The End of the Beginning...

...I board a plane in 2.5 hours bound for the USA. It is bitter sweet to see the end of this magnificent journey come to an end. I had hoped to write something very sentimental, very poetic to summarize what this trip has meant to me, but I find that it is hard to put into words. Let me just say that I regret not a single second of walking away from my previous life and setting out to the unknown. I am returning a changed person. I am excited about what the future holds and of course to see friends and family again. I also am excited to use a hair dryer (have not since February) and not using a bag which I carry on my back to hold everything that I possess.

Next, I'll be posting pictures from Ecuador. As for the blog, I have really enjoyed writing it, so I am considering continuing it and challenging myself to approach "everyday life" like I have been this trip...seizing each moment, going with the flow and finding opportunities to make an ass of myself and laugh a bit along the way. Thanks to all of you who have continued reading it...your support has meant the world to me. With that, I will finish my last swig of chocolate caliente, throw my bag on my back one last time and board yet another airplane this time destined for Titusville, Florida. Zai jian! Ciao! Namaste! Love, Jamie

Galapagos!

The last five days cruising around the southern islands of the Galapagos rank among the most incredible days I have spent on this trip. I have never been so close to animals in the wild, never been able to observe them for so long in their natural habitat. The landscapes on each island are so diverse, alongside the amazing variety of birds, mammals and plants. The Ecuadorian government and the Charles Darwin Research Station are doing a fantastic job of preserving and protecting such a precious area of our little planet.

There were 10 of us on the boat, all under 35 – 5 Germans, 2 Canadians, 1 Irish, 1 Dutch and me. We all got along fabulously which always makes a trip even more fun. The second afternoon between hiking and snorkeling, as we were making our way to the next stop, I was laying out on the rooftop soaking up some vitamin D when I got pooped on by a frigate bird. Forty two minutes later, I got pooped on by another one. Did you know that frigate bird poop can stain bathing suits? I won the award on the boat for “Most Times Pooped on by a Bird”. Lucky me.

We stopped at one or two islands each day for a hike with our naturalist guide where in broken English with silly sexual colloquialisms about animal mating rituals, he explained the different animals, plants, etc. We saw sea lion cubs nursing, blue-footed boobies doing their mating dance, albatross babies. We watched sea lions surfing and killing its lunch (this consists of whopping fish from side to side on the surface) and iguanas nearly inhale cactus fruit as it fell to the ground. I saw so many different birds that I stopped trying to remember their names…except the boobie one, that one’s easy. Ha ha…


I honestly have fallen in love with sea lions. I could watch them sneeze, roll in the sand, waddle around and make noise all day long and never tire of it. On a beach one afternoon, I was lying on my sarong about 8’ from a colony of sea lions. After about 10 minutes, one scooted over to smell and nudge my beach bag. Ten minutes after that, one came right up and smelled/ kissed my calf. It was incredible!! They just looked at me with their huge brown eyes to make sure I wasn’t going to eat them or to confirm that I wouldn’t be a tasty snack and then went about their business. It is honestly surreal to think about how close I came to them and how the sea lions and I actually made a connection. Of course, I was talking to them like I talk to our dog, Chance…very baby-meets-puppy-kind of squealing girl voice, so maybe that helped the bonding process!

Snorkeling was also incredible. Again we were playing with the sea lions. I saw two white tip reef sharks, one over 5’ which is quite big for reef sharks! I lost count of how many turtles and eagle rays. A school of about 20 eagle rays and a few turtles swam right under me and I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really seeing what I was seeing! Unbelievable!

On the boat back to Santa Cruz Island yesterday, a few dolphins started following us, jumping, twirling. Of course, I got super excited and basically sprinted to the front of the boat, tripping on a part of the boat that was sticking straight up in plain sight, breaking a toe. I can’t believe I almost made it this entire trip without seriously hurting myself after all these falls and trips, but watching the dolphins in the perfect blue water was well worth the pain I now feel ever step!

On a completely unrelated note: I ran into an Aussie couple that I sailed with when we went to see the Komodo dragons in Indonesia back in April! What a wonderful coincidence that we should meet again on the other side of the planet and how incredibly small the world really is!

