Where in the World is Julie?

Returning Home

2007-06-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Chicago Airport on Wednesday June 6th and was greeted by my mom who was armed with a big bunch of ballons and a poster welcoming me back. It was so exciting to see her!
We left the airport and made our way to Gurnee Mills where we proceeded to shop for the next 3 to 4 hours. I was looking for a dress to wear to a wedding that I was going to with Peter and instead of one,- I found three! On the way back to Random Lake, we stopped at Qudoba and I got some chicken nachos. I had been craving those for months! They were so delicious.

We arrived in Random Lake and I was greeted by my dad and kitty! A package was waiting for me at home... flowers from Peter. Isn't he great?!? I spent the night catching up with my parents and just enjoying the comforts of home... like milk in the fridge and all the fixings for a great ice cream sundae. Yumm!

Thursday morning I went to my friend Marissa's house to see her and her new baby Lauren. The baby is absolutely adorable and it was good to catch up with Marissa and her husband Bob. They are my first close friends to have a baby, so it was really neat to see.
Afterwards it was a new haircut and eyebrow wax to keep me looking presentable. That evening I took a rollerblade around Random Lake, one of my favorite things to do while at home, before eating a home cooked meal.

Friday I took off to Madison doing some last minute shopping along the way. Whlie in Madison I was able to catch up with my friend Kim, who met me in Africa, and see what was new in her life. We caught up over some Babcock ice crea at the Momorial Union Terrace... one of my favorite places in Madison. Then off to meet my favorite guy... PETER! I picked him up from the airport and we took of to the rehersal dinner for Brooke and Tyler (Peter's friends) . We were able to see all of Peter's good friends which was exciting and some of his family as well.

Saturday was the wedding and I was able to get all dolled up in my new pretty dress. It was a lot of fun to get fancied up in new clothes, especially after wearing the same things for 5 months. We had a great time at the wedding dancing, eating, drinking, and being silly.

Sunday morning we met my friend Katy (who met me in Greece) and her new boyfriend Drew for breakfast at Micky's Dairy Bar. Micky's is right across the street from camp Randall and it brought back a bunch of good feelings just being there. Katy and I were able to catch up a bit and I got to know Drew a bit over some greasy breakfast. From there we went to the Madison airport where Peter's best friend was. We were able to hang out with Cory and January for a bit before their plane took off which was really nice. Then it was off to Minneapolis! The drive went by quickly and before you knew it we were pulling into Peter's condo. It is a really nice condo in a wooded area down a bike path from 3 lakes. I think I will fit in just fine here.

Monday was a bit of a stressful day spent on the internet researching cell phones, apartments and jobs.

Tuesday was a bit more exciting with the purchace of my new T-Mobile cell phone plan and Motarola Razor phone. I looked at about 6 different apartments that day as well, but didn't find anything that I especially liked.

Wednesday was an excellent day. It began with me finding the perfect apartment. It is a one bedroom, with a poarch overlooking a wooded dead end area on the bike trail. It has an open kitchen, bay windows, dishwasher, garbage disposal, walk in closets, heated underground parking, a pool, is a mile from Peter's and it is southern facing with good light. But the best part is that it always smells like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies outside because there is a factory somewhere near! I was super excited when I found it and signed the lease. I move in July 1st. Check it out at http://www.tamarindapts.com/

Peter and I wound down the day with a rollerblade around the lakes. We stopped and had a slushie while we looked out over the water. It was great. And while rollerblading on the trail we ran into my old roomate Kim! It was so crazy! We chatted a bit and then made our way back home. Good stuff.

Thruday the job search began and I spent alomost all day working on my resume and looking for jobs online. There seem to be plenty available, so I am optomistic. When Peter was done with work we hopped in the pool at his complex and swam for a bit before finishing off the day with a game of scrabble.

It sure is great to be back in the states. I am really enjoying everything - especially the little things like having the shampoo in the shower and being able to recieve phone calls. Its great. Slowly my life is returning to normal- a new normal.

If you would like me new phone number and address, feel free to drop me an e-mail. I'd love to hear from you.

Galapagos Islands

2007-06-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Quito Equador on Saturday May 26th. From the airport I made my way to the Secret Garden Hostel where I would be spending my first night in Equador. There I met up with another girl who was traveling alone and we decided to go explore the town together. We wondered though the Old Town and took in all of the beautiful chruches and important buildings. We were enjoying the charm of the city when we looked up and saw dark menacing clouds above our heads. The threat of rain was high, so we quickly made it back to the hostel, but we were not quick enough. We were caught in a full fledged rain/sleet/hail storm and arrived at the hostel soaking wet. We changed into some dry clothes and spent the rest of the evening relaxing with a good book.

Sunday morning I woke up and went to mass in one of the old, beautiful cathedrals in the old town. After mass I packed up my stuff and made my way across town where I checked into the Hotel Rio Amazones where Barb would be meeting me later that day. Since it was a Sunday, most stores were closed and there weren't many people out on the street. I didn't feel safe enough to wander around by myself, so I spent a good portion of the day reading and watching TV in the hotel room. Barb arrived at about 12:30 that night. I was so excited to see her! Barb and I had so much to talk about that we were up until almost 4AM catching up.

Monday morning we slept until almost 10 am because of our late night and when we did wake up we were HUNGRY! So, we found a nice Mexican restaurant down the street where we ate some lunch. Lunch was actually a very exciting experience for me because I have been craving good Mexican food for months now... and I finally had what I was looking for. My taco salad and chips with guac were absolutely amazing! After lunch we wandered around the city a bit, browsing in shops, people watching and taking in the culture. We went out to a Mongolian BBQ for dinner and drinks and then made our back to the hotel for a chat before calling it a night.

Tuesday morning we were up at about 8:30 and after a hot shower and a yummy breakfast we began our adventure to the Equator line. We walked a couple of blocks to the bus station where we got on a public bus. We rode that for awhile until we got to the transfer station where we proceeded to get on another bus. That bus dropped us off in front of the monument documenting the equator. It was a huge monument and we took a lot of photos of it. We did a bit of craft shopping as well before making our way to the museum about the equaor. Turns out, the equator marker isn't actually on the equator! The guy at the museum told us all about it and the the pre-incan cultures had discovered the equator many years before and built a semi circle structure there. So, he let us borrow his GPS to find the true equator. Sure enough... there was no monument there. It was in the middle of the highway! After a really good lesson in ancient cultures and astronomy, we hopped back on the public bus and found our way back to the hotel with no problems. Later that evening, after another dinner of yummy mexican food we met up with our GAP group for the first time. We recieved our special allowance luggage bags, repacked and made it an early night.

Wednesday we were up early at 5:30 and on our way to the airport for our flight to the Galapagos by 7:00 am. Once at the airport, it was a bit confusing because they kept changing the departure gate on us. Eventaully we got on the plane and began our journey to the Galapagos. After arriving on the island we took a bus to the other side where we met our boat that we would be living on for the next 5 days. We had an awesome lunch and then went back to the island to visit the Charles Darwin research station. It is there that they breed giant tourtises. We got to go right up to some of them and see how big a 100kg, 150 year old torutise actually is. It was really cool. After the station we had some time to look around the town so Barb and I got some ice cream and watched the fisherman feed the pelicans their scraps from the fish. It was fun. When we got back on the boat we had dinner and then just hung out on the top deck looking at the stars before heading back to our cabins to call it a night.

This morning we woke up at about 6:15 and got ready for the day. After breakfast we hopped in a little boat that brought us to the island of Santa Cruise. We got off in an area called "Dragon Hill" and started walking around the island. The island is volcanic, so it is covered with black igneous rocks. While walking we saw 4 flamingos and numerous male and female land iguanas. We saw many other birds and insects as well. The island was a lot drier and less green than I had imagined. After a couple hours of walking around, we came back to the boat to relax and eat as we sailed to the island of Rabida. We arrived in Rabida after lunch and had our first encounter with our sea lion friends. They were just hanging out on the beach, barking and flopping in the sand. They were so much fun to watch. After watching them on land for a bit, Barb and I decided to snorkel. We got in the chilly water and made our way up the beach, observing tropical fish and a giant sea turtle along the way. Further out we found some sea lions in the water that wanted to play. We swam in circles, blew bubbles and dove under water with them. It was so much fun! When we were too cold from the water we got out onto the red sand beach and dried off before making our way back to the boat. Once on board we had another yummy dinner and enjoyed more star watching before bed.

Friday June 1st was another early morning and we visited our first island by 8am. The first island that we visited was completely made of black igneous rocks. It was formed by a volcano 107 years ago and the lava looked like it had just cooled. When you reached out and touched it, it almost looked as if it would be squishy.. but it definately wasn't . We walked around the island for a bit taking it all in. We say the one cactus that had started to grow there- called a primary cactus. It was a very unique island. Once we were done walking aournd the island, we had the chance to snorkle as well. We snorkled out along the beach seeing tropical fish. However, right near shore there were two sea lions that were wanting to play, so we splashed around in the water with them for another 1/2 hour before getting back on the boat for some lunch. The afternoon began by arriving at Bartolome island. We walked to t he opposite side of the island where we saw tons of white tipped reef sharks swimming in the shallow water. After admiring them for a bit, we went back to the pinnicle rock side of the island and did some snorkeling. It was there that we saw and were able to swim with the Galapagos Penguin! That was so cool! We also played with sea lions and saw a good number of tropical fish as well. Later that evening we climbed to the highest peak on the island, took in our surroundings and watched the sun set over the crystal blue water with the islands in the distance.

Saturday after our breakfast, our first stop was the island of South Plaza. South Plaza was interestng because there were red plants interspersed between black rocks and green cacctus. Marine and land iguanas were everwhere! Sea lions were all over the place as well and it was fun the watch them use the iguanas as a toy to play with. As we walked along the sea side coast, we watched the blue footed boobie birds dive bomb into the water looking for fish. It was quite entertaining to watch. Afterwards it was back to the boat for lunch.... except when I got back on the boat, I did't actually feel that well. After a small snack, I ran to the bathroom and was sea sick for the next 4 - 5 hours. Yuck! At 2:00 I took my chance to get off the boat and we went to the SanteFe Island. There were sea lions everywhere!~ We sat and watched them for awhile before getting our snorkle stuff and hopping in the water to swim with them once again. We also saw another giant sea turtle and were able to follow that for a bit in the water. When we got back to the boat, we cuddled up in warm clothes (that water was chilly!) had hot chocolate and popcorn and read a bit. Dinner was good, and I managed to keep it down which was even better. I spent the last night on the boat looking up at the start and wondering what the future held in store for me.

