Adventures in NZ

it's late at night, and my last night in NZ.  just a quick update that I'm alive and well, although a tired guy, and heading to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for a 24 hr stopover before heading to Korea.  Very excited about Korea.  Looking forward to resting on the plane :)

Here are a few pictures to summarize my last week spent with my friend Dave.  The days have been intense and maybe we did a little bit too much with the short week that we had together, but every moment sure was amazing.  We walked a lot and climbed on a lot of rocks.  That made me a happy Ryan.

Here I come, Korea!

 

fun repel at wye creek outside queenstown

me with my compadre dave.  outside queenstown.

walking the Routeburn track.... more pictures of that later... it was so cool to experience tropical forests mixed with epic alpine landscapes...

it looks at first like i'm climbing without a rope here.  be assured that i DID use a rope on every climb! :)

Beauty and wonder in New Zealand

10:53 PM 2/5/2011

I sit in my tent in the Abel Tasman national park as I end my day, and I realize that after a little more than a week, I've written nothing so far about my experiences in NZ.  Every day has been a full experience, rich with adventures, colorful people, epic scenery, and moments of stillness and peace.

After landing in Auckland with some GI problems, I stayed at a hostel for a night to get my bearings.  Skipped dinner and slept for 15 hours or so.  Took the bus to the town National Park in the morning, where I hitched into Whakapapa, trailhead for the Tongariro Northern Circuit.  This is one of the "great walks" of NZ, and setting out that same afternoon, I quickly realized why it is named that.  For 4 days, I walked through stunning wilderness areas with stark contrasts: lush forests, wide-open grasslands, heaps of lava rocks that felt like the surface of the moon, sulfer vents and emerald lakes.  After summiting Mt. Tongariro (across the way from Mt. Ngaurahoe, aka Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings film), I scrambled down the back side off-trail and finished late in the evening at my place of origin.  I had met a guide, Bruce, on the track who invited me to stay at his place and join him for a beer, but I accidentally went to the wrong meeting place, too far away to connect.  So I had a burger alone and a couple beers, then crashed in the woods before continuing in the morning.  Caught a ride with a French traveller, then got picked up by a very kind French couple whom I had met on the track (Bruce was their guide).  We travelled together to Wellington, stopping for a picnic along the way.  Very pleasant day.

In Wellington, I visited *the* museum, called Te Papa - very well-done place.  It covered natural and human history in many facets.  My favorite part was going inside a re-creation of a Maori temple, where I sat and meditated in the dark room and let the faces and images on the wall move me with their ancient stories.

The next morning I took the ferry to the South Island -- considered by some to be the most beautiful ferry ride in the world.  It was easy to see why.  I spent the entire 3 hours absorbed in the scenery, as the North Island faded away and we entered the luscious sounds of the south island, full of mountains and trees and breathtaking cliffs in the bays.  Arriving in Picton, I caught a bus to Nelson, where I proceeded to make my way to Marahau, the trailhead for the Abel Tasman hike.  I only made it half-way, and so as dusk came and I wasn't able to hitch a ride, I visited a nearby farm to see if I could pitch my tent on their land.  The older Kiwi couple, Brian and Hillary, were very warm and even offered me a room in their home.  They are cow-milk farmers.  I enjoyed chatting with them over a cup of delicious home-made apple juice before turning in to my tent.

In the morning, I went out to the road in effort to make it to Tasman, and an Austrian man, Toby, stopped his van to give me a ride.  We were going the same way.  We're the same age, and have lots in common, including that we're both beekeepers.  Toby works as a goldsmith half the year and a shepard in the summers in Austria.  We decided to be companions for this walk, and I'm so grateful to share time with him.  We also met a young German woman, Anne, who is traveling NZ by bicycle.  Toby caught red snapper fish and we had an excellent breakfast of that this morning.  And today we crossed paths with another young German, Paul, and so the four of us walked today and enjoyed a delicious meal of mussels (found on our crossing of the bay at low-tide) along with rice and lentils in a delicious curry sauce.  I feel so rich to receive such gifts from the sea.  Tomorrow we'll head a bit further north, and take a day to rest -- we've been walking quite a lot, and need to remember that we're on vacation :)  It'll be nice to take the day tomorrow to read and stretch and slow down.  In the rush of new experiences, it's quite easy to forget the wisdom I learned in Fiji about slowing down and experiencing "Fiji-time."

