Dreaming of warmer, sunnier places :-)

Today I had a sick day and so spent the day in bed with my laptop. After exhausting the news websites I found myself on travel websites (yet again). I thought I might like to see Fiji next year. Two things on my travel bucket list are visiting as many different Pacific countries as I can and going diving somewhere at least once per year. I really wanted to spend my 25th birthday diving with sharks and Fiji's the place to do it apparently.

However despite a lot of google searching, I just can't seem to find what I'm looking for there. I'm sure it's there somewhere, hidden behind the countless resorts that all look much the same, with their included breakfast and probably extortionately priced other meals, and loads of families and honeymooners. I'm after something a little more low key and I like to spread my dollar (the little that I take with me) around the community. I'm a big believer in tourism being the key to development in the Pacific Region.

I'm also a fan of lists. Here's my current top 10 things I'd like to see in our Pacific backyard - it's ever evolving the more I learn (and there's a lot of learning about these places at school at the moment in my Pacific Studies paper).

1. Kiribati (pronounced Kiribaas) - both Kiritimati Island which is supposedly stunning, a direct flight from Fiji and the island the country is promoting as its tourism jewel. I'd also love to visit the densely populated and polluted Tarawa which is rich in World War Two history and to see the other side of life in the Pacific. The side with sky high rates of domestic violence, unemployment and a per kilometre population density as great or greater than the likes of Singapore - the side you don't see in the tourist brochures. http://www.kiribatitourism.gov.ki/
2. Diving with whales in the Ha'apai and Va'vau Island groups of Tonga. The whales rock up in late July and leave in October. Tonga's also renown for it's excellent drift diving. I might have heard a rumour about a family run restaurant in Tongatapu dishing up authentic cuisine on woven plates as well. http://www.tongaholiday.com/
3. Rapanui/Isla Pascua/Easter Island  - self explanatory really. Who wouldn't want to visit?!
4. Belau/Palau - have you seen photos of this place? Forested islands plunging steeply out of the ocean, a pond of jellyfish and apparently some of the best diving you can find. Still a little expensive to get there having to go via Asia I think... http://www.visit-palau.com/aboutpalau/index.cfm
5. The Solomon Islands - the must sees here are Tetepare Island. We watched a doco in class about the destructive logging that's happened across the archipelago. When the doco was filmed the local villagers were tossing up opening Tetepare, an uninhabited, unspoilt island up to logging too. Thankfully I've discovered they've instead set up an eco resort, basically camping with only a handful of people allowed there at a time. People also seem to overlook a lot of the accomplishments Pacific peoples achieved back in the day - it wasn't all grass huts and hula skirts. They even built and island from scratch. That is something I'd like to see. http://www.visitsolomons.com.sb/home
6. The Chatham Islands - for its Moriori history particularly the carvings done on living trees, Pitt Island with its rare birds and you can even get into a cage to dive with great white sharks - fun!http://www.chathams.com/
7. Vanuatu - an independent republic with an intriguing language, a mix of french, english and pidgin. On Tanna you can see an active volcano spewing lava at night, and it's the birthplace of bungy jumping (but with vines strapped around your ankles) and the happiest people on earth. I've heard the food at the market is to die for! http://vanuatu.travel/
8. New Caledonia - to visit Xapita where you can still find Lapita pottery scattered on the beach and for the French influence (especially on its food) and modern capital. It's also on the front line of the ongoing decolonisation of the Pacific with a referendum due on independence coming up in the next few years and a strong movement pushing for it. http://en.visitnewcaledonia.com/
9. American Samoa - it's cheap enough to take the 5-8 hour ferry over from Independent Samoa and so I'll probably go not next time I'm in Sa this November, but the time after that. It's got some stunning scenery but I'd like to see for myself just how American it is. http://www.amsamoatourism.com/
10. Ooooh toss up for final spot. I'd like to head back to Samoa and somehow arrange to go to Apolima Island. But, the lines of the Pacific are arbitrary so I'd like to redraw them and include East Timor. I would love love love to go here. Yes, the diving is good but there seems a lot else to see as well and to get a feel for a country so touched by conflict. http://www.turismotimorleste.com/

So that's my top 10. For next year I am leaning heavily toward Vanuatu. This kind of accommodation is my kind of style, similar to the fales in Samoa.

http://www.banyancastle.info/
http://www.tranquillitydive.com/
http://www.melanesianbungalows.co.nz/
And there are dugongs to be seen and wrecks to be dived. It just looks stunning, the culture(s) are intriguing and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get there either.

