Into the blue...

Jeans, fleece, hot coffee and numb toes...

bekinthebigblue — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:51:00 GMT

...I must be back in NZ! I arrived back in Auckland on Friday morning to my Dad remarking that I look like a Maori - thats what 5 weeks on a dive boat in Fiji will do for ya! But the way the weather is currently looking in NZ, Ill have lost it within days...

My 5 weeks in Fiji flew by, my research and survey diving was phenomenal and as with the Galapagos, I met the most amazing people on base. Thanks to all of you for making it amazing, inspirational and unforgettable :-)

I swam with Bulls Sharks, White Tips, Black Tips, Lemon and Reef Sharks; photographed turtles, eels, crayfish, crabs, molluscs, sharks and anenome fish (my personal favourite); surveyed soft and hard corals, invertebrates and fish; ate carbs and canned goods until I could no longer cope (!); and lived with some of most amazing people ever.

Ive decided that if I had my time again, I would be a marine biologist and work for the big blue - helping the ocean and all that inhabits this underwater world that covers 70% of our planet. As it is though, I dont have the background and I dont think 'passion' alone will get me there - but if you have any ideas, feel free to share! It seems being a volunteer in marine research will not get me the deposit I would need for a beachfront property...

My amazing few months of travel ended with my flight to Auckland on Friday, and HUGE thanks to my Dad and Yvette for giving me a room and food whilst I work out the future! I guess Im slowly getting a plan together, but this whole 'deciding my future' business takes time, thought and space...and being with family is the best place to get all these things.

Ill keep ya updated on my plans but for the moment Vinaka and Hasta Luego.

Bek

Blue Lagoon & Castaway...

bekinthebigblue — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 13:15:00 GMT

...its been a tough morning!

16 of us from base went ato visit caves this morning that were used during the Blue Lagoon filming, and we cruised past Tom Hanks Castaway beach - such is the life in Fiji!

Actually, we have had a pretty miserable couple of weeks on base. Over 50% of peeps on base have been pretty ill - fever, vomiting etc. Luckily Ive managed to escape getting sick and have been able to get all 3 survey dives a day in, which has been awesome. Others though have not been so lucky, with people staying back from projects and spending their time in bed - not fun. We have leaky toilets, no running water sometimes and dodgy electricity, so its an awful place to be ill, and not overly sanitary, hence the illnesses.

However...on to better and brighter things...! I am 100% into my surveying and loving every minute. We often see sharks, rays, huge crays on our survey dives and if im lucky enough to have taken my camera on that dive, I can get a shot. Visibility is still not what I would class as "Fiji" vis, but its still fantastic, warm and lovely water to dive in. This weekend we are staying at Coral View Resort on one of the Yasawa Islands - sickness is rife back on base, so a few of us really wanted to get away to clean dorms, running water, internet, etc. Oh the bliss of small things!

Ive only got one week left - and am AMAZED (yet again) at how fast time has flown, and the number of amazing people I dont want to leave. Thank the Lord for facebook and email! After my project finishes, I have another week in Fiji on my own - I have yet to decide where Im headed, so will need to pick a few peeps brains.

(just spent a half hour writing loads more...then the pc kicked me off...then I lost more paras - this machine is doing my HEAD IN! Welcome to Fiji is the response I get! Yeah well...been here for 3 weeks so I KNOW!)

Anywho...where was I...ummm....I wrote something about my last week in Fiji being on my own, and Ill be having some alone time in a bure on the beach....with a few dives thrown in. Obviously!

Right...after this huge rigamorale (spelling!?) which you guys reading this will havce no idea about as you are just reading it through(!)Im off to have a G&T in the sunshine with base mates. Loads of hugs from Fiji - highly recommend this as a destination for travel - when I upload pics, you will see why!

Happy Bubbles!

Bek

Bula!!!

bekinthebigblue — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:39:00 GMT

BULA!! (hello!!)

This is the first time ive had internet access so this will be a brief catch up on base life for the past week!!

