Bula! Bula!

Sept. 6 - Sept. 11:

5 Americans, 3 Frenchies, 1 Canadian, 1 Mexican, 1 Norwegian and 1 Kiwi spent five days in Fiji. Here's what happened...

We we were greeted at the Nadi airport (pronounced Nan-di) with Bula beads and were excited to arrive despite the warm drizzle outside. After hearing it many times, we finally learned that "BULA!" meant "Hello" .... and "Goodbye," "Welcome,"  "Thank You," "Whats Up?" "Bless You!" (after a sneeze), "Cheers!" and basically whatever else you want it to mean (except for "What time is it?" the people here have no need for that. Everyone lives according to "Fiji Time," a concept we quickly became familiar with).

At the Anchorage Resort, we spent our first full day lying in hammocks, playing volleyball in the pool and kayaking in the ocean, all while increasing our risk of skin cancer.

We then took a taxi into the local town to pick up fruits, veggies and other essentials. On the ride, I saw how although Fiji is full of beautiful landscapes with tall green mountains, clear blue water and white sandy beaches, the people who live here lead lives that can't be compared to what visitors see in the resorts. Most families live in small huts in an extreme state of poverty. The Fiji Poverty Report actually states that 25% of the households cannot afford a basic standard of living. They often do not have land or permission to use it, live in very poor houses, and have nutritionally inadequate diets.

Along with the overwhelming amounts of poverty, the country currently has no established government. In April, the Fijian President suspended the constitution and dismissed the judicial system while assuming complete governance within the country.

But despite these hardships, the people always manage to greet you with a loud "Bula!" and beaming smile.

While in town, we stocked up on the cheapest fruits and vegetables I have ever purchased from the local market. Under a large, open-air pavilion, a mass of booths were intricately positioned, each selling a variety of fresh fruits. We also purchased some kava root from one of the booths to make the national drink of Fiji.  It is known to be a sedative, helping the body to relax while clearing the mind. 

Drinking fresh mango juice outside the market

Fijian kids love getting their picture taken

That evening, a man from the resort pounded the sundried kava and mixed the powder in a bucket of water creating a cloudy brownish-grey concoction. He then taught us the traditional way to drink -- reciting "Bula" before and after each bowl along with a series of three claps. The flavor wasn't necessarily bad, but is most comparable to the taste of dirt. After a few "high-tides" (full bowls made from a shelled-out coconut), my lips and tongue were numb, but that's about all I felt.

The next day we took a "taxi" (i.e. ten of us sat in the bed of a small pick-up truck while the other two sat in the cab with the driver) to Natadola Beach which is known to be one of the best white sand and surf beach on the main island. The driver wasn't completely sure how to get there and it took over an hour, so we sang songs in French, Mexican and English to keep our minds off the bumpy ride along dirt roads in the back country.

When we finally got to the beach, we waded through the clear, warm water along the cliffside before relaxing in the sand. I played a little sand soccer with the boys and we finished the day horseback riding down the beach.

A long ride along dirt roads in the bed of a truck leads to singing/screaming French songs

Before going back to the resort, we stopped in a little tourist town on a marina for a seafood dinner with a lot of Fijian beer.

Cheers! ...I mean, Bula!

The next day, Anchorage transferred our accommodation to it's partner resort on Beach Comber Island. There, we ate great Fijian food, snorkeled along the reefs and met other students from all over the world. The boys sailed and played miniature golf while the girls relaxed in the sun. We all spent the majority of our time at a little private saltwater pool hidden near the back of the island. At nighttime, since the island caters to students, it basically turns into one enormous beach party.

We stayed the majority of the next day on the island and caught our boat home early in the evening. The water was a little rough and some of the boys chose to sit at the bow. It was hilarious watching them get slammed by wave after wave over the course of an hour.

That night we drank more kava and regretfully spent our last night together in Fiji before flying back to Auckland the next morning.

Highlights of the Trip:

• Kava
  

We created our own traditional kava ceremony complete with "King Ratu" (a.k.a. Travis), a Queen and servants. Although I didn't get the full relaxing effect of the drink, I laughed the most while sitting outside with our fictitious tribe.

• Snorkeling
  

I have never seen ocean life like I did in Fiji. All of the fish were such vibrant colors and matched the atmosphere of the bright coral. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) I did not see any sharks, but spoke to multiple people who did.

• Kayaking
  

We took the kayaks out one evening into the ocean outside the resort. As Mads and I raced Nate/Elizabeth and Mark/Allison along the coast, we tried to smash into one of their boats, but were hit sideways by a wave and flipped out of the kayak in the middle of the water, obviously losing the race. Karma, I guess.

• Taxi Ride
  

At times (like when we were driving over rickety bridges on railroad tracks) we thought we were being taken into the bush of Fiji to never return again, but it ended up being a great experience. Ever since that ride, I've had "Aux Champs Elysées" and other French songs I don't know the words to stuck in my head. 

