to the sides of mountains that boarder the ocean. It is actually quite pretty and we did quite a bit of hiking without leaving the city limits. There were some wonderful trails that provided great views and plenty of cherry blossoms. We did try to do more “city” activities like go to the art museum and China Town (which seemed more Russian than Chinese), but we definitely preferred the trails.

We did travel out of Busan for a couple days to the wonderful town of Gyeong-ju. This is an older town filled with traditional houses, cherry blossoms, and an incredible feeling of peace. We took in a couple temples and sites, but once again preferred to hike around the area as it was so beautiful and calm. Gyeong-ju is also famous for something called barley bread. We found two different kinds- one that looked like pancakes and one that looked like a bun. They both had red bean paste in the center. We definitely liked the ones that looked like buns more but both were unique and tasty.

Now we are on the island of Jeju. We have decided to participate in WWOOFing twice in Korea and this is our first stop. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Essentially we work on farms in return for a room and food. Jeju island is the home of our first WWOOFing experience. I will write more about it in the next blog post.

In the meantime, we miss you all very very much.

W&G

Phong Nha and the caves

a_and_a — Sat, 4 Apr 2015 21:10:00 GMT

So…these friends of ours that we met on the road once again posted really cool pics of a place we had on our original plan but taken off because of time constraints. These pictures intrigued us so we did a little googling and…decided to do something a little crazy. See, this place they made look so magical, Phong Nha, is known for its caves. Perhaps you have heard of a little cave called Son Doong? And by “little” I mean the largest cave in the world. No, we did not go to that one, because, let’s face it, we don’t have $3000 each to drop on a whim. However, Son Doong’s little brother (and by little I mean 3^rd largest cave in the world)- Hang En is much more reasonably priced. And by reasonably priced I mean we had to cut Sapa and Ha Long Bay and Hanoi from our trip. But you know what? IT WAS WORTH IT.

Phong Nha is arguably the most beautiful place we have seen in Vietnam. Green, green, and more green with limestone mountains and caves and crystal clear blue/green water. It’s a photographer’s paradise. Perhaps if the tiny town wasn’t so strange we could have settled in for a longer stay. Alas, Phong Nha feels like a town that hasn’t quite figured out how to deal with the tourist boom (the first caves only opened to the public 4 years ago) and is awkwardly comprised of what feels like more tourists than residents. I would wager a bet they have more guesthouses per capita than Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. It’s weird. But the caves are NOT weird.

We took an early morning bus from Hue and, after checking in, found our dear friend Caroline happily chatting with two new friends at a café across the street. We met Caroline in Cambodia and were delighted she decided to join us for a couple days in the caves. Especially since she usually doesn’t like them. But she’s also friends with the above-mentioned photo takers who got us excited by the caves. Clearly, they are persuasive. Catching up was really nice especially since, to be honest, none of us were doing so hot. We’re still not entirely sure if it was the country or the amount of time we’d all been away but none of us could get excited about planning anything anymore. It was really nice to know we weren’t alone.

The next day we visited Paradise Cave and Dark Cave. Paradise is HUGE and gorgeous with tons of stalactites and stalagmites and really cool rock formations. In fact, of the caves we visited this is the only one that had such formations. After Paradise and lunch we went to Dark Cave. Dark Cave may not have the look Paradise does but it is FUN. The shoes come off and bathing suits go on! The tour of the cave starts with a ride on a zip line to a spot near the entrance of the cave. From there you swim (in very cold water!) to the entrance. Upon entering we shed our lifejackets, turn on our headlamps, and are led through very muddy passageways. Now, there is no way we could’ve taken our phones in and have them survive so there are sadly no photos of what ensued but I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard the entire trip. The mud on the ground gets thicker and squishier as you get deeper into the cave. The mud on the walls gets thicker and feels like wet clay. There is a lot of slipping, inappropriate sounding noises, squeals of surprise and “that feels weird” groans. When the mud began to resemble brownie batter in color and consistency the mud flinging began. Without much warning you are suddenly slipping down a 3 foot slope straight into a mud lake and it is amazing. You can float simply by lifting your legs up. There is mud on (and probably in) every single part of your body and you don’t care because it feels amazing. Our guides let us hang out in the mud lake for a bit than took us out by a different route, having us swim to the far end of the cave and back…with our headlamps off. EEK. That part, not so much fun for Whitecorn. We left the cave, hopped into kayaks and paddled back to the bus.

Between this little adventure and the Hang En tour we had a full day of nothing. We thought about exploring on bicycles but ended up plotting out the next step of our trip instead. Having to weigh so many different aspects, it was difficult to make a decision. If you don’t know yet what we decided you can find out in the next blog entry :)

We said goodbye to Caroline which was sad and prepped ourselves for the awesome trek ahead! The Hang En trek is a two day, one night tour where you get to spend the night on a beach in the cave. If you haven’t done so yet go look at the pictures NOW. They don’t do it justice of course, but they are far better than anything either of us could ever write. The trek to the caves is fairly easy- a lot of downhills and flat land mixed with plenty of water crossings (over 40 of them). You are in real true jungle. We were fortunate enough to have good weather the first day- a reasonable temperature and sun. The trek passes through a tiny minority village (with a school whose enrollment is a grand total of 7!) and through some of the most incredible looking valleys you’ve ever seen. The entrance we take into the cave is small and unassuming but it opens into something GRAND. The real entrance to the cave is higher up and difficult to get to but lights up the inside and our campsite nicely. Dinner that night wa absolutely amazing. Our porters prepared a true feast. The one downside of the cave is it is home to thousands of swallows. In other words…we all got bird poo on us at some point. We spent the night in the cave which was surprisingly warm and cozy. The next morning we were led beyond what we thought was the back of the cave to the true exit. While we loved our campsite I admit we were both a little disappointed as we thought that was the whole cave. Were we ever wrong! Apparently cave exits are almost always bigger than entrances and this was no exception. GO LOOK AT THE PICTURES. I’m not going to bother with an attempt to describe because no words can do it justice. If this is only the 3^rd largest cave in the world we need to start saving our money for the other two because WOW. Sadly, our weather did not hold out and we hiked a good chunk of the way back to our pick up point in pouring rain. I do not want to be in Vietnam during rainy season. No thank you. The trek back was a bit more difficult…remember what I said about the downhills the first day? Yeah, those become uphills the second. Bleh. But we survived! Worth every penny and cutting the other places on our list.