Hung out at Tortuga Bay this afternoon with iguanas, trying to be sure that my tan is dark enough so that it actually looks like I have been away when I get home! Tonight those of us from the boat got together for some delicious street seafood. The grill master allowed me to flip and blow dry some of the marlin and prawns (in Asia and S. America they use hair dryers when grilling to speed up the process...pretty genius and entertaining!) I decided against doing any more laundry since I am so close to going home now. I’m sure that my neighbors on my flights won’t appreciate it…everything I own definitely has acquired a ‘traveling scent’ after 16 months. Back to Quito tomorrow where I am meeting up with Eva, my dive buddy from last week, for one last night on the town before packing up and heading back to the USA! Ciao from the Galapagos!

Down Where It´s Wetter

Diving in the Galapagos is INCREDIBLE! During our buoyancy check the first morning out, sea lions were less than 10’ away sunning on nearby rocks. On the way to our first dive site at Gordon Rocks, I frightened all the passengers by screaming when I saw a 4’ manta ray shoot straight out of the water chasing something. Luckily, he surfaced again so that all the other divers didn’t think I was hallucinating.

Eva, my dive buddy from England, and I became fast friends. My favorite thing she said, “women need men like fish need a bicycle.” (She was joking!) She is a very experienced diver and so I felt really comfortable with her, as I had to tell a few little white lies to convince the dive shop to permit me to dive Gordon Rock. The conditions at Gordon Rock are extreme – 15 degrees Celsius, very rough waters, back entry, strong currents. It was well worth the tiny fib about how many dives I have under my belt because within the first four minutes under, we saw a 4-5’ manta ray. I was also the only one who actually saw a hammerhead shark, 6-7’, feet swimming above us because I refuse to just look down when I dive, I like to spin around like a carousel. ;) We saw two green turtles and another manta, in addition to loads of amazing fish. It was a really tough dive, though, and I was spent after it!

We did our surface interval near some rocks where sea lions were chilling out. I snorkeled up to them and they put on a show…twirling, swimming less than 2’ away from me, smiling at me, waving at me…it was amazing…truly, something I will never forget. I watched 7 sea lions perform until I could stand the cold no longer. Our second dive was the worst of my life…very challenging, horrible visibility and freezing water. The dive instructor felt bad, so he gave us a free tank for the following day which was awesome!

Today was great…three dives total. I saw tons of reef sharks, much larger than any in Thailand or Malaysia. We saw two turtles, sea lions came down and performed again, dancing and twirling in our bubbles. We saw several manta rays, eels and loads of schools of fish. The Galapagos is by far the best diving I have ever done!

Tomorrow, I jump on a budget cruise ship bound for the south islands of the Galapagos. I will spend the next 5 days and 4 nights snorkeling and animal watching and I can’t wait! Coming here to wind up my trip has been one of the best decisions I have ever made! Countdown to home: 8 days!

The Daily Show, Starring Mendy and Me

Mendy and John arrived just as I was dozing off on a park bench outside their quaint little French/Ecuadorian home away from home. It was so great to see familiar faces! After not seeing John for nearly 16 months and Mendy just over 12, it really doesn't seem real that so much time has passed us by! We shared a nice dinner and a few Ecuadorian pilsners talking about all that has changed back home, all that hasn't. All of us being exhausted by a day of traveling, we hit the proverbial hay relatively early compared with what we are all capable of!

We ventured out into Quito on Friday. John and Mendy particularly enjoyed the exhaust fumes and crazy driving. I guess there are some things I've gotten immune too since being in Asia for so long! We climbed a steep hike up Itchimbia, a great viewpoint overlooking the city. We walked through some parks and to La Basilica cathedral, a stunning place that reminded me of St. Andrews, where Diana & Charles wed a long time ago. After a set lunch at a very local cantina that cost us a whopping $6 total, we gave up on sightseeing and decided to prepare Mendy for her upcoming South American Wine class by sampling bottles of Chileans finest. We talked politics, insurance, global warming, religion and other topics which I have not discussed in depth with anyone in a very long time...how I have missed that!