"Top 10 Reasons to Visit New Zealand"

New Zealand's current Prime Minister, John Key, just appeared on David Letterman's Late Show for the "Top 10" segment.

Check out his jokes about how the country, only "a convenient 20-hour flight away," actually likes America... "unlike the rest of the world."

Getting High.

August 27th - 30th: Climbing Kawaka Bay, Whanganui Bay, and Mangaokewa

I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute here in New Zealand. Everything I have chosen to do and experience has resulted in some sort of positive outcome. Even the time we stayed the night in a shabby hostel with no heat in the dead of winter, we now have an amusing story to laugh at and we know it can’t get much worse.

Although I have no regrets, I have recently been thinking a lot about why I came to New Zealand. I have come up with seven main reasons that drew me here.

 1. English speakers
2. The big city life (i.e. Auckland)
3. Country with a prominent media
4. University with an established journalism program
5. Distance that worries my parents
6. Mountains
7. Passion for outdoor adventure

 The last one is what has been bothering me. This country is notorious for its natural world and the availability of outdoor recreation, but I have yet to take full advantage of it. As Mark and I hiked down to the lake last weekend, we talked about how we both felt the same way. Mark took a NOLS trip a couple years back and is also an avid climber, so he holds a large passion for the outdoors. He has kept in contact with Alicia, our Australearn program instructor, who is also a climber. She and her husband spend a lot of time at the local climbing gym and Mark has joined them for a few trips. They recently invited him on a weekend climbing/camping trip and while we were on our long trek back up the mountain, he asked if I wanted to tag along. Although I have only done basic climbing a handful of times, I could not turn down the opportunity.

August 27th

Mark and I stocked up on essential food for the weekend (peanut butter, tuna and bread) and Alicia picked us up on Thursday evening. We drove a couple of hours to meet her husband Forbes and camp for the night. Forbes is an instructor for AUT’s Outdoor Recreation and was in the middle of a class trip. We met about 15 students and four instructors just in time to set up our tent and get to sleep. The group was exhausted from a full day of climbing and they were already in their tents when we arrived. It was only around 10 p.m. but we had no other option than to also get in our tent and try to sleep. Mark had a few movies on his iPod so with a watchband and a little patience he was able to creatively rig it to the top of the tent so we could watch a movie before falling asleep.

August 28th

We woke up early the next morning and drove to Kawakawa Bay for the first day of climbing. It took us about an hour to hike in and once we were there we split from the rest of the group. The class was working on technical aspects so Mark, Alicia and I went off to climb for fun. I had conveniently borrowed a harness from a friend in my building, but it was difficult wearing normal sneakers instead of climbing shoes. Mark and Alicia were both really supportive and found good climbs for a beginner. Climbing may look easy, but getting in the rhythm of pushing off of one leg at a time while thrusting the rest of your body as high as possible is not a natural technique for me. Although I struggled a bit, I eventually made it to the top of each pitch and was able to turn around and see only the clear blue Lake Taupo beneath me. Climbing is so rewarding because each time you actually have an established goal of reaching the top. Getting there makes all of the hard work worthwhile.

 I also really enjoyed watching Mark and the others climb. I had no idea Mark was so experienced and it was a bit of a shock to watch him climb so smoothly and make even the most difficult pitches look effortless. I would love to reach this point where each swift movement falls into the next while keeping a rhythm with little hesitation, but right now I need a lot of practice.

Mark setting me up for the first climb

Climbing at Kawakawa

After a lunch of peanut butter sandwiches followed by more climbing, the class left to go back to Auckland and we headed to our next campsite. We ditched the car and Mark, Alicia, Forbes and I piled into another instructor’s van. Hannes is a “German Kiwi” who also works for AUT Outdoors. He had an awesome road-trip van complete with curtains and a full bed in the back. We drove down a rutted dirt road in the pitch-black and arrived at a Maori Village on Whanganui Bay that permits climbers to camp on their land for a small fee. We ate our tuna sandwiches in the cold and did not hesitate to pitch our tent and get into our warm sleeping bags. Mark and I definitely didn’t need a movie this night due to pure exhaustion from the busy day.

August 29th

When I woke up the next morning I realized we were actually on the western shore of another part of the vast Lake Taupo. We didn’t waste much time and began climbing "Tibia" almost immediately after breakfast. Hannes went up first to set the gear and I followed soon after. I was pretty confused about what we were doing or where we were climbing but I was just told to follow the rope up. Mark let me wear his climbing shoes to make it easier and I began climbing upward. As soon as I reached the crack, I was told to look left and saw a skull surrounded by tibia bones glaring back at me. Ah... tibia now made sense. I continued on with my back to one wall and my feet on the other, and was able to maneuver myself up to a ledge to meet Hannes. He set me up to belay Mark and then continued to the next pitch.