Oh! Almost forgot. Out of the 15 people (including us) on the trek, 10 of us were from or lived in the US and of those 10, 7 of us live in New York/Long Island. Go figua. The other New York people had all read the New York Times article from October and that’s why they were there. Made us appreciate all the more the fact that we hadn’t read it before making our decision!

We left Phong Nha the night we returned from the cave via overnight bus to Hanoi but not before a guy dropped his moto on Goodheart’s leg which made him bump into some guy hovering over him which caused them both to fall into the rack of parked bicycles, which Goodheart smacked his face on and received cuts above and below his left eye. Sigh. Don’t worry, the cuts have healed nicely and if that is the worst moto accident we get in I am a happy camper.

We are off to eat dinner now, but I will do my best to get the next blog out ASAP so you can find out where we have landed! Love and miss you all,

W&G

Photos: Goodheart's Vietnam

a_and_a — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 15:47:00 GMT

Photos: Whitecorn's Vietnam

a_and_a — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 21:54:00 GMT

Photos: the rest of Goodheart's cambodia

a_and_a — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 15:51:00 GMT

our pictures don't fit on World Nomads anymore! so now we use flickr

HCM and Da lat

a_and_a — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 12:49:00 GMT

Hello from the charming town of Da lat! I feel like so much has happened since the Mekong, but really, that’s not the case. I think Ho Chi Minh was just so overwhelming it felt like we did more than we really did. So, first off, HCM is HUGE. I know NYC is big, I think this is a decent rival. Secondly, remember what I said about driving here? Multiply the chaos by 100. When the traffic gets exceptionally bad and the moto drivers don’t feel like waiting they drive up onto the sidewalk and we still have that problem of going whichever direction they feel. So, Whitecorn may never complain about NYC drivers again! As big as the city is, there isn’t a ton to do unless you enjoy nightlife which isn’t really our thing so…we didn’t stay long. Our first full day in the city we wandered around, but our timing was terrible and 2 out of the 5 places we wanted to go were closed for the afternoon and as we were hot and tired we didn’t feel like going back when they reopened. We did get to unexpectedly see the old post office which was actually really cool. They kept a lot of it the same, but modernized it. For example, the old telephone booths now house ATMs. We visited the Emperor Jade Pagoda as well as the history museum, but ended up skipping the botanical gardens due to the heat and being worn out. That night we went to a water puppet show which was very sweet and fun then had dinner on a boat that took us on a cruise along the river. The entertainment on the boat was extremely cheesy but the food was great and the views were interesting. The next morning we got up early to take a tour to the Cao Dai See Holy Temple and the Cu Chi tunnels. The temple was fascinating (Danielle, totally up your alley!) as the Cao Dai religion is a mixture of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Catholicism. The temple is very colorful and the people are very friendly. We then visited the Cu Chi tunnels. These tunnels were created by the Vietnamese guerilla fighters during the American War (what they call the Vietnam War here). We were fortunate enough to have a veteran for our tour guide and got a very authentic tour with real stories. The downside to the tunnels is there is a shooting range on the grounds where tourists can shoot guns like AK-47s, M60s, etc. Not only did this seem highly inappropriate in the setting, you can hear the gun shots all over the grounds. Despite this discomfort the tour was very informational and interesting. We took a sleeper bus from HCM to Da Lat. Sleeper buses in Vietnam are absolutely fascinating and left us wondering why no other country does it. The seats recline into beds. Everyone has their own little cubby bed with a blanket. What isn’t so funny is because they drive through the night they go absurdly fast and what was supposed to be a 7 hour trip took 5 ½ hours leaving us in Da Lat at the ridiculous hour of 3:30am. It was interesting to watch the town slowly come to life, but it is an experience we could have done without! We did manage to make the most of the day anyway and explored on foot this very sweet place. There is a beautiful lake, a cheesy but colorful flower garden, a cathedral and something called the “Crazy house”. A very strange place that is a bit hard to describe. Rough Guide says it is Gaudí meets Alice in wonderland. It is far better for you to look at the pictures than have me attempt to describe it. It makes for a fun outing- you can see the town of Da lat from the top and inside be convinced you are anywhere else in the world but here. Yesterday we went on an amazing canyoning tour that pushed us to the limits but was well worth it! The tour includes natural water slides, 2 dry cliff abseils, 2 waterfall abseils and a cliff jump. All a bit crazy and mentally challenging but an amazing and fun experience just the same. Tomorrow we continue our journey north to Hoi An which everyone has insisted we will love. So, looking forward to more things new and exciting! Love and miss you all, W&G

Mekong Delta

a_and_a — Mon, 9 Mar 2015 12:05:00 GMT

The Mekong Delta is a lovely area. Water is a part of life and while there are roads, just about every home on the water has a boat parked out front. We started our Mekong adventure in Can Tho, the capitol of the Mekong. It is so different from Phu Quoc and Whitecorn is convinced she will never get used to the traffic in Vietnam. Where Cambodia is organized chaos, Vietnam is just chaos. The driving speed is at least double that of Cambodia and there seems to be no “right side” of the road so you don’t know where to look for cars. Despite this we found some peace on the most amazing boat tour. After some haggling with a little old lady at the pier we managed to secure a boat for the next morning slightly nervous whether or not we’d been had. 5am on the dot however, the woman’s sister was ready and waiting for us at the dock. The two of us boarded the little boat and we set off for the floating markets. Whitecorn fell asleep during the beginning of the trip so you don’t get to hear about that but it was dark anyway J Whitecorn awoke as the sun was rising and we were approaching the floating market of Cai Rang. Large boats are set up in the middle of a large canal. Each boat hangs what they are selling from a pole. Customers pull up in their own boat and tie on to the bigger boat until the transaction is complete. Most of the boats we saw sell fruit and vegetables, but we have heard other things like clothing and haircuts are available at times too! We docked against another small boat for breakfast which was a wonderful noodle soup. Then we headed back out on the water to the floating market of Phong Dien. This market was like the first, only smaller. From the market our amazingly sweet guide took us through side canals where we caught glimpses of the countryside and rural Mekong life. We stopped at a garden and had coffee. Our guide took us around the garden and showed us all the plants. She didn’t speak much English but she told us all the Vietnamese names and showed us how to eat everything- lotus seeds, mini oranges, and bell fruit. From there we continued through the canals back to Can Tho. While the two of us took in the beauty around us she busied herself in the back creating little creatures out of palm leaves for us- a bird, a cricket, and a stem of flowers. She then decided to take us to a noodle factory quickly which was cooler than expected and made the noodles we ate for dinner much more interesting! We sadly said goodbye and ran back to our hotel to check out and catch our bus to Ben Tre. We arrived in Ben Tre to some confusion and we essentially forced to hire moto taxis to our guesthouse. Given the above statement about Vietnam driving Whitecorn was not a fan of this and kept her eyes closed most of the ride. We didn’t do much exploring but did attempt a trip to Cai Be the next morning (again, via moto :/) which did not go as planned and left us feeling frustrated and, well, a bit angry. But we don’t really need to go into that. We hope everyone is doing well. We miss you very much and have realized we have been gone from NYC for 4 months!! So is the glass half empty or full? We have so much more to see and do but everyone back home can officially start counting down since we’ve hit the halfway point. Lots of love to everyone! W&G