Sunday morning was our last morning in the islands. Our last island that we visited was North Seymour island. It was there that we got to see the infamous blue footed boobie birds. The neatest part was watching their mating dance. The males would whistle, flap their wings and pick up their feet almost in a dancing motion. We also got to see the Magnificent Frigate Birds mating ritual- the males expanding the red sacks near their throat. It was cool to see all of them so close in thier natural habitat. After the island we went back to the boat, packed up our stuff and took off to the airport. We arrived back in Quito about 6:00 and after a delicious dinner Barb and I chatted the night away until it was time for bed.

Monday was an unwinding day for Barb and I and we spend a majority of the day shopping at the local mall looking for a dress for me to wear to a wedding when I get home and talking. We talked about everything under the sun... and had a great time. When we got back to the hotel we watched a movie, had some dinner and talked some more. I love girl talk!

Today is Tueday, June 5th... the last day of my trip. Barb left this morning early and my flight out of Quito isn't until 6 pm, so I am taking the day to reflect on my trip. It definately has been an awesome experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. With that being said... I am ready to go home. I miss my friends, family and especially my boyfriend Peter. I miss my own bed, a shower where I don't have to wear shower sandles, and my favorite junk food... Qudoba burritos.

Even though my trip may be over.. my adventure is far from it. In the next couple weeks I will be moving to Minneapolis MN, looking for a new appartment and a new job. Change is in the air and although a bit overwhelming, it is completely exciting as well. I invite you to continue to follow my blog and hear about how my new life in Minneapolis pans out. Thanks for taking the time to follow me on my trip and thank you for all of the reply posts and e-mails that I have recieved along the way. They have been a great piece of home to help keep me sane.

Peruvian Adventure

2007-05-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Peru on Sunday May 13th after a very long flight from Madrid, Spain. My flight arrived at 6am, so I had the whole day to explore the city of Lima. The first thing that I did after checking into my hotel was to take a very long, hot shower that felt amazing after the 13 hr plane ride. Then I went out exploring. I came upon a church which had a mass going on, so I went to mass. I love going to mass in a different language, because even if you have no idea what they are saying, you know the routine so you know what is going on. After mass I wandered down to the coast. Lima is located on the coast of the Pacific ocean, and it was beautiful. It was a gorgeous day and there were plenty of rollerbladers and runners out exercising among the palm trees and the crashing waves of the coast. There were even surfers out! After exploring the parks along the coast and the city a bit, I made my way back to the hotel for an early night.

I was awaken early Monday morning by a knock on my hotel room door. My cousin Carrie had arrived! I was so happy to see her! After catching up on what each other had been up to for the past couple of months, we went out to explore the city a bit more. After walking along the coast, we caught some lunch at a cute cafe and then went on an organized city tour. The tour took us to the old center of the city where there were a lot of churches, plazas and important buildings. The most interesting one, though, was the monestary of St. Francis where we were able to walk through the crypt. There were millions of bones of Monks that had lived there perviously all arranged in different designs. It was kinda cool, but kinda creepy at the same time. Later that night we met up with our GAP tour and leader Andres for the first time. We got a briefing about what was to come and then all went out to dinner together. It was an enjoyable evening and a preview of what was to come.

Tuesday was mainly a travel day. We slept in, had a big breakfast, shopped a little bit and then headed to the airport where we caught a flight from Lima to Juliaca. Once in Juliaca we took a bus to Puno where we would be staying the night. It was a long day, but we finished it out with a nice dinner at a restaurant where I tried my first Alpacca dish. It was pretty yummy!

Wednesday morning we were transported from our hotel to the port of Lake Titticaca by some local bicycle taxis! Lake Titticaca is the largest and highest lake in South America because it is located high in the Andes mountains. It also forms the border between Peru and Bolivia. Once at the port we boarded a boat and took a 3 1/2 hr boat ride to the island of Amantani. Once on Amantani we hiked up the island and through our first village. The buildings of the village were made out of adobe brick and although simple, loked nice. We walked to the town center where we were able to by some of the products that the men in the town hand wove. It was a great experience to wander around the island and see how the isanders lived.

After a great lunch of trout, we got back on the boat and made our way to the island of Tequile where we would spend the night with a local family in a home stay. When we arrived at the island Carrie and I met our host mother Sylvia who took us to her home. It also was made of adobe brick and the lower floor was all dirt. The kitchen had a fireplace on which they cooked all of their meals, and the bathroom was an outhouse. Even though it was very basic and simple, it was very nice as well. Carrie and I felt completely welcomed and comfortable. Comfortable except for the fact that it was cold outside and we had not yet adjusted all the way to the altitude. That evening we took a hike to the highest point on the island where we were able to watch the sunset over the lake. It was a beautiful sight, but we were definately huffing and puffing after climbing all the way up in the high altitude. Along the way we were able to buy some hand woven alpaca hats and scarves. When we returned to our home, we were fed a yummy dinner of soup, corn, fried cheese and potaotes. After dinner our host mother dressed us up in traditional clothes and took us to a fiesta where we danced the local dances and listened to local music. It was a very neat, unique experience.

The next morning we awoke early and said goodbye to our host mother. We got aboard the boat again and traveled to the Uros islands. The Uros islands are floating islands made completely of reeds. The locals pile reeds upon reeds to form a floating, waterproof area on which they live and build thier house. We took a ride in a boat made entirely from reeds and were able to visit with the locals a bit. It was a very interesting experinece. Later that day when we arrived back at the port of Puno we took a tour to some inca ruins of funerary towers. However, our tour guide wasn't very good, so I didn't learn very much. I did get to see more of the beautiful countryside thoug,h and buy a couple more hand made crafts. That night Carrie and I had a pizza party in our room before bed.

Friday was a long day. We had a 6 hour bus ride from Puno to Cuzco that took up the majority of the day. When we arrived in Cuzco, we had some time to wander around and take in the city before it got dark. We saw the main plaza and a couple different churches. When we returned to the hotel, we were briefed on what our inca trail hike would be like and then went to get some dinner. Dinner took forever to get... we sat at the restaurant for about 2 1/2 hrs just waiting for some chicken sandwhiches. Needless to say, I got kinda crabby and was definately ready for bed once we got back to the hotel.

Saturday morning we left bright and early for the Sacred Valley. Before reaching the sacred valley we stopped off at a place where we were able to see local women making the wool from the alpaca that they then dyed with plants and weaved into beautiful crafts. It was interesting to see the whole process and then the finished products. I supported their cause by purchasing a couple of thier products. From there we made our way to the Sacred Valley, an Inca ruins site. We walked around the ruins a bit with our guide and learned about how the Incas built the terraces that scaled the mountain side and the temples that were lined up astronomically.
From the ruins we made our way to Ollantaytambo, stopping off at a bar that made corn beer for a taste. It is called Checha, and tasted pretty good! Once in Ollantaytambo we toured more inca ruins. It was neat to learn about the astronomy that the Incas had figured out and that was the basis on where they built thier homes, tembles and even grain storage rooms. Everything depended on where the sun hit on the summer and winter solstices. Kinda cool.

Sunday morning began the Inca trail. The Inca trail is a 25 mile trail that has three main mountain passes, the tallest being 4,200 km. We arrived at the trailhead about 8:30 and began walking the 10 km that we would do that day. The hike today was fairly easy- a flat trail over rolling hills with a slight incline. The scenery along the way was beautiful with the Andes mountains surrounding us and the Urubamba river next to us. We arrived at camp about 4:00 and had a wonderful dinner cooked by our cook. That night, after some popcorn, our group sat around and played a crazy version of crazy eights before making our way to our tents for the night.

Monday's hike was much more difficult than Sunday's. We began our hike at 7:30 with a steep incline up. It continued until about 10 AM when we had climbed a full 600 meters up in elevation. At that point we stopped to rest at a beautiful view point and had lunch there as well. By 11:30 we were back on the trail and continued another 600 meters up in elevation... by climbing very steep stairs. It was hard work but really cool to watch the scenery get farther and farther below you. When we finally made it to the top of Dead Woman's Pass at 4,200 meters above sea level, it was such a great feeling! Aftre enjoying the views and taking some photos, we began the treck down the mountain. It was more stairs down and we traveled another 600 m down in elevation before making camp for the night. Night time was really cold that high up, and after dinner Carrie and I crawled into our warm sleeping bags and called it an early night.

Tuesday morning began with another steep climb up 400 m of elevation before reaching the second mountain pass at 4000 meters. From there we went almost straight down on very steep steps for the next 3 hrs. Yuck! My IPOD kept me happy though... I was jammin to the tunes as I made my way down. After going over the thrid and final pass at 3650 m we found ourselves on the jungle side of the Andes. The clouds came rolling in and you could tell this was a cloud forest becasue of all of the moss hanging from the trees. We found our way through a little cave on the path and made our way down numerous more stairs before arriving at camp. The good thing about camp was that there was beer! We sat outside under the sky, surrounded my mountains and watched the sun dissappear the the stars make a showing all while drinking a nice cold beer. It was a great way to wrap up the day.

Wednesday morning began at 3:30 am with a wake up call. After packing up our stuff and catching a quick breakfast we were on our way by 4:30. We stood in line to be one of the first groups on the trail that morning because we wanted to catch Machu Picchu at sunrise. At 5:30 the trail opened and we practically ran the last 5km of the trail to the Sun Gate where we stopped to watch the sun rise over the ancient city. It was almost a magical moment as the ancient city of Machu Picchu came out from behind the low clounds that were covering it. We took a lot of photos as the sun made its way across the city, and then hiked closer for a better look. We had a tour around the ancient city and then wandered around a bit taking it all in. It was a very beautiful setting and you could tell why the Inca nobles had picked this place as one of their main temples. After walking around the ruins, we took a bus to a nearby city where we ate some lunch, did a bit of shopping and then caught a train back to Cuzco where we had a shower and crashed into bed.

Thursday morning we woke up in our comfy hotel rooms, had a nice hot shower in a clean bathroom and then tried to organize our mess of stuff. After trying and failing, we gave up and went horseback riding instead. We made our way out to the countryside where our stubborn horses were more interestd in eating the grass than walking where we wanted to. It was funny, but frusterating, and we eventually made our way back the the ranch. The rest of the day was spent doing errands like laundry, calling people and catching up on my journal.