 The final pitch of the climb was the most difficult for me. Again, there were two rock faces to use, one with a large crack in it. They were positioned much further apart than the previous ones which made it difficult for a person with short legs. By jamming my toes in a crack or shoving my arm in up to my shoulder where it wouldn’t budge, I was able to get my back foot up just a bit higher each time and shimmy up the climb. Mark was below helping me find holds and Hannes was encouraging from the top, but at times my back leg would be shaking so uncontrollably from tired muscles I did not think I was going to make it. When I finally reached the top, Hannes told me just to flop my body over the ledge like I was getting out of the pool and I could barely gain enough strength to do that. But once I did, I finally realized what it meant to climb Tibia. We were about 50 meters high looking out on an astounding view of the coastline and sparkling water. Then came the best part: the abseil (or repel). I have now done quite a bit of abseiling and wouldn’t say I am scared of heights, but I have never done anything this high before. I was a little hesitant when Forbes told me to just walk over the edge, but once I did I loved knowing I had full control while descending down the side of a cliff.

Later in the day, more friends of Forbes and Hannes came and I was able to watch everyone complete more difficult climbs while I explored the area. I attempted another climb, but I felt so satisfied after accomplishing Tibia that nothing else could compare.

 That night, three others joined the camp so we talked and laughed over dinner, listened to the didgeridoo and cringed at other’s failed attempts at the instrument.

Hannes and his multipurpose van

Early morning walk to "Tibia"

The skull and bones at Tibia

The view from the top of the Tibia climb

Preparing for the 50 meter abseil (164 feet!)

On the way down

Mark heading down

Alicia abseiling

Follow the big crack in the middle of the rock to the top ledge of the Tibia climb.

And if you look closely, you'll find mark in the middle of another climb.

A view of the beach at the bay

August 30th

We had a little bit of rain the next morning and wet rock is not apt for climbing. Instead of staying as planned, we left the Maori campsite, picked up Alicia’s car and headed to Mangaokewa. Mangaokewa is a steep crag with a large overhang that allows it to stay dry from the rain. When we arrived, there were already some other climbers also taking advantage of the dry area. The whole atmosphere was extremely welcoming and supportive. I felt pretty insecure initially because I was obviously the most inexperienced one there, but it quickly became clear that everyone is willing to help you get up on that rock and succeed. Although my tired muscles did not make climbing easy that day, I just truly enjoyed watching and participating in such a relaxed and encouraging environment.

Multiple climbers at Mangaokewa

Thanks to Alicia and Forbes for letting me tag along!

Credit goes to Alicia for some of the pictures.

 

Whakapapa -- "Fuck-a-papa" and Mt. Ngauruhoe

August 21-23

On Friday evening, eight of us piled into a rented mini van and headed towards Tongariro National Park. After getting slightly turned around in Hamilton and adding four extra hours to our trip, we arrived at The Crossing Backpackers  hostel around 1:30 a.m.

We woke up to a cold, frosty morning, unlike the weather we're accustomed to in Auckland, and hit the road by 8 o'clock. We drove a few minutes to Whakapapa (The "Wh" in Maori language makes the "F" sound so we obviously enjoyed the pronunciation), the main town in the are. There, we dropped off a couple to ski Mount Rupehu, but the pricey costs, crowded slopes and mediocre conditions turned me off of the idea.

Instead, the rest of the group set off for a day tramp through the National Park. The scenery that surrounded us was that used to represent the Kingdom of Mordor in Lord of the Rings. And as we walked, the view of the snow-capped Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom in the LOTR trilogy) became clearer which created a good backdrop setting during our walk.

Our final destination was Tama Lake where we stopped to enjoy the view, have some snacks and rest up before the three hour hike back to the van. The lake sat at the bottom of an enormous crater, so of course Mark and I decided to hike down to it. After a fifteen minute trek down ankle-deep loose rock, we finally made it down to skip stones across the pristine water with an open view of "Mt. Doom" in the distance. I'm definitely glad I ventured down to the water, but the hike out of the basin to the top of the hill was grueling. Mark stayed close behind me in case the rocks tumbled and was keen to take a few breaks which was nice because we still had a long walk ahead of us.

Later that night we treated ourselves to a good dinner and a few beers at a local restaurant before a relaxing night back at the hostel. The next morning we drove to Hamilton to explore the small town and have lunch before getting back to Auckland.

Overall, it was a low-key weekend but it felt good to get out of the city once again.

The group just beginning our long hike

Overlooking Tongariro

Taranaki Falls

Typical Kristen and Mads

Mark in the midst of "Mordor"

Mads perched on a rock above the waterfall

Audrey and Mark resting above Tama Lake

Self-timer with Mount Ngauruhoe in the background