second time around

It was a wonderful ride to the airport at Atiu in the back of Roger’s pickup, the cool breeze in our faces and the scent of jasmine. Until about a 1/2 km from the airport when the rains came. Good thing I don’t melt! We watched the plane roar into a landing and when they checked the mail, no vouchers for me. The Air Raro guy pulls me into the office and closes the door while he calls Rarotonga to find them. A few minutes later I look out the window and see Roger looking around and he hollers, “Your plane is taking off!!” We run out and flag down the pilot who stops, opens the door and lets me in. I guess they were in a hurry.

Here in Aitutaki it is a bigger Island (1900 people) and definitely a more upscale resort. The Etu Moana is fantastic, would stay here for sure on this island. My bungalow is one of eight which all face the ocean. The water is simply beautiful in the lagoon. Yesterday I went scuba diving for the first time since January. Unfortunately the weather here is quite windy and they have had some rain the night before, so the visibility was only 30 feet or so, not the usual 100 feet. I did see an amazing thing, “ghost coral”. It is chocolate brown and looks like small brain coral, but when you touch it lightly it turns white! Very interesting. No big fish, and I haven’t seen any whales although it is into the season for them to be around, so I am hoping. Last night I had a great buffet and dinner show at a resort down the road. I didn’t know what most of it was, but it was all great, and the dancing and fire show were excellent. Aitutaki is renowned for it’s drummers. Coming back I am glad I have a small headlamp/flashlight as the roads have no lights, and it is black. The stars are crazy clear here as well, I am working on learning what is where in the southern sky.

Friday morning snorkeling tour of the Aitutaki lagoon. It is 12 km wide and 15 km long. We set out in two boats, seven others and I were with Shaka and Captain No-good. We went snorkeling and saw lots of reef fish, and one Napolean red, about 1.25 meters long and 1/2 meter tall. The weather was better, and I saw some blue starfish, purple coral, red tailed tropicbirds, frigate birds, the post office on One Foot Island and the islands they used for Survivor Cook Islands. Rented a scooter for cruising the island today, what great fun. I went on just about every road on Aitutaki, from end to end. I ran into Dennis and Jennifer from scuba diving at Samade on the Beach, and had a huge steak sandwich at Koru restaurant. I find myself occasionally with a huge grin on my face, and then realize I am scootering in the South Pacific, how amazing! Wish I could stay here longer, but I am off to Rarotonga, the big island.

I am sitting on the back porch of Paradise. My private villa/bungalow on the island of Atiu enjoying coffee and the sunrise. The flight from L.A. to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands was smooth and comfortable, business class is certainly nice on the long haul flights. We got in around 6 AM and I lolled around the airport until my flight at 11 to Atiu. The plane held 16 if you count the pilot and copilot. I loved the safety speech, the pilot turned around and said: “ Fasten your seat belts please, there is an exit at the back and two in the front.” then we took off. The agency I booked the air tickets and hotels through said they would leave my vouchers at the Air Raro desk in Rarotonga, and they did. But the staff there sent them on to Atiu on an earlier flight for unknown reason, but no problem just ask for them when I get to Atiu. At Atiu they told me how they sent them back to Rarotonga on the earlier flight but not to worry, they would send them back here on the next flight. That would be in two days when the plane takes me to Aitutaki. Nobody seems to worried, so either am I, it will no doubt work itself out. (remember rule number one).