Saturday, I gave Mendy and John a taste of a foreign bus system as we boarded a local bound for Otavalo. They were impressed with the food, drink and ice cream salesmen and ladies that boarded the bus periodically selling their goods. Also, I fed a baby pull and peel twizzlers (one of my favorite candies that Mendy brought me!). In Otavalo, we ate, drank and shopped at the absolutely massive market, half targeted for tourists, half for locals. We ate fantastic tres leche at a small coffee shop...that might be my favorite dessert, next to my Grandmother's key lime pie (hint, hint: Grandma, I'm coming to visit you on November 1st or 2nd!!) and June's chocolate cake (hint, hint: June, I'll be home whenever you and Bob get home!). We had dinner at the Hacienda Cusin, Mendy and John's amazing hotel in a small village called San Pablo. A great day outside of Quito!

Toured San Pablo, rode the bus, walked through Old Town in Quito on Sunday. Sunday night, we went to a fabulous restaurant up the hill overlooking the city of Quito - breathtaking views of the cityscape...the lights twinkled like golden stars all over the place. The hot wine, red wine, brandy, whiskey and amaretto was good too, we thought.

Monday we woke bright and early and rented a car to make the trek to Mindo. Mindo is a small village tucked away in the Andes Mountains with beautiful views of the cloud forest along the way. We toured a butterfly garden. It truly is fascinating how many sizes, shaped and colors of butterflies there are! After that, we went zip lining through the cloud forest. It was so fun! Mendy and John stretched their comfort zones and strapped up along with me, helmet and all. We did 10 lines total, very far, very high up. We went backwards, forwards, upside down. It was awesome!! On the way home, we ate ice cream at the equator and took some silly pictures at the Mitad del Mundo. In the one I uploaded, I was trying to get Mendy and John to pretend like they were lifting the world - like John Galt, sort of. It didn't work out so well! We had a lovely dinner in La Mariscal, the new town of Quito, to wrap up a great few days together! Mendy and John - thank you so much for making the trek south of the equator to hang out with me...I love you guys!

I made my way to the Galapagos Islands this morning as Mendy and John made the trek back to Winston-Salem. I rented a bike today and hung out with a sea lion on the beach while watching iguanas surf in the Pacific. This place is simply amazing. I'll be diving the next two days, then I board a boat for a 5 day cruise around the Galapagos. Keep your fingers crossed that I see a boat load of hammerheads tomorrow at Gordon's Rock! Ciao from the Galapagos!

Hola de Ecuador!

Hola mis amigos! After 31 hours in airports and airplanes, I finally made it back to the western hemisphere! My body was stuck in Asia time for several days...it is the first time I think I've really experienced jet lag, despite all of my previous travels! Spent Friday buying clothes for cold weather. I suppose it would have been helpful to look up the weather in Ecuador this time of year before shipping all my warm stuff home. Oh well. Got some stuff organized for the next couple of weeks, napped. While shopping, I got hit by a bus. I was standing on a very narrow sidewalk with my back to the street, looking in a shop window. The next thing I know, I have been jolted sideways. The bus was coming to a stop, so it wasn't that bad but when I turned around to see what had hit me, I was quite startled to see a massive bus to say the least! The shop owner came out screaming at the driver. My back has been a little tight, but all in all, my first bus hit went okay.

I met an English bloke, Johnny. He and I traveled from Quito to Banos on Saturday. We explored the night life that evening. Sunday and Monday were pretty relaxed...the weather was rainy and cold and I was frankly just exhausted. Tuesday, Johnny and I hiked to a statue of the Virgin Mary mid-way up a mountain overlooking Banos, then he talked me into going to near the top ridge with views of the Tungurahua volcano that erupted in 2006 destroying a part of the outer ring of Banos. It was really cool to see the way the lava flowed down into the valley, destroying everything in its path. Nature is awesome! My body was in complete shock after all that exercise. Back in the city, we went to the local market for lunch where we dined with the locals on tripe soup and congealed cow's blood. I learned, after eating it, that tripe was cow's stomach. (For those of you who don't know me well, I don't eat a lot of red meat, so this specific dining experience was quite a culture shock!). We went to the thermal springs with the locals...it was very hot and very relaxing after a day of hiking and eating cow parts.

