Leaving NZ and heading to Fiji

So I am about to leave for Fiji and am reminiscing about my wonderful time here in NZ....and well I have really loved New Zealand..even getting poisoned by the only poisonous thing here:) Since I was a child I dreamed of visiting New Zealand, ever since I read Island of the Blue Dolphins (which for some reason I got it into my head that the little girl was in New Zealand) I always knew that I would find a special bond with this country for various reasons; and I had imagined myself owning a hostel on a beach somewhere. Who knows, it could still happen. But funny thing is, the more I travel the more I think to myself "why would I want to own anything that didn't move?" So if I end up owning a hostel, it may be a mobile hostel...a mostel; anyway I will blog more from Fiji...where I have heard that the coup can get postponed for a rugby match...folks sure do love their rugby in these parts...actually I am beginning to fancy it...yep i used the word fancy. The dudes in rugby actually appear to be nice to each other and don't seem on a quest to break each other's necks...that appeals to me...and those shorts don't hurt either. Anyway KIA Ora NZ and the very special people that I have met here. Most of the people I have met I have been lucky enough to form a friendship and see them more than once on my travels through this luscious country. I think of Zandra and everyone I met in Te Teko, The Dairy Farm with Kevin and Noeline, and having lunch with Ngahuia today. There are so many special moments and people. I am thankful to all of you.

And as for these pics, they are shots in NZ (the kayak, and the one in the deep blue with dolphins in the distance) and in New Caledonia (the fish and me underwater)...oh except for the rugby photo...which I just think is a helpful visual aid:)

Back in good ole New Zealand

Cousins
So it was interesting to be flying back into Auckland after traveling the islands of New Caledonia. Part of me was really excited to visit some of the friends I have made in Te Teko and also hanging with Ngahuia again; and then part of me also felt like just keep moving...to Vanuatu or Fiji... like get going while the goings good...before I begin missing folks more...but then, what's wrong with missing folks...oh,I donno, too many thoughts, 4 months on the road and well...the mind just races some.... And when the plane landed in Auckland I realized that I really didn't have anywhere to go...which can be a good feeling or a really lost type of feeling...but then again, I kinda like being lost...I tend to meet people that way :)...so where did I go? first to the bookstore at the airport and checked out a Fiji book not buying it of course...then I went to the Air Pacific office and chatted with them about changing my ticket. Then I just decided to chill out and get my tired behind to a hostel, I didn't want to stay in Auckland but I ended up picking a hostel a bit on the edge of town near a little mountain. And I am so glad I did. I had the best mattress ever!!! I loved that bed...WOW! I guess I really needed sleep! And I met a pair of cousins that were traveling together and was reminded of my cool ass cousin Tara who I had traveled with a couple years ago...and who has inspired my traveling in general. Anyway I had a great time with Ina and Etienne (the cousins). We dug a hole together at hot water beach trying to find some hot water to soak it...funny stuff! We laughed about everything and that last night of dancing was such fun, I haven't danced like that in a while. It felt kinda like family hanging out with those two and especially cause Etienne and I had a running joke telling people that he was my son (see folks didn't always believe that he and Ina were cousins):) thanks ya'all and someday I hope to visit you in Germany...but till then, enjoy Burningman!!!

Te Teko love!!!
So I got on a bus and gladly cruised down to Te Teko from Auckland( Te Teko is the small town that I had volunteered at their community group and hui). It was great to catch up with Zandra and Whilemina again. We even went to a huge community wide party celebrating the 50th Birthday of a resident. Actually he threw his own party and invited the community and even gave out awards (oscar style) for various things like "grumpiest Aunty" and "Best Youth Leader". It was a huge event and really so nice for the community. I loved it. I even saw Waaka again(He was one of the first SERVAS hosts I stayed with). I stayed with Zandra and her family and they were so generous. It was so nice to be back and see some familiar faces. People in Te Teko are just exceptionally open and warm to me, it really is a special place for me. I have traveled so much and Te Teko is really just one of those places where I feel more at home and comfortable. I even attended a Sunday morning mass (everything was in Maori..which was really nice and beautiful to hear) with Zandra the next day; now I have been to church maybe a total of 10 times and most are for weddings (or tours in Italy:) so an actual church service is a rarity for moi; especially since the closest thing to a religion that I was raised with was spending summers living in a Syda Yoga ashram with my mother. But I had a lovely time at church and the priest had a great sense of humor, the singing was beautiful and also the food (kai) and discussions with the sweet ladies afterwards was really special. Kia Ora!!!