This was a perfect place to meet the South Pacific. Atiu is about 5 kilometers across. (I am going to try going metric since the entire world except America does, 1 mile =1.2 Km) (correction, 1 mile = 1.6 Km., thanks Jimmie.) Population 482 not counting the 11 tourists on the island right now. My host Roger Malcolm picked me and an Italian couple up at the airstrip and gave us a nice introduction to the island on our way to the villas. He came here 30 years ago with a portable saw mill and cut and milled the wood and built the 6 villas and bar/restaurant himself. Amazing woods and workmanship. The Island is a “Makatea” island. That means “raised coral”. It began as an underwater volcano which slowly was raised as the tectonic plates sub-ducted. It was slow enough that the waves wore away the top of the volcanic crater and smoothed off the top. Finally the island was high enough the waves couldn’t wash over it any more and it rose as a flat land mass. A ring of coral formed around the island maybe a kilometer wide. As the time passed, the island rose more and lifted this coral out of the sea, making it 100,000 year old coral reef 30 to 40 meters above sea level. This area is called the Makatea. At the sea now is another ring of coral making a shallow (1-2 meter) lagoon that goes out 50 to 100 meters where the waves break over it and then 50 meters further out it drops off fast to deep water.

If you imagine what coral reef looks like underwater, you can picture what it is like to walk over it above water, not so easy all the time. Yesterday was a long day, two tours and the Tumunu. In the morning I went with “Birdman George” who showed me around the island, looking at the various birds, including the Kakerori (Rarotonga Flycatcher), possibly the rarest bird in the world. Down to 28 birds they started a recovery program some years ago, and now have more than 250. Very protective and territorial they are easy prey for the ship rats that have gotten on the islands. George climbed a coconut tree and got us fresh coconuts which were different than any I have had before. After husking them, they were no the hard, dark brown shelled nuts, 1/2 full of water. They were almost white, and soft enough that using his machete with light chops was able to cut the top off, not crack it off. About a liter of water, less sweet than I have tasted and so more refreshing. The coconut meat was so soft that I could scrape it out of the shell with the side of my finger, not struggling with a knife like the dry coconut of the stores. Very mild and tasty. Now I can see how this is survival food.

In the Afternoon four others and I went on a tour with Marshall Humphrey to the Anatakitaki cave. We hiked 2.5 Km roundtrip over the Makatea to the cave entrance. As he told us, “when the guide picks up a walking stick it is a good sign that you should too.” True advice. Walking over the coral and on the sort of trails was as they advertise, a “challenging 30 minute nature walk” which explains the waiver I signed. Off the trail would have been crazy hard to move along. At the cave entrance we went down a 4 meter ladder and put on the headlamps. These were very amazing caves; stalactites, stalagmites, columns, curtains, “popcorn” and flowstones. The roots of the Banyon trees above reach down and find a way through the stone and emerge from the cave roof, grown down until they hit the floor and root in making a wooden curtain. A fair amount of slippery spots, hold here, help each other over this and sliding on your butt. The caves are beautiful enough on their own to be worth the walk but there is another thing to see. The Kopeka bird! This is a 15 cm. Bird unique to Atiu that lives in the caves, goes outside to hunt insects and returns to the cave. While outside they don’t ever land, just hunt and eat. They have a melodious “outside” call and very good eyesight. When they go back into the cave they click like a bat and echolocate! They go deep into the cave, to where it is black and nest on the walls and nooks in the roof. When he would shine a light they would visually navigate and then turning it off they would click like a geiger counter. We went about 100 meters into the cave and Marshall showed us nests, flying birds, and the crabs that live in the cave and are the main predator and threat to the birds.

After the hike back out we stopped by the Tumunu for a drink. The Atiuans are the only ones that fought the church and state long and hard enough to legalize the brewing of “bush beer”. Some of the old spirit no doubt. The locals meet at the Tumunu to share stories, talk, and drink bush beer. It is made from Guava and is about 14% alcohol. The Italians and I went, met Papa and another at “Sam and the Boys” place. A small half coconut shell (1/4 cup) is dipped into the bucket and passed over, drink that and pass it back. The leader then dips again and passes to the next and so on around the circle. After a few shots the conversation flows and more shots. Around 10 times or so Marshall came back to pick us up for the ride back to the Atiu Villas for dinner. I slept hard last night. Today I say farewell (Aere ra) to Atiu and Hello (Kia Orana) to Aitutaki.