So that's at least a practical summary of what I've been up to in the past week.  On the 12th I'll be in Christchurch to meet up with my friend Dave and we'll travel together to the Fjordlands and maybe even climb some rocks. Then on the 19th I'll go to Korea.  It's all happening so fast, but I'm just trying to give myself permission to relax and enjoy this unique experience in life.  NZ is so full of magic and unmatched landscapes and moments.  Abel Tasman is an especially unique "great walk" because it follows the coast of the S Island.  It's incredible to look out to the ocean and see the cliffs, and islands, and the sun... I've taken a million pictures because it's so amazing.  I was worried that it would be too crowded here, but it doesn't feel that way at all.

I'm unable to do justice to explaining this place without pictures.  I'll try to put some up on the internet when I am able.  I definitely recommend this tramp - it is simply unforgettable.

I'm excited about Korea, and I've been preparing myself mentally for the roles of instructor and researcher.  It will be such a new experience for me, and I am very willing to fully embrace all the challenges and opportunities there.  I have a feeling that this is going to be an awesome experience, and possibly life-changing.  So grateful to have the opportunity to go to Korea.  I need to start gearing up my Korean phrases, and brush up on my physics as well.  Hopefully I'll have some chance to do all this once I arrive.  It will probably be some very full days out there.  But for right now, I'll be present with my experience, and joyfully await the next chapter.

Bees and fish

3:21 PM 1/26/2011
Wrapping up my trip. Sure has been awesome.  Watched dolphins swim under my nose from a boat, swam with the fish and corals again, met some kind people on the journey.  I went north and met with an American named John, a very grounded and intelligent man who helps with beekeeping development in Fiji.  We worked together with Ziyaad, who has been keeping bees for one year, to move some hives to a better location for the bees.  It was really great to be with bee people again and to have the chance to do some work with my hands and mind.  I stayed with Ziyaad's family, for two nights, and went fishing with his father.  I was so happy and grateful to have the chance to spend time with this beautiful family. I only wish that I could stay with them longer.  I felt so many peaceful moments with them, just sitting and talking, eating together on the floor, praying, or just enjoying silence.  I found myself wishing at times that my life was more simple.  The Hussein's didn't need to be entertained to be having a good time, and every moment was filled with joy.  There is some wisdom lying in there for me. 

I'll be heading to Nadi tomorrow morning, and then starting the next adventure in NZ.  I'm very happy to have the chance to visit there, and I'm excited that Dave and I will have the chance to meet up.  It turned out a good thing for me that I stayed in Fiji for a while longer.  It was a chance to have many more wonderful experiences.  I like it here, and hope to come back.

It's funny... I don't really have much else to say.  I'm still abundantly grateful to be alive. There isn't really much else.

Keep Fiji beautiful

7:31 AM 1/21/2011
I'm glad to have the chance to experience Fiji longer.  I like this place.  After getting past the heavily pushed facades and touristy images, Fiji is beautiful and authentic.  I've been learning everywhere I go. 

I spent the weekend with Jo's family in Nausori village.  He and his wife, Bale, have two sons, both around my age.  One lives at home, the other has his own family in town.  We mostly just hung out and visited different family, but it was also a big weekend (by coincidence).  The church was exchanging pastors with another village, and in honor of that a lovo was made -- a pig was slaughtered and put into a pit of hot rocks in the earth along with some vegetables (taro, breadfruit).  This was covered with taro leaves, cloth, and then dirt, and baked for an hour or so.  I was lucky to be able to participate.  Traditionally this ritual was done to give sustainence to the people traveling between villages for their journey.  Although they use mini-vans now instead of canoes, dramatically reducing the transit time, this ritual is still observed.

We attended a rugby tournament, and a banquet that followed.  That was a lot of fun.  Rugby is popular in Fiji and many of the pacific islands.  Maybe it's the warrior blood that rugby awakens.