Phu Quoc

a_and_a — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 19:23:00 GMT

So, we are in Vietnam and have been for about a week and a half now. We crossed the border at Ha Tien- not a terrible ordeal, just a bit of a wait, but we did see a family get turned away for not having a visa. We came straight to the island of Phu Quoc (pronounced foo wok) and have been here since. Turns out we really like it here. It’s quiet and our little bungalow is about 3km from town in one direction and 3km from a sweet little beach in the other. We ride bikes everyday and everything just feels so…simple. Our first night here we stopped completely randomly at a food cart to eat dinner. Realizing we didn’t really know what we were doing or ordering the family who owned the cart taught us how to mix the seasonings and eat our food and have actually turned into what we now consider our “Phu Quoc family”. They are absolutely the sweetest people. The cart is owned by a mother (an AMAZING cook) and father who have 2 sons and 2 daughters. We have only met 3 of the children though as the 4th is at university in Saigon. They have introduced us to several different foods and drinks (including VIETNAMESE COFFEE which has to be in caps because that’s how you feel after you drink it!) and helped us with our Vietnamese which is an extraordinarily difficult language. We’ve been helping the older son with his English which we are realizing probably sounds to them how Vietnamese sounds to us- tonally hard to hear and pronounce. While we’ve mostly taken it easy here we have explored a bit. One night we went squid fishing- sadly didn’t catch any but ate well and had fun anyway! We also went on a snorkeling/fishing trip. We each caught a little fish, but it was too small to keep so we let it go. The snorkeling was interesting. Not a lot of fish but some great coral. The real shame is no one is careful about the coral and you can tell in a few short years it will probably start disappearing just like the Great Barrier Reef. Our biggest adventure was insane. SOMEONE (I wont say who) decided it would be a great idea to bike to the south of the island to Bai Sao, the white sand beach. This is approximately 29km one way mind you. So SOMEONE ELSE (again, not saying who) said we should take google maps route A because it was 1km shorter than route B. What followed was one of the most miserable bike rides of our lives. I think if we had proper mountain bikes and knew what to expect it could have been nice but we didn’t so it wasn’t. However, the beach was unbelievable. Pure white sand, clear blue water, and maybe 10-15 other tourists. Magical. We took route B back which was at least paved the whole way, but very hilly. We survived and have beautiful Corona-ad beach scenes in our memories. Today, our final day on Phu Quoc our family took the day off and invited us to the beach for “lunch”. We spent almost 5 hours with them eating and frolicking in the water. Mind you, when I say eating I mean we didn’t have dinner that night because we were so full from the massive meal they fed us. The day will truly live in our memories forever and we know there is no way we can ever thank them properly for the kindness they showed us. They are easily among the most caring, generous, kind people we have ever met. We head up into the Mekong tomorrow and, though we are sad to leave, we are excited for the adventure ahead. Love and miss you all! W&G

Goodbye Cambodia....

a_and_a — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 03:01:00 GMT

It’s hard to believe our time in Cambodia is almost over. We’ve spent close to a full month here and the days have really flown by. We are off to Vietnam tomorrow by way of Ha Tien and will begin our Vietnam adventure on Phu Quoc island.

When we last left off I believe we were about to leave Battambang. We took one of the worst bus rides we’ve ever had back to Siem Reap and stayed one night at a really awesome guesthouse (I wish we’d know about it before!) before getting picked up by a tuk tuk and transported out of the city 17 km to a remote village and plopped down in front of a school. And so it began. We started the week with 4 other new volunteers. The school sits on the property of the founder and his family- 2 sisters and 1 brother. One of his sisters was our chef the entire stay (and it was AMAZING) and the other sister housed us. We had a real homestay experience, which was fantastic!! While the squat toilets I could do without (call me spoiled) we both got used to the bucket showers pretty quickly and were walking and biking around barefoot in no time. The teaching experience was fun, and yes! Goodheart taught! There are actually 2 different school buildings where we volunteered and the one we taught at was about 3km from where we were staying so we biked every day. Classes started at 3pm and we finished around 8:30pm. Whitecorn had 3 different levels of classes and was teacher for 1 of those levels, co-teacher for 1 (2 classes total) and assistant of sorts for the other. Goodheart was assistant for all 3 levels and in 4 classes as well. Each class was an hour long. After school we would put on our headlamps and bike back from “work” in the dark. That was a fun experience in itself! We stayed 4 full days and left on Friday morning to catch a bus to Kampong Cham.

Kampong Cham was a bit of a sleepy little town situated on the Mekong River. We rented bikes one day and went exploring. There is a large island in the river called Koh Spean. In the dry season it is accessible by bamboo bridge only. This bridge has to be rebuilt every year because the rainy season washes it away. I have to say, that was not only some of the most difficult biking I’ve done, it was also some of the most terrifying. While I know bamboo is one of the strongest plants in the world that doesn’t stop the nerves when it starts crackling and rustling! Plus the motos zipping past you… The island is nice with lots of farms and quite a decent sized population. We had plans for going to a couple temples as well but the heat got the best of us and we decided to lay low instead.

After Kampong Cham we made our way up to the Mondulkiri Province and the town of Sen Monorom for what I would consider the highlight of Cambodia- the Elephant Valley Project. This is a really cool organization that everyone should check out: http://www.elephantvalleyproject.org

We were there for 3 days and 2 nights. Not only did we get tons of quality elephant time, we met some truly awesome people and did volunteer work that made us feel good and sore at the end of the day. We loved it! Now, if you don’t feel like going to their website at the moment I will tell you the EVP basically helps overworked (and often mistreated) elephants learn how to be elephants again. I have never been overly interested in elephants, but they are actually super cool animals. They each have distinct personalities and are so sweet. I think I can safely say that the best part for both of us was the vet checks. We got to go out and help check the elephants’ health and do weight checks. That gave us real hands-on experience with the eles and was made all the more hilarious by having to chase them around in order to do so. I’m thinking Whitecorn needs a vet degree now, yes?