Friday morning we said goodbye to the rest of our GAP group as the GAP tour was over. Carrie and I made our way to a local market where we finished up the rest of our Peruvian purchases and then to a restaurant for a pasta lunch. We just hung out the rest of the afternoon catching up on things that needed to be done and relaxing. Tomorrow morning we will leave Cuzco early and while Carrie will fly home, I will finish up the last leg of my trip in Equador with my friend Barb.

Photos to come with a faster internet connection.

Italian Romance

2007-05-11T01:50:00.000-07:00

This week was spent with the most wonderful person... my boyfriend Peter. After not seeing each other for 4 months, I was very excited that he was able to fly to Rome to hang out with me for a week.

After leaving Greece and Katy on Friday night, I arrived at the Rome airport about 8:30 to find Peter waiting at the gate for me. It was a great moment as we made our way to each other and hugged. I don't think that I've ever been so happy to see someone in an airport before... I almost felt like I was on the TV! We found our way to our B&B(which the owner didn't speak a word of english- that was kinda fun), talked for hours and then fell asleep. It was great.

Saturday morning we made our way to Vatican city where we spent a good part of the day taking in the beautiful Basillica of St. Peter . It is absolutely huge and full of many beautiful pieces of art. We learned about it all from an audioguide that we rented. We also made it a priority to go to mass there which was a really cool experience. It was all in Italian, but even though you didn't understand what they were saying, you knew what was going on because of the routine of mass. We really enjoyed it a lot. Later that afternoon we made our way to the Collesum. The building itself is huge, and it is cool just to think that it is over 2000 yrs old! The plan was to watch the sunset there... but our plans were interrupted by a bunch of teenagers holding a parade to support the legalization of pot- not exactly the mood we were looking for. We grabbed a dinner of authentic Itialian pizza instead and made our way back to the B&B for a good nights rest.

Sunday morning we took a 4 hr train from Rome to Cinque terre where we would be spendning the next 4 days. Cinque Terre is a series of 5 small towns along the Italian coast. You can hike between the cities through vineyards, lemon trees and olive groves all while taking in great sea views and admiring the picturesque towns. When we arrive on Sunday, we checked into our appartment and then explored the town of Manerola where we were staying. We caught a beautiful sunset over the water while enjoying watching the wild ducks in the water and then made our way to a cute restaurant to eat some authentic pasta dishes. Peter was a bit more adventerous in his choice of pasta... for he chose the seafood pasta which came with a bunch of critters that still had eyes and tenticles. It was fun. We finished off dinner with a glass of sweet rasin wine that the area is known for.

Monday we decided to explore the cities by hiking from one to the next. We began at Manerola and worked our way to Corniglia, Veranza and Monterosso. The whole thing took us about 6 hours to complete (that includes a couple gelato stops along the way). The hiking was intense at times and we both got a good workout, but the views were absolutely amazing. The towns are situatied right on the edge of the cliff which then drops suddenly into the sea. It was a great day spent talking, hiking and enjoying the views. That night we cooked a pesto pasta for dinner and enjoyed another wonderful sunset.

Tuesday we deciede was our beach day. We first walked to Riamaggore, another city of Cinque Terre, and found ourselves a rock beach where we sat for a bit just listening to the waves crash against the shore. We also entertained ourselves by building a castle out of rocks. It was fun. When we were tired of sitting on hard rocks, we took the train from Riamaggore to Monterosso where there was a sand beach. The beach was nice, but the water was cold. That didn't stop us two crazies though, because we were splashing around in the water like a couple of kids. We took a bunch of goofy photos and just made each other laugh for the rest of the afternoon. Later we made our way back to Manerola where we sat by the water and listened to the waves crash while watching the sunset. It was very relaxing and peaceful. For dinner we made a wonderful red sauce pasta with a bunch of veggies. It was yummy! We topped off the day like any Italian would... with a bottle of wine.

Wednesday we set out to explore the towns a bit more and spent a good part of the day just winding in and out of the tiny streets of the beautiful towns while talking. I've decided that it doesn't actually matter what Peter and I are doing together... but as long as we are together, we are having fun. We laughed a good part of the day, just being goofy and hanging out. We got a sandwhich for lunch and ate it while listening to the waves, stopped at the Fanny Bazar, and then did some souvineer shopping. By the end of the day we found a grocery store, bought some bread, cheese and olives, and then sat by the water, talked and watched the sunset. It was another great, relaxing, fun day.

Thursday morning we were up early to catch our train back to Rome. It was sad to leave the tranquility of Cinque Terre behind, but we had a great train ride together as well. It is amazing how quickly a four hour ride can go when you are with someone that makes anything fun. We played the most intense game of uno ever... which Peter ended up winning- making him the supreme master and ruler of the universe :) When we arrived in Rome, we dropped off our bags and were off the the Collesum agian. We had been there before, but weren't able to go inside, so that was our goal. We went inside and checked it out, and then meandered through the Roman Forum. We wandered around the city for a couple hours checking out the other sites as well like the Pantheon and Trivi Fountain. We had an awesome dinner of spinich ravioli at a cute restaurant before going back to the hotel.

Friday morning was not nearly as exciting as the past week, because it had come time for Peter to make his way back home. His sister Megan is graduating college this weekend and he wanted to make it back in time to support her as she walked. So, off to the airport we went and it was another teary goodbye as I sent him off.

It was an amazing week full of laughter and fun.

Greece!

2007-04-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Greece on Thursday and found Katy, my old roommate, waiting for me at the airport. It was so great to see her. We have lived together for the past 6 years, seeing each other almost every day... it's been really hard to be apart from here for so long.
Well, we didn't waste any time... we jumped right in to having a great time. Right after we checked into our hostel in Athens Greece, we went exploring. We found some old ruins, the Acropolis, an Olympic stadium, an awesome playground, and the best Gyro stand ever. We watched an awesome sunset from the roof of our hostel, and then called it an early night because we were both exhausted from our long day of travel.

Friday was a wonderful day spent exploring Athens. We started off the day by arranging our travel for the rest of the week with a local travel agent, and then made our way to the Acropolis. It was amazing. The architecture and pure size of the building was awe inspiring... and the contrast of the white on blue was beautiful. The day was a beautiful day with bright blue skies, warm weather, and a cool breeze. We explored the museum, taking in the beauty of the stone carvings, and then made our way down to a church and some more ruins. For lunch we had some great gyros and some fresh strawberries which were absolutely amazing... especially after the African diet of rice, noodles and potatoes that I had been used to. The afternoon was spent shopping... wandering in and out of the quaint shops along the picturesque tiny streets of Athens. We watched an awesome sunset at the Acropolis before relaxing in the hostel bar with some beers.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early at 5:30 to catch the subway to the port where we began our 8 hr ferry ride to the beautiful island of Santorini. We arrived in Santorini at about 3:00 in the afternoon and began to explore the island right away. The island is beautiful. All of the buildings are white washed and have blue windows and doors. The island was formed by a volcano millions of years ago, and has black soil everywhere. The edge of the island forms a cliff that goes straight into the ocean, giving amazing views. We caught our first Santorini sunset that night and were amazed when the sky turned a bright red.

Sunday morning we awoke in our cute whitewashed hotel and made our way to the moped rental station where we found ourselves a cute red moped for the day. We got on the bike and began to explore the island, zipping up and down the curvy, narrow roads on our sleek motorbike. First we drove to the highest point of the island where we took in amazing views, and then were off to the beach. The beach that we found was a black sand beach and absolutely beautiful. Katy and I laid on the beach for a good part of the day talking girl talk and working on our tans. When the suns rays weren't as strong, we jumped back on the moped to do some more exploring. We cruised all over the island, taking in amazing views and feeling the sea wind on our face. We returned the moped about 6:30 pm, just in time to catch a great dinner of gyros, Greek salad and wine before watching yet another amazing sunset on the island.

Monday we decided to do a boat trip to an active volcanic island just off the coast of Santorini. The ship that took us over to the island looked just like a pirate ship, so that made it even more exciting. Once on the volcano we hiked up to the peak. Once up there, you could see places where gases were still escaping from the crater. The last eruption was only 50 years ago! It was pretty cool. From there we went to the hot springs caused by the heat of the volcano.

You first had to swim through chilly water to get to the warm stuff, so it was an invigorating dip into the ocean. When we arrived back on the mainland, instead of walking the 500 some steps up the side of the cliff, Katy and I rode donkeys to the top! It was so much fun to ride a donkey! My donkey and Katy's donkey didn't get along very well though, and they were very competitive about who would be the leader. It was an exciting and hilarious experience.
That afternoon we took a local bus to OIA, another city on the island to explore the city and watch the sunset. Apparently it is one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world... and although it was beautiful, I don't think it was better than the sunsets from my dock in Random Lake.
Those will always be the most beautiful to me. Katy and I did have a very relaxing evening though wandering the streets, taking in the architcture and scenery and admiring the amazing sunset views. It was so beautifully unreal, I felt like I was in a postcard.

Tuesday we said goodbye to Santorini and boarded a ferry to Mykanos, another Greek island. We arrived at our hotel and it is absolutely adorable! It is whitewashed with blue shutters and has an awesome swimming pool and sea side views. All this for only 40 Euro a night! I love low season. The weather was a bit rainy though, so we spent most of the day just exploring and walking around the city before making our way back to the hotel to drink some wine and hang out.

African Experience

2007-04-23T02:38:00.000-07:00

Africa… I love it and hate it. My time in Africa has been filled with a lot of highs and lows, both making the trip a very memorable and challenging experience. I feel that in the past month I have learned a lot about myself, my limits, African culture, discrimination, the world, and of course animals.

I arrived in Nairobi on Friday April 6th. I had a great evening at the Boulevard hotel where I was able to sleep in my own bed and even watch the news.

On Saturday I took a walk around Nairobi and found an open air market where I was able to bargain for some awesome crafts and souvenirs. It was a great experience to interact with the local people and see what they were able to create. It did get a bit overwhelming though, because they are very aggressive when pushing their products. I felt very safe in Nairobi and never had any problems. That night I took advantage of the movie channel on the TV and finished a great book. My coworker Kim arrived at about 10:30 that night and I was so excited to catch up with her. It was really nice to have a traveling companion again.