Lifou-Stranded but not for long

STRANDED BUT NOT AT THE DRIVE-IN:
So the island of Lifou is bigger than the other New Caledonian Islands and a bit more populated. The islands are predominantly Melanesian and from what I am told, much of the land is owned by tribes. On all of the islands I was inspired by the use of natural products in building and artwork also the cleanliness and lack of trash that I saw was really nice. I tried to find a village stay to arrange but no one answered their phones for about 3 days and the couchsurfing person i contacted never responded (turns out her Internet was acting crazy) so I tried to change my flight to the next day then realized that that would be too expensive...so I decided to wing it. I took my plane and an hour later I was on Lifou, stranded. I scanned friendly faces on the plane and tried to figure out my french statement for "can I please stay with you?" But I just didn't do it. I waited till at the airport where I approached a tiny tourism desk (I was very surprised there was one) there I met a sweet man named Sylvester and well, he invited me to stay with him and his family. How could I say no. So we began the interesting drive to his house.

MORE KAVA SIL VOUS PLAIT:
I watched the darkening sky and saw bats. Sylvester said that they are good to eat. we stopped at a couple Kava bars and he treated me to cups of the cold caramel colored drink that taste like trees (and gives one a nice calming vibe). I was introduced to several people, mostly only spoke French and/or one of the many Melanesian languages. "Bonsoir" was my standard greeting. Between Sylvester's English and my 100 words of French we got along fine. I was invited to play dominoes but decided to watch instead. I had a really lovely night and when we finally got to his house he went inside to warn his wife and shortly after she appeared with the cutest bunch of kids.

FRANGLISH:
I instantly liked his wife...and the kids. His wife Anna doesn't speak much English and as we all know I don't speak much French, but we both really enjoyed chatting, so, the language barrier did not get much in the way, it was great. We talked about politics, poverty, kids, education....we had a great time! I stayed with them for two nights...or was it 3? anyway I slept on a mattress on the floor in their sparsely decorated house (most people don't seem to own a bunch of personal items here...and it got me thinking about all the crap I have stored in my dad's garage...and do I really need it!)So the following day I went to the market with Anna and then walked around the town where I met up with kids happy to try out their English words. I then met up with Sylvester and we hit another Kava bar (nakamal) and checked out a village stay for me close by, which I book 2 nights at.We head back to his house and Anna shows me around the village she also tells me that she arranged for her cousin to take me on a tour the following day. how sweet!

TOURING LIFOU:
So Anna's cousin and his girlfriend show up and we are on the road cruising around Lifou, we pick up another woman who is visiting her family though she lives in France. And she actually spent time in Atlanta (so we bond on the fact that Little 5 points in Atlanta is a cool little neighborhood)She speaks some English and also helps me with my french some. We drive around most of the day then hit a great party at night. It is interesting for me to be the semi-quiet one in the room, most people likely think I am really shy. When I try out my French many seem happy that I am making the effort though i do hear plenty of giggles thrown my way...and some of the giggles are my own because well, I know that sometimes I am not saying what I think I am...anyway, I love Lifou and would consider teaching English here, it is great and a nice chill place to try to learn more French. And I am already over my fear of bats:)i think i am anyway. But I still fear flying roaches, luckily I only saw 2 while on the islands.

VILLAGE STAY:
So I stay in a little village (oh where is my map so i can tell you the name?); I have a hut all to myself right near the beautiful ocean where huge sea turtles frolic in the water. I swim with them for a day and try to take a photo of one eating...but I scare him/her/il/elle:)I also have a faithful dog companion once again. I love dogs!!! Anyway the village stay was brief and nice; the family was sweet though they seemed a bit confused by me...I could go in depth but won't...and a million thanks to the teenage daughter who was especially friendly and welcoming at a moment when I was a bit...well...when I was just feeling a bit unchill.

