Busy, busy, busy!

Wednesday was a public holiday here (ANZAC Day; similar to Veterans' Day in the US) so the boat was busier than normal this week.  I went out on lots of dives and got to see some really great things, especially in the last couple of days.

On Weds, the wind was really strong and on our first dive, there was a rip current on the surface.  We dropped into about 60 feet of water and started swimming headfirst into the current, which was still quite strong at that depth.  I ended up getting pulled away from the group since I was carrying the line to our dive flag floating on the surface.  I waited for a few minutes to see if they might swim back in my direction, then prepared to ascend and return to the boat.    I turned around just in time to see a huge manta ray* gliding gracefully past me!!!  Surprise!    I was so thrilled that I didn't even mind missing the rest of the dive, especially since the rest of the group didn't get lucky enough to see mantas.  This one had three sharksucker remoras under it, two attached and one just swimming along.  The free-swimming fish ventured closer to me and started giving me the eye.  I got the feeling that he had heard about me from his cousins in Belize.**

Remoras:  lazy little bastards.

*For those of you who don't dive, mantas (and whale sharks) are one of the most exciting, elusive things you can hope to find underwater.  Mantas can grow up to 20+ feet across and do not sting or bite.  Click here for more info & pics!
**Backstory here

Minor Differences

The old commute

The new commute

The old motorman

The new motorman (AKA Captain Mick)

The old office

The new office

Life in Bundy

Intersection of the main st and the st we live on

So the main street in this town is called Bourbong St, but most of the signs have the G scratched off.  It’s especially funny when you consider the size of the “city” of Bundaberg.  Compared to the cities where I’ve lived, this place has very much of a small-town feel to it.  It’s been really nice so far since I don’t have a car; it’s a quick walk to the grocery stores and the dive shop.  The owners of the place where I’ll be doing my Divemaster internship have a house where the students all stay together for the low, low price of $90 AUS per week.  This is a comparative bargain, as the hostels in town run about $150; however, the quality of accommodation is reflected in the reduced rate, mostly notably in the lack of any internet service.  Fortunately, the local public library is only a short walk.  

I have managed to accomplish quite a bit so far – we started my Rescue Diver course and completed the pool training and the textbook & exam, and finished the Emergency First Response course and CPR training.  Sadly, the weather has been less than cooperative since my arrival – first we had heavy rains and flooding up north, and now we’ve moved on to high winds.  Hopefully things will quiet down soon so we I can finish up my courses and move on to my DM training!

God's Waiting Room

Ah, home sweet...hostel.  This is a portion of the garden area at my temporary home, the lovely Woolshed Backpackers in Hervey (pronounced Harvey - don't ask me) Bay, Queensland.  As you may have guessed from the title of this post, lifted directly from my guide book, the area is a little on the quiet side.  It's actually been a pretty nice change to just sit around and do nothing - well, almost nothing - for a little while.  I do have to work for two hours every morning for free accommodation.  Rough life, right?  Did you notice the hammocks?  :-)  My Kindle has definitely come in handy!

Aside from lounging, I have in fact been doing some waiting of my own.  My next move up the coast will be to either Bundaberg or Airlie Beach.  My destination will be decided by the dive shops where I have applied for internships.  Some shops offer a program, referred to as a traineeship, which involves unpaid work in exchange for "free" Divemaster training and work experience.  I have my fingers crossed for Airlie - I'll update as soon as I have any news!

Bridge to staff housing

Sydneyside - the Aussie Adventure begins!

Australian currency - much more colorful and interesting than we have at home.  How can you not love a currency that has a platypus on the 20 cent coin???

Sadly, this may have been one of the highlights of my unscheduled 2 day stopover in Sydney.  After a 15 hour flight and a week of partying like a rockstar in LA, I spent a large portion of my visit sleeping.  I did manage to drag myself out of bed long enough to notice that Sydney was about as appallingly expensive as NYC.  A cheap "schooner" of beer (less than a pint!!!) averaged about $5.  My hostel in King's Cross, one of the more *colorful* areas of the city, was $32 a night - obviously a much better deal than your average hotel room, but definitely on the high end in the world of backpackers.

I was disappointed to discover that Bad Religion had a show scheduled for the evening of the day I was due to depart.  They were playing as part of the Soundwave festival which ran over a few days.  I met some British & American guys who worked with some of the bands at the closest bar with A/C.  Did I mention it's bloody hot here???

I did accomplish two important things, despite my hours spent snoozing - I managed to open my Australian bank account, and of far greater importance, set up my local phone number!  Hooray!  If anyone feels like running up the long distance bill, just email me for my new #.  I'm also typically on Skype at least once a day.