Easter Sunday this year was very laid back for me. Almost everything in town was closed because of the holiday, so Kim and I spent the majority of the day laying by the pool in our hotel and re-energizing in preparation for our voyage. We also endulged in some jelly belly jelly beans that I had received in a care package from my mom a week earlier. Thanks mom! I missed my family a lot that day, but I was able to call my grandma’s house where I knew that a large portion of my family would be located. It was great to talk to loved ones.

Monday was the departure day for our safari. My GAP tour consisted of a great group of people mostly from the US and a couple from England. We filled up two safari vans and left the hotel early that morning.
It was a 6 ½ hr drive over very bumpy roads to Samburu where we would spend our first two nights. The drive was my first time out of the city in Kenya, and it was a very eye opening experience. The poverty was overwhelming. You could definitely tell that you were in a 3rd world country once you left the city. I almost felt like a time traveler because along the road you would see donkeys pulling carts of sugar cane and children that didn’t look older than 5 were in charge of large herds of goats herding goats and camels. Women would be walking with large bags or jugs on top of their heads and a child strapped on their back. It was a very interesting ride.

Once we arrive at Samburu, I was in for another eye opener. Our campsite was very primitive. It had no running water, no electricity and the toilet was what they called a “long drop” aka a hole in the ground. Not like an outhouse- those I’m used to, but seriously a cement whole in the ground. It was disgusting. Cockroaches were everywhere and the smell was horrible. The site itself was nice though, and our tents were sturdy, so we were going to be ok.
That evening we went on a game drive and it was amazing. The first animal that we say was a leopard sleeping in a tree. It was beautiful. The leopard is by far the hardest animal to see, and bam… there it was. We also had enough luck to spot 5 cheetahs drinking from the river, a water buffalo, a reticulated giraffe (only found north of the equator) a gravy zebra (also rare), impala, gazelles, Onyx and elephants. It was amazing. The landscape was beautiful as well.

The next morning, Tuesday, we had an early morning game drive and saw a lot of animals again. The most exciting was when we came across a river. If you looked to one side you saw about 20 giraffes, and if you looked to the other, there were about 30 elephants. It was so cool.

That afternoon we went on a tour of the Samburu village. The Samburu are a native tribe in Africa who still live in the tribal ways of life. We were greeted at the village entrance by the women who were beautifully decorated in many colorful beads and bright clothing. They sang us a welcome song and we participated in a welcoming dance. We were able to learn about the culture and tour their huts. The Samburu are a nomadic tribe, so they move when there isn’t enough food for their animals. Because of this, their houses are made of sticks, branches, grass, animal hides and animal dung. They are very small, but contain a couple different rooms. They mainly eat the meat of their goats and cows, the dairy from them, and they drink the blood of their animals as well. They did have a school where the children were educated and a medicine man that took care of them when they were ill. Marriages were arranged and the cost of a wife was 10 cows. Men could have as many wives as they wanted as long as they had enough cows and a way to support all of them. Warriors protect the village at night from the lions and cheetahs with spears made from the village blacksmith. It was an amazing culture completely different from anything I had ever experienced.

On Wednesday the 11th we woke up early, packed up camp and were on the road by 6:45 for an early morning game drive on our way out of the park. On our way our I spotted some wild dogs (which are apparently very rare) and Joseph, our driver, yelled “TAKE PHOTO” as he crazily drove after them. It was a lot of fun and we laughed about it a bit.
After leaving the park we had a 4 hr drive to the Equator where we stopped for photos and a demonstration on how water swirled opposite directions on opposite sides of the equator. Kinda cool.
Eventually we arrived at our campsite in Naru Moru, near Mt. Kenya. This campsite was much better with showers, green grass and even flush toilets! Once there we had a nature walk around the bush and learned that if you burn elephant dung and inhaled the fumes it would cure a headache (in case you ever find yourself in the situation with a fire, elephant poo and a headache). We saw a bunch of monkeys along the way as well. That evening we sat around the campfire and sang songs in Swahili, the language of Kenya.
Jambo was our song of choice.

Thursday morning we left Naru Moru and drove 4 hrs to the Great Rift valley. The great rift valley was formed by a massive earthquake millions of years ago and is believed to hold the cradle of civilization. It was an amazing view. We also stopped at a beautiful waterfall called Thompson falls. It was a 200-300 meter waterfall, but some of its beauty was taken away by the large swarms of people hassling us to buy things.

From there we drove to Lake Nakuro- a lake famous for the millions of flamingos that flock to its shores. The lake was absolutely beautiful with all of the birds in it. It was pink almost all the way around. We also a white rhino there, some hyenas, hyrex, tons of baboons, impala and zebras and even another rare wild dog! It was amazing.

Friday the 13th didn’t bring me bad luck, but it did bring a long, hot day of bumpy roads. We drove 7 ½ hrs in the van to Masi Mara. The roads in Kenya are horrible. Most are dirt, but when they are paved they are full of potholes. The Africans like to call it and “African massage”. I was a bit crabby by time we actually reached the Masi Mara but was happy to find that our tents were covered tents on a wooden platform with cots in them. And, they even had hot showers!

Saturday the 14th was by far the most amazing day of the safari. We were extremely lucky in our finds. We left on our morning game drive and the first thing that we saw were some impala. Not a big deal, they are everywhere… but these impala were spooked, like something was after them. We drove a bit up the road and came upon a cheetah and her two cubs. The cubs were so little and furry, it was adorable. Well, the mom cheetah was hungry and was hunting the impala for breakfast. We saw her break out into an open run and go over the hill where the impalas were. We followed her as best as we could in the van and when we found here again she had an impala by the neck and was dragging it into the higher grass so her and here cubs could eat. It was so amazing to watch nature ate work. The next amazing thing that we saw was a male lion. It was my first male lion, and it was great. The lion was near a giraffe carcass – his kill from last night. As we continued to watch him, a vulture flew down to the carcass and tried to start eating some of the left over meat. At that point… 14 lions, male, female and cub emerged from the brush and came to defend its kill from last night. They all started to eat the giraffe again and it was absolutely invigorating to watch. We were so close to them that the lions would look you directly in the eye and you would swear that they were going to jump on you next. We watched that for a long time because it was so amazing to watch how the animals all worked together, or didn’t get along. It was so cool. By time we were done watching, the adrenaline was flowing through my veins. And if that wasn’t enough, later in the after noon we spotted a male and a female lion together. They were in mating season, so we sat around to see if anything would happen. Apparently, lions mate every 20 minutes for 7 days during their mating time. So, we waited around and sure enough…. The lions started to mate right in front of us!!! It was crazy. After a great day like that, we all went to the lodge for a drink and finished off the day with a hyena feeding. It was a great day!
Sunday April 15th was spent entirely in the vans. It was a VERY long day. 7 hrs from Masi Mara to Nairobi where we dropped off and pick up some people on our tour and then another 5 ½ hrs to Arusha, Tanzania where we would be spending the night in a hotel. We were all super excited to be out of the vans when we arrived at the hotel, but that attitude quickly changed. We were all starving because we hadn’t eaten much that day at all, so when we got to the hotel we went to the restaurant. I have never been so discriminated against in my life. First of all, let me explain that the feeling in these countries is that if you are white, you give out money to everybody that you see… so you are constantly harassed to buy things or to just give people money. It gets old really quick. Well, the staff at the hotel had given us a menu to order off of, but then also explained that they had a buffet. They highly recommended the buffet and said that it would take longer to make anything else off of the menu because the cooks were making food for the buffet. Funny how the buffet was significantly more than anything else on the menu. Well, we decided that we wanted to order off the menu, and they were upset. So, our chicken sandwiches that we ordered took 2 ½ hrs to make, came out the wrong order , were cold and had bones in them. Now, it could have been just bad service…. Except many black couples that had sat down after us order, ate, and left all before we got our food. And, when it came time to pay the bill… they said that the menu they had given us was out of date and they wanted to charge us almost double for our meals. It was horrible discrimination and I was so angry. Our tour guide had a talk with the manager and got it figured out… but I was so angry!

The next morning I had a cold shower in the hotel, and when we called to have someone come and fix it, the guy took a valve off of a pipe and water flooded all over the bathroom floor. Kim and I were at our wits end… but what can you do but laugh. We drove from Arusha to Lake Manyara that morning and when we arrived at our campsite we were very happy. We did some bargaining in the markets before going on an afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara park. The park was beautiful and we saw a lot of giraffes and elephants. On the way out of the park we almost got stampeded by an elephant! There was a group of elephants on the road and we were slowly coming up behind them with the lights off because we didn’t want to anger them. However, Cara, one of the girls in the van was wearing a headlamp with a light on and the elephant got pissed off. We turned the light off in time, but it was exciting and funny none the less.

Tuesday morning we had an early morning game drive and we saw more animals… however the special tree climbing lions were hiding from us. So, we went back to the campsite, had some breakfast, packed up camp and were on our way to the Serengeti. It was a 5 hr drive there, but once we got there we popped the top of the van and started looking for animals. We came across 3 lions on a rock that we watched for a bit, the the landscape and weather was more entertaining than the animals. It was pouring rain off in the distance, and with the sun shining we saw a beautiful rainbow. We also had a fantastic lightning show to watch and the clouds were so dark I almost thought that we were going to see a tornado. There was no tornado, but when we got to our campsite it was pouring rain. We huddled under a shelter and ate dinner followed by the singing of camp songs like “The Princess Pat” and “Boom Chick A Boom”. It was a lot of fun, despite the rain.

Wednesday morning we woke up early for and early morning game drive. The night before we had heard lions roaring outside of our tent, so we were excited to see if we could spot them. Sure enough, the next campsite down there were three lions perched on a large rock. It was right next to the tent! Crazy! The campsites that we are staying in are in the middle of the park and surrounded by the animals. There are no fences or anything to keep the animal away from you, so you always need to be careful and aware.
That morning we also came upon large herds of wildebeest and zebra. Serengeti is famous for it wildebeest migration where millions of wildebeest make the journey to finder greener grass. It wasn’t the season for the migration while we were there, but we still saw plenty of them. It was fun to watch the zebra as well… they were rolling in the mud to cool off. That afternoon I skipped the game drive because I was getting sick of being in the van all of the time. So, instead I sat at the campsite, drank some wine, read my book and watched a beautiful sunset. It was just what I needed. That night there was some more campfire singing before bed time. Thursday morning we had an early morning game drive in which we saw a lot of cats. We spotted 5 cheetahs making their way down the road and through the grass. It was a lot of fun to watch them because they act just like house cats. They were playing with each other, climbing trees, jumping and chasing one another. It made me miss my kitty at home a bit! The next cat that was spotted was a leopard sitting on a log in the grass. They are just such beautiful creatures.After our game drive, we packed up camp and were on our way to the Ngorongoro crater. It was another long drive, but along the way we stopped at the Oldvui gorge. The gorge was created by an earthquake millions of years ago and some of the oldest human fossils ever found were found here. When we arrived at the crater, it was pouring rain. That night was a wet one, because our tent leaked as well.Friday we made our way into the Ngorongoro crater. The crater was created millions of years ago when a volcano erupted and then collapsed upon itself. It was a huge basin just filled with a wide variety of animals. The landscape was gorgeous and the animals plentiful. We saw a cervil cat which we had not seen before, some lions, many elephants, zebras, hippos, and many more animals. The scenery was the most beautiful part of the day, and the drive to the top of the crater, the most exciting part. I was sure that we were going to roll the van off the cliff, but all went well and we made it ok. From there we drove back to Lake Manyara where we would spend the night.