Life on the base is VERY basic on the Yasawa Islands GVI base - we had no running water or electricity for the first 4 days as the generator broke. we are 5 hours from mainland, so EVERYTHING has to be bought in by boat. We have no fresh fruit or veges so live on pasta, rice, potatoes...etc. All a bit boring but we ARE in the most beautiful place on the planet - as far as i can tell! The water is Cayman Islands crystal clear, the fish life is not so abundant, but the corals are STUNNING - every colour of the rainbow and it just blows my mind everytime I get under the water. Fiji is known as the soft coral capital of the world - and I can see why!! Words cannot describe its underwater beauty and majesty. It leaves me breathless. If youve seen Finding Nemo, you've seen Fiji at 20ft!!

Our volunteer crew of 25 have taken a 10min boat ride to another island in the Yasawa Island chain and are staying at a resort called the Coral View for this weekend - it has power (woop woop!), running water (another woop woop!) and fresh fruit and vege - SUCH luxuries! We are all still staying in a dorm, but we are all sooooo thrilled to be here - its a piece of heaven! Sun is out, water crystal clear, COLD beer (yet another woop woop!) and we can all finally charge our phones, iPads, Laptops, etc. The base is much more basic than my Galapagos project, but it is what it is, and we are all coping fine. The volunteer group are great - loads of different nationalities, personalities and aspirations - some phenomenal peeps here.

Life can get pretty tough with no running water - we have a well and a filter on one of our fresh water tanks, so its all about lugging water all over the base, filling the toilet cistern for flushing (now THAT aint fun), trying to avoid the mud during rainy moments, then of course there are the mossies - they are HUGE here and love me to bits, so im always covered in some kind of repellent. There are 3 projects currently being run from this GVI base - education (volunteers teaching in local schools), construction (helping install fresh water tanks and filters), and marine which is me. My first week is over, but Im STILL not done with my training. I need to be able to 100% accurately identify all benthic, invertebrate and fish life forms before I can start the actual underwater surveying. Im well ahead of schedule apparently, but as always, Im impatient to get going on the ACTUAL work. We dive twice a day at the moment, with all dives so far being educational point out dives, so I can start to identify all the life forms on our specially designed list. The diving here is phenomenal. The visibility could be better, but as there has been recent flooding, the runoff ends up in the sea, ergo crappy vis.

Fijians are an amazing, friendly, happy, kind, considerate race of people - always smiling and loving life, no matter the difficulties - we could all learn a LOT from them.

I know this is short, but thats it for now. Others need to use the ONE computer at the resort, and as there is no wi-fi, there is no skyping - boo.

Loads of love from the Yasawas in Fiji!!

Far too much rum...goodbyes...tears...minor altitude sickness - must be back in Quito then...

bekinthebigblue — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:57:00 GMT

Cannot for the life of me understand where the last 4 weeks disappeared to...I think the Galapagos must have been in some kind of alternate reality.

I am now back in Quito with my gorgeous host family after flying in from San Cristobal on Sunday. So nice to rock up to their house and get warm hugs and "Hola Becky!" from Teo and Susana. Love you guys!

My last weekend in the Galapagos was, funnily enough, just as amazing as the preceding weeks had been. I got a boat back to San Cristobal from Santa Cruz on Friday afternoon and met up with lots of Jatun Sacha peeps....was like coming home. Humphrey and Becka were keen on hiring kayaks, so on Saturday six of us headed out in the morning, hired 3 double kayaks and headed off around the coast. Had ham and cheese sandwiches after a 45min kayak...on a beach by ourselves...oh, and a raft of sea lions! (yes, I googled what a group of sea lions is called...). The group male was patrolling the beach though, and he wasn't keen on us getting in the water with the females or pups...quite lucky he allowed us on the beach at all quite frankly!

After a wander around and a few gorgeous sea lion pics, we packed up and headed back with a stop off at a famous snorkeling spot. We tied our three kayaks together and had turns snorkeling. I wasn't keen on getting in as the water was freezing, plus after 14 dives, decided I had seen everything I needed to see (Becka suggested I was now a snorkeling snob), until a sea lion pup came over to investigate. I was straight in the water and spent a good 45 mins swimming and playing with him...until his mum showed up and escorted him off...too funny! She had obviously had enough of him at the playground. It was Bridget's first ever snorkel...she was beside herself after spending time with the pup...gotta love the Galapagos!

