Crash Test Dummies - Part 2

Adam has posted part II of his account of our trials in Laos. The hospital was a real dive, not the facility we had hoped for in the least, although it far surpassed the first and Dr. Xax was there to save the day. Read on...

http://apharrison.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/the-crash-part-2/


Further update: We're all good. We parted ways with Adham in Pakse, Laos and aside from being sore after the sleeper bus from Vientiane, which was clearly built with the common Laotian sized person in mind (imagine 2 grown men in a bed smaller than a standard twin that jostled through the night), he seemed well on his way to a complete recovery. I'm still travelling with Adam and he's sorting out some wound infections here in Siem Reap, but nothing critical.

Crash Test Dummies!

Life happens. Some things hit you and you never even see them coming, but with a little luck you pick yourself up and move on. For seven of us travelling together to Nong Khiaw, Laos this is exactly what happened. We were on an exciting journey off the beaten path taking in the farmlands, the wind cooling our sun kissed faces, and the next second we found ourselves in a heap on the side of the road.


Adam has taken the time to put together a very well written account of the events as they unfolded so for anyone wanting the scoop, here it is. Part 2 coming soon... Thanks Adam!


http://apharrison.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/the-crash-part-1/


Oh, and FYI, I am perfectly fine and everyone is on the mend.

The Walking Wounded!

L to R: Adham - sprained shoulder, various contusions, stitched head wound, Hanna - various contusions, stitched head, leg and arm wounds, Joanne - broken collarbone, various contusions, stitched head wound, Adam - various contusions, stitched head and back wounds.

Photo by Me - sore ribs and a bruise on my elbow, lucky me!

Bangkok and Chiang Mai

After island hopping a bit in Thailand it was time to race north for the border before over staying my 15 day VISA. An overnight bus from Chumphon dropped us who knows where on the side of the road in Bangkok at 4:30am where the pink taxi's notorious for overcharging and not using meters were waiting like vultures. Not knowing where we were and seeing no other options most of us were stuck paying the excessive fees to get where we needed to go. I headed for the train station, got myself a ticket on the next available train to Chiang Mai, and decided to explore a little of Bangkok.

The train station in Bangkok

I landed there on May day so it was pretty quiet as most shops were closed for the holiday. The flower shops and various markets were poking along though and it was pleasant to just walk through and observe with out anyone trying to sell me a ride, tour, or massage. I passed by numerous temples and parks and eventually made my way (not intentionally) to where all the Red-Shirt activity is going on. It was quiet, not much happening, and aside from the obvious military presence and barb-wire topped barricades you wouldn't have known anything was brewing.

A flower display in a roadside market in Bangkok

A barbwire barricade in Bangkok

The train ride to Chiang Mai was an overnighter through some beautiful countryside. Nothing like hot, sweaty travel to the rhythm of the rails!



Chiang Mai was a great town. I really liked its vibe. Lot's going on, but of a manageable size (some good used bookstores too!). Wanting to get in as much as possible with my 1 full day there I packed it in with a day tour. Got to see orchid and butterfly farms, several hill-tribe village folk, ride elephants through the jungle, cross a river in a suspended cage, river raft, ride a slow bamboo raft (or bamboo submarine as our guide put it).

One of many temple entrances in Chiang Mai

An orchid at the orchid farm

A karen longneck tribe woman weaving a scarf while her little one snarfs a banana

My elephant asking for more bananas, she wasn't always so polite with that snout.

The caged river crossing, weirdness.

This is how you hold an oar right. Suited up for the trip down the river.

Our bamboo raft captain, he was all grins and really sweet. Loved his hat.



The next day was my run for the border and I along with a french couple managed to make it out of Thailand, across the Mekong, and into Laos with 5 minutes to spare. Yippee!

Cruising across the Mekong with Thailand in the background

Under the Sea!

Scuba April

So for those that don't know, I'm a self admitted water weenie. Sure I can throw down a cannonball or flip into a pool or lake every now and again with the best of them, but large open bodies of water, especially being under them, scares the snot out of me. I figured it was high time to confront this and in the best way possible, scuba diving in Koh Tao, Thailand. They say that the Ocean is most vast and undiscovered frontier left on the planet and the abundance of wildlife seen underwater in 10 minutes far exceeds what could be seen in 10 days in the forest (or something like that).