The next morning, despite our better judgment, Johnny and I rented bikes and cycled 17 km to Rio Verde. We were told that it was all downhill. Those people lied! I thought I was going to die, ended up walking a bit of the way. I had heartburn and already I could not feel my legs from the hike the previous day. We were pedaling into the wind, dodging pot holes and oncoming traffic. All in all, it was exhausting! The scenery, however, did make it worth the effort. Beautiful mountains, waterfalls and villages. The Ecuadorians plant their crops up the mountains which makes for a stunning patchwork of colors. After the biking, we went back to the market for lunch numero dos. This time we were in for a treat - an ocho piece band was in the market playing and people were salsa dancing! It was fantastic. A woman kept looking at me watching and smiling at all that was going on, so she waved me over to dance with her little group. I did a rueda with the woman, her husband and possibly their mother who was half my height, had two teeth and was dressed in traditional dress, bowler hat and all, not 25 feet away from dangling pig's feet, chickens, fruits and vegetables. You could not have wiped the smile off my face if you tried.

I am going through a bit of a culture shock after spending so much time in Asia. For one thing, there aren't any Asians around. Like Asia, the dogs still roam the streets. Unlike Asia, children juggle and twirl flaming batons at red lights to earn dinero. Like Asia, they don't speak much English. Unlike Asia, Ecuadorians are meat-eaters. In Asia, I saw a lot of gold temples, Buddha statues, Hindu Gods. I almost forgot what Jesus and Mary look like...but they are everywhere here! The wine here is excellent. People in Ecuador also like to make noise and dance anywhere, anytime! There is music playing constantly, whether from a truck with massive speakers driving around the city (the South American version of low riders, perhaps?!). While in Banos, I saw no less than 5 small parades where a band would march around the square and people would follow them carrying roses. There is such a live in the moment attitude here...I absolutely love it! Made my way back to Quito this afternoon where I am very excited to greet Mendy and John, two great friends from Winston-Salem, NC! They will be here in less than 2 hours and I cannot wait to see them! Ciao for now!

Pictures!

Click on the link below to view pictures from my time in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand! Ciao!

Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand!

Bottle Beach - Part Deux!

My little write-up on my stint at the silent meditation retreat was obviously a little daily dose of my random thoughts/experiences. In reality, the whole experience was incredible. I felt so at peace, so calm, the entire time I was there. I also have never felt more as if I am living in the present moment with a more focused or more concentrated mind. I think it is an experience that would be good for everyone to go through once, even if only for a day or two. There’s something beautiful in silence…

I spent the last week in Bottle Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand. Seriously, this is my definition of paradise on earth – white sand, palm trees, mountains, greenish/blue water, amazing food, lovely people, simple bungalows on the beach with a hammock hanging on the front porch. I returned to the beach where Gerad and I had such a great time, and slept in a bungalow three huts down from where he and I stayed!

Here is a list of what I have done over the last few days:

- Read in hammock
- Slept in hammock
- Read on beach
- Slept on beach
- Ate
- Drank
- Wrote
- Slept in bed
- Ran
- Swam

I finished Northanger Abbey, The Zahir, and The Life of Pi (glad I wasn't stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger!). I hung out a bit with a really chill Israeli couple and an Austrian guy. I survived two absolutely terrifying storms. The first had such fierce winds that the entire bungalow shook and I covered my head with my pillow, after quickly quieting my fears that I was on the side of Thailand that suffers from tsunamis...I, luckily, was not. The other storm had lightning striking so close that I could feel the ground shake, the room was brighter than during the day with the lights on and so incredibly loud. Nature is wild! From my hammock, I observed a man catch a bird with his bare hands. Also from my hammock, I saw a man walking a monkey on a leash. That about sums up my week.

I took a boat then a bus back to Bangkok yesterday. We arrived at 3 AM this morning. For the third straight time, I was crammed in the back of the bus against the window. Clearly, I am paying for sins in a previous life by this curse of public transportation I have experienced lately! I got ridiculously sunburned on the boat because I was too engrossed in my book to apply sun screen, so heat was radiating off of me and the bus was not cool. My feet couldn't touch the ground because the back of the bus is higher. I didn't drink anything because we all know where that leads, so needless to say, I was hot, swollen and crammed in the back. There were nice people, entertaining conversations...so that occupied an hour of the 9 I had to endure. I hope there are no buses in South America...ha ha!

I fly to Ecuador in less than 12 hours. For most of my readers, we will share a few hours together in the Eastern Standard Time Zone during my Atlanta layover en route to Quito. I looked at a calendar for the first time in a long time the other day…do you know that I landed in Beijing on September 14th last year?!! How crazy is that?! Over one year in Asia! And it just keeps getting better…