Saturday night was my final night out with Jatun Sacha peeps...then sad goodbyes on Sunday morning. Had leaky eyes again...must get that looked at ;-)

So...two days of relaxation in Quito then family in Brisbane!! Looking forward to lots of hugs and family time :-)

X

Galapagos-style close encounter...

bekinthebigblue — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:28:00 GMT

I'm sitting at my favorite cafe on Santa Cruz watching the world go by...and feel so lucky that I have had the opportunity to visit the Galapagos and experience one of the most amazing, diverse places on earth. I feel as though this is the pinnacle of my traveling to-date...both in terms of the phenomenal diving and wildlife, and the amazing people I have met. How do I get David Attenboroughs job, so I can travel and see this kind of life all the time, and meet peeps along the way?!

Yesterday was my last day of diving in the Galapagos...and it did not disappoint. Scuba Iguana took us out to Bartolomé, a stunning island an hour and a half from Santa Cruz. It's a great spot for macro photography and I got some great shots of puffer fish, starfish, beautiful soft corals...and then got the fright of my life...I was dealing with a bit of an ear equalization issue, when I turned and saw a rather large Hammerhead glistening in the sun, cruising past me...and pretty close. I managed to get my camera up for a shot which was lucky, because my buddies were ahead of me and missed him altogether! I indicated that I'd just seem a Hammerhead (using the universal shark symbol followed by a fist on either side of my head for 'hammerhead') but they clearly didn't believe me, assuming that they couldn't possibly have missed him. Thank god for my Olympus...they were gutted to have missed such a close encounter. Neh neh neh neh neh!

Loads of thanks to Paulo and Kiki from Scuba Iguana, and Adam for being a top buddy for my 6 dives ;-)

I'm heading back to San Cristobal this afternoon, will catch up with some Jatun Sacha peeps, and then I fly back to Quito on Sunday...and then to family in Brisbane!!! Cannot wait for family hugs and quality time!

Im missing the Galapagos already...and Ive not even left yet...

I'm running out of adjectives...

bekinthebigblue — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:25:00 GMT

...to describe this place and the diving. Phenomenal doesn't seem to cut it anymore...

Did another 2 dives with Scuba Iguana today with Adam as my buddy again. We piled into cabs (flatbed trucks as they are here) and drove the 45 mins to the other side of Santa Cruz to jump on the boat and head to Seymour Island.

Water was a relatively warm 68def F (well...its all relative right!¡ That would NOT have been warm a month ago...) and my gear from Scuba Iguana is great...loving the hoods! Saw 3 White Tip Sharks lounging under a ledge...and think we managed to wake them (ooops) as I have video of one of them swimming right at me, then popping back to his place beside his mates. Should have been scared perhaps but with the camera in front of me....I feel invincible...no idea why really...all a bit odd (and they were only about 4 feet long!). Saw a gang of eagle rays, more turtles, schools of Pelican Barracuda, puffer fish and moray eel.

Had lunch on the boat, got back to the dock and chatted about the dives on the way back to the dive shop. Debrief at the dive shop, photo and video footage shared...another TOP day of diving in the Galapagos with great peeps.

I'm dreading leaving this place...and already thinking about when I can return...perhaps after I win lotto ;-)

X

Hammerhead Heaven!!!

bekinthebigblue — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:22:00 GMT

Wow...what a day!!! Joined the the most experienced dive operator in Santa Cruz - Scuba Iguana. We did a 2-tank at Gordon Rocks...one of the most famous sites here...and I can see why.

As I was solo, I was buddied with Adam from the Czech Republic...he was on a rebreather so I was under pressure to ensure I was decent enough on my air! As it turned out, both our dives today were over an hour and we were the last peeps back on the boat. Adam was happy, and I was stoked I did well enough on my air with a rebreathing buddy. Our dives guides were fantastic...love these guys...

We saw loads of Hammerheads cruising past (and I FINALLY got a decent pic!), schools of Pelican Barracuda, turtles and all the usual amazing underwater suspects. Water was a bit warmer, plus I had a fantastic 7mm wetsuit and hood...I was pretty comfy!