I signed up for a PADI Open Water course with New Way Diving in Sairee on Koh Tao. The bookwork was easy enough, the pool scary but confined, and the open water terrifying. After having a freak out and coming up just after going under in my first open water dive, I resolved to steel myself against my fears and try to get all zen like with my breathing. All with the help of my instructor Stefan, his heavily German accented instructions, and my dive buddy/assistant Anna. By dive number 3 I was nice and calm, by the time dive 8 rolled around I was doing the James Bond water entry and quick with the BCD trigger to get down and check out the dive site.

The sun rising on my last diving trip in Koh Tao

The views were amazing! Schools of yellowtail barracuda, christmas tree worms, giant anemones and their resident fish, butterfly fish, banner fish, baby harelquin lipped fish, giant groupers, morays, needle fish, angel fish, gobi's and their shrimp, corals, and the list goes on and on... While I didn't take any pictures under the sea you can check out the gallery at Ace Marine Images (http://www.acemarineimages.com/index.php/component/option,com_phocagallery/Itemid,4/id,2/view,category/) All the shots in the marine life gallery are from Koh Tao dive sites.

Above sea, Koh Tao was beautiful. Almost miserably hot sometimes, but nothing a little swim and a cold beer or water couldn't cure. The dogs on the island were hilarious. They'd follow folks around, lay next to you at the beach, and even walk right into the ocean and sit in the water with the rest of the beach goers. The Thai food was amazing and I ended up eating from the same spot almost every night. A walk out from the Sairee village took you to bungalows nestled in the palms, roadside clothes racks (Thai dryers), mopeds darting from place to place, and locals resting in cool spots along the shade.

The Thai dryer

Thanks to New Way Diving for a great first diving experience. If you're headed to Thailand and interested in diving I highly recommend them. http://www.newwaydiving.com/

Ton Sai, Bonzai!

My first stop in Thailand was a great one!

After taking the night train from Kuala Lumpur, a 5 hour bus ride, a 30 minute long-tail boat ride, and a 30 minute hike/scramble I arrived in beautiful Ton Sai. Sunset would be arriving soon, there were climbers on the beachside rocks and bathers on the beach. Only took one stop to find a good budget bungalow that seemed luxurious relative to some of my recent accomodations.

My first peek at Ton Sai, climbers, beaches, perfect!

The next day I headed out on a deep water solo climbing trip. They basically boat you out to limestone pillars in the Andaman Sea that are good for climbing and have adequate water depth for when you either jump or fall off the rock. You get old and hole ridden climbing shoes and they dump some chalk in a hole near the start, but it comes off quick. It was a blast to be climbing in such a beautiful area and I met the folks I'd pal around the place with for the rest of my time in Ton Sai.

Our first climbing site, 2 ladders out of the water and lots of rock to play on

Me perched beneath the roof

Since I literally tore the skin off my hands deep water soloing, climbing was out of the question for the rest of my time so I took the opportunity to explore the area. Their hikes reflect the climbing vibe of the area though cause not a one of them didn't involve a hand line and steep scrambling. (The locals here climb like monkeys, it's impressive!) Great views, hot and humid weather, what more could you ask for. Afterwards it was time for the beach at Phra Nang, the best beach in the area and home to the phallic Princess Cave. Apparently a mystical sea princess died in the waters just offshore and fisherman go the cave and make offerings that they believe will make them successful in their fishing and safe at sea. The offerings are more representative of fertility though so I'm not sure what to think about this one.

Phallic offerings at Princess Cave on Phra Nang Beach

Met my pals from the DWS trip and we made a trek through a system of caves (in the dark with bamboo ladders and hand lines) to the other side of a huge limestone pillar which looked down on Railey West beach. It was a great little afternoon adventure! The way back we all got caught, clad in our swimsuits, in a downpour so we had to seek refuge at a convenience store and have a Chang to appease the rain gods. It must of worked since we walked the rest of the way back in dry skies.

The view from the cave hike down to Railey West

Night life on Ton Sai was great, not too crazy, but a good selection of things to do. Be it Ping Pong, Pool, taking in a fire show, slacklining, or the occasional live music night (which was amazing!). I was sad to leave, but excited to move to my next local on the East side of Thailand...Koh Tao, to try my hand at Open Water Scuba Diving.

My last images of Ton Sai before hopping a long-tail out

Thievery!

So I was within 3 hours of leaving Kaula Lumpur on a night train bound for Thailand. Just as a precaution I figured I should go to the internet cafe and print out the paperwork they say you need for a Thai tourist VISA, although they rarely request it. I had my back pack locked up at the train station and my day pack with me for the mission with all my special stuff.