Review of Jackaroo Hostel :
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g255060-d1950653-r125919075-Jackaroo_Hostel-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html#UR125919075

Life in LA LA Land...

So it seems there is a reason they call it Hollyweird.  This week was a whirlwind of the outrageous and bizarre, and gave new meaning to the phrase 'party like a rock star.'  I'll spare you the details, but the high points included:

-checking out Steel Panther at the House of Blues (and hearing them announce that they're off to tour Australia!)
-going to see Gilby Clarke at the Whisky (complete with new!improved!70s porn star stache!) with a stop-off at the Rainbow afterward (is any trip to LA complete without a drink at the Rainbow?  I THINK NOT.)

-possibly the best plate of homemade tagliatelle I have ever eaten at a restaurant not in NYC named after a street in NYC (thanks, Delancey)
-seeing my awesome LA friends!!!!!!  Love you girls!

This is Heather.  Her hat is fabulous.

The Great Aussie Adventure!!!

Just to give you all an idea of where I will be for the next year!  The Whitsundays are a group of 85 islands off the NE coast of Queensland, between Brisbane & Cairns.  This area is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.  If you're interested in reading more about the region, click here! 

Key West Fantasy Fest 2011, or "holy crap, I'm turning 30"

This was when I still thought I could drive

To celebrate my impending 30th birthday, my friend Maggy and I ran off to Key West for a long weekend, which just so happened to coincide with the annual Mardi Gras-type debauchery called Fantasy Fest.

After flying into Miami and scoring a sweet red Mustang convertible, we started our mini road trip down the Keys, but not before we made an important discovery at a local "beer & bait" store:  cocktails in frozen foil pouches reminiscent of Capri Suns, with oh-so-clever names like Marg-GO-rita, Pina GO-lada, Daq-GO-ri - you get the idea.  They seemed like a brilliant idea...until we tasted them.  The ingredients list mentioned something about orange flavored wine, but mysteriously omitted what we determined to be the main component, PURE EVIL.

With that plan abandoned, we raced toward Key West in an effort to make it in time for the Friday night races at Turtle Kraals bar.  We befriended a former NYer behind the bar who tempted us with insanely cheap happy hour drinks and a round of Key Lime shots while we awaited the grand event.  Finally, it was time for the big race - everyone in the bar received a number, one though four, and rooted for their turtle.  We were lucky enough to join the line of winning #4 ticket holders after the race, and waited patiently for our chances to pick a key to try to open the winning treasure chest.  In a "Let's Make a Deal" twist, the emcee, a true KW personality with a flowing blond wavy mullet, would offer the participants "Turtle Bucks" to give up the key.  I was determined to emerge victorious, so I held fast to my key, until it was dropped into a pint of beer, which I was instructed to slam.

When the contest finally drew to a close, we (very carefully) made our way to our hotel, La Te Da, to check in.  It's entirely possible that we made a lasting impression on the front desk staff.

Hula hoops and hot tubs and baby kangaroos, OH MY!

AKA as Rhinebeck, AKA Knitter Prom, AKA the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival.  Needless to say, the weekend was a smashing success all around despite a bit of less than ideal weather.  This year I had the good fortune to stay in a house rented locally with eight other girls.  Outside of the actual fiber-y fun, we enjoyed pizza, beer, french toast casserole, bagels, and more maple cotton candy than a person could imagine.

I was on a yarn diet this year due to my upcoming move, but I did manage to score some gorgeous charcoal & black tweeded alpaca yarn to complete a sweater for my mom.  It doesn't count if it's for an existing project, DUH!

The best part of the actual festival this year was the Alpacas & Llamas On Parade.  In case you're not aware, I have an unhealthy adoration for alpaca, both the fiber and the animals.  They're just so fluffy and funny!  If they're in the mood, they will even give you alpaca kisses (basically rubbing noses with you)!!!

Ok, so he's a llama, but who wouldn't love that face???

Au Canada

So in the true spirit of preparedness, I noticed AFTER arriving in Canadia that I had forgotten to charge the camera battery. Hence, a total of four usable photos. Well done, me. The first three are large pretty buildings in the old section of the city near the port. The last is a fantastic rock/blues band called Junkyard Dogs – their name and the song lyrics were the only parts of the show in English, so that was entertaining for us. My French is trés rusty, as it turns out. Fortunately, nearly everyone spoke English. I highly recommend the Atwater farmers’ market; loads of fabulous homemade jams & jellies, fresh fruit, a stunning array of cheeses & gorgeous cases of specialty meats/poultry, plants galore, and ZOMG the mushrooms!!! One place had about a gajillion varieties. They were all just so PRETTY!!! It killed me not to have a cooler on hand. I settled for a bag of assorted dried fancy mushrooms & head of PINK(!!!) garlic.