What a phenomenal day...and I'm doing it again with Scuba Iguana tomorrow...woop woop!! I'm spending a small fortune...but don't care about that at this point in time...;-)

X

Toes completely frozen...

bekinthebigblue — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:50:00 GMT

...after 2 dives today at Seymour Island off Santa Cruz!

Computer hit 59 deg F which is blimmin' freezing...and my 7mmm full wetsuit was clearly not enough. Will ensure I'm more geared up tomorrow...

We didnt see overly much...no big stuff but thousands of fish. Pretty cool swimming through school after school of them! The dive operation we went with were unprofessional, equipment pretty rubbish and generally did NOT rate them. Tomorrow I am diving with Scuba Iguana - the premier dive operation on Santa Cruz and they have been referred to me by a few people. Looking forward to a professional dive operation and better gear that will keep me warm at depth!

Hot shower to re-warm was blissful this afternoon...fingers and toes (preferably not frozen) crossed for some BIG stuff tomorrow!

Had a lovely dinner with Phil, Tami and Nico...looked through pics and now it's 9pm...bedtime for Bek...I'm so hard core ;-)

Kinda sick of getting up at 'stupid-o'clock'...

bekinthebigblue — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 09:47:00 GMT

...but as Phil and I were heading to Santa Cruz for more diving, it's something I'm prepared to do!

We arrived around 10am at Santa Cruz and set about finding our hostel, wi-fi and having some brekkie. We then checked out the famous Charles Darwin Centre and saw Land Iguanas for the first time...pretty fab creatures.

Bumped into Tami from the station who is keen to dive tomorrow, so we have all booked in for a 2 tank at a site called Seymour. Ive also booked in for 2 dives on Tuesday. Phil will be heading back to San Cristobal then, so will be going it alone. I'm spending one millllllliiiiooooon dollars on diving...but I doubt I'll be back here so have put this portion of my trip in the "lets think about that later" category :-)

It's 8pm now and I'm already in bed...too many late nights and early mornings have knackered me!

To sleep I go...and into the blue tomorrow!

X

Hammerhead...tick!!

bekinthebigblue — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:44:00 GMT

BEST DIVE OF MY LIFE. Think that about covers it...

Phil and I joined Tranquil Divers again for 2 more dives at Kicker Rock from San Cristobal. First dive included 6ft hammerhead cruising past us, Silky and Galapagos Sharks EVERYWHERE you looked (literally every 30 seconds), huge green turtles silhouetted on the surface in 3s and 4s, on the wall, swimming past us, around us, and 2 sea lions joined us at about 50ft for some play time. Not to mention the schools of thousands of fish, swaying in the swell of Kicker Rock. Ummm...what more could you possibly want?! In heaven :-)

In the evening the hostel put on a BBQ for us all...but as Phil and I had to get up at 6am the next day to get a boat to Santa Cruz (to dive of course...), I was in bed pretty early. I really am a cool kid :-)

Said goodbye to Steve today...sad times after spending so much time with him. I guess that's the trouble with meeting amazing people in such an amazing place. Next weekend will be similar...saying adios to loads of Jatun Sacha peeps that have become friends and inspirations.

X

Goodbye Jatun Sacha...

bekinthebigblue — Fri, 9 Dec 2011 09:40:00 GMT

Three amazing weeks over at Jatun Sacha. Time spent with phenomenal people from all parts of the world with amazing lives, stories and inspirational plans. You have all made this experience one of the best things I have ever done and I cannot wait to see where your lives take you!

I've loved sharing meals with you (save for the burnt porridge incident), playing cards and SPOONS!, getting whipped at ping pong, drinking terrible Pilsner and only slightly better rum, sitting in trucks en route to machete mora, planting seeds, hauling compost, chopping banana trees or weeding covered in mozzie spray and mozzie netting, sharing hangovers and an amazing 4 day trip around the Galapagos...