I was just about done. I was cautious with my things taking them with me to the toilet and to retrieve copies. Someone bumps the back of my chair, I turn one way, the guy next to me hastily gets up and I turn to see his head dropping down the staircase. I look down for my day pack that I had at my feet and it was gone.

So there I was, no identification, not a ringit left in my pocket, and stuck now in Kuala Lumpur. While it's a bummer to have lost my camera and a ton of photos, my journal, sunglasses, daypack, and various little things that were precious to me and are probably now lying in a dumpster back in Kuala Lumpur, I was moved by the swift and generous action of people to help get me back on track.

The internet cafe let me use the computer for free to start sorting things out. Jan back home took my call at 4 in the morning and got on the ball to wire some funds. An aussie next me gave me 30 ringgit. The officer on duty at the US Embassy gave me some good advice and his cell number in case I needed anything else. An interesting and generous Malaysian man at the train station helped me sort out a trip to the police station to get a police report and get my bag out of storage without paying a 50 ringgit lost key fee (which I didn't have).

Come morning the ACS officer at the embassy was a wealth of knowledge and helped me out with a typed letter from the embassy so that I could receive the funds Jan sent with just my passport copy. One of the Officers that took my call the night before had me shuffled to his que so he could see how it was all going and gave his contact info should I need anything else before leaving. By just after noon, I was off to the Malaysian immigration office with a temporary 8 month passport in hand. The taxi driver on the way there gave all his tips for not getting ripped off by taxi drivers. The immigration office had closed the line for VISA application, but they let me in the que anyways. And by 4pm that day I was back at the train station with another ticket for the night train to Thailand.

While it took 1 or 2 bad apples to take a bag, it was swiftly countered by the generosity and assistance of many many GOOD people. THANK YOU to all who helped me get up and running again so quickly!

Malaysia

Note: Pictures are borrowed from various places on the internet. I'll explain later.

I was so confused for a bit about what was Malaysian. In my first 4 hours in Malaysia I'd wandered through Chinatown and Little India and had no idea what a Malaysian looked like, what exactly Malaysian food was, etc. I guess this is part of the beauty of Malaysia. Many cultures and ethnicities living together harmoniously (at least now, history has record of the unfriendly times).

There were mosques and temples abound of Islamic, Hindu, and Muslim faiths. My favorite the Batu Caves. A bit of a jaunt outside of Kuala Lumpur, but worth it. It's teeming with little macaque monkeys that I thought were so cute at first. On the way up the stairs though I watched the little buggers steal a lunch bag out the hands of a girl I met on the bus. They're aggressive and sneaky little buggers. After making your way up the steps you arrive in a cavernous limestone cave with light pouring in from the opening on the other end. Lots of shrines adorn the cave and there are two areas for prayer and offerings.

The Hindu shrine at the entrance to the Batu Caves

Inside the Batu Cave

While in Malaysia I also spent some time in the Cameron Highlands which were a bit more temperate than the sweaty heat of Kuala Lumpur and its surrounds. Did a good jungle tour, visited a tea plantation, strawberry fields, waterfalls, and an Orang Asli (aboriginals of Malaysia) home where the use of a blowdart was demonstrated and a bit of dancing and drumming was done. The main Orang Asli looked a bit like a washed up Mowgli as he pet his monkey (tied to a post with rags) with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth.

The Tea Plantation was cool. As you travel through the highlands you see fields and fields of tea so it was neat to learn a bit about it. Every 3 weeks they trim the plants. By hand on steep slopes and with a machine on gentler slopes. They then allow the tea to wilt a little to remove excess moisture. To promote oxidization they then bruise the tea using these rollers that press the leaves. Next up is more oxidization in a climate controlled area. The amount of oxidization allowed affects the flavor and quality of the tea. To stop the oxidization at the desired time they put the tea through a firing. After all this is done they shape the tea, dry it, sift it, and then it's ready for packaging...or steeping.

Tea fields in the Cameron Highlands

Mel-bin and around

Note: Pictures are borrowed from various places from the internet, I'll explain later

I quickly learned that Melbourne is not pronounced Melbourne, but rather as Melbin. Oddly enough though the Bourne series of movies is not pronounced as the Bin series. However you want to pronounce it though I had a great time in a fun city and it's surrounds.