Ouvea, a tiny slip of an island: I saw bats and spiders the size of my face, but it was paradise

So on Ouvea I stayed with a wonderful friendly couple from hospitality club (another online site). they lived in what i tend to think of it as a magical beach forest kingdom hidden beside the "top" end resort on the island. Their house consists of 4 structures made out of natural materials and white coral and shell pathways to each. It was really something special like out of the Blue lagoon or something. The structures or dwellings are traditional style homes that usually need to be rebuilt (by a communal effort) every 3-5 years or so depending on the dwelling. This couple like the ones also on Mare live on land owned by the tribe; which I think is a really nice thing; that from what i could see, the tribes own their land in most situations; just to know that much of the land I was walking on was the tribe's and that they benefit (hopefully anyway)from that not some European company and the land was really maintained using natural solutions which was just such a nice thing to see, like instead of a metal fence, there was natural wood or coconut trees creating a organic barrier instead. the entire magical beach forest dwellings were made from trees, it was just so nice to see and experience.

Aika and William were really such amazing hosts. Aika is from Japan and William is from France but they have lived on this island for years. The first night was a birthday party for William; which was really a fun experience where I got to meet many of their friends...and I saw tons of bats flying through the night sky illuminated by the full moon. trippy....The next day I chilled at the beach and once again I had the family dog, Vicky join me, she was also a great host. It was nice to see a toilet seat. For some reason many of the toilets in New Caledonia are just the bowls sans seat...go figure, maybe it is a waste of plastic..or just too expensive...I donno, but anyway funny thing is that William and Aika had the toilet seat over the hole in the bench that sits over the bucket. Yep you got it, there is no running water in Ouvea so it is very au natural...but really it was great, the composting toilet, the shower area, the mats made of leaves, even the hairy brown spiders sleeping over my head (I didn't notice till day 3)everything was just so special. And riding on the back of the moped with Aika has me convinced that I need to get a moped. I loved it. Merci mes amis!!!!

Maré an island like no other and a family like no other -a great jam packed couchsurfing experienc

I called and left a message for Didier telling him when i would be arriving on the island of Mare. I arrive and call him from the airport. Turns out I left a message on someone elses machine but not to worry, Didier was on his way to pick me up. Oh the kindness of strangers:)

highlights of the lovely island of Mare:
Watching Angel the lovely spunky 2 year old cuddle a bit too (squeezing to be exact) much with the kitten. And hearing her yell "Kua!!!" Watching her cuddle with the pig. And Angel loves to put on one adult shoe.

Seeing Nathaniel 6 yr old, play box and kung-fu kick with an imaginary opponent. having him teach me french words and giving me a kiss good night. What a sweetie.

Julie (wife/mother) taking me to a village concert the first night. Partaking in a night of relaxing Kava (beverage that gives you numb lips and a xtra chill good vibe, it taste like trees and looks like coffee) consumption with her in a really chill nakamal under a hazy red light.Enjoying the Solomon Islander dance and music performance in the local tribe village and hanging out with all the cute kids from the local tribe and school where Julie is the director and a teacher.

Having lively discussions with Didier (father/husband)about anything from food to music to politics. Listening to him play the guitar and sing. Being inspired by him to try to learn the guitar. Enjoying his cooking and really appreciating that he made all fish and veggie dishes (though I told him he could eat meat:)Really appreciating his zest for life and learning.

The Pig (fifi)ate my Shoe: Oh the pig Fifi ate my flipflop, pigs eat anything. I watched Fifi attack a bag of food on the beach and tried to chase her away from it. Imagine me chasing a pig down the beach.

Puppy love or lust:
So the two family dogs and usually the pig follow me to the beach and this is on one of those days. A lone female dog climbs out of the bush and the two dogs take a shine to her but it is the younger one that she is into and well...they get stuck!!! I did not know that dogs can get stuck while getting it on....(but Didier later tells me that it is common)so I didn't know what to do...they were stuck for a while....a long while but they didn't seem stressed, I was wondering about racing to the house to get help, but then I realized that if they didn't seem stressed then why should I be, so a moment when I wasn't looking, the dogs un-stick....crazy....meanwhile the pig is digging up crabs that race towards the water in terror after they go flying into the air from the push of a pig's snout....getting stuck, flying crabs, hungry pigs...wow what a trip, I never knew.