Last night turned into the most hysterical experience of my time at Jatun Sacha! Me, Bailey and Steve were celebrating our final night...and the rum def got the better of Steve...he was still hugely lacking sobriety this morning and the hilarity just continued! I sat behind my camera most of the night videoing the absolute circus that unfolded...including Jimmy and Steve trying to 'out do' Bailey with gymnastic moves. Boys...she was a gymnast and cheerleader, so you never really had a chance to look anything but hysterically stoopid...but thank god you tried...wait for the link to You Tube ;-)

This morning we piled into the trucks for the trip to town...with Steve and Jimmy in my truck, ensuring it was one of the funniest 30mins of my life!! I'm not sure about Jimmy, but Steve hadn't had time to get remotely sober...laughing at someone else expense is always top of my list...love you boys ;-)

Once in town Steve went straight to bed (prob a good call...) while the rest of us caught up with Becka-I think I'll chop onto my foot with a machete-Houghton and Humphrey...we missed you! Phil and I got another 2 dives booked for Kicker Rock tomorrow....woop woop! Requesting Hammerhead...PLEASE!

X

Last full day at Jatun Sacha...how did that happen so damn fast?

bekinthebigblue — Thu, 8 Dec 2011 05:29:00 GMT

It's 930am and I'm sitting in a hammock next to Silke listening to music (on my awesome iPad which I now cannot live without...thanks Andy!) and reliving the most amazing last 3 weeks. The group has gone to hoe vine roots (joke in there somewhere) but Steve and I are on lunch, so need to be in the kitchen for 10am. Silke has stayed back as she's not feeling so good. There is no sun this morning but from the hammocks I'm looking out over the forest to the ocean and having a good bit of 'me' time, which I've (amazingly) come to enjoy.

Will spend this weekend in San Cristobal at the Northia (hostel) with peeps from the station, say a few final goodbyes to those leaving and will spend next weekend at the Northia also as everyone from the station (who have not left!) will be there. Decided to head to Santa Cruz during next week for a few days of diving, and I think Phil might join - woop woop...a diving we will go! Fly to Quito on December 18 which is a Sunday...then onto Brisbane on December 21.

...it's now 5pm...and I'm back on the hammock. Had a super free day today :-). Steve and I weren't really needed in the kitchen and only chopped salad before being 'let go'. I've spent most of day playing pingpong with Steve (he's taught me well, but the student will NEVER be the master), listening to music, hammock-ing, reading and packing to go. Dinner is in an hour, followed (I'm pretty sure) by cards then the bar for me, Steve and Baileys last night. Am thinking I need to have a few rums...can't face the Pilsner...

Whoever invented 'Spoons'...

bekinthebigblue — Wed, 7 Dec 2011 05:25:00 GMT

...is officially my new hero! Just spent a good portion of the night screaming, yelling, grabbing and laughing hysterically...best fun I've had in a long time (its a card game with spoons for those who are lost..). I won 2 rounds and was close on winning my 3rd (after about 9 people had been dismissed!) but decided I had better let Steve take the game...he might have cried otherwise ;-)

Bad news of the day is that Becka decided it might be fun to slice into her foot with a machete. I was at the Ministry of Agriculture with another group, but Becka swung a machete into her foot while cutting into raspberry vines at the neighbors property and is now in town after a visit to the hospital. I'll see her and Humphrey at the weekend though, as we will all be at the same hotel. One word for you Becka...DOH!

We had two groups for work today...I went with the group to plant coffee beans at the Ministry of Agriculture (nice and relaxing which was just perfect for today!) while the other group went to the neighbors again to chop vines. We didn't get back till around 2pm (as the truck meant to pick us up ran out of gas...well...we are in Ecuador...) so have had the afternoon off. Bit of hammock swinging, chat, journal writing, Lonely Planet reading and a shower...nice.

Last night we went to the bar for Marks leaving drinks...pretty hilarious to sit and nurse two beers over four hours, and watch 18 year old Mark get fairly knackered for one of his final times before heading back to the US where he needs to be 21 to drink. Jimmy-that's AWESOME-Malloy was also on fine form and decided that running back to the station in the dark, on gravel was a good idea...not so much! Bailey-like, I hardly like ever, use the word like-Boergesson was also on form...like totally ;-)

Hard to tell this morning if Mark, Jimmy and Bailey were actually sober at breakfast...am going with a no on that one. Steve, Phil and I remained pretty sober...and I would have felt pretty smug...if it hadn't been for my horrendous birthday drinking aftermath of last week!