Saturday morning we took a village tour with a Masi guide. The Masi tribe is another of the traditional tribal tribes in Africa. He took us through the village and showed us the wood carvers, rice growers, banana plantations, and how banana beer was made. It was interesting, but my favorite part was seeing the families and the children. It is crazy how extreme the poverty in these countries is, but the children always manage to bring a smile to my face. They love to see their photos on the screen of my digital camera after I take it.
That afternoon we drove back to Arusha where we spent our last night at a campsite there. We all went out to dinner at a nice restaurant and had a great dinner together (even though the power went out for a bit).

Then next day was our final day of the safari and Kim and I boarded a shuttle bus back up to Nairobi where we were once again harassed horribly along the way by people trying to sell us things. I said goodbye to Kim and met up with my friend Joe who is in the peace corp. in Kenya . We went out to dinner at a restaurant called Carnivore where they let you try exotic meat like ostridge and crocodile. It was a good experience and nice to be able to hear about Joe’s experiences in Kenya as well.

Today is Monday and I am exhausted from my travels in Africa. Originally Joe and I were going to go climb a mountain and explore a bit, but I am so exhausted I decided to check into a hotel and just relax instead. I need some alone time. This will give me a couple of days to re-energize before heading off to Greece where I will meet up with Katy! I can’t wait!

Photos to come when I have a faster internet connection.
P.S. Peter... I can't wait to see you! I miss you!

South Africa

2007-04-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Johannesburg South Africa after a 14 1/2 hour flight from Sydney Australia. I think that is the longest flight of my trip, and I am glad to have it over! That's a long time to sit.
When I arrived in Johannesburg I was taken to my Hotel, the Africa Center Lodge, ate some food, and then crashed. The time change really did me in.

The next morning I felt so much better after a long nights sleep, and I was ready to explore. However, Johannesburg is a dangerous place, so my choice way to explore was through a tour. Solomon, my tour guide drove me through downtown Johannesburg. It looked a lot like any large city, although you could tell it was more run down and crime ridden. We quickly got out of the bad area of town and headed to Soweto, a black community where the main uprising against the arpietad (legal discrimination of blacks) started. We visited the area where a protest was held about the teaching of Africans (a Dutch like language) in the black schools by children. A 13 yr old boy was shot there and that was one of the major factors that brought attention to South Africa and the treatment of blacks. From that point on, many more protests were held and today blacks are not legally discriminated against..... although a lot of discrimination and racial issues remain.

There are two areas of Soweto, the poor and the rich part. The residents of the rich part didn't look rich at all to me. They dressed normally and lived in very small, modest houses with no yards. Compared to the poor part, however, they had a lot. The poor part of Soweto was a shack city. The "houses" were tin shacks put together side by side. There were 2 toilets and one water spout for a whole street... which contained a lot of people. We visited a family who lived there... a grandma and mom with 11 kids. It was a one room shack and I have no idea how they all even fit in the room at the same time. Supposedly the government is building houses for some of the people in the shack city in 2010. Not many of the people in the city have jobs and they get their food from the government as well. Soweto's population is 4 million people.

It was a sad and heartbreaking thing to see. The children were so young and had nothing. The family didn't have any hope in the near future of getting out of the shack. What did surprise me however, was how happy the people seemed. They didn't seem angry, depressed or upset with the world. They made jokes, were very friendly and open. They had accepted their situation and made the best out of it. There isn't a lot of crime in Soweto, dispite the severe poverty.

The next day I took a day trip to a traditional African village where I was able to see some of the traditional dress and huts. It was an interesting experience, but not nearly as informative as Soweto.

The next morning I made my way to the Africa Game Lodge where I met my Gap tour. It turns out that the only people on the tour were myself and a 32 yr from England, Claire. The small number of the group made it very cool... like our own private tour. We drove from Johannesburg up the Panorama route were we saw some beautiful views from a elevated point called "God's Window", or at least we would have seen beautiful views if it wouldn't have been so cloudy. We also saw some rock formations called potholes that were formed over thousands of years and the river cut away the softer rock leaving round pothole looking things. It was interesting to learn about as well as nice to look at.

That night we went to another traditional village where they put on a show of singing and dancing that told the story of their tribe’s history. It was almost like an opera, but it was outside in a traditional village by a campfire. We had a "traditional" dinner as well before heading to our cottage for the night.

The next morning we took of early and were on our way to Kruger National Park, the second oldest national park in the world. It was there that we would spend the next two days on a safari looking for animals. We were pretty successful! The first animal that we saw was an impala, a deer like creature with large curvy antlers. They are nicknamed the "McDonalds of the bush" because they are all over the place. We then spotted some crocodile near a river, a water buffalo and some hippos enjoying the coolness of a watering hole. As the day progressed we saw rhinos. black and white, giraffes, zebras, Kudu, wildebeest, elephants, hyena, and cheetah. The cheetah was amazing to watch, because it was pretty close. We watched it rest for awhile, and then it got up and walked around. It looked just like a big cat walking around its territory. You could tell that it wouldn't be a cat you would want to mess with though. I also really enjoyed seeing the elephants. We didn't just see an elephant or two; we had two large herds, about 25 in each walk right in front of us. There were moms, dads and babies all in a line making there way. It was so amazing to be so close to that large of an animal.

The next morning we woke up at 4am for and early morning game drive. It was on that drive that we spotted 4 lions, hunting baboons for breakfast. They were circling a tree and getting as close to the baboons as they could. We didn't actually see one of them kill anything, but we were really lucky so see so many lions. The rest of the day was a good animal viewing day as well, and we were enjoying it... until our vehicle stopped working in the middle of the park. We called for help, and 2 hours later had to be towed back to camp. It turned out to be a lack of fuel, and not a broken vehicle, but it still was an interesting experience.

The next day we made our way back to Johannesburg and I said goodbye to my Gap program as I went back to my hotel. I flew out on Friday from Johannesburg to Nairobi, Kenya where my next tour is leaving from on Sunday.

Today is Saturday, and I spent a good part of the morning at an African market bargaining prices for some nice items. It is a lot of fun to do, and the items they are selling are beautiful... but they can get kind of pushy as well and it is good to know when to walk away.

My friend Kim will arrive tonight and we will be taking off on our safari tour through Kenya and Tanzania on Sunday. We will be camping and doing a lot of safaris. It should be a good time.

Photos to come....

Hanging out with Brian

2007-03-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the 24th I flew from Brisbane to Sydney where I met up with my brother Brian. Brian is studying abroad in Wollogong, a city an hour or so south of Sydney. Sydney was a great place to start our time together and we had an enjoyable day exploring the city. We started out by checking out the Sydney Opera House and taking some photos. From there we walked along the harbor and found ourselves in "The Rocks" part of town where we had an awesome lunch at "Pancakes on the Rocks". Contrary to the name, neither of us had pancakes, but we did enjoy the best Greek salad I've had in a long time and some really yummy nachos. After lunch we walked around the Saturday craft market where Brian found some souvenirs and then went to the art museum to take in some contemporary art.
All of the sight seeing wore us out, so we went back to the hostel for a quick nap before getting dressed up for the Opera House. We had tickets for an actual Opera, and we were excited. I had never seen an opera before, and what better place to try one out than the Sydney Opera House. The opera was entitled Ruslaka, and was performed in Czech. I was concerned, because from our seats you couldn't see the subtitles... but we didn't have any problems because it turns out that the first 2 acts of the opera Ruslaka are exactly the same as my favorite Disney story... The Little Mermaid! And even more to our good fortune, after the first act a man and his two little kids came up to us and offered us his closer, much better tickets. He needed to take the kids home because they were tired and he didn't want the tickets to go to waste. So, Brian and I moved on up. It was good without the subtitles, but once I really knew what was going on, it was even better.

Then next day we took an early train back to Wollogong, and hung out around Brian's dorm. It rained all day, so it was a good day to take a long nap and cuddle up and read a book. I have been going strong for 2 1/2 months now.. it was nice to relax a bit.

On Monday I pretended to be a college student again as I went to class with Brian. I learned some stuff about politics and culture and got to check out the campus first hand. It's no Madison, but it is in Australia, so I guess it makes up for it. After class, Brian and I went into the City of Wollogong and explored the coast a bit.

Tuesday, while Brian was at class, I had my first extended time of being alone in the past 2 1/2 months. It was really nice to just hang out with me. I went for a run, hung out at the beach, did laundry and caught up on my travel journal. It was so nice. That evening we went to the beach and I watched Brian surf for a bit before it got too dark.

Wednesday, after being on the beach for awhile, Brian and I decided to go hike Mt. Kiera, a big hill/bluff/mountain near campus. It was a nice hike, and the views from the top were really nice. You could really see a long way up the coast. It was just nice to be out and active with my brother. That night we went to his University movie night and saw the movie Dream Girls.

Today, Thursday, Brian and I took the train to another coastal town called Kiama. This town was more relaxed and cuter than Wollagong, and we had a relaxing day of walking around and reading at a cafe and library. The weather was a bit rainy which took away from the beauty of the town a bit, but we had a nice day anyways.

It was so good to hang out with Brian for awhile. He is having a great time in Australia as well. He has bought a surf board and is working on his surfing along with biking up and down the coast with his bike that he brought. He is making a bunch of friends and learning a lot as well.

Tomorrow morning I am taking off early and flying from Sydney to Johannesburg South Africa. That will begin my month of African adventure. Wish me luck!