Catching up on the rambling for those who really don’t care. Amazing how fast the the three weeks in Orlando passed. I loved visiting the peeps at work and realizing I’m not working. I tidied up some loose ends, got some Florida sun on my pasty white body in preparation, and got the tickets for Poe to come and meet me in New Zealand in November. I left with 44 pounds of luggage (a bit too much) deciding to take the snorkel fins and booties at least through the South Pacific along with a quart of sunscreen!! I had some butterflies leaving Orlando, back on the road alone for the long haul. Flew all day and tried to stay up at night to get the body clock reset. This morning was up at 6 anyway. I figured I would have a calm, relaxing, day of normalcy in LA before seeing the strange and exotic South Pacific, but I went to Venice Beach instead.

Cab or Bus? well in a cab you don’t get to meet the guy in the Robin’s egg blue tux with no shirt but lots of rhinestones, top-hat with feather and a skull tipped walking stick, or the family from Kansas with mohawks, piercings and really into trucks, so of course the Bus! The weather was perfect, 74 and sunny. I strolled the boardwalk and enjoyed the people watching. I saw the Iconic guy from Venice Beach on rollerblades with a long white robe and turban playing guitar, the ripped dudes at THE muscle beach outdoor gym, the Paddle Tennis courts,(small courts and a solid racquet with holes), handball, and lots of arts and crafts. The carnival atmosphere was fun, and the day was unique. There are mostly T-shirt shops, crafts, musicians, medical marijuana shops, and feather hair extensions. I was tempted to have my medical evaluation done, but was afraid of what they might find and especially how they might look for it! The Skateboard park had some impressive skaters, including one kid was about 8! and incredible. I sat and watched basketball for some time, at the Venicebasketball.com Saturday exhibition. First it was the “Legends” game with the guys who had been around for a long time, 50 to 65 years old and still had game. Then the “all-stars” game and these players had the moves. It was just for fun, so they were showboating a lot and didn’t really care so much about the score, but lots of amazing dunks and trick plays. The main event was the “Lingerie League” game. The ladies actually played tough basketball and were serious athletes, although the uniforms were somewhat unorthodox and “cheeky”.

By the end of the day I realized I was at peace with where I am, and that I am starting to chat at ease with strangers and to understand that every day in this life is truly a wondrous adventure not to be squandered. Tomorrow night is a long flight to the Cook Islands and more sights to see.

From Quito to Lima and overnight at the Fancy Hotel. From the Galapagos tour it was just Poe and I with one other family. It was great being five of us instead of a tour of 18. We got to know the guides, Lucero and Alvin well. Fortunately we had Rick, Mary Beth and Preston as tour mates, and not Cheech and family. The five of us got along very well, and are of similar bent. We got in late and didn’t really want their four course meal as we had to be up by 5 AM for our flight to Cusco, so we just had some chicken soup, which fixes everything. Cusco is at 11400 feet and we could feel it. The Diamox helped, but still had some headache and lightheadedness. The construction of the Incas is even more impressive than the Mesa Verde pueblos. This is made of Granite, hauled 5-10 miles and then hand carved to fit together so tightly that even a fingernail can’t fit in. It also has posts and grooves like giant lego blocks making it earthquake proof. The Spanish tore a lot of temples down, and built churches over the top of the lower walls. When the earthquakes come, the spanish buildings fell down but not the Incan walls underneath.
I am much wiser now, I can tell the difference between a Llama, an Alpaca, A Vicuna or a Guanaco. The Incan temples and towns were very amazing, certainly a tough people to survive in the area, and go up and down the mountains. Machu Picchu is definitely all that! Caught the upscale “Hiram Bingham Orient Express” train to the town of Machu Picchu then a bus up the hill. It is a 1900 foot climb up a one lane dirt road with two lanes of buses coming and going. We only had to back up once, but I had to close my eyes a few more times. The day was cloudy and cool, which was nice, although the blue sky and sun are pretty, they are blisteringly hot for walking around, and walking up and down is what you do at Machu Picchu. Our guide Alvin was great at explaining the history and culture of the Incas. They accomplished an amazing amount in the short century or so they were united.
Back to Lima for a day tour and then flew on home to Orlando. Tired and dirty, but what another great leg in the journey. Some last minute details, and then on to the South Pacific.