Tomorrow afternoon I have to pack as we are heading into town on Friday...time at Jatun Sacha is almost at an end and so is my time with these amazing people :-(

X

It's suddenly my last week at the station...

bekinthebigblue — Tue, 6 Dec 2011 05:20:00 GMT

....and I'm stoked I've made the decision to leave early to see more of the Galapagos, but have made this place home and met some absolutely amazing people. Miss my aussie buddy Liz and gorgeous Jeanette who left last week. Life here isn't the same without Ian, Austen, Lucas or Nicky either. And this morning Keith left too...one of sweetest blokes I think I've had the privilege of knowing. And it just gets worse...Mark leaves tomorrow then possibly Phil (if he can't change his flights).

At least I get to spend time with Steve and other Jatun Sacha peeps at the hotel in town on Friday night, before they leave and Bailey might be doing her open water...another newbie to introduce to diving :-) Saying goodbye to Becka, Humphrey, Jimmy, Christina and Silke will be hard on Friday :-(

To all you Jatun Sacha peeps...you are amazing, full of life, passion and spirit and I am thrilled I got to spend this time with you and call you my friends. Hope to see you sometime, somewhere out there :-)

I guess I'm feeling a little emotional this afternoon eh!?

Ok...moving on...

This morning Becka and I went through our bird pics with Caesar from my first week, classified them etc. then both shared our pics of our time around the station...Caesar wants to use some of them for the website. For some reason the compost pile was on the agenda again, so we joined Steve and Christina for an hour and a half of planting coffee beans (mine and Beckas lines were the straightest by the way, though Steve would def protest that). Had a fairly large spider try to edge his way into the process, but we told him to bugger off...

Had a top lunch, then we played football...Ecuador vs. The Rest of the World. Apparently I was pretty good on defense...a 'sweeper'...if that makes sense to anyone?! I waited for the attackers to head down my direction, tackled and got the ball, or was just a distraction. I think I was more of a distraction to be honest...

Tonight we have stick bread after dinner, then to the bar as Mark is leaving...more crappy Pilsner :-)

X
ps. Phil managed to change his flight to next Wednesday, so he can join me on a few dives next week...top news!
Pps. No spiders in my new room...result!

Controversial decision made (well...more like 'expensive' decision made...)

bekinthebigblue — Mon, 5 Dec 2011 05:19:00 GMT

I've decided to leave the station a week early and spend some time in San Cristobal and Santa Cruz diving. Considering it costs $120 for 2 dives, I'm looking at a fairly expensive week before my flight to Quito on December 18. I'll also have to pay for hotels (though they are generally only around $15 per night), my own food and transport...and Ill be on my own I guess. I've met a great Canadian instructor in town who will be able to get me on her boat and will recommend a good dive operation in Santa Cruz. Sorted :)

I've figured that I'm not likely to come back to the Galapagos so might as well make the most of it. As far as we all can tell, Caeser is pretty relaxed about when we come or go...we've paid up all our money and are volunteers, so he's happy!

This morning we slept in till about 8am and headed back to the station for 10am. Me, Steve and Bailey managed to secure a spot in the cab, while Jimmy and Phil got wet in the back as it was raining...thanks for keeping our gear dry boys. It was raining and fairly miserable back at the station also so there wasn't much work going on, but ended up in the compost (nice) bagging dirt for tomato seed planting.

After lunch I was on the compost team AGAIN... shoveling dirt, chopping up rotten banana trees to add to the compost, watering it and leaving it to ferment. Is this the right term?! Dunno...(I got to use a machete though, so was happy!)

As it was Keith's last night, we went to the bar for a few quiet bevvies after dinner and I had a couple of Pilsner....still not come around to this crappy beer. Bailey did a phenomenal job of turning Keith's plain white cap into a masterpiece for his leaving pressie. Brick, you must wear this hat in every photo from now on, otherwise Humphrey might hunt you down and weld it to your head...fact :)

X

Ps. Moved out of my room last night...it's seriously damp and clothes are staring to smell (well...more than they usually do) and my new room is dryer...nice :-)

"Bek, I love ya like a sister, but get the hell out of our room!"

bekinthebigblue — Sun, 4 Dec 2011 05:15:00 GMT

...it appears Phil and Steve were getting sick of a rum-fueled Bek at 2am this morning. In all fairness, I was in the doorway, NOT the room...