We semi-reluctantly said goodbye to the eles and Sen Monorom and headed down to Kampot, which is where I write from now. Kampot sits on the Kampot river and has a very relaxed feel. Naturally now that we’re leaving it feels like we could spend a good week here just…being. We unfortunately arrived during Chinese New Year, which as it turns out is a VERY busy time in Cambodia. Although many Khmer people are not Chinese by heritage they still get time off from work and school. Prices are hiked up at accommodations and it was almost impossible to get transportation anywhere. Lucky us. But we haven’t had too much trouble otherwise. We took a tour to Bokor, which is unfortunately pretty much done. It used to be a really cool spooky ghost town but some developer has started to turn it into a resort and there is now a massive hotel and casino on top of the mountain. Pretty sad really. We also took a sunset boat ride on the river with 3 other people from our tour which was really nice. Super quiet and peaceful. We saw all the fishermen heading out to the sea for night fishing. The next day we took a tour to Kep and on the way saw salt fields, a cave temple, a “secret” lake and a pepper plantation. The plantation was my favorite part of the day. I had no idea that’s what pepper plants looked like! We learned all about how pepper works, which is pretty interesting, and tasted some peppercorns right off the vine…SPICY! Kep, apart from the food, was very disappointing. I’m sure at other times it is very nice, but because of the aforementioned holiday it was extremely crowded. Neither of us wanted to stay at the beach and if you know us you know that is totally unlike us. Despite that it was still a nice day overall. Today we relaxed and tried to get a few things done that we’ve been meaning to do. We took a break in the afternoon and went to the movies. Yup, the movies. It was actually really fun. This noodle/dumpling place has a theater and private screening rooms where you can watch either the movie they are showing in their 35 seat theater ($2.50) or choose your own movie and pay $3.50/person (20% off on Sunday!) for your own screening room. And you can eat their great food while watching. The room was fitted with a 51” plasma screen and a platform with pillows and cushions. It felt like we were hanging out at home! If we could fit such a big TV in our home, but you know what I mean.

As much as I have loved Cambodia, it’s definitely time to move on and we are excited for the new country ahead! (and I’m excited for Pho) We miss and love you all.

W&G

The universe owes us a first class flight (Cambodia part 1)

a_and_a — Sun, 8 Feb 2015 01:27:00 GMT

I want to share with you all the wonderful that Cambodia is but I find myself sitting here lacking an ability to write. It could be the afternoon heat. It could be a burn out of sharing. It could also be a full recognition of the fact that whatever I put down isn’t going to convey the true beauty and life that is Cambodia. I want to share it with you, but I don’t want it lost in translation. I am in love with this country and its people and I want you to be in love with it too.

Once again our plane trip was an adventure because apparently we can’t travel in a straightforward manner. We were scheduled to leave Melbourne at 1:25am, have a 9-hour layover in Kuala Lumpur and land in Phnom Penh late in the afternoon. Naturally, that didn’t happen. 1:25 turned into 2:25. We boarded the plane to promises that some paperwork was being finished and we’d be taking off soon. 2:25 turned into 4:30am. We disembarked upon being told the flight was cancelled. All 300+ passengers were shuffled confused, tired and grumpy through customs and baggage claim to a counter where 1 single man sat ready to reroute all of us. Yes, ONE man. We were very fortunate to grab a place in line about 7 people in. Unbelievably, or maybe believably since there was only one person working, at 9am there were still at least 100 people in line waiting to be rerouted. We were put on a 10:35am flight to Kuala Lumpur, which of course got delayed by an hour and caused us to miss our connection by an hour and a half. We were put up in a hotel with 5 other people and rescheduled to fly into Phnom Penh the following day. That flight thankfully went smoothly. (random note: one of the couples at the hotel with us knew the doctor who helped the man that had a heart attack on our original flight out of the US…small world!) Moral of the story- a 9-hour layover can sometimes be too short. Sigh.

Airplane drama done. Despite the scary visa man yelling at someone else our entry was nice and smooth and before we knew it we were on a tuk-tuk heading for the hotel. This is where I fell in love with Cambodia. First of all, tuk-tuks are awesome. They’re kind of like rickshaws except pulled by motorcycles. Secondly, traffic is INSANE. Not NYC insane though, more like vehicle anarchy insane. There seem to be no real traffic laws…there are two sides of the road but people drive on both. Stop signs and lights are routinely ignored. Motorcycles (not the ones attached to tuk-tuks) carry anywhere between 1-5 passengers and this doesn’t include the giant sacks of rice or electronics that may be attached as well. It looks like an accident waiting to happen…until you see the dance. There is a real organization to it. People move in and out smoothly and much more carefully than you expect. After the first 5 terrifying minutes pass you realize you’re not in any more danger here than in NYC. Two weeks in, I’ve yet to see or hear about a traffic accident. It’s a truly amazing sight. Goodheart says he’d rather be in a tuk-tuk in the heart of Phnom Penh than a taxi in New York any day. We actually feel safer and don’t get car sick.

As many of you know we met some friends for the first leg of Cambodia. They were kind enough to make arrangements while we were bopping around Australia and they picked a lovely hotel. The pool was a welcome sight and we spent the afternoon getting in some much needed lounging. While waiting for Rob and Michelle to arrive we went to dinner at a wonderful place called Friends, which helps get disadvantaged youth off the streets and trains them in the restaurant business. So, not only does this place do good, the food tastes good! The highlight? Fried ants. Seriously! Very tasty. A couple hours of twiddling our thumbs later, R and M arrived. Talk about surreal. Seeing familiar faces after so long while still in a foreign setting is a feeling that is very difficult to describe; definitely weird, but definitely welcome.