Australia Zoo

2007-03-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

The last day of Pacific Challenge, our group went to the Australia Zoo. It was there that I accomplished one of my goals for the trip… to get over my phobia of snakes. I have been terrified of snakes for as long as I can remember. Even seeing them on TV gave me the gitters.

Well, today was the day that put an end to that. We went to the Australia Zoo, home of the Crocodile hunter and the worlds most deadly snakes. We started off the day nice and easy by working our way through the Aviary and looking at the Wombats (which by the way are the closest living relatives to the Koala Bear.) We then walked through the deadliest snakes exhibit, and I did pretty well keeping calm.

After feeding the elephants for a bit, we made our way to the main show of the day. They had crocodiles, snakes and birds in the show and it was entertaining. At the beginning of the show, the host was warming up the crowd by having them do animal impressions. He had one side to monkey impressions, and the person with the best impression got a free photo. Now, I knew I wanted a free photo, so when he told our side to make an animal impression, I did the most obnoxious, funny impression of a large bird that I could think of . Needless to say, I won. But I did have to repeat the dance while they were filming me on the big screen.

With that free photo I made my way over to where they took photos with the snakes. Tami and I sat down and just a few seconds later they placed a gigantic python around our necks. I did so well! I didn’t scream, cry or hyperventilate like I normally do when I see snakes. And I have a free photo to prove it.

The rest of the day was more low key for me. I got to hold and pet a Koala bear which was absolutely adorable, feed the kangaroos and see a Tasmanian Devil and a lot of Crocodiles.

Today I am in Brisbane Australia staying with my friend Aimee who was on the Pacific Challenge trip with me. We are staying at a really nice hotel that her mom had gotten for her as a treat. I have a couple days here to relax and get reorganized before I take off to meet Brian in Sydney on the 24th.

Beach Time

2007-03-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

From Byron Bay we moved north to Harvey Bay where we spend the night before taking a ferry over to Fraser Island. Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island. We rented four wheel drive vehicles to explore the island and its wonders. One of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen we discovered on the island. Lake McKenzie is a freshwater lake on the island. The water was so clear and blue that it was amazing, and the bottom was very soft sand. We spent a good part of the morning there, splashing around and having a good time. From there we went and set up our campsite and took a snooze. That afternoon we walked about an hour to another lake. This lake wasn’t nearly as beautiful, but was surrounded by giant sand dunes. I took that opportunity to roll down the dunes like a little kid until I got to the water. It was so much fun! That night camping we heard Dingos, which are like wild dogs outside of our tent.

The next day, Wednesday March 14th , we spent a lot of time exploring the island with the 4WD and ended up back at the beautiful lake to enjoy some more fun in the water. We caught the ferry back to the mainland and camped there for the night.

Thursday we enjoyed a 6 hour bus ride to our next hostel in Yapoon where we spent the night and got ready for our next couple of days on Great Keppel Island.

We woke up early Friday morning and got on the ferry to Great Keppel Island. When we arrived we were greeted by beautiful weather (about 85-90, sunny with a slight breeze), clear blue water, white sand beaches and a beach house where we would be spending the next couple of days. We were all very happy. The first thing that Tami and I did was to put on the swimming suits and take advantage of the beautiful beach. After a couple hours of swimming, we went on our first SCUBA dive in the Great Barrier Reef. It was really cool. We were able to see a lot of rays and tropical fish. We didn’t see any sea turtles though, so I was a little bit disappointed. I think that I have gotten spoiled from my previous diving. After diving it was back to the beach to enjoy some more of the beautiful sun and work on our tans.

Saturday was a great day as well, I started out the morning with another SCUBA dive in the Great Barrier Reef. It was beautiful, but a lot similar to the dive that I did the day before with a lot of rays and tropical fish. Totally cool. After diving I enjoyed the swimming and beach some more… only to break for a short shopping spree and lunch. It was so nice to be able to just relax and hang out for a bit since we had been going non-stop for such a long time. After lunch I did some sea shell collecting along the shore and then it was back to the beach. Around sunset I took a walk around part of the island to fully enjoy the beauty of the island sunset. It was gorgeous.

Sunday was our last day on the island and our going away party for our group. We spent a lot of the day organizing our present for our leaders and laying on the beach catching some rays. When afternoon rolled around, we decided it was time for the party to begin and had some daiquiris on the beach. Around sunset out whole group went down to the beach and we took group photos at sunset which turned out amazing. We gave out awards to everyone in the group and I won the “Most Avid Sir Mix A lot Fan” for my beloved love of the song “Baby got back”. I was excited. We drank champagne and made our way back to the beach house where we exchanged homemade gifts and hung out the rest of the night. It was so much fun. I have really gotten to love my group very much. I have had so much fun with them over the past couple of months that it is really sad to be leaving them all.

Long Awaited Photos

2007-03-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

Exploring Australia

2007-03-10T23:34:00.000-08:00

Since we left Sydney we have been exploring the Australian coast and having a great time.

We left Sydney and drove to the Blue Mountains, which after the mountains in New Zealand weren't really what I would call mountains, but I think I have officially been spoiled. While there we went canyoning in the canyons there. What canyoning is walking through the canyons formed by rivers flowing down the mountains and jumping off rock cliffs into pools of water and sliding down small waterfalls into pools of water below. It was a lot of fun... but I was a little scared because this was my first activity where the chances of seeing a snake was high. It was fine though, no snakes were spotted.

After the Blue Mountains we drove into the Outback a bit and camped in the "bush". When we woke up in the morning we saw Kangaroos right outside of our tent! It was crazy. Since we were in a National Park, these Kangaroos were accustomed to seeing people and they would come right up to you. It was the coolest thing. We also saw Emus running across the fields and huge lizards in the trees. (Thankfully, no snakes.)

From the Outback we traveled north to Cascade, a tiny town located in the Australian rain forest. (Who knew that Australia had rain forest?) We went on a "bush walk" throughout the rain forest and saw some crazy birds, huge termite mounds, and a 1,200 yr old tree. It was so interesting to compare the different plant and animal life from what we saw in New Zealand and what I know from back home. That night we had a feast of Australian "bush dinner" where we were able to eat crocodile, kangaroo, emu, and a bunch of natural berries from the forest. It was really good- the kangaroo taste like a spicier version of venison.

From the rain forest we headed back to the coast, where we are now in Byron Bay. Here we are learning to surf (I'm now officially a surfer chick) and do some scuba diving. Surfing was so much fun, although a lot harder than I had expected. We got a professional lesson, and I was able to get up about 3 or 4 times which was cool, but I definitely need some practice. Today I did 2 scuba dives and saw huge sea turtles, sting rays and leopard sharks along with many other tropical fish. It was so cool to be next to that big of animals in the water. (Seriously, the sea turtles were as big as me!)

Well, that's about it for now. Photos to come.

Welcome to Sydney!

2007-03-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

We flew into Sydney on Wednesday and were picked up at the airport by a fleet of Harley Davidson Motorcycles! We put on our leather jackets and helmets, hopped on the back of the bike and were off for an official first tour of Sydney. Now, to be honest, I really don’t like motorcycles… but it was amazing!!! We went all over the city- through kings cross, over Harbor Bridge and past the Sydney Opera house on our way to the place where we would be staying for the next couple of days. It was evening time, so while we were on the bikes, with the wind in our face, we could look over the city and watch the sun setting. It was amazing!When we arrive at where we would be staying, I was amazed. We are in very nice beach front apartments on Manly Beach… supposedly the best beach in Sydney. The apartment is a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom with a nice kitchen, laundry, large living/dining room and a beautiful porch. We are so close to the ocean you can practically feel when the waves crash! Quite a change from our 8 bed hostels.

Thursday was mainly spent on the beach. The beach is gorgeous. The water was pretty warm, but the waves were big… great for surfing. The beach was crawling with surfers, and it was very entertaining to watch them. The weather was perfect, about 85 with a slight breeze. It was so nice to just lay out and relax for a bit.. Once we thought we were starting to burn, we went and did a bit of window shopping along the beachfront stores. I didn’t find anything too special… but I did find a slushy which made my day J (As if it wasn’t good enough already). That night we went and explored the bar scene a bit, and had a good time dancing, but I was exhausted from the sun so called it a night by about 1:00.

Friday we had a free day to explore Sydney. Tami and I woke up early and caught a 8:30 ferry to Sydney. The ferry ride was really nice. As we came around the harbor we had a wonderful view of the city line and the Sydney opera house. We walked around the harbor for a bit, exploring little sections of the city like the Rocks, but we soon realized that this is not what we wanted to be doing. So, we hopped on a bus and took it across the city to Bondi Beach, another gorgeous beach. We were much happier there. We did some beachside shopping (where I found a beach towel), a little bit of ice cream eating (which makes everything better) and then found ourselves a nice spot on the beach where we spent most of the afternoon soaking in the sun, waves and goodness. We had a nice dinner of chicken pesto pasta at a sea side café and then worked our way back across town for our symphony at the Sydney Opera house. Now, we hadn’t exactly worked out the public transportation yet, and the bus was taking forever to get there because of all the traffic, so we decided to get off and take the subway instead… it would be faster. Well, we ended up getting off and the wrong stop, and then frantically running almost a mile in our dresses with our back packs on our back and our towels in our hands through the crowded streets in order to make the symphony on time. When we arrived we were dripping sweat… but we made it on time! The symphony was really cool to watch, and it was just really neat to be in the opera house. After the symphony we took the ferry ride back to Manly, and the city was just lit up. It was beautiful. What a great day!

Meet My Group

2007-02-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some goofy photos of my group and I out on the town in some crazy clothes. We have a blast together! Good times :)

Routeburn Track

2007-02-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

For the past 3 days and 2 nights I have been hiking through the mountains on the famous Routeburn Track. It is a 32 km track through the mountains of Southern New Zealand with a 2,200 ft elevation gain. It was beautiful. The area of New Zealand that we were in is actually considered rain forest because it rains 285 days a year there.... but for us, it was beautiful blue skies.

The fist day didn't consist of a lot of hiking, but began with a boat cruise around Milford Sound. In Milford Sound, the mountains drop right into the Tasman sea. It is gorgeous. On the 2 hour cruise, we were able to see bottle nosed dolphins, fur seals, and even penguins (we were actually pretty close to Antarctica). There were waterfalls dumping into the sea, and the clouds just sort of hung on to the mountains, giving it a really cool hazy look.