4 amazing days on tour with 9 peeps from the station and hot showers weren't REMOTELY the highlight! Try swimming with more sea lions & turtles, photographing huge iguanas, sea lions, giant tortoises, spotted eagle rays, penguins and White Tip sharks, hiking through volcano craters, visiting giant tortoise breeding centers...and a bit more rum!

We visited 3 other islands in the archipelago - Floreana, Isabela and Santa Cruz. They all are very different from each other and have varying numbers of local populations, wildlife and differ wildly in size. Amazing places...just amazing. I think I will need to let the photos speak for themselves...

Our group got on famously together and only had one night on the sauce...great night at a disco tech...and I found Corona!! I know this is not normally something to rave about, but when your choices of alcohol are Pilsner, Club or rum, this kind of find can make you woop and holler. Sad, but true. Phil was getting his grove on in a big way on the dance floor, and Steve pulled out some fine moves...clearly the beer was doing it's job! Ended up at a hideous karaoke bar though, so called it quits earlier than we could have.

We have done a 'sneaky' and are staying in town tonight...none of us wanted to face the mozzies and the bumpy 45min taxi ride on the back of a flatbed truck after our trip. We will head back to the station tomorrow...after a sleep in...and arrive for lunch...ahhhhh bliss...

Couldn't get any diving in as our trip was jam packed, so this coming weekend I'll be arranging some...get me in that take-your-breath-away freezing Galapagos water. I'd like to order the viewing of a Hammerhead please, and a Whale Shark would top it off nicely.

I was planning on giving you a detailed account of the last 4 days, but think you get the gist! Phenomenal sums it up nicely :-)

XX

Swinging a machete whilst hideously hung over was not in the plan...

bekinthebigblue — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:35:00 GMT

...but that's what today held for me :)

After dinner and glorious chocolate cake last night, a few of the boys made a fire to rival any I have seen...top top work by the fire starters! We sat around randomly chatting, then headed to the bar around 8pm or so...then the night just got worse from then on. Pool and FAR too many rums for the birthday girl. I have photos I don't remember taking, and am in photos that I don't remember being taken...shocking admission by a 36 year old! Had a fantastic night with amazingly fun peeps. Phil and Silke had to drag/carry me home down the rocky road back to the station...in the dark...then they put me to bed...thanks guys!

Depressingly, this morning was more raspberry vine macheteing...was NOT feeling the love today. We drove an hour to the neighbors to help them out...by lunch time my hangover was in full swing, I was hot and no doubt sweating rum and I was not having any fun...but managed to cut my lines and do the job. Awful self inflicted crappy day! Worth it though...have some fantastic pics and memories.

After dinner at the station, was in bed by 830...ah bliss ;)

Ps. We drank the bar dry so they ended up kicking us all out...isn't this the sort of thing you're supposed to do when you're 21!?

ITS MY BIRTHDAY!

bekinthebigblue — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:31:00 GMT

And I'll...weed if I want to?

Well, it's better than some of the other options for today...

Got up, opened my door (after saying hi to George) and saw a beautiful flower, card and some choccie biccies from Christina and Silke - friends from Germany. They were my first tears of the day...then I got to breakfast and got about 25 hugs from the group...then got presented with a group photo taken last week that everyone had signed. More tears...very special morning. I have made some fantastic friends with amazing people :)

After breakfast 12 of us jumped into a truck and drove the 30mins to Galapagera - where we worked in a nursery hauling bags of compost and weeding. The rest of the group busied themselves with hoeing and helping around the station. Across the road from the nursery is a giant tortoise breeding centre, and we got a guided tour through it, saying hey to all the tortoises...I think I got the best deal today in terms of work! These things are HUGE! They had pens for all the small ones...and one of them had gotten himself upside down and his little legs were flailing away...had to laugh! The guide flipped him up the right way, but took the little guy a while to get over it ;)

We had the afternoon off after a good mornings work...and I had a hot shower....and I'm wondering if I just dreamed it?! Tonight Becka and Humphrey (couple from the UK) are on dinner and are doing me a cake...woop woop! We are also having a fire and stick bread (damper-type stuff, if you know what that is...) We also might head to the 'pub' and have a few rums...will try to get a few pics of me celebrating my 36th birthday in the Galapagos!