Also, protip:  if the menu only specifies steak with red sauce, ASK if it is a red WINE sauce.  I learned this the hard way.  "Filet mignon" + canneberges = EWEWEW.

MAAAAHHHHH

Fitting in partying with the locals

A fond farewell to paradise

Just a quick note to wrap up - I was truly shocked at the way Belize City was portrayed to me by guidebooks, tourists, and even locals.  I've lived in NYC for almost eight years now.  I spent my first six months in the city living in Harlem.  So when I read and was told that Belize City was such a "dangerous" place and that I shouldn't go out after dark, I rolled my eyes.  On my way out of the country, I stayed over for a night in a hostel on the outskirts of the downtown area.  When I checked in, I was told that if I needed a ride anywhere, someone from the staff would be happy to drive me.  After the luxury of a(n INDOOR) shower and an air conditioned nap, I put on some clean clothes and ventured back to the front desk to ask for a lift.  I wanted to go downtown, enjoy a beer or two, have a nice dinner at one of the restaurants I had read about, and then call it an early night.  The hostel manager looked absolutely appalled when I told him of my intentions.  Ohnono, you don't want to go out now, not downtown, at this hour?  By yourself?  Despite his protestations, and due to the fact that it was maybe 4:30pm, I told him I would chance it.

I tried the place I had been interested in, but all the seating was outdoors and the AC was just too tempting at that point, so I meandered across the street to one of the big hotels (Hyatt maybe?).  The bar was frosty cold, so I found a spot and got comfortable.  I soon struck up a conversation with two friendly gentlemen who were colleagues, one American, one Belizean.  I eventually asked if they had any suggestions about where in the small downtown area would be the best place to have dinner, and they graciously invited me to join their group at a local restaurant on the water.  We had a delicious and very jovial dinner with the large group, and then proceeded to make our way to a small dance club and bar.  Everyone I encountered was nothing but polite and friendly - certainly more than I can say for most such establishments in my adopted home city.  Needless to say, I had a wonderful night, and I would advise anyone visiting Belize City to of course be aware of your surroundings, but also don't be afraid to explore; you just might enjoy it!

Passing notes. Underwater.

I did not realize that it was possible to revert to the 6th grade without speaking, but that's why they made dive slates, I guess.  Spent quite a bit of my diving time passing notes back & forth with the ever-so-charming divemaster, who also enjoyed practical jokes such as swimming up above me, then suddenly waving his hands in front of my mask, followed by much (mimed) pointing and laughing.   Then there was the empty lobster shell utilized as a finger puppet, which he reached into a giant barrel sponge one day and then SURPRISE popped right in my face.  That was amusing, but I had steeled myself for another such attack a few minutes later.  I was taken aback when the barrel sponge revealed not another lobster head peering at me, but instead the middle finger.  I laughed so hard I spit out my regulator, swallowed about a lungful of seawater, and had half the group approaching me to see why I was attempting to avoid choking to death.  I had a hard time collecting my wits for the rest of the dive.  As soon as we surfaced and made it into the boat, I started cracking up and promptly punched Mr. Funny Guy.

He managed to redeem himself during my last dive at Glover's, though.  Despite the fact that the fishermen's nightly cleaning ritual at the end of the dock attracted nurse sharks & stingrays by the dozen, I had been whining for two weeks that I had yet to see a shark while underwater.  The guys badgered me to try out the shark cage attached to the dock, but the sun was so low in the sky at that point in the day that the underwater lighting was rather dismal, even with the flash on my camera.

So on the penultimate day of my atoll adventure, I scoffed when the divemaster waved excitedly at me and showed the hand signal for shark.  I nodded at him, shrugging it off as more good-natured teasing.  He continued to wave me over in a very perturbed fashion.  I shuddered at what surprise lay in store, but dutifully swam in his direction.  All of a sudden, in a flash of sand and a flip of grey, a nurse shark flounced off, clearly annoyed at having his afternoon nap disturbed.  If it's possible to smile through your reg, I certainly did that day.  Sadly, I wasn't quick enough for photos.

The other remarkable diving event of this week was a big loggerhead turtle swimming near our group who headed up to the surface for air at the same time we did - very cool to watch.