After the cruise it was off to the Track. We strapped on our big packs containing our tents, stoves, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, food, water and clothes. Even though we tried to pack light, the pack probably weighed about 15 kg or so. And we were off. The track was a gradual uphill through the forest, with great views of snow capped mountains every now and then. We hiked about 3 1/2 hours that day before we came upon a water fall. The waterfall was beautiful and was right next to the path so we stripped down to our underwear and went behind the waterfall.... the cool water felt so good, and it was absolutely beautiful. Camp was another hour hard up hill, and when we got there, we set up camp and cooked dinner.

The second day was the hardest, with about 8 hours of hiking. The morning started out with a tough uphill track, and evened out once we were above the tree line. The views were amazing. Snow capped mountains with clouds settled in the valley. It was very peace full and beautiful. After another steep uphill climb, we were almost to the top. It was another 1/2 hr of super steep uphill to reach the summit of the mountain... but it was worth it. The sky was so clear that you could see all the way to the Tasman Sea. Amazing. Then it was a hard afternoon with some steep downhill. The steep down hill hurt my knees, so I was happy about 3 1/2 hours later when we finally reached camp for the night.

The last day was a piece of cake with an easy downhill walk back to the car park (parking lot).
The hike was tough, but worth every second. The views were amazing and the weather cooperated very nicely.

Today we are in Wanaka where we went mountain biking down a mountain this morning. It was kinda scary at first, because you are going down a mountain on a curvy loose dirt road with lots of rocks on a bike that I didn't exactly know how to control the best, but after I got the hang of it... it was actually kinda fun. I might try some more tomorrow, to practice my new-found skillz.

We will be in Wanaka for another day and then off to Christchurch again before flying off the the land of Australia. New Zealand was pretty great.... lets see if Australia can top it.

1....2.....3....Bungy

2007-02-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

To jump or not to jump... that was the question.

And jump I did.

Not only did I jump, I did it big. The Nevis Bungy in Queenstown New Zealand is the largest bungy in New Zealand and the second largest in the world at 440 feet. You jump from a jump pod that is suspended on a wire the middle of a canyon, free fall for 8.5 seconds, and stop 15 meters above the river below. I was intensely scared in the moments before the jump, but once I was falling it was an amazing feeling. I wasn't scared anymore, and surprisingly a sense of peace came over me. It was amazing to see the scenery flashing before me and the wind rushing by me as I fell. It was over very quickly and before I knew it I was bouncing back up. After a couple more bounces, they brought me back up the jump pod where I could celebrate.

Sweet as.... ( The New Zealand term for way cool).

Check out the video link....
http://www.wakamol.com:6969/julie/2007_0221/JulieJump.mov

Rock Climbing, Whitewater Kayaking, Glacier Swimming and Mountain Climbing

2007-02-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hello!
First of all, I would like to say thank you for reading and replying to my blog. As much fun as I am having here traveling... I've been gone a month now, and it is nice to get little notes from home. So, Thanks!

Ok... on to the good stuff. Where did I leave off....

On Monday we drove from Kaikoura where we did the dolphin swimming to Christchurch, a bigger city in New Zealand. We arrived the day before a holiday (Waitunngi day sp?- which is similar to our fourth of July). When we arrived at the YMCA (it was fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A) I got to open all of the mail that you all sent me. Thank you for that!!! Then we took off the the park across the street to watch a celebration with music and fireworks! I love fireworks. It was a really nice time... and very cultural as well. You see, here in New Zealand, instead of screwing the Indians, or Maori as there are called here, they signed a treaty with them and actually kept it. So, the Maori culture is very rich and going strong. A Lot of people even speak the Maori language. It is a really neat thing to see.

Tuesday was the day for Rock Climbing. We went to a rock cliff just outside of Christchurch where we all harnessed up and began climbing. I don't know if you have ever been.... but it's pretty hard! I did feel pretty cool when I got to the top of the easier climb... but the harder ones kicked my butt. I guess that's what happens when you have no upper body strength.

Wednesday was a free day for us in Christchurch and Tami and I took that time to explore the city. We went to a museum where we learned more about the history of New Zealand, and art museum where we were able to check out a bunch of different art, and of course.. a little bit of window shopping. They had a nice "town square" where a bunch of street performers were performing, so it was fun to watch them for a bit. Later that evening we went for a run through the park and came across a free play going on, so we stopped and watched that. It was a cool city with some things going on, but personally I think I like the small towns and just being in nature way better than the cities.

On Thursday we drove from Christchurch to the Peel Forest where we stayed at an Eco Lodge. The Eco Lodge was constructed so that it wouldn't hurt the environment at all. All the water was rain water... and if you wanted it hot you had to start a fire. The electricity was solar powered, and the bathroom was a sort of indoor outhouse in which you emptied a bag at the end of the day into a compost pile in the woods. It was a little bit rustic, but really nice at the same time. It kinda reminded me of being at the cabin with my parents- although that outhouse is outside :) Once we got there, we put on our togs (New Zealand term for swimming suits) and headed out to a river where there was a waterfall. Now, something that I've learned is that when you go on a "walk" with Sophie and Craig, our guides, it is never an easy walk. Today's walk to the waterfall included a mile hike upriver... in the river.. against the current... on slippery rocks. It was difficult, and I actually slid down some rapids at one point because the current got the best of me, but the waterfall was worth it. Once at the waterfall, we climbed up to a cliff near it and jumped into its base. So cool.

Friday morning we all went to a high ropes course and walked across some really high wires. It was good confidence boosting, but a bit scary as well. You are all harnessed in, so if you fall its not a big deal... but getting over the mental part of " I'm really, really high off the ground and you want me to walk on 2 wires from one tree to the next!" is a bit more difficult. It is one of those things that you just do and are happy that you did. We also were able to zip line a bit, which was cool too. It was raining that day, so the afternoon consisted of sleeping, reading, and later on a talent show put on by everybody.

Saturday we went Whitewater Kayaking. I've decided that I LOVE kayaking. You are in this little boat, very near the water, and you are going down the river, over rapids and around rocks... I just love it. The water, however, was really cold, and it was raining. I did fall out once because I went into the rapids sideways and I couldn't straighten myself out in time, but it was pretty easy to get back in the boat (because we were only using sit on top kayaks). We did that for about 3 hrs, which was plenty for me.... by time we got out, I couldn't even feel my feet because they were so cold. It was worth it though.

Sunday we drove from the Peel Forest to Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand. Our hostel is at the base of it, so you can look out the hostel window and see the giant snow-capped mountain. It is beautiful. Once we arrived, we took off to go near the glacier. Yes, glacier. It is one of the couple of glaciers left in New Zealand and we got to go near it on little boats. We were in a glacial lake that had giant icebergs floating in it. I got to eat a piece of 400 year old ice, which was kinda cool (lol...cool...ice...) and then for the finally, we got to jump into the 34 degree ice water. So, I did... and it was really cold. So cold that your body went numb in about the 45 seconds of being in the water. It was a cool experience though.

Monday we were supposed to go on a big hike, but it was really cloudy out and the views would have sucked... so we just did a couple of day hikes around the lodge instead and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

Tuesday was the day for the big hike as we hiked up a foothill of Mt. Cook. The hike was amazing. It was challenging because you were going up a very steep mountain, but with enough rest breaks it was enjoyable and the views made it all worth it. There is just something about mountains that I love... they are just so beautiful. And the stars here at night, are amazing. There is no light pollution around, so they are so bright and they just glisten in the sky.

Today is Wednesday, valentines day, so happy Valentines day to all those at home. We will be leaving Mt. Cook soon and heading to Queenstown- the adrenaline capital of the world. More to come next week on the crazy things I do while I'm there. To jump or not to jump... that is the question.

This computer isn't letting me post photos at the moment... so I promise I'll put them up later.

Kyaking, Camping, Seals and Dolphins!!!

2007-02-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

Wow! I've been having a blast! I have done so many crazy cool things in the past week...

Last Saturday, Sunday and Monday we were in Wellington and Tami and I took some time to explore the city. We watched a cricket game, had some great ice cream near the port, and found a fountain that was bubbled. We went to TePapa which is a big Museum in Wellington, and then did a bit of shopping. Saturday night we went out and experienced the night life... which was fun after a couple of bottles of wine in our room. We found this awesome 80's bar and danced for a bit before we called it a night. What a good time!

On Tuesday we took the ferry from the north island to the south island where we were greeted with amazing view and good weather. I can tell already that the south island is going to be way more beautiful and exciting than the north. Our first city stop was Nelson... a very liveable city.
Sunday was a day that a lot of people went skydiving. Since I've done it before and I'm trying to stay somewhat on budget... Tami and I took a free hike in the foothills instead. It was so gorgeous. It reminded me a lot of being in Colorado with the really blue sky with the white puffy clouds and the really big hills covered with pine trees. We were originally take a 45 minute hike to the "Center of New Zealand".. but 5 hours later we finally returned from a very long 10 mile hike. So, we might have gotten a little bit lost.. but it was a beautiful hike down by the river. And while hiking... it was so weird. Instead of seeing deer in the forest, there were sheep! Gotta love New Zealand!

On Wednesday Tami and I decided to have a cultural experience by going on a wine tour. New Zealand is know for its wine... and we got to try it all! It was so cool to be drinking wine and sitting right next to the fields where the grapes are growing. I learned a lot about wine as well... I will have to share my knowledge with you all over a glass,... or bottle... sometime!

Thurday morning we were up early and off to Able Tasman National Park for a couple days of camping. The weather wasn't quite as nice as we would have liked it.. for it was drizzling and kinda cool, but we made the 10 mile hike with our big packs on anyways. The hike wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be, because the path was smooth and the views were Amazing- even with the rain. When we arrive, we set up camp and explored a bit.

Friday was a great day. The weather was perfect, hot and sunny with a cool breeze and the first thing that Tami and I did after breakfast was a little bit of sea kayaking followed by a nice snooze on the beach while working on our tans (which by the way are getting pretty dark). Of course we did that all with SPF 45 on because there is a whole in the ozone over New Zealand so burn time is 6 minutes). After some lunch is was a hike to an amazing waterfall, into which we jumped in and experienced the freezing cold water for our self. The hike there was amazing as well and consisted of crawling over huge rocks and walking through streams. (I am a little bruised from the experience!) Afterwards, a little more sea kayaking to an island called "seal island" where we saw tons of seals! The would jump in the water and splash right next to our kayaks! It was the coolest thing. We topped the night off with some tag on the beach at sunset and a good sleep in the tent.