Some random thoughts on the cruise: Celebrity is pricey, but definitely a first class operation. I enjoyed the size of the ship. There are many small (16-32) passenger ships, but they roll quite a bit and the larger 92 passenger Expedition was smoother. I also found the larger size gave a good mix of people to meet. By the end of the week we had talked to just about everyone. It allowed us to hang with the people we enjoyed and avoid the few we didn’t. A shout out to the Arizona girls: Michelle, Joan and Theresa. I knew the first sighting in Quito that if they weren’t at the party they would know where it was. Sean and Shannon: what a joy to be with, thanks for hanging out with the old guys. Hutch and Reece: pace yourselves, though you do look Marvelous for 60! Emil and Hilenna I hope I am going strong like you two for a long time yet. Rick, Mary Beth and Preston: Thanks for sharing Peru with us, it was something. I found the whole trip to be fantastic, the Galapagos was a natural wonderland and Peru a cultural wonderland. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Quito was a fun city to see, though at 9000+ feet I did have some altitude effect. Slight headache, and short of wind. They export roses here, so 2 dozen run about $1.50. The hotel had amazing arrangements of 10-12 dozen perfect roses! We saw the churches, plazas, and the Equatorial Memorial. Note the equator picture: Our love crosses the hemispheres.
Sunday the 19th we flew over to Baltra Island and boarded the cruise ship. There are 92 guests, and the ship is very nice, quite luxurious. All the food and drinks are included. We have been on two excursions every day, guided by naturalists who explain the flora and fauna. The animals have no fear of man, so they are right next to the trails, and don’t fly away even as we get very close. We saw Blue footed Boobies, Frigate birds, Sea Lions, Marine Iguanas, Land Iguanas, Galapagos Lava Lizards, many small Finches and Flycatchers. We stood about 8 feet from the pair of Galapagos Hawks which are the top of the local food chain. It was quite amazing to see these up close.
Yesterday and today we are snorkeling at the different Islands. The ship sails sometimes during day and sometimes at night. The snorkeling gear includes a shorty wetsuit, so it is very comfortable in the water which is 72-75 degrees. We are seeing lots of reef fish, as well as Sea Lions, Turtles and Octopus.
Snorkeling with the Green Sea Turtles today was great, they just ease around and munch on the algae growing on the volcanic rock. Very little coral here, but the rock formations are incredible . Today we saw the Giant Galapagos Tortoise up very close, and herds of large Marine Iguanas. Every island has its own unique set of interesting things to see and do.
At night when it is clear the stars are pretty impressive. I can’t quite see the Milky Way, but the stars are Bright!. Saw the Southern Cross as well as the usual constellations. When we are anchored at night the ship’s lights attract the flying fish which in turn brings Sea Lions and Sharks swimming around the ship. I did get to swim with both turtles and Sea Lions, but did not see any sharks while I was in the water. Now we are waiting in the Quito airport for our flight to Lima and on to Cusco tomorrow.