I took a down day to bum around, then visited a village in Abaca (pronounced "am-BAH-tha"), on the northwest coast.  I took a bus to one village, Tavakubu, then walked from there about 10 km or so.  Very quickly I entered lush mountain landscapes, with pine trees (reminding me of Colorado!), coconut and banana trees, streams and bright green hills.  When I arrived it started to rain hard.  I stayed with a family - I drank the kava I brought with the men.  It's a ritual bull session.  I was grateful that they didn't feel any need to entertain me, and just carried on talking in Fijian.  Every once and a while, one of them would tell me that the topic was the unusual shape of a cassava stalk, or about a pig hunt.  So at least I got the gist.  When I went back, the kids were having their own session, albeit with copious amounts of a very sugary beverage that turned their hands and lips red.  We sang Christian songs and passed around the cup.  The whole evening was very enjoyable.  In the morning I hiked to a waterfall, and saw incredible views of the mountains and out to the ocean.  On leaving, I visited a plantation of my host family, and saw the cassava that was cut that day for our our lunch, and tasted their ginger, and saw many other crops growing.  The usual style there is somewhat haphazard (to my eyes) and on hills.  As I returned, it started to rain, and I stopped by the house of Manoa and Mela and their 12-yr-old son, Simione.  We had some food and tea, and then they invited me to stay for the night.  I wasn't in a hurry (Fiji-time), so I stayed.  I got a glimpse of a really beautiful and simple lifestyle. Manoa's work for the day was fixing a water pipe (it flows from the mountain), and planting a few things.  I planted a coconut tree.  We sat on his front porch, overlooking the most beautiful landscape: the trees he planted 10 years ago that now bear fruit, the lush mountains all around, and many islands in the ocean in the distance.  We watched the sun set over the Mamanuka islands, then ate some beans that we had shucked, along with rice, lit by a kerosene lantern.  At sunrise, I walked with Mela and Simione back to town. We noticed the trash that people throw on the sides of the roads, and agreed that it's important to "keep Fiji beautiful."

There are so many details of my experiences that are meaningful to me.It's amazing how challenging it is to choose the ones that are most important.  Manoa does not usually go to church; on Saturdays, they do not work - they sit and read the Bible and pray together.  It's very simple. They all seemed very happy people.  I was glad to receive their hospitality and the reminder to slow down.  Silly city-boy, always jumping around, just like a monkey...

In Fiji for longer...

Worse fates have tortured humans.  I'm here for 11 more days due to a mistake (mine or carrier, maybe some of both...).  More later.  I'm happy to be in Fiji longer.  I head to NZ on 28 Jan.

bula!

'Bula' means life.  Being alive is the most important: everything else comes after.  I have felt wonderfully alive these last few days.  It doesn't take anything special.  Just walking around, talking to people, being in nature, eating a papaya or a mango, feeling the rhythm and energy of the Fijians, and being a part of that dance.  I am so happy that I came here.  Here is truly a paradise.

I don't know how to begin to describe the richness and beauty that I have experienced of Fijian life, but I will say that family and community are central values.  I was delighted to hear from my new friend, Josepha, about the spirit of generosity and caring that so many people have for each other and also for people who are visiting.   I feel moved to realize that people who have not much are so willing to give of their time, energy, hospitality, to serve others.  It inspires me to give of my talents, time, energy, to others.  There does not seem to be anything complicated about it.  This is just what you do.  And yet, in the society that I have been raised, I find that we constantly erect walls and boundaries, and there is something beautiful that feels lost in these attitudes.  We are fixated on commodifying things, even our experiences, and working so hard to achieve something that we forget what that something even is.  I start to remember a simpler way of living: for many Fijians, each day is a great blessing, and there is beauty and love in every step.  There is not such a strong need for all of these things outside of ourselves (entertainment, drugs, cell phones, greediness), because there is an abundance of richness that can be experienced right now within ourselves and in our immediate surroundings.  I can certainly understand how cultivating this state of mind can be more difficult for someone like me who was working long hours in a dark basement, in comparison to walking home in the daylight down a dirt road past mango and banana trees with glowing green mountains in the distance, the smell of plants and fresh rains, and no sounds but those of a hundred birds rejoicing in paradise... This photo is from my friend's front porch...

"Fiji-time" is about slowing down and enjoying life as it unfolds.  Ironically, we actually *don't* need to be in a rush all of the time in order to be happy.