One year ago

Fruit salad with cheese at the San Gil market

It's the 11th September and all the news media seems to be reflecting on the anniversary of the terror attacks. Me, I was wondering what I was doing on this day just last year. I knew I was somewhere in Colombia because I remember waking up to the news of the Christchurch earthquake in a hostel in San Gil. Facebook tells me that 5 days later I hadn't moved on - the fruit salad at the market for breakfast, shared dinners with new Dutch friends and its claim to fame as Colombia's adventure sport capital meant I found it exceptionally hard to move on.

Tasty dinner of ants...yeah right! Could feel ant legs stuck in my teeth for hours afterwards. Ew!

This day one year ago I was underneath an upturned raft in the middle of a class 5 rapid. Today I slept in (a fair few ciders were downed last night while watching the Pumas play), cooked breakfast for the flatmates, did the weekly Pak n Save dash and made fish pie of peace a la Cheryl West. How times have changed. My feet are itching to hit the road again, but another (but smaller) part of me is happy in our cosy flat, doing much the same thing week to week. I am very much looking foward to a taste of freedom in exactly 10 weeks time - back to Samoa again for 5 nights. And I've opened another account to start accumulating some funds for next year's holiday(s) too.

Gorgeous view over the tobacco plantation

bus ride back to town, on the back of a truck

If only I won Lotto... if you did, where would you go? I'd head straight back to South America but fly via Tahiti - Easter Island - Santiago - Chile's vineyards. Although the new flight route that's just opened between New Caledonia and Reunion in the Indian Ocean would be equally exciting. Imagine the kind of around-the-world trip you could do with the Bank of Lotto. Sometimes it is fun to daydream!



the nearby village of Barichara

 

Samoa - aso tasi

It was just over a month ago that I arrived back from beautiful, sunny, tropical, not-Wellington-in-the-winter Samoa. I'm blogging about it only now because since the wheels hit the tarmac I've been practically non-stop busy with uni, Harry Potter and then film festival and as much sleeping and knitting as can be squeezed into a day too!

After a glass of wine in the airport foodcourt (cheers, mum!) I made it through security in record time - ten minutes tops including being swabbed for explosives. It struck me how different I felt compared to last time I headed off overseas nearly a year ago to the day. Then I was nervous (ok, downright scared) and excited. This time I was just as excited, but somehow walking through the terminal, just me and my (much smaller than usual) backpack, I felt like I was at home. As much as I love my cosy, mumsie life in Wellington, the one place I truely feel at home is on the road with only myself to depend on and no idea what the day ahead will bring.

Fast forward a few hours and I stepped off the plane at Faleolo and without any checked luggage I was first out the other side where I headed straight for the bathroom to peel off some layers. One of only 3 passengers on the shuttle bus into Apia (25 tala compared to around 50 for a taxi), it was less a transfer and more of a guided tour with the driver pointing out things along the way(like his house, Salt Lake City Apia aka the mormon compound), chatting about politics and driving mostly on the wrong side of the road while he overtook cars like a maniac.

Before long we were in Apia and I was tucked up in bed with a gecko or two for company. I bunkered down the first night at the Seaside Inn with an ensuite dorm to myself for only 40 tala. Breakfast was included but I was chomping at the bit to get out and explore the next morning and find something to eat at the local market.

Along the way I passed the police in their lavalavas marching down to the government buildings to raise the flag and play the national anthem. I tried out some Samoan on a couple of locals who's first question (well after 'where are you from?' and 'are you married/do you have children?') seems to be 'are you a peace corp?' because why the hell else do you know any samoan? I discovered that the Sydney Side cafe sells a delicious banana smoothie a la Peru and the local supermarket has Maggi soup imported from Guatemala with all-Spanish packaging.
The market was busy with men gambling and drinking kava, people selling taro/bananas/coconuts/popcorn and lots and lots of panikeke, pork buns and mountainous servings of fried chicken, sausies and chips. The pork buns were delicious - your choice of steamed or deep-fried - and with a cordial included - all eaten at communal tables with teenagers from the local Mormon high school for company and interestingly, not a single pork bun to be found that contains pork...only chicken or beef buns on the menu, but it doesn't have the same ring to it. Despite having a belly full of keke poa'a I had to beeline to the ladies selling coconuts. Is there anything more refreshing than a fresh coconut?! They cracked it open for me too so I could peel out the flesh after drinking the juice. And then fell about laughing at me for exclaiming that "I LOVE coconuts" - I guess that could be taken a couple of ways.