Phnom Penh is a very busy city and we had a lot to pack in. I’m still impressed with what we accomplished especially considering some of it was emotionally draining. We took a cooking class where we made spring rolls and one of the national dishes- fish amok. Both were absolutely delicious and we had a ton of fun. It was also a good buffer for the difficult to process Killing Fields. It is amazing how a place so lovely and serene was the scene of so much horror and devastation. If you know nothing about Cambodia’s history or the Khmer Rouge go educate yourself right now. The movie The Killing Fields is a good place to start. Just make sure you have lots of tissues handy. We also took an absolutely incredible bike tour to the islands just off the city where we were able to get a close up look at country life and see a silk farm. Our tour guide was fantastic and it was so nice to be on a bike again. This was our buffer for S21, the former prison used by the Khmer Rouge. I, personally, did not make it through the whole thing. It was a rough journey and I think it will sit with us for a long time. We did eat well in Phnom Penh. Goodheart and I tried tarantula! They were tasty, like soft shell crab. Crazy food aside we are seriously eating well here. Dishes like amok, lok lak, fried noodles and rice, soups, etc. are our typical fare and we have not once craved “Western Food”. Admittedly we are only two weeks in, but I can’t imagine that craving is going to come any time soon.

From Phnom Penh the four of us moved on to Siem Reap, home of the famous Angkor temples. We got a three-day temple pass and hit as many as we could. While Angkor Wat is the most famous, Goodheart and I were actually a tad under whelmed. Is it beautiful? Yes, of course. It just seems to be a bit overrun with tourists and as a result lost a bit of the soul you should feel at temples. The smaller ones were much more enjoyable and powerful. My personal favorite was Neak Pean (look it up!)- small, unassuming, on its own little island with a moat. Lots of water, lots of peace. We attempted a sunset viewing which wasn’t super successful due to the hazy conditions. Sunrise however, I could probably safely say was a highlight for everyone. Instead of joining the crowds at Angkor Wat we went to Pre Rup and were joined by only 4 other people. We climbed the temple in the stars and watched the most incredible sunrise while listening to the world come alive below. Goodheart and I finally got our sunrise!

Our final day as a group of 4 we went to the circus, which was awesome! There are a couple circus schools in Cambodia that take in disadvantaged children and give them training and an education. The circus we went to is part of a school that offers a full arts program. Aside from the acrobatics we saw they have fine arts, graphic design, animation, dance, and theatre. The performance was impressive and even made Goodheart (notoriously a tough judge when it comes to gymnastics and acrobatics) flinch at times. A really nice dinner followed and the next morning it was time to say goodbye to R and M. The house we had rented felt strangely empty once they were gone and there was a bit of an adjustment period for the two of us. We rode very old rickety bikes to the nearby lake and tried to get back on something of a schedule but we were antsy to move on.

We are in Battambang now and have found our travel feet again. After the 4-hour bus ride we immediately found a tuk-tuk with an awesome driver who directed us to a real Khmer lunch stall then took us outside the city to a pre-Angkor temple called Wat Banan. From there we went to Phnom Sampeau (“Boat Mountain”) which houses a lovely Buddhist temple, the depressing Killing Caves (once again, the Khmer Rouge turned something beautiful into something terrible), and the awe-inspiring Bat Caves. We stuck around for sunset and were rewarded with the site of millions (literally!) of bats streaming out of their cave for the night. The locals told us that it can take 45 minutes to an hour for the caves to empty! The bats resembled birds and the sight was stunning. Today was spent doing a walking tour we found for free online. The architecture in Battambang is interesting as it is often a mix of French and Khmer with modern renovations. Hidden in the guide we found a lunch recommendation which turned out to be perfect- a Chinese noodle house that makes their own noodles. Yummy. We spent the afternoon the Khmer way…out of the sun…and ventured out again this evening for a dinner that prompted us to write our first ever review for TripAdvisor. This was quite possibly the best meal we’ve had in Cambodia. Simple, no-frills, down home Cambodian food. To top it off we learned the chef is only 23.

Tomorrow we head back to Siem Reap for the night as Monday we start volunteering at a school about 16km outside the city. I’m excited to put my teaching skills to use but also terrified. While working at the school we will be staying with a local family and it is likely we will be without internet the entire time, but we will check back in on the other side when we make our way to Sen Monorom, via Kompong Cham, to play with the elephants. Did I mention I love Cambodia?

Lots of love and hugs to everyone. We really do miss you all!!!

W&G

Photos: Cambodia part W

a_and_a — Wed, 4 Feb 2015 13:56:00 GMT

Cambodia through Whitecorn's eyes

Photos: Cambodia part G

a_and_a — Wed, 4 Feb 2015 13:55:00 GMT

Cambodia through Goodheart's eyes

The Great Ocean Walk

a_and_a — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:33:00 GMT

Apollo Bay-Elliot Ridge

Day 1 is full of nerves, excitement and an anxious need to start. We arrived around 1pm and, after collecting a map, bus schedule, and a quick phone recharge sat down to eat our first hiker/camper meal- tuna & beans. Not nearly as terrible as expected!! Lunch finished we began the walk…and got lost 10 minutes in. No seriously. We are that talented. Luckily it was a simple mistake that put us off maybe 5 minutes so, spirits still high, we continued. The beginning of the walk follows The Great Ocean Road out of Apollo Bay before branching off at a tiny town called Marengo. Here we cut through a “holiday park” (this is the official path mind you) and exit near the opportunity for our first beach walk. As we have started late in the day and won’t be able to take a later beach walk because of the tide schedule we take this trail and are rewarded with wonderful ocean and rocky beach. Near the end of the beach trail we are faced with our first real challenge-a gap in the rocks just large and wet enough for us to be wary about jumping across. We settle for a slightly easier scotch around that involves clinging to the side of a rock face before stepping onto potentially unstable rocks and scrambling up the other side. Whitecorn goes first, backpackless so Goodheart can toss everything across before joining up on the other side. We’re pretty sure the dented can of food came from this little adventure. The walk continues through a bit of forest and we cross a barely flowing river. Somehow exhausted and energized at the same time we arrive at Elliot Ridge campground, our first stop. And what better way to settle into the first night than to spot a koala! Cute and cuddly as they may be, those buggers are LOUD and woke us up a couple times. All part of the adventure I suppose!

Elliot Ridge-Blanket Bay

Day 2 starts out miserable and almost doesn’t get much better. We awake to a downpour, which shows no signs of letting up. We eat and pack hurriedly and set off for Blanket Bay. The entire walk of Day 2 is through eucalypt forest that should be great for koala spotting but we are so wet and cold we don’t look up from the trail except to make sure we take the proper turns. We race across the 100m o beach at the end of the path to the welcome sight of a shelter, completing the 12 km walk in less than the suggested time. Cold and annoyed we sit shivering as 3 more sets of campers arrive from Elliot as well. The rain is a true bonding experience and we become friends with Tal and Maria- the couple from Germany, and Alex from Barcelona. No one wants to be far from the shelter with the rain turning on and off and so we take over the group camping area for the night. It is a true shame the day is not nicer as tonight’s camp site is mere feet from the ocean and a beautiful place. More koalas hang out eating and sleeping, seemingly oblivious to the noise of the campers below.