So now I begin to think it was the 9000 foot elevation that had me puffing and lightheaded on the high plateaus of Utah, who would have thunk it? Taking it real easy in the hotel room in downtown Quito, getting acclimated. I had a great time in the Bay area. Met up with old friends; Ed, Joy, Griff, Lynne and even Bill English whom I hadn’t seen since college in the dark ages. We ate, drank and laughed ’til I had tears on my face. So many stories I had forgotten (repressed) from those days.
We went over to Half-Moon Bay, and had a nice little walk along the cliff and lunch. It was overcast and chilly, but nice. Unfortunately there was no surf to watch, I had hoped for a glimpse of some big waves at Mavericks. Sunday was sunny and we went to the FILOLI Gardens, then met for a burger at the Oasis, the best burgers in the Bay area. Monday Griff and I went up to the Muir Woods National Park just north of the City. It was beautiful, with the sun filtering through the high tree canopy. The Redwoods are taller and thinner than the Giant Sequoias of Yosemite area. It was somewhat crowded, but a sight to behold none the less. We stopped in to Ton Kiang Dim Sum restaurant for lunch, superb! If you get to San Francisco try it out, on Geary Blvd. at 22nd.
I had a few very fast days at home, to get cleaned up, do paperwork and repack for the flight to Quito. Tomorrow we get the city tour here, then Sunday on to the Galapagos.

From Carlsbad we drove on to Tucson, saw the smoke from a couple of good sized fires, but no flames. The desert is pretty in its own weird way, lots of cactus. Spent the night and drove on to San Diego. I hooked up with an old college buddy, Jesse Haugh. Had some good laughs and talk over dinner. Thursday I drove us up through Los Angeles to a little town on the coast called Morro Bay. I now remember why I never want to drive in LA again. What a miserable drive. On the other hand, Morro Bay was a cute little town with a wharf front walk kind of like a mini fisherman’s wharf in San Francisco.
Friday we did the Pacific Coast Highway drive. The weather was only so-so. Cloudy and foggy for the first third or so, then on and off sun peeking out. It was still an impressive drive with rugged coastline vistas and hillsides of flowers and colors along with the cliffs. Today my leg is sore from constantly pushing the imaginary brake pedal while Bill drove the blind corners a wee bit too fast, and all I could imagine was the bicycle rider just around the bend and the choice of kill him or take the cliff! We had a nice lunch in Carmel-By-The-Sea. An artsy-fartsy community of the beautiful people. Bill and I figured we could add some balance to that. Where else would the street clocks be Rolex? I paid the $9.50 to drive the famous 17 mile drive at Pebble Beach. It was very picturesque, but I can’t imagine I would like to live where the tourists drive in droves.
Now I have a couple of days in the Bay area visiting friends and am surprised how chilly and grey it is here. Sunny California has been the least perfect (I can’t say worst) weather of the whole trip.

What a day! Absolutely, positively, slap me in the face, saddle me up a big white goose – tie me on and turn it loose, stupefyingly incredible place. Now I remember why this was the pivotal place to come to, the one anchor I would not miss on this trip. I believe the most impressive place I have ever seen in this world. It is a magical wonderland of Fairies and everything you can imagine. “Moria, and they call it a mine! A mine!”
Went to the park at opening hoping for special tour tickets. We couldn’t get the tickets for the left hand tour which is with lanterns to a deeper section of the caves. So as a result we got tickets for the King’s Palace tour and then were on the first elevator down to the cave. It was so special walking alone into the Big room. Bill and I were with three other people in the entire cave, mostly we spread out and felt the loneness of the big room, extreme quiet, a spiritual experience. Lots of pictures, hand held in low low light so some blurring in a lot of them, but still it is all good. It is so hard to comprehend the size and sheer diversity and beauty of the formations without actually being there. Pictures compared to being there are like porn compared to sex, it gives you the idea but it isn’t the same. After walking the self-guided tour of the big room, we went on a guided tour of the King’s Palace. This is the favorite room of Jim White, the 16 year old cowboy that “discovered” it. He was crazy, explored down deep into the cave, and named several rooms and formations, spent his whole life with the cave. But to go that deep into the caves with virtually no supplies is insane. The story is he once came back out on three matches. Ranger Janet must have had a hard night, because she was not exactly bubbly and engaging. The sights more than made up for it. After the tour we walked the big room again, this time there were lots of people in the cave, not overwhelming, but not all alone either. Up to the top, and a sandwich for lunch. My camera batteries were all but out (both). We decided to walk a little way into the natural entrance for a camera shot. We kept going just a little more and a little more for a better angle, and then decided to just go on down all the way. What a great idea, it was somewhat far and steep downhill, but a great asphalt trail, and it really gave me the true feeling of what an amazing thing it was for Jim White to go down this rabbit hole so far and without any trail! ABSOFUCKINLUTELY AMAZING PLACE. These are shots of the cave, the entrance, and proof that Roswell was no accident, check out the petrified alien baby!!