Belize Week 2, AKA Survival Training Camp

Contrary to what the title of this post may lead you to believe, I really did have a good time at Glover's Reef Resort - it was just a very different experience than Off the Wall.  My home for the week was an over-water hut, which was quite picturesque, and even featured a deck out back for sunning.  On the plus side, there was a fantastic breeze, even on those very warm, sweaty tropical afternoons.  Not so great when meal time rolled around, and I sat there attempting to light an open gas burner for a good half hour.  Wind gusted through the hut as I tried in vain to construct a makeshift shelter out of dishes, pans, and whatever else I could find.  Fortunately, there was a separate outdoor kitchen area in a slightly more protected area of the island, to which I ended up resigning my cooking efforts.  In my humble opinion, gnocchi with pesto sauce was a major accomplishment!

Other major differences included a plethora of mosquitoes & "no-see-ums"/sand flies since there was no chemical treatment on the island; well water in the outdoor showers & sinks, which had a distinctive odor; and less overall sense of community among the staff and guests.  I would recommend this particular spot for a family or large group traveling together, or a couple wanting a great deal of privacy; however, the setup was less than ideal for a single (sociable) traveler.  After a week on the island, I was going a little stir-crazy.  This is not to say that the other guests were not friendly - I met two gentlemen from Mexico who were very pleasant and shared several meals with them as we faced a common battle with the kitchen.  Many of the guests simply chose to keep to themselves outside of diving excursions etc.

To give a fair overall picture, meals could be purchased as a package for the week or individually in the island "restaurant," but with a family-style set meal and no other options, I opted to feed myself.  I did supplement my rations with fresh baked bread which could be purchased from the kitchen twice during the week.

Fishing excursions were an option as the resort's boat went out twice daily to catch fish both to sell and for meals in the restaurant.  I decided to join the sunrise outing one morning, which certainly made for an exhilarating start to my day!  As the only guest in the boat, I had the privilege of trawling for barracuda on my own.  While this was an exciting prospect, it was also slightly terrifying once the toothy fish made it into the boat.  My native guide had brought a club resembling a small baseball bat, with which he whacked the flopping, writhing, angry barracuda on the head - several times.  Now covered in barracuda blood splatter, I thought we were in the clear, but the damn thing started moving again, sliding around the boat, those jagged nasty teeth coming a little too near my feet for comfort.  I fought to haul in a total of four of the fearsome fish, including one really big guy, and when we made it back to shore, most were still struggling.  They do not mess around, but I ultimately emerged both unscathed and victorious.

Restraining order, stat!!!

There was some high quality entertainment one afternoon during my stay at Off The Wall when a pair of remoras were stalking me like they were paparazzi!  At the end of my very first dive in Belize, a small remora followed us up to the boat and tried to nibble on a fellow diver's toes, so I was already understandably wary of these unusual fish.

In case you're not familiar with them, remoras have a large flat head with a sucker disc which they use to attach themselves to sharks, turtles, boats, divers...you name it.  Basically, they're lazy bastards looking for a free ride.  They feed off the larger animal's leftovers.  I've heard conflicting accounts as to how painful it can be to remove a remora that has attached to your skin.  I was not particularly interested in finding out firsthand!

I noticed that a pair of remoras seemed to be circling me.  I tried to swim in a different direction - they followed.  I tried ignoring them - they came closer.  I tried kicking water at them with my fins.  Evidently they interpret this as aggressive behavior and want to investigate even more closely.  Needless to say, I was on the verge of a minor (underwater!!!) panic attack at this point, when my divemaster swam up behind me & grabbed the back of my tank.  He motioned that I should calm down.  I frantically pointed at the mean scary fish that were chasing me and got a nice glare in return.  Somehow he managed to convey "just ignore them" with no words, and I tried to focus on keeping my eyes forward for the rest of the dive and just breathe.  

The damn things still ended up trailing me all the way to the boat, which I was promptly teased and laughed at by every single member of our group for the rest of the day.  Even my parents joined in on the mocking - my father suggested that 'it might be the tattoos,' and my mother concurred with 'watch out, they might try to eat them off you.'  Wishful thinking, Mom - I made it to the next island in one piece!!!

On to the gorgeous world of Glover’s Reef!

  After arriving at Off The Wall on Long Key* and getting settled, I had a quick tour of the island and my charming home for the week.  OTW was an amazing experience – as one of three (!) guests for the week, I certainly received plenty of personal attention, and the native Belizean cook, Eileen, was kind enough to cater to my exceedingly picky palate.  There was some type of home-baked bread at every meal, and I couldn’t get enough.  We averaged two dives per day, with one night dive added in.  The island itself was beautiful, tranquil, and oh so relaxing.  The diving was just…WOW.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

A complete list of all the amazing creatures I saw during this first week:
On land – hermit crabs & iguanas galore!!!