Blanket Bay-Cape Otway

Day 3 has a much more pleasant start. Despite the misty rain, we have made friends and are happy to start the hike together. Passing through forest we take turns moving in front of each other while water breaks are taken and backpacks adjusted. Because of the rain and wet air Goodheart’s shoes become a problem that isn’t fully revealed until the river crossing. His shoes have been rubbing painfully causing blisters and an open cut. T and M offer a German version of Bacitracin and band-aids. This helps a little but between the 100 or so stone steps and hilly cliff top, Goodheart’s feet are in bad shape by the time we hit the lighthouse and it’s still another 15 minutes to the campsite. Goodheart manages though, true champ that he is and hobbles/limps his way into camp where he is greeted by Alex who is setting up a clothesline for everyone. Our little group of 5 is joined tonight by Smith from South Korea. We love our campmates and the community feel they bring. Unfortunately they all will leave us tomorrow- T, M, and A to return to Apollo Bay by bus and S to skip the next campsite in order to complete the full walk in a shorter period of time. Again, we camp in close proximity to each other. The night turns out to be very cold and everyone wakes up a bit worse for the wear. Slowly we say our good-byes. We are the last to leave as Whitecorn patches up Goodheart’s feet for the journey and the others cant wait around.

Cape Otway-Aire River

Day 4 begins misty and gray. We woke up on the early side to say goodbye but we don’t feel sleepy. The walk is supposed to be relatively short today but since the tides should be in our favor we are taking a slightly longer route in favor of a beach walk and waterfalls. The falls are small but pleasant, however, the beach walk almost proves to be Whitecorn’s undoing. Trudging through sand in the sun with a 30 (?) lb backpack is not nearly as pleasant as our minds made it out to be. Still, the view is unbeatable and the lesson learned.

Upon leaving the beach we are once again taken through new forest and our eyes are peeled for the ever elusive echidna. We reach the summit of a hill and look down onto the beautiful Aire River and green valley. The sight is lovely but the bridge we must cross seems too far away. We trudge along, somewhat grudgingly before finally stumbling onto the bridge. We cross, excited to set up camp only to be greeted by a very steep climb that becomes evident will have to be traversed should we need a toilet. We spy the shelter and Goodheart greets the spirits of our friends we have just left in a way that makes us laugh and sad at the same time. Tonight’s tent site is sweet and feels very woodsy- set back in a cozy tree cave of sorts surrounded on three sides with a “front yard” area and perfectly spaced trees to set up a laundry line. If we must leave our new found friends this is the place to be. Tonight’s company is disappointing and off-putting. We turn in early to read and write. This is the official halfway point! 4 days left.

Aire River- Johanna Beach

Day 5 starts with…is that sun?! We wake up early to patches of blue with sun peeking through- an exciting and welcome sight. All our wet clothes have FINALLY dried overnight and we pack fast to get and earlyish start. The morning is breezy and cool- perfect for hiking. Today’s hike alternates between incredible cliff views of the ocean and forest full of the coolest wavy looking trees and green plants that resemble yucca. There are a number of hills to climb but the going isn’t too bad thanks to the great temperature. In fact, everything is fine until the final 3 of the 14 km. We exit the forest to a mandatory beach walk that proves worse than the day before as strong winds blow us backward and shower sand into our faces, hair, and bags. Those 3 km easily take an hour but we push through only to realize once again, that our campsite is uphill. The climb is well worth it though as we are camped on a cliff over looking the ocean. It is still early afternoon when we arrive so I take a nap while Goodheart ventures back out for a quick dip in the ocean. He comes back full of sand and…and echidna sitting. Ugh. Jealousy. Dinner is wonderful- easily the best view we’ve ever had! Tomorrow’s trek is a bit worrisome but we’ve decided to wake up early enough to catch the sunrise in hope of giving ourselves a little extra push/jumpstart. Ryan’s Den here we come!

Johanna Beach-Ryan’s Den

Day 6’s route looks suspiciously like it’s giving us the middle finger (no, seriously) and the uphill start only seems to emphasize this. The weather is cool which helps and the views are fantastic. To our left- cliff views of the ocean. To our right- rolling, grassy farmland complete with river and cows. We get a little surprise as we ascend a hill and spot a kangaroo with a joey in her pouch. She hops around the bend on the same path as us. When we arrive she’s gone but we can spot at least 15 more dotting the hillside. Slowly the grassy land fades and we reach a partially paved road. This part is still pretty hilly but we are relatively distracted by the even road, peek-a-boo sun and continued hunt for the echidna. Whitecorn’s hopes rise when we spot a traffic sign that cautions drivers of the potential presence of kangaroos and echidnas, but alas, still no luck. Eventually we wind our way down to Milanesia Beach which is the perfect stop for a rest and snack. We opt for the extra kilometer of beach track as the sand is harder and not blowing in our faces. Apparently we are two of a very small number of people who choose this path as the stairs away from the beach are overgrown and hard to follow. We survive these only to be greeted by 4-5 kilometers of steep hills and staircases. The going is rough and we are mentally and physically drained as we stumble into camp. We set up the tent quickly and treat ourselves to a slightly larger lunch than usual. We are pleased to discover today’s journey has only taken 5 hours. This is the approximated time given by Parks Victoria for this section of the walk. Go us! Tomorrow is supposed to be the hardest day, but we actually feel ready and capable. We’ll see how long this feeling actually lasts. I will say, we have been (and will continue to) dreaming about what I will have for real dinner upon our return to Melbourne.