Couchsurfing with Marie Lise in Noumea

I call Marie Lise and tell her that I have arrived in Noumea; I had emailed her weeks before saying that I would be visiting. She arranges to pick me up from the beach near her house then later get me and my bags from the hostel; how sweet is that. So we head out for a night of dancing and some bar hopping. She is so friendly and has a cute little flat with her boyfrind and a cat, (not the cat, the man) who is out of town. She is also a journalist and writes for a local magazine aimed at youth. She is hoping to improve her English and offers to also help me with French; so we speak more in english because she knows so much already but she is great about helping me with some words and I even buy a french gossip magazine and read it to her while she corrects my accent. Our night out at the local bar is interesting for me because I am usually such a chatty type and not used to being completely misunderstood in some cases...but even not speaking the language only slows me down a bit; at first anyway. See I kept trying to speak and well who knows what I was really saying...haa haa...a 25 yr old proclaimed drunken love to me after a brief conversation so that got me thinking....maybe I am not saying what i think I am saying...or maybe I am and I just forgot about the habits of drunk 25 yr olds, but it was all good. Many people here think that i am from another French island like Guadulope or they think I am Matisse (not sure the spelling but it is mixed french white with kanaky, at least that is what I was told) they are really surprised to discover I am from the US, and most ask me my origins, which the wording really appeals to me actually... humm..just the word origins sounds so much better than the usual "what are you?" Anyway, we bar hop a bit and just enjoy the night....but dam Noumea is crazy expensive!!! Marie Lise and i spend the next couple days relaxing and going to the red earthed south where there is a huge nickel mine and we also venture out on a sail boat to snorkle a lovely reef. She was great and I hope to return the favor to her oh and she is also a great chef.

in melanesia

So it has been a while but I am back to blogging. Wow what a great time I have had; so where is New Caledonia some of you asked me? It is about two hours north of new zealand, it is considered Melanesian. I have always wanted to visit Melanesia, most people in the US venture to the Carribbean or S America but Melanesia has always interested me especially since so many of the Melanesians I have seen look like they could be part of my family; now why did I pick a french speaking Melanesian country? (new cal is a french territory) porquoi pas; hee hee why not, shoot it is about time i put those years of french class to use; i really should have paid more attention in class instead of chatting up Sunghi and getting warnings from Madame Kinneman; so yes my french has improved but still sucks; someone asked me about swimming and i thought they wanted to know what I ate for breakfast... ce la vie. oh and it turns out that I have been the first American for many Kanaky (name given for local melanesians though there are over 30 melanesian languages spoken and countless tribes) to meet and if not the first American, definitly the first African American. So I first began in the big island in the city of Noumea, then went to three amazing small islands. So I will blog in sections cause it could take a while and I am writing on a french keyboard which I could change to english but shoot i can barely touch type anyway so it could mess me up even more; another class i should have paid more attention in:)

Noumea
I fly over the clear waters and can see the coral reef from the plane. It calms me a bit but the turbulance is pretty intense and I grab the hairy muscular arm next to mine. I tell the big Kiwi man sorry but he does not seem to mind. So after landing I take the local bus to the hostel and the bus driver actually drops me off at the hostel door even though his shift is over and he is only supossed to drop me off at the bus stop; See in really broken french i had explained where i needed to go and he offerred to take me when his shift was up because there was a steep hill.... yep that hill is crazy steep. So a milliion thanks to him. The city is similar to most, too much concrete for moi, so my first thoughts are to find a beach and to make plans to visit outer islands. The hostel reminds me a bit of a jail, everything is locked away in cells even little ones for food and the woman that runs it is so rigid and cold, man I have been spoiled in NZ...but yep the hostel is efficient and cheap so ce la vie. I soon meet a man that happens to be a tourism expert and has a couple days off. So we arrange to meet the next day and go to the Cultural center. It is the Tjibaou Cultural Center named after a Kanaky leader assinated in the 80s; it is world renowned for the architecture and really is amazing to see. Edouard my guide is great and offers to drive me all over the island; i decline because honestly that involves overnight camping and well I am still a city gal and just maybe aint used to this type of friendliness. But all is well and we have a nice day, and we get into the center for free which is always a good thang especially when i am on a budget; oh and speaking of budgeting, I decide to begin my couchsurfing (online hosting traveling site that is great) adventure, two nights in the hostel is enough pour moi so tune in next time for: Couchsurfing with Marie Lise