Am currently swinging in my hammock, looking forward to yummy dinner, birthday cake, mates, pingpong, pool and rum.

Am thinking of my bestie mates and family a lot today. You know who you are and I love ya. I'll raise a glass of rum to you all later ;)

Miss you all XX

Farmer Karma

bekinthebigblue — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:26:00 GMT

After another awesome day of diving and snorkling yesterday, our group got taxis back to the station and even though we left behind hot showers and most joys of a normal life (!) it felt like coming home. Dare I say...it's nice to be back :)

This morning it was back to 6am mornings, pancakes at 7am (v v yummy) and up into the forest to machete down more raspberry vines...amazingly satisfying...though I did have a bunch of ants fall into the back of my shirt and got bitten like crazy, and there were a few peeps who got stung by angry wasps...not a good day for insects!

After lunch we shelled fresh coffee beans that had been picked this morning by a small group of volunteers. In order to try and help with reforestation on the island, the station is trying to get the farming neighbors to grow coffee, instead of the invasive raspberry plants which are out of control and choking a lot of the native species. The fresh coffee beans will be given to the farmers to plant, in order that they can cheaply get going with growing coffee. Farmer Karma!

It's my birthday tomorrow...and there are soooo many 18 year olds at the station, and I'm double their age. Sheeeesh. Old much!? I'm getting a cake for dinner apparently...that's a big deal at a station like this, so I think everyone is stoked it's my birthday!

On Thursday, 9 of us head into town to start a 4 day island-hop tour of other Galapagos islands...sooooo looking forward to it, and fingers crossed I can get a dive in :)

X

Ps. If you ever spend time in the jungle, a headlamp is a MUST...as is the ability to play a multitude of card games to keep yourselves entertained...

I honestly don't know if I have the words...

bekinthebigblue — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:22:00 GMT

What a weekend. Phenomenal. Spectacular. Wild. Breathtaking.

Four amazing dives at Kicker Rock which is just 30mins by boat from port. Kicker Rock is a sheer walled cone rising out of the sea...only accessible by boat.

On Saturday Phil and I were first taken to Isla Lobos - small rocky island inhabited by sea lions and blue footed boobies. Our group (mostly snorkelers) jumped in the water and spent an hour swimming with a female sea lion. She was phenomenal fun....Phil and I spent most of our time free diving to about 10ft as she would follow us, spin around us and blow bubbles in our faces. When we weren't diving down, she sat on the surface with us, floating inches from our masks, eyeing us up and posing for my pictures and videos. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Words cannot do it justice :-)

We were then taken to Kicker Rock for our first dive...it was 61 deg F, which is over 20 deg colder than what I'm used to! I had a 3mm full wetsuit, plus a 7mm shorty...and I was still cold! My feet were so numb by the end of our 48mins that couldn't tell if I was even finning or not! But all that pales into insignificance when you see HUGE green turtles whenever you look up, Galapagos Sharks emerging from the depths or silhouetted against the surface, school upon school of fish...in the thousand...with turtles and sharks cruising through and around them, octopus and huge colorful starfish living in holes on the sheer walls, and thermoclines like I have never before experienced...then little 'ole us watching in awe at everything taking place right in front of us. Easily the best dive of my life. I surfaced...and was speechless. Doesn't normally happen to me! I hardly took any pics as I honestly didn't know where to look...I wanted to capture everything...but ended up getting not much of anything. I was too overwhelmed.

For our surface interval we went to Puerto Grande, a beautiful little cove on the coast with views out over to Kicker Rock. Here we had a yummy lunch and relaxed on the beach, then back out to Kicker Rock for our second dive - which was just as phenomenal as the first...and as I knew what to expect in terms of the cold, was more bearable! A huge (and I mean HUGE) Green Turtle came out of a school of fish and right up to my camera and just sat there....staring at me. Also had a Galapagos Shark come pretty close at one point. He was only about 4ft and must have got bored of me as he took off down the wall. I was in heaven :)

No Hammerheads, but seeing other sharks every few minutes more than made up for it :)

WHAT A DAY!!

And we did it all again on Sunday. In heaven I tell ya...in heaven :)

X