On up to Arches National Park was an easy drive, we went directly to Delicate Arch. After a brief stop at the far viewing point we went to the trailhead. They advertise it as a strenuous hike and mean it. Three miles with an elevation change of 480 feet. That is 48 stories of stairs and there are lots of up then down then back up then back down before you reach the top. The major “slickrock” walk up is about a mile long and slow steady climb. In the picture the dots are people walking up it! Once you clear that it is another half-mile plus up and down and the final few hundred yards are on a 3 foot ledge with the wall on one side and the drop on the other, no rails. But the view of this incredible arch is something else. Brother Bill is standing in the arch. Down is definitely easier than up on the lungs, but the hips are another story. We did a lot more hiking and viewing arches the rest of the day and then went to a hotel near Mesa Verde, planning for the next day. The evening was slightly cloudy, so we did not go to Natural Bridges as it would have been an extra 180 miles and I was beat. I am impressed with my 68 year old brother Bill, he is striding out on all of the hikes, better than me at least. The pics are:1)Balanced Rock getting some help. 2)the slickrock trail to Delicate Arch. 3) Delicate Arch. 4) a rock I named EVIL EEL.

These next pictures are: 1)the sign going in, certainly not applicable to me 2) the ladder up to Balcony House, because I am so experienced with ladders 3) the only original way in and out, through the tunnel, not me- I took the picture 4) the Cliff Palace.

Saturday morning we got out early to head to Mesa Verde. A ten minute drive to the park entrance and an hour drive up the winding road to the visitors center to get tickets for the tours. We are still lucky to be ahead of the crowds, so we could get tickets for both the Balcony House Tour and the Cliff Palace tour. Absolutely amazing what the “ancestral Puebloans did to live here for 1400 years. Around 1190 to 1270 they moved off the top of the Mesa and built the cliff houses. Spectacular engineering feats. I was scared using the park service ladders and steps to get in and out, they used small hand and foot holds cut into the sandstone to go up and down the sheer cliffs!! The Park Service tried thirty years ago to “repair” some of the walls, since we are so much smarter and better now than then. NOT! It is so much worse workmanship than what they did 800 years ago with stone tools. The caves/overhangs in the Mesa walls were created by water seeping through the sandstone and freezing/thawing breaking off pieces from the ceiling. The water goes down until it hits a layer of shale which is non-porous and comes out. Realizing this the natives built many small dams on the top of the Mesa to keep the water and snow melt going into the right area of sandstone to come out in springs on the shale at the back of their cliff house. It provided water for a community of 5000! I have a newfound respect for the Ancestral Puebloans (previously called Anasazi). The sites have many “Kivas”. These are round 15 foot across holes in the rock which originally were covered with flat roofs. They are Prayer, Meeting, Hanging out rooms, entered by ladder through the central hole in the roof. At the end of a great day we drove south to Gallup, NM. All the way down we could see the thick smoke drifting up from a huge fire in Arizona. The winds carried it east of us and then north, so we could see it but didn’t get into the smoke. Today we drove on to Carlsbad, New Mexico. This evening we went out to the park for the Bat Viewing Program. It was a nice talk and question/answer session, but the bats were somewhat disappointing. They have been having drought around here and instead of the 100,000 swarms you read about we got maybe 200 bats. Ah well, not every oyster has a pearl in it.