Ryan’s Den-Devil’s Kitchen

Day 7’s sunrise is once again thwarted by clouds, but we still see a sliver of orange and yellow which is pretty, just not the spectacular we were hoping for. We pack and get ready slowly as today’s low tide is later in the day than what we have been experiencing and there is no need to rush. Today’s hike is said to be the hardest of all the days and that could definitely be why Whitecorn is dragging her feet more than Goodheart. We’ve decided to take the optional beach walk and that will add another kilometer or so to the 13 we will already be doing. The first 5 minutes of the walk is relatively easy which helps because what follows is not. We were prepped for lots of elevation changes but it’s the steepness of the climb that nearly breaks Whitecorn. There is rolling hillside to begin. We pass cows and a field of kangaroos. Then there are 7-8 cliffs that jut out into the ocean that must be traversed. We hit our milestone markers but the distance between is further than expected. To top it off there is still no sign of the echidna and Whitecorn desperately needs the little guy to make an appearance today. We do get a black wallaby in our path which lets us get fairly close before scampering off. Hot, tired, and in desperate need of a break we finally get to the 366 steps that lead down to Wreck Beach. While we’re still early for low tide we can see places to sit on the beach and we make our way down. The sun comes out and our lunch is peaceful and much needed. This beach trail proves to be the best one yet with hard sand and rock, two shipwrecks from the 1800’s and a tricky but fun rock scramble. The major downside to this is the hike back up the cliff to our campsite. This feels never ending and by the time we arrive we are both cranky. It’s a peaceful site though and for the 2^nd night in a row we are alone which gives us a chance to breathe and decompress. It is only 2:15pm when we arrive so we set out keeping ourselves busy setting up the tent, washing underwear, redoing Whitecorn’s hair, etc. We feel the most relaxed we have felt on this journey and with the sun out we are soon in excellent moods. To top it off the bathroom has the most amazing view ever. No joke. It is crazy to look back at how far we’ve come and we still can’t believe we only have one hiking day left! Dinner is going to be piecemeal tonight but with the promise of amazing Italian food on the horizon we have no problems with this. Bed time will be early tonight as we want to get an early start for the long day tomorrow.

Devil’s Kitchen- Twelve Apostles

Day 8’s incredibly early start is a huge asset today. Sleepy but motivated we continue our hike along the cliff but our views on either side are blocked by extremely dense vegetation. The morning is cool though and the path easy and fairly even. We catch sight of several wallabys including one who stares hard but doesn’t move as we pass within 10 ft of it. About half way through today’s 16 km walk the landscape starts changing and we can see more around us. We begin to not only see roads and civilization, but a glimpse of our end point as well. The ocean is truly a beautiful sight to both of us and the ground passes faster and faster beneath our feet. We reach a lookout and receive our first real look- 3 of the twelve apostles! We break for a quick snack before pushing hard to the end. Our arrival at the visitor center is exciting and underwhelming at the same time. There is nothing provided by Parks Victoria to indicate the end of the walk- no signs, etc and the visitor center itself is boring. But we have made it, accomplishing something neither of us have before and proving to ourselves that we are stronger mentally and physically than we give ourselves credit for. We are exhausted but proud and will remember this adventure for the rest of our lives.

rain rain go away...

a_and_a — Fri, 9 Jan 2015 21:41:00 GMT

Well, I know you are all suffering through cold and snow so it seems silly to complain about rain, but let me tell you- we have seen more rain than sun in the past week or so and it is getting pretty boring. The weather that is. Australia is not boring. Far from it in fact!

As I’m sure you can imagine, the overnight bus was an absolutely thrilling experience but we got into Airlie Beach as scheduled and after dropping our bags of at the hostel jumped straight on a boat to the Whitsundays. It was a gorgeous day (this is before the rain started mind you) and we did some great snorkeling, a short bushwalk and spent a good chunk of time on the stunning and incredible Whitehaven beach. Oh. My. God. Talk about a haven. The sand was pure white and essentially the texture of flour. The water was warm and clear. It was the strangest New Year’s Eve we have ever had…in a good way! After the tour around the islands we came back for dinner then hung around on the beach watching the fireworks ring in the New Year- first for New Zealand, then for Australia. I must say, it was quite strange knowing everyone back home still had 15 hours to go before 2015. In fact, we slept, caught a bus to Townsville, went grocery shopping, and had lunch before calling New York just before midnight. Whaaa???

Townsville seemed like a cute place. We really only used it as a jumping off point for Magnetic Island, but did get to visit the Museum of Tropical Queensland which was pretty cool. We learned all kinds of cool things like the difference between alligators and crocodiles (basically head shape and layout) and that there was a ship called Pandora who went to collect the mutineers of the Bounty but ended up sinking herself.

Sadly, this is where the rain started for us and…well…Magnetic Island wasn’t quite as magical as we had hoped. It truly is a beautiful place but we didn’t get to snorkel and somehow still seemed unable to completely dry off. We tried to hike and alternated between getting caught in downpours and sweating profusely which made for a cranky duo when we realized that the rain wasn’t going to let up or get rid of the muggy and therefore nothing would dry in our open air cabin. Sigh. BUT we did see kangaroos and kookaburras near our cabin, which were pretty cool. I wish Magnetic Island held the charm for us as it seems to hold for many people but I think Whitecorn checked out after getting bitten by and discovering 5 Green Tree ants on her foot during the hike and Goodheart probably checked out after discovering the reception desk apparently closed before 5pm and we were unable to get cutlery for dinner.

Thank goodness for Mission Beach and the wonderful, incredible Absolute Backpackers Hostel. Now, everyone says there is nothing in Mission Beach (true) so you don’t need to stay longer than a night, but we found ourselves wishing to stay longer. The hostel was so friendly, quiet and relaxing that the cranky duo quickly chilled out and calmed down. You may be wondering why we bothered stopping there at all if everyone said to move on…well, we stopped for one reason. SKYDIVING. Yes, you read that right! Whitecorn and Goodheart are officially skydivers!!! Somehow, the weather managed to cooperate for a span of approximately 4 hours during which we were able to jump. Were we nervous? Yes. Was Whitecorn terrified? Yes. Was it amazing? YES!!! I’m pretty sure both Whitecorn and Goodheart got the perfect tandem instructors for each of them. Goodheart’s was enthusiastic and talkative. Whitecorn’s was practical and systematic, a real calming influence. Which was really lucky because…surprise! Out of the 7 people in our plane Whitecorn got the news she was jumping first. I say got the news because there was no choice. Practical Steve (Whitecorn’s tandem) was perfect though and somehow Whitecorn was no longer terrified. The video looks otherwise but honestly Whitecorn has no memory of talking to herself just before the jump. I’d upload the video for you all to laugh at Whitecorn’s hilarious expressions but the little lenovo computer we have on the trip doesn’t have a CD drive. Wah. Wah. Sadly for Goodheart the video equipment froze and he did not get video. The extra bummer was he wished Rob a Happy Birthday on the video and that’s gone. Poo. Anyway- skydiving is an amazing experience- the rush is awesome and the views are incredible. We saw Dunk Island and reef from a bird’s eye view. Whitecorn got to touch a cloud and Goodheart got to steer his parachute. Oh oh! And did I mention we saw a Cassowary on the way to the plane? Apparently these birds are very rare and endangered. They are humungous and dinosaur like. To add to the experience we met an absolutely lovely couple who are doing a shorter version of our trip! Skydiving really brings everyone closer I think. Haha. But we did meet up with them in Cairns and will possibly see them again in SE Asia! Travel is so cool.