Fitzroy was probably my favorite spot in the city. It was artsy, hip, and fun. Folks were riding bikes everywhere with fun baskets attached, lots of good cheap eats, a pretty hopping night scene, and good people.

The Rubik's Cube building at the Melbourne Museum - across from my hostel

I was lucky enough to meet some kind souls local to the area and got to spend some time hanging in the suburbs of Melbourne having a good time. Not spots you'd find on a tourist map, but my time there was most memorable (Thanks Jen and Kath!).

I got in a cruise of the Great Ocean road to see sights such as the London Bridge (the section closest to the shoreline broke off several years ago so it's more like the London Arch now), the Twelve Apostles (of which only 8 remain standing), the Blowhole, Thunder Cave, and numerous other picturesque sites along the way. It was a beautiful drive. (Thanks Jen!)

The Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road

Wee Jasper

Janet and Bess at the Stables

For Easter weekend I headed out to Wee Jasper to spend some time with Janet (Bryn's Mum) and her partner Neil. Janet owns the only business in town, The Stables tavern, and Neil lives and works on his own sheep farm. There was no shortage of things to keep you busy and I got to learn a bit about taverns and sheep.

After a morning cup of coffee a bit of time would be spent moving sheep from one paddock to another. The young ones were due for drenching (de-worming) so the dogs (Arny and Maggie) would step into action at Neils command and round them up while he helped out the ones that couldn't help themselves. They aren't the brightest of animals. I even got to help pull some heads out of fences. A field full of grass and they need to try and eat what's on the other side of the fence...? Maybe they think the grass is always greener on the other side too?

Late morning to night was spent in the holiday rush at The Stables. The beer was always flowing, bags of ice were flying out the door, and we couldn't cook the pub food fast enough. I got handy with the fryer, learned to make a good quick steak sandwich or lamb burger, and washed my weight and then some in dishes. Definitely the most productive few days I've had in several months.

Janet does a great job of keeping it all running smooth and Neil helps out with anything and everything. They're a good little team and have great set-up out there in Wee Jasper. It was beautiful country and I'm glad I made it out for a visit.

Thanks Janet and Neil!

Sheep country (although they were all in the paddocks obviously not shown in this picture)

The Rest of the West

of Tas that is.

My tour of Tas - complete!

Last time I blogged I was off to the Hastings Caves which did not disappoint. Stalactites and stalagmites galore and even a few glow worms. There were tons of other intricate cave formations within it. It is one of the few dolomite caves, most in the region are limestone, and it was discovered by timber workers in 1917. After a quick dip in the thermal pools I headed north to line myself up for Mt Field. Got an early rise and decided to head out on the tarn circuit hike. It was beautiful! Chock full of pandani's, alpine likes, and alpine tarns. All the grey-white eucalyptus snags reminded me of Torres del Paine and the pandani groves look like a page out of a Dr. Seuss book, just green instead of pink or blue.

Stalactites in the Newdgate Cave

Twilight Tarn in Mt. Field National Park

I attempted to line myself up for another day of hiking on the other side of the Overland track trail, but it was pricey to camp and you had to ferry out to the good spots so I opted to roll along. I stayed at Burbury lake and met 2 older couples travelling that wanted to feed me and make sure I was warm for the night. They were really sweet. Morning saw me cruising early through the barren hills of Queenstown. A stellar example of what strip mining can do to a place, but it's been gussied up a bit and seemed like a pleasant enough town. Next was beautiful Strahan were I considered a cruise up the Gordon River and passed it up to keep moving along and do some more hiking. The next stop was just outside of Zeehan for a hike along an old mining tramway to Montezuma Falls. The falls were tall and best viewed from a huge suspension bridge across the ravine.

Montezuma Falls

I spent the rest of my time in the Northwest region which is full of picturesque farmlands, shorelines, and forests. The evening of the drive out I got treated to an amazing sunset full of colors. There were lots of little stops along the way here. The lighthouse at Table Cape, Rocky Point National Park, and a hike to the top of the Stanley Nut. I really wanted to slide into the Tarkine Wilderness Dismal Swamp (a 360ft slide into the forest), but rain that day kept the slide closed so I pushed on into more beautiful farm lands to the rugged west coast and walked the beach at Green Point as surfers braved the cold waters.

The lighthouse on Table Cape

The Stanley Nut

Time flew by and before I knew it I was Launceston bound once again to drop off my little rental car, have a shower, and wash up some clothes so I didn't commit any aromatic offenses on the flight back to the mainland.