I had to get out of there before I made myself sick with all the eating, so I headed outside to the main bus stop to make my way up to the ferry port to catch a boat over to Savai'i, the big island.

Buses in Samoa are an experience in themselves. They are colourful and wooden (and cheap!), with tiny seats that somehow the larger than average Samoans manage to squeeze into and then some. Standing isn't allowed so once the seats are full people pile onto each other's laps. Noone would let anyone sit on mine though, nor I on theirs - apparently palagis get the special treatment. A man selling banana chips pointed the right bus out to me and I bought a bag of his goods in return - chifle! It dawned on me why I love Samoa so much - it's like a little bit of Peru in the Pacific. How I've missed snacking on chifle and popcorn while riding buses!

Once at the port, there was time to kill before the ferry left (around 12 tala one way by the way) so I dug out the knitting and before long had a curious crowd of onlookers gathered around me. The ferry was the tiny vehicle one - a school teacher sat next to me and so I spent the whole ride being given an imprompteu samoan lesson of which I can only remember how to say "Ave bus. O lea le pasisi?" - which apparently means "Bus driver, how much is the fare?" - although she also added never to ask the driver the fare anyway because they'll always hike it up for a palagi - better to ask another passenger and have the right coins ready.

The ride across was a bit bumpy which made for a wet backpack - the sides of the ship are so low even with a small swell the water washes right over the deck.

The wharf was chaotic when the ferry docked with everyone racing to catch buses to other parts of Savai'i. Not me. I had a 10 minute meander down the road to Lusia's Lagoon Chalets where I had my own hut over the water awaiting me, a promise of cold beer and some Clan of the Cave-porn to keep myself occupied.




Lagoon chalet - 70 tala/night, incl brekkie



Poke - raw fish in soy sauce












More to come - bed beckons. It seems I ramble even more when writing than I do in person - this could be quite the saga!

What to pack for a tropical island getaway

I'm sitting writing this wrapped in a polar fleece blanket, a couple of merino layers and a cosy peruvian hat complete with ear flaps. Winter finally hit Wellington today and it's freezing!!! Hopefully the southerly blast has also blown that pesky ash cloud far far away because straight after work tomorrow I'm flying up north to spend a couple of days before flying off to sunny, tropical Samoa.

I may trudge around all day in shoes that can talk the holes in them are getting so big, can't fork out for the $60 primer I deemed a necessity at age 18 or for a new winter coat though mine needs replacing, but there is always money for three things - wine, yarn and most especially HOLIDAYS!

The budget is 10 days for $1500 tops. Flights set me back around $500 so I have a grand to play with for accommodation, diving, beer and anything else.

The cheapest fare was carry on luggage only which shouldn't be a problem. As long as the snorkel gear fits in the bag and it all weighs under 7kg I'm away smiling. The whole tropical island thing makes it much easier to pack light. And after lugging around a pack crammed with way too many things last year (although that was 5 months from muggy Amazon to frosty Patagonia) I've definately learnt that less is more! Trying to fit all the goodies I picked up along the way (2kg of yerba mate *cough*) flying home from Buenos Aires was an absolute nightmare as you can see...