Saturday was our last day at Able Tasman, so we packed up camp and kayaked back to mainland.. seeing more seals in the process. The kayaking is so peaceful and really gives you a good workout at the same time! We drove back to Nelson for a quick shower and some food, and then in the vans for 5 hours to our next destination of Kaikoura.

This morning was the most amazing thing. We woke up at 5 Am to go swimming with dolphins. We dressed up in head to toe wet suits and hopped on a boat which took us out about 20 minuets into the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly... there were dolphins jumping everywhere! Everywhere you looked there were fins and splashing dolphins. The boat driver thought there were about 700 of them! So, we all jumped in the water and played with them. We had on a mask and snorkel and the second that you looked under the water.. all that you could see was dolphins swimming around you. It was so invigorating and so cool to be that near to them. The dolphins were wild dusky dolphins, just swimming in the middle of the pacific ocean. No cages, no pools, no nets, no feeding them..... just dolphins in their natural habitat. The would swim right up to you and look you right in the face and then you could swim in circles with them. Seriously... it was the coolest thing ever. The rest of the day is a free day for us, so I am just catching up on things and taking in all what has happened in the past couple of days.

I miss you all and hope that you all are enjoying life. Happy 21st Birthday Brian! I'll treat you to a drink and show in Australia. Good luck on your flights.

Caving, Rafting, Hiking and more!

2007-01-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

On the 20th Tami and I met up with the rest of our group from Pacific Challenge. We are a group of 18 people from around the United States traveling in Australia and New Zealand together. I am the oldest at 24 and the youngest is 18.
The first day was mostly a travel day... although we did get to see Auckland a bit. We drove up to one tree hill where we had an awesome view of the city below. Then off to Waitomo to spend the night in a traditional Maori Meeting House (aka large room where 18 of us slept on the floor.)
On SSunday we went black water rafting in the Waitomo caves. The "rafting" was floating on an inner tube... but it was still really cool. The roof of the cave was covered with glow worms (actually fly larvae) but they made the top of the cave walls look light the night sky. We also did some repelling down cliffs into a big cave. It was a lot of fun to dangle so far above the ground and feel completely safe.

Monday was the crazy day. Tami and I decided to go Caving with a group called Absolute Adventure. They promised a very non commercial trip.. and boy did they deliver. We rappelled down into the cave, climbed rock walls with our hands, slithered through narrow caverns on our belly, waded through chest high water, dangled from ropes high above the floor of the cave, and used every muscle in our body to crawl over, under and through tons of rocks and tight spaces. It was probably the most physically challenging thing that I have ever done. And it was scary! But what a feeling of accomplishment when we had mastered the cave. My muscles are still sore though.
Later that day we went to a huge waterfall. It was so beautiful with the backdrop of a very green New Zealand Landscape. We were able to hike right up to it and feel the mist all over our body. It was amazing.

Tuesday was a lot of travel as well... but we did stop for a small rafting trip along the way. We went down the largest commercially raftable waterfall in the world. 25 feet down.... it was crazy... and a lot of fun! For dinner that night we had a traditional Maori dinner cooked in the ground. The food was amazing. We also got to see a traditional Maori dance and welcoming ceremony. (Maori is the native people of New Zealand).

Wednesday is a day that I would like to forget. We woke up at 6:30 Am and drove two hours to a mountain that we would hike. It was called the Tangariro crossing.. and the mountain that we hiked was the Mountain of Doom from The Lord of the Rings. Seriously, it was the most intense hike ever. It was 8 miles long with at least a 2500 to 3000 ft elevation gain. We were going straight up for 2 hours! And not only that... but it was pouring rain the whole time! Once we got to the top... it was more sleeting than anything else. It was very challenging... but you couldn't actually see anything because of all the rain and fog. And it was really muddy.

Today we have a free day, so Internet, laundry and random things are on the to do list.

I am having a lot of fun, but I miss all of you.

Welcome to New Zealand

2007-01-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today we sadly said goodbye to Fiji, a wonderful tropical country, and made our way to New Zealand. Not much is actually happening today... just catching up on laundry, e-mail and other housekeeping things... but tomorrow we will meet up with our pacific challeng group and begin our crazy outdoor advenures. (As if scuba diving with sharks isn't crazy!) I'm kinda excited. Tomorrow we will be spending the night in a Watimo village and the next day doing some blackwater rafting through some caves.

Miss you all,
Julie

Fiji

2007-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hello from Fiji!
Everything is wonderful here. We are on an island called Beachcomber island and it is beautiful! The sky is blue and the water is bluer! I have been doing a lot of scuba diving since I've been here because it is supposed to be some of the best in the world... and I would agree. My most exciting dive was when we went to the "supermarket". We were about 15 m under water when we saw sharks! It was crazy. The weather here is perfect... about 80 - 85 and we are in our swimming suits most of the day. The sunsets aren't what I had hoped, but the sunrises are amazing. So, needless to say I've been up at about 5 am every day to check it out. Tonight we are headed to the Main Land and tomorrow we are off to New Zealand to meet up with our Pacific challenge group. I'm having a great time! Miss you all.

Send me some mail!

2007-01-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

Five months is a long time to be away from friends and family.... and nothing will cheer me up like a little piece of home. So, incase you are interested in sending me a little love snail mail style, there are a couple places that I can recieve mail at. Here are the directions on how to send me a letter:

Make sure family/friends include a return address so that mail may be returned if it does not arrive on time. Allow at least 2-3 weeks for delivery. Telephone numbers are for emergency use only.

Please ensure mail is VERY CLEARLY addressed as follows: (It is essential that you put Pacific Challenge before "your name", otherwise the mail may not be held).
For example:
"Pacific Challenge Group "
"Participant's Name"
"Name and Address of Accommodation" (as listed below)

Mail drop #1:
YMCA
12 Hereford St
Christchurch 8013New Zealand
[Tel. 011.64.3.365 0502]

Group will be here: PC3: Feb 5-7
And again : PC3: Feb 26-27

Mail drop #2:
Keppel Lodge
Great Keppel Island
Rockhampton Queensland 4700 Australia
[Tel. 011.61.7.4939 4251]

Group will be here:PC3: March 16-18

It's almost here!

2006-12-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone and the excitement of the holidays is starting to fizzle.... but the excitement for my trip is continuing to grow. I am just finishing up last minute planning details and starting to pack up my belongings. I have been so busy this month, that it is hard to believe that it is almost January.

The first week of December, my boyfriend Peter and I went on a cruse to Costa Maya and Cozumel Mexico. Our cruise left from New Orleans on the 2nd and we enjoyed our time on the boat by watching shows, comedians, magicians, swimming, mini golf, ping pong , enjoying the beautiful views from the boat, and eating. Man did we eat! The food was great... almost too good. Peter and I both gained a descent amount of weight while we were there.

Once we were in Mexico, we decided to get away from the touristy areas and go explore the countryside on our own. While in Costa Maya we explored a coastal town with beautiful beaches and everyday life of fishermen continuing and then found a taxi to take us to some Mayan Ruins.
In Cozumel we went snorkeling off of a glass bottom boat and saw a wide array of tropical fish... even an eel! After we were finish with that, we found a tranquil beach where we enjoyed a "Corona Commercial" like afternoon laying on beach chairs on a tropical beach, drinking foreign beer. It was great.

Since then, I've been pretty busy with Christmas. I had a wonderful Christmas visiting my family and Peter's . It is always great to be with loved ones on the holidays.

In talking to many of you over the holidays, there has been a request for my itinerary... so here it is:

Jan 13th -Leave Chicago OHare Airport
Jan 15th- Arrive Fiji with Tami Bolz, best friend from High School
Jan 19th- Leave Fiji and arrive New Zealand with Tami
Jan 20th- Pacific Challenge program begins http://www.pacificchallenge.org/itin_nzaus.aspx#
Feb 28th- Fly to Australia with Pacific Challenge program
March 20th- Pacific Challenge program finished. Meet Brian, my brother who is studying abroad in Australia
March 20th - Leave Sydney, Australia and fly to Johannesburg, South Africa
April 2nd - Begin GAP Kruger Lodge Safari http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/DAK
April 6th- Leave Johannesburg, South Africa and fly to Nairobi, Kenya
April 8th- Begin GAP Serengeti and Masai Mara Experience http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/DCA
April 22nd- End GAP tour and meet Peace Corps Volunteer Joe in Nairobi
April 25th- Leave Nairobi Kenya and fly to Athens Greece to meet my roommate Katy to explore Athens and the Greek islands
May 4th- Fly from Athens, Greece to Rome, Italy to meet my boyfriend Peter for a week exploring the Italian countryside
May 13th- Fly from Rome, Italy to Lima, Peru to meet my cousin Carrie and begin a GAP tour entitled Classic Peru in which we hike for 3 days to Machu Picchu http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/PPC
May 26th- Fly from Cuzco Peru to Quito Ecuador where I meet my friend Barb to begin our GAP tour entitled Voyage Galapagos. http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/EV07M
June 5th- Fly from Quito Ecuador home!
June 6th- Arrive at Chicago OHare Airport at 9:05 am.
That is the basic plan of travels. Keep checking the site for updates and exciting stories and photos.

2006-11-27T19:46:00.000-08:00

After two and a half years of planning and saving, my dream of traveling the world is about to come true! The dream was sparked after returning from a backpacking trip around Europe and the fear that by getting a "real job" I would be too tied down to travel long distances. Although I love my "real job" as a nurse, my passion is traveling, exploring and learning about the world and myself. So, I am quitting my job, leaving my boyfriend, family and friends behind, and am off to explore the world before me... hoping to learn about myself in the process.

Planning for a trip this big is a lot of work! Picking destinations, flights, programs, hostels, transportation, immunizations, visa, etc. It's been about two years in the making... so hopefully everything will go smooth.

This trip, although possibly the greatest thing I will have done so far in my life, is also a little scary to think about. I will be traveling all over the world, meeting up with friends and family in exotic destinations, seeing beautiful sunsets, wild animals, a variety of cultures and experiencing wild and crazy adventures. But I will also be leaving a job that I love, a roommate that I have a lot of fun living with, a boyfriend that I have fallen in love with, and all of the rest of my family and friends. I will be out of my comfort zone and left to rely on my own devices. Am I ready? Can I handel it? I guess there is only one way to find out, right? Go big or go home!

Thanks for following me on my adventures by reading my stories and viewing my photos. I'm hoping that this blog site will allow me to communicate with those that I love and keep everyone up to date on "Where in the world is Julie?"