Green Point

Trading Pedals

Sorry to report that I whimped out. I broke up with my (rented) bike yesterday, traded it in for petrol powered pedals, and have to admit that I'm not that torn up about it. I'd heard horror stories of the climbing on the west side of Tas and with a weather report calling for showers all week I opted not to lug that blessed bike through the rain for the next few days. That said I did get in a great ride of the East Coast and back inland to Launceston.

Speaking of, when I got into Launceston I lucked out and met yet another good natured Dutchmen looking for someone to head to Cradle Mtn. While the weather wasn't the greatest we got in a great hike around Dove Lake and a few other side tracks. With all the rain the rivers and falls were all swelled with water and quite dramatic. I also got in the hiking tracks at Cataract Gorge in Launceston. A beautiful natural feature tucked in right next to the city.

Dove Lake boathouse

Found a cheap cheap car for the week (thanks to a tip from Niek, the Dutchmen) and am out and about cruising the forests and coasts of the west. Covered Mt Wellington outside of Hobart yesterday and this morning found me soaking up the sweet smells of the eucalyptus canopy after last nights rain. It was quite relaxing to cruise through the beautiful forest roads listening to symphonies on the one radio station that still came in. Had a great morning walk through several tracks in the mixed forest, including the Tahune Airforest walk through the canopy. Off to the Hastings caves now...

View down to the joining of the Picton and Huon rivers from the Tahune canopy airwalk

Eaglehawk Neck to the Bay of Fires

Been rolling north in my exploration of Tas and taking in all sorts of sights.

My last day in Eaglehawk Neck was spent on a cruise to Tasman Island and Cape Pillar. The dolomite cliffs and cave were stunning. Even more so though was the abundant wildlife along the way: dolphins, sea lions, fish, albatross, and various other birds. You could see large tuna breaching the water as they were feeding, dolphins and sea lions chasing schools of fish through the turquoise waters, birds diving for fish, etc...

The next day it rained, it poured, and the old sheep snored. I struck out for Orford and Triabunna in spite of the conditions. A good chunk of the riding was on dirt roads, one of which was closed for a wash out, so there was very little traffic. The Weilengata Forest and Rainforest Walk along the way were beautiful and the mist and rain just added to it. Somewhere along the road between there and Orford I picked up my first leech (sneaky little blood suckers!). The weather finally broke, but not before I made my way into Triabunna for the night so while the ride was wet, I at least had a bout of sun to dry my things.

From Triabunna I was off to Maria Island (pronounced ma-rye-ah) for a night. After a brief ferry ride I rode down to the painted cliffs which are beautiful limestone and sandstone cliffs that have been eroded into all sorts of neat patterns of color. Then it was down the dirt path to Encampment Cove. When I arrive there wasn't a soul in sight, but I had come across someone headed my direction. Lucky for me, he's a very sweet English chap (Chris) and we had an entertaining evening taking in all the wildlife. The place was teeming with wallabies, possums, cookaburras, a few wombats, and I even spotted a tiger snake on the way in.

Painted Cliffs on Maria Island

Next morning I rode the 11k back to the Ferry landing with time to spare so I hit up Fossil Cliffs that hold all sorts of fossilized shells and signs of former sea life. I was on the ferry with an older couple (Anne and Peter) from Launceston that were out as volunteers to keep the island buildings in order. They were very kind and gracious enough to give me a ride up to my next campspot at Mayfield Bay Conservation Area.

From Mayfield I headed north with my sights set on the Freycinet Peninsula. I took a detour to a beautiful berry farm overlooking the sea for a fresh scone and ran into Chris again. I learned that the ferry I was supposed to catch to the peninsula was no longer in operation so Chris gave me a ride around to the peninsula. I stayed 2 days in Freycinet and got to soak up the scenery and beaches with a hike of the full Freycinet peninsula circuit and Hazards beach circuit.

After leaving Freycinet I stuck out for the Douglas Apsley water hole which provided a good days ride along, the coast, a scenic hike to the Douglas Apsley Gorge and a cool dip at the end of it all.

Now I'm in the Bay of Fires Conservation area and trying to decide where to go next, but for now I'm gonna rest for a day or so!

Eaglehawk Neck

Pedaled to Richmond for Day 1 and landed in Eaglehawk Neck for Day 2. It's pretty much the last town (if you can call it that) before Port Arthur and is known for the dogline. The neck is a narrow land passage connecting Port Arthur to the rest of Tassie. Since Port Arthur was a prison ground they protected the neck with lines of rabid dogs to prevent escapees from making it to the mainland.