 So, because I love packing lists (and love showing up to the airport WITH my passport and wallet), here's my 10 days in Samoa list:

• travel insurance policy
• passport
• money/eftpos/coin purse or wallet
• camera/batteries/battery charger/SD card
• backpack to put it all in
• mask and fins and DIVE LOG BOOK/PADI certification
• togs x2
• quick dry towel
• 2x bra, 4x undies, 3x singlets or t-shirts, 2x skirts, 1x dress, summer pjs
• 1x leggings, 1x cardy, 1x socks, 1x scarf (mainly for the plane - Pacific Blue cranks the air con!)
• head lamp (for night time toilet excursions - the fales won't have walls let alone ensuites)
• empty water bottle and purification tablets (saves buying lots of water)
• kathmandu laundry detergent which doubles as my shampoo and body wash
• pawpaw balm (best thing to put on mozzie bites, as lip gloss, burn cream....)
• 2-in-1 mozzie repellent/sunscreen with lots and lots of DEET
• sunnies
• jandals (all weather, all terrain footwear)
• toothbrush/paste
• padlock and chain for bag
• book
• knitting (bought cotton especially for a project so I can knit in the tropical heat!)
• booking confirmations for first few nights printed out, wing the rest on arrival.
• samoan homework so I can practice all the vocab while lying on the beach with a large bottle of vailima!

That actually sounds a lot written down, but I'll be wearing half of it onto the plane. Right better double check it's all in the bag.

Chocolate Pisco Cake (otherwise known as heaven on a plate)

If somebody told me they were going to Iquitos (a Peruvian city planted smack bang in the Amazon, only accessible by boat or plane) the one piece of advice I'd have for them would be to go to the Dawn on the Amazon cafe and try the Chocolate Pisco cake. I did. Twice. Biting into that slice of heavenly goodness and taking a sip from an ice cold glass of sauvignon blanc is a food memory that will never leave me. Thinking about it puts me back in that moment, sitting in a comfy chair on the malecon watching tourists amble past, hawkers trying to flog off cigarettes,t-shirts or tours, a couple of ladies across the street selling juanes and coconuts and hippies sitting next to their pop up jewellery stands. I can hear the roar of mototaxis (tuk tuks) going past the square and the heat hangs heavily on me, my skin glistening with a constant layer of sweat. I'd spent 4 nights sleeping in a hammock on a rust bucket of a ferry to get here. Spent another couple of days exploring the faded grandeur of this city and the nearby zoos and butterfly farms (even being groomed by monkeys) and had sat on a white sand beach in the middle of the river chatting to the local kids.

Then I'd ventured out into the jungle for a 4 day tour with a lovely Slovenian girl and a rather creepy, dolphin-obsessed (and not in a oh dolphins are so cute way but dolphins as sexual objects way) guide, caught a piranha and eaten it, had a shaman blowing smoke and chanting over me to cure my vomiting bug, and held a pet sloth who was so lazy he didn't seem to notice he had huge lice-like creatures swarming over him. I had sweated profusely non-stop for at least a week in the opressive humitity and drunken so much juice (the choice of tropical fruits!) to counteract that that a child hawker knew me as the lady who really, really loves juice.

Iquitos was an absolutely magical place. And the bite I took of that straight-from-the-refrigerator Chocolate Pisco cake washed down with an actually cold glass of wine was beyond magical. It is one of my top food memories in a trip full of 'em. It's definately right up there with the first bite of a steak fresh off the barbie in Uruguay, sinking my teeth into a trout empanada to die for in Bariloche, the faina (chickpea bread) on top of a simple margerita pizza in La Boca, or a sip of Torrontes from Vistandes vineyard in Mendoza.

Since then, I've wanted to replicate it but couldn't find a recipe for Chocolate pisco cake anywhere online. How could this be?

So I've used my favourite chocolate cake recipe gleaned from my mother who in turn gleaned it from some unknown (to me) source. Instead of 1 cup of hot coffee I used 3/4 cup coffee and 1/4 of pisco (Peruvian/Chilean white wine brandy) - possibly it doesn't taste quite pisco-y enough, but still a worthy first attempt.

Here's the recipe.

In a food processor combine

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk or plain yoghurt
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 200g softened butter
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup boiling hot coffee
• 1/4 cup pisco

Cook for 1 hour in a 160 degree oven, although mine is taking longer than that - possibly due to the pisco?

I also had enough mixture for 6 cupcakes made from the mixture. 3 of which I totally have not eaten while writing this post :-)

 Just for fun, here's a couple of other pics of food in Iquitos. Peru really is foodie heaven.

Dinner in the jungle

Palmito salad hit the spot after 4 days of chicken/fish, rice and banana 3x a day



Caiman (alligator) in garlic sauce. Note the huge jug of juice