Underwater –

Sharksucker remoras (more to come on these!)
Nassau grouper

Black Grouper

Tiger grouper
Goliath grouper AKA Jewfish  (scroll to the bottom of the page for best pic)

Southern stingray
Yellow stingray

Flying fish
Barracudas!
Lionfish (danger, danger – both poisonous AND an invasive species!)
Green moray eels
Spotted moray eel
Spotted drum
Grey angelfish
French angelfish
Queen angelfish
Rock beauty
Sharpnose pufferfish
Hawksbill turtles

Loggerhead turtles

Triggerfish
Queen triggerfish

Black durgon
Trumpetfish
Yellowtail snapper
Dog snapper
Mahogany snapper
Blackfin snapper
Mutton snapper
Schoolmaster
Indigo hamlet
Blue hamlet
Yellowtail damselfish
Bicolor damselfish
Longspine squirrelfish
Neon goby
Hogfish
Honeycomb cowfish
Yellowhead jawfish
Spotted scorpionfish (scroll down to see the front fins - typically the best/only way to spot them)
Foureye butterflyfish
Stoplight parrotfish
Redband parrotfish
Midnight parrotfish
Blue parrotfish
Fairy basslet
Creole wrasse
Yellowhead wrasse
Bluehead wrasse

Blue tang
Porkfish
French grunt
Smallmouth grunt
Bluestriped grunt
Scrawled filefish
Caribbean reef octopus
Toadfish
Slipper lobster
Caribbean spiny lobster
Lizardfish

* My review on TripAdvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g291964-d911165-r104827682-Off_The_Wall_Dive_Center_Resort-Glovers_Reef_Atoll_Belize_Cayes.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

Belize, Week 1 - journey to the center of the atoll!

Oh, Belize City – a shiny, modern metropolis you are not.  My first thought upon seeing the bright Belizean sun:  “Holy shit, they still have AIR STAIRS?!?!?  Are we in an 80s movie??”  Not to worry, the rustic charm didn’t wear off in a hurry.  The taxi that took me to the bus station looked like a station wagon  from the 70s, and when I say bus station?  School bus.  Three hours.  No A/C.  Good times!!! 

I was surrounded by locals, drenched in sweat, and transfixed by the gorgeous scenery meandering by my window.  Lush, tropical jungle was everywhere, with hills shrouded in a fog-like haze.  The bus stopped to pick up people along the road (not necessarily at actual bus stops).  At one point, a woman got on with a huge box of homemade bread.  She made her way up & down the center aisle selling bread, then was on her way a few miles down the road.  There were small settlements here & there, but nothing really even large enough to term a village.  We passed through the capital of Belmopan – again, not your average bustling city.  When we finally passed the monument of the three drums signifying the town center of Dangriga, I was ecstatic.  As I trundled my giant suitcase down the sandy dirt (main) road, I garnered a few odd looks when I turned down the offers of a taxi.

I finally arrived at Val's Backpacker Hostel and settled in.  After a nice chilly shower, I decided that it was time to explore Dangriga (which didn’t take long).  I had my first taste of the national drink, Belikin Beer, at the River’s Edge café, which was virtually empty as it was still early.  I meandered my way to the Pelican Beach Hotel on the other end of town and took advantage of the happy hour special on their back patio overlooking the beach.  $3 BZ, or $1.50 US, for a beer.  Score!!  After a tasty dinner of coconut shrimp & a few more beers, I made my way back to the hostel and collapsed in bed.

I woke up refreshed & eager to continue my journey.  I headed out in search of supplies, as I was planning to do my own cooking during the 2^nd week of my trip.  At the store in town, I found a bottle of coconut rum and the weird shelf-stable canned butter I had read about.  I wandered through the weekend market on the riverbanks, but found mostly used clothes.  I picked up a few limes at the produce market, but wasn’t brave enough to check out the meat & fish section, as the stench was fairly overwhelming.  With my shopping out of the way, I decided to give the infamous “King Burger” a shot for breakfast.  Not a fan of eggs, I asked if I could get a burger for breakfast.  Clearly I never learn, as I didn’t specify that I would like it plain.  It came out covered in a mystery orange sauce that looked like Russian dressing, but it was otherwise pretty tasty.  I started chatting with an American couple at the next table, and they encouraged me to try the Belizean specialty of fryjacks – bread dough fried in oil, covered in butter and sugar; sinfully delicious, and just like my grandfather used to make!