The riding so far has been good. My rented steed is definitely below par in performance and requires a maximum amount of effort for a minimum amount of speed, especially uphill. I've been entertained by the wildlife crossing signs and variety of roadkill. This is a carrion eaters dream, an all you can eat buffet of rabbits, foxes, kangaroos, bandicoots, possums, birds, lizards, wombats, and tasmanian devils. Nothing quite like the smell of week old death on a hot day. Guts splayed and eyes no where to be seen.

The countryside here is beautiful and I have to laugh a little about their references to busy roads. Relative to stateside cycling tours this is some of the lightest traffic I've ever seen. Spent some time yesterday checking out some of the geological wonders of the area: the Tasman Arch, Devil's Kitchen, the Blowhole, and Dootown (a collection of homes that are all named something or another with 'doo' in it). Staying at a cute little backpacker/cyclist place with the resident sheep, aptly named 'come here', as my neighbor. It's complete with a recycled rainwater water system and composting toilet that believe it or not does not smell.

The stay so far has been nice, but it down poured all night and morning. Got everything hanging up in the kitchen area to dry while I'm out for the day. I'm chilling at a local hotel overlooking Pirates Bay using their computer for a minute before heading out to see the Tessellated Pavement and Dogline. Was hoping to do a boat tour of Cape Pillar and Tasman Island, but it's not running today so I'll hit it up tomorrow then head out of town the following day. Believe it or not, I'm not heading to Port Arthur. I did a penitentiary church and prison tour in Hobart and that was enough of prison cells and gallows for me. Prisons - No thanks!

Going Tassie!

Landed in Hobart (Tasmania) Tuesday morning and got everything lined up to launch my next adventure - cycling Tasmania! Got my bike packed up and I'm heading out of Hobart momentarily. It's no 'little blue', but it'll get the job done and the rental came complete with panniers, lock, lights, and helmet so I can carry my stuff and stay safe.

I'll update along the road as I come across internet. Should take anywhere from 3-5 weeks depending on how many sidetrips I take.

For a peek at some maps and routes I'm taking check out:
www.discovertasmania.com/__data/assets/.../CycleTouringMap.pdf

I'm out!

Lucky

The Luckster and his buddy Wilson (shot taken by my sis, Stacey Gooch)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29536760@N07/4382370793/

My sister Stacey and her family are taking care of my dog Lucky while I'm away. From the looks of it they are doing an amazing job. The other day she captured some good playful moments between him and his new pal Spike, see link below. In spite of how it may look, they are just playing. Thanks Stacey for the great pics and taking such good care of the Luckster! He's a happy and very lucky dog!

Spike and Lucky

The full action sequence is at the link below

http://chronicles-of-organized-chaos.blogspot.com/2010/02/wild-kingdom.html

Blue and Green

The Blue Mountains of Australia and the Green of Fiji.

I landed in Australia after 4 days of planes, trains, and automobiles (literally) and have had a great time mountain biking with kangaroos, hiking the many scenic trails around Wentworth Falls, taking in the good cafes in the area, resting, and catching up with some great pals. My pals Jill and Bryn are professional mountain bike racers that spend the US winter months living and training in Australia. These guys have it dialed and are very professional with their training regiment. I've been lucky enough to cruise along for a few XC rides, play driver for some DH runs, and get an inside look at the daily life of professional athletes. Jill is crossing over from four-cross to downhill racing on the North American circuit this year and Bryn will be tearing up the World Cup circuit. I'll definitely be cheering them on from wherever I might be (www.jillkintner.com).

Bryn prepping for some DH runs

The undercliff trail in the Blue Mountains

View from atop of Ruined Castle

Since Jill is a US citizen (Bryn is an Aussie) she only gets a maximum stay of 3 months at a time so we hit up Fiji for a few days to get her out of the country and get her a new stay. A bit resort-y for my taste, but a good time all the same. Nothing like floating in the ocean and taking in some sun. We rented a car for a day to see a bit of the countryside. All sorts of horses meandering about, cute little villages, beach and forest hikes, and some awesome roadside barbecue.

Jill and I goofing around in Fiji

The tree of lost soles

Playing ball on the beach (with a coconut and driftwood)

A horse with no name

A Fijian firewalking ceremony

Sunset in Fiji

Now I'm back in the Blue Mountains and gearing up to leave Tuesday for Tasmania!