Speaking of Cairns- that was our next stop. With one thing after another we didn’t really get to see much of the city but I think the flying foxes filling the sky at night was all we really needed to see! Eek! Day 1 was spent in the Daintree rainforest on a really great tour where we saw a crocodile and learned a great deal about the amazing plant life of the rainforest. Day 2 we went snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. We saw some of the most amazing fish and some really cool coral. The downside was because it was raining in Cairns and a bit on the way out to the reef the water was rough and about half the boat was seasick. Lovely. Day 3 we took tour through the Atherton Tablelands where we saw a tree kangaroo, a platypus and Whitecorn got bitten by a fish. True story. Thank goodness is wasn’t like every other animal in Australia and therefore not dangerous.

This morning we flew out of Cairns and have safely arrived in Melbourne at the wonderful home of Graham and Deirdre. They are the most generous people and we already feel like we’re at home half way around the world. Tomorrow we shall venture out into the city and see what all the fuss is about.

Lots of Love,

W&G

Photos: Australia part W

a_and_a — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 23:03:00 GMT

Photos: Australia part G

a_and_a — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 23:03:00 GMT

But seriously...a dingo is just a dog right?

a_and_a — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 22:57:00 GMT

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder- so I am sure you are all madly in love with us now. I believe I left you all in Franz Josef. We moved from there to Fox Glacier. Both places had amazing hiking despite the horrendous weather that left us in the TV room watching movies one day. We did make two wonderful new friends in Fox Glacier whose travels are similar to ours.

We moved on to Queenstown, which is quite possibly the most beautiful city in New Zealand. (Sadly we missed Wanaka in our planning and based on the reactions of New Zealanders when we told them, we missed out on some real beauty.) Queenstown is lovely though with a gorgeous lake and a sunset of 9pm or so. In addition it was the warmest place we visited in NZ despite being the farthest south. We rode the gondola for stunning views of the city and surrounding area and managed to explore the entire city in one day. Ooops. With our extra day we went on an incredible 30k walk/hike to a place called Bob’s Cove taking a few hiking trails on the way. We were exhausted but it was well worth it.

Christchurch was our last stop in New Zealand. We stayed in a room found on Air BnB as the price was pretty much the same as a hostel and it was AMAZING. We had a private bedroom in a four bedroom flat that was inhabited by three wonderful people. Kelsey, our contact, is actually from the states teaching in NZ for a year. They invited us to share in their pre-Christmas dinner the night before we left which helped take away any feelings of homesickness and prepped us for reentry into hostel life. Christchurch itself is an interesting city. It made us feel very ignorant so, for those who don’t know, Christchurch suffered from 2 large earthquakes approximately 5 months apart in 2010-2011. These quakes pretty much destroyed the city. Much of it is still under construction, but it is uplifting to see how much has been accomplished in 3 short years. You can really feel the whole city pushing to move forward. Unfortunately, the rebuild period did affect our trip as many things were difficult to do/there wasn’t much life in the CBD. We did take a day trip to a fishing town called Lyttleton, which was quiet and sweet, but overall our last stop was not our favorite. I hope in a few years the city will be back on its feet and able to offer more…maybe it will call for another visit…?

NZ in one word:

Scenic

Now, here we are in the land down under. Wow. What an amazing country. We are completely in love. Sydney blew us away. Naturally our visit consisted of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We had to pinch ourselves as we stood outside the Opera House because we couldn’t believe we were actually there. The city has a real life/spunk to it, which drew us in immediately. Our first meal came from Chinatown and while I know we’ll be getting amazing food in SE Asia it was hands down the most amazing meal Whitecorn has had on the trip.

Thanks to Soph’s amazing investigative powers we were privileged to meet a cousin of hers and his wife. They were able to give us a tour of neighborhoods we wouldn’t have seen on our own and we shared a great meal with them that included a family history we were unfamiliar with. What a treat!

No trip to Sydney is complete without a trip to Manly Beach and so we spent a full day there contentedly playing in the water and lounging on the beach.

Our final day in Sydney calls for a special shout-out. We would like to thank Richard Stanley for telling us about the Hawkesbury River. This river is located about an hour train ride north of Sydney and is absolutely stunning. We took a river cruise..aboard a mail boat! This boat delivers the mail to all water-access only towns along the river. The largest had a population of 45! It was not only beautiful, but a really cool experience to see a way of life we have been completely separated from.

From Sydney we flew up to Brisbane and immediately bused down to Byron Bay where we spent Christmas on the beach. Not a bad alternative! We went back up to Brisbane for a couple days where we held koalas, fed kangaroos and wallabys, and saw a platypus for the first time. We also took a day trip to North Stradbroke Island, which we had originally crossed off the list and are so glad we put back on! The definite highlights from that excursion were seeing koalas in the wild and dolphins riding a wave as well as swimming in Brown Lake. Brown Lake is really cool. It is named such because…it’s brown. Whoa. But, the reason it is brown is what makes it cool. The lake is surrounded by tea trees which drop their leaves in the lake. The leaves essentially steep in the lake and turn it tea colored! The lake is freshwater and wonderful to swim in- warm, clear, and tasty. Yes, Whitecorn took a tiny sip.

Now, we are in Rainbow Beach winding down after a day on Fraser Island- another place with an amazing lake to swim in (top 10 according to Lonely Planet…and rightfully so) and the location that inspired my title. Dingos live freely on Fraser and we came across a number of them today. One passed less than a foot from Whitecorn which was a strange experience. She thought it was someone’s pet, it didn’t even acknowledge her, all is well. It’s hard to put into words how much Dingo safety the tour guides and park signs continue to emphasize. You can’t go anywhere without seeing the slogan “Be Dingo Safe!” Tomorrow we jump on an overnight bus to Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays where we will spend New Years Eve missing our traditional NYC party but thrilled at the same time.

No one is far from our minds on this trip, particularly during the holidays. We miss you all very much and love you even more. Thank you for making 2014 so special and for joining us as we step into a new year.