There are so many experiences I've had so far out here, and yet somehow it doesn't really feel that important to record them.  They are all small but somehow add up in a big way.  I have been smiling a lot in this lush paradise.  It is easy to laugh.  I bought my first bottle ever of Fiji bottled water.  I drank yaqona (kava) with some local guys in their shop, and felt a really funny and relaxing buzz throughout my body and mind.  I've had only one beer in three days.  I skip meals because I feel so nourished and satisfied from the fruits I'm eating.  I try to visit a house of God each day (Hindu, Muslim, Christian...) to pray and just feel sweet divine presence within myself.  I have chosen sometimes to walk long distances, and today even in the rain, just because it feels nice and I smile a lot and greet people with "Bula!"  That is enough.  I don't need to be entertained with any special contrived experiences.  My soul feels nourished.  I have a strange feeling though that when I leave this place, it might be like waking from a dream.... 'what was that dream?...what even was the feeling?'... The state of mind that I have cultivated is reverant, good-humored, gentle, loving, curious.  I want to take this state of mind with me out into the world.

Fiji has a very rich and complex history that has led to a fusion of cultures all in one place.  Some are Fijian, some Indo-Fijian (Indian indentured servants came to work the fields in the late 19th century, and many stayed), and some of other origins, such as Chinese.  Not many whites here at all - I was somewhat surprised about that since almost everyone speaks English here and this was a British colony.   But now that I think about it, the same is true for African colonies.  Culture has been preserved and has adapted to the various technologies now available.  Synthesized Indian hip-hop with reggae beats (and lots of AutoTune!) blasts on busses and through the streets.  Cars and people buzz around like bees.  The rhythm of life feels a bit like Burkina Faso (W Africa) at times, but also feels at times how I would imagine India to be like.

I met lots of cows on my walk back from the sand dunes.

sand dunes.

typical delicious lunch.

Tomorrow I'll head to Suva (capital town) to take care of visa stuff at the Korean embassy, and visit with the dean of the college of science at Fiji National University to inquire about collaboration and possibly coming here to volunteer as an instructor at some point in the future.  Then I'll travel to a village to the north (Nasauri) to stay with Josepha and his family over the weekend.  There is a rugby function happening on Saturday that should be fun.  It doesn't matter what we do, I'm just happy to be alive and to have the opportunity to engage with the Fijian people and to learn some things about life.

pura vida costa rica

Beauty pervades: dramatic landscapes down to fascinating microscopic details.  Birds flurry around this flowered tropical paradise.  Mystic clouds envelope the volcano that we climb.  We reach the top and begin a steep, muddy decent into the crater.  We arrive at a lake in the center -- the scene feels so eery with the this fog all around.  Though the water is cold, we strip and take a swim. Justin and I swim out to the center of the lake, about 50m, to where we see nothing but fog and water and each other.  A very strange feeling to experience such emptiness of space!  We continue in a line (as straight as we were able), reaching the other side.  Hiking back, we hear voices, and being naked, were a little nervous about how to maneuver.  It doesn't take long though before we realize that we have reached the place where we had started!  Good laughs, yummy lunch.  The fog lifts very suddenly, and our mysterious lake is unveiled.

On the return, we happen on some ants carrying leaves many times larger than their bodies.  There are many thousands of them, each with a piece of leaf that (he? she?) cut, and have in fact fashioned their own highways.  Their collective behaviors remind me of bees -- they are a superorganism: no ant is capable of surviving on their own, and their joint effort produces an incredible accomplishment.  Different size ants have different roles -- the big daddy ones (around 3x in size, about 1cm long) are the slave drivers; they are exempt from carrying leaves themselves.  We weren't sure what the ants actually do with all the leaves once they bring them into their underground lair.  Some leaf-cutting ants use the bacteria and fungi that grow on the leaves, according to my biologist companions.  So incredible to observe all of the complex patterns of these ants, and to wonder at how many other processes are happening unnoticed everyday.  Solid motivation to keep my eyes and ears open.

Today we will explore the forests on zip lines and maybe enjoy some hot springs!  I am so happy right now to be traveling with two wonderful people and to be having an experience that cracks my senses wide open and brings a constant smile to my face as I am delighted by this colorful paradise.