#so i started taking the longest route out of the lunch room just to avoid interacting with that guy

[microwave-mars]

So someone at work asked for my number recently.

It's been a long time since someone has expressed romantic interest in me, and the question actually made me bluescreen. I full on panicked and went into autopilot, saying yes and giving them my number, even though I didn't actually want to.

My hands were actually shaking after the interaction and I found it hard to focus afterwards because my brain kept screaming "DANGER. RUN GET. AWAY".

I even thought about quitting for a little while because the thought of seeing that person again at work made me so anxious. Every time we run into each other I will actively go out of my way to avoid that person or just be as far away as I can. If we are forced to interact I talk as little as possible and make sure the interaction ends as quickly as I can.

...I get that this is a major overreaction. Maybe it's something I need to talk to a therapist about. But I was curious to know if this happens to other aromantic people, or if anyone else has had a similar experience

[fallasleepscenarios]

𝓵𝓮𝓽'𝓼 𝓰𝓸 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮 [kirishima eijiro x reader]

type: one shot, fluff pairing: kirishima eijiro x reader summary: Y/N and Kirishima's relationship comes to an end when one of them has to move to the other side of the country. rating: PG-13 wordcount: 1.1k disclaimer: I do not own any of the mha characters and all of them are written as if they are of age also posted on my wattpad one shots book

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

"Kiriiii~! Come home already, I miss you~!"

the voice message you left in his answering machine months ago, Kirishima listens to frequently.

being away from you has been so hard for him, he can barely sleep some times.

and it's not like you guys said it'd be forever, and it's not like your moving  cities wasn't something you both knew months before would happen.

but Kirishima at that time hadn't realized how much he liked you, how much he adored the smell of your hair and petting your head, watching your eyes light up every time he did that.

and your goodbye, that goodbye was the only thing, the only memory with you that he tried to avoid and erase forever.

when you met him by the riverside that last time and you gave him the longest hug you'd ever given him, when you brought him your favourite Avengers t-shirt as a memoir and he gave you that necklace to keep with you forever, because you both did not know how life has it and if you're ever going to see each other again.

long distance was not an option for you, you could possibly rarely visit, UA school had such strict schedule and your town was so far away now.

and Kirishima shook his head to erase those memories.

but he wondered what you looked like each day and if you've cut your hair or died it, if you ate well and if you slept bad like he did when he missed you too much.

texting you was just as hard, that you decided it was not good for his mentality, too painful to long for someone you cannot physically be with.

and you started texting him lesser and lesser and he noticed straight away, but little did he know, it's not as if your heart was stolen by someone, it's not as if you've forgotten him, but it was because you didn't want to hurt him furthermore.

seasons passed and he got used to the absence.

hero training was doing him good, he could have a laugh with his friends and also let out stress, while trying to accomplish his dreams.

but little did Kirishima know what awaited him one particular, slightly cloudy autumn afternoon.

his eyes must have been playing games with him, cause he could not believe what he saw- who, he saw, waiting for none other than him, outside the training grounds that day.

all his friends chuckled and giggled and teased him when they saw you from afar, happy for their friend reuniting with his love.

but Kirishima could barely move, could barely breathe, he had to be shook by Bakugo to snap out of it.

and you stood there, guiltier as ever-to have surprised him just like that, happier as ever-to have the opportunity to finally squish him in your arms, and make him feel like home again.

his friends made room for Kirishima and tried their best to act natural and not freak you out by their hype and general excitement.

and he stood there, a meter across from you, speechless, while everyone else was taking their route home.

"I like your hair", he finally whispered in awe at your freshly coloured hair.

"Thanks" you smiled and he melted inside, this wasn't real.

"I-I missed you", he smiled back awkwardly and scratched his head, wondering if it'd be appropriate to just grab you there and then.

"I missed you, too, Kiri"

his palm found your flushed cheek and cupped it, thumb gently circling around your soft skin, till it reached your lower lip and stroked it lightly, barely touching it.

you close your eyes and give in to his mellow movements and the spell he's long now been casting on you, ever since that first day you went to the river and sat by its side, talking about your dreams and ambitions.

a million thoughts and none were racing in his mind at the same time. Kirishima had frozen there, eyes locked on your face, scanning every detail of it, whilst battling with the duality of kissing you or refraining from it. Until, he felt you tilting your head to the side of his palm cupping your cheek and he felt the urge to caress it even more.

until he stops as he could no longer wait.

he leans in and suddenly, it's like you're younger again.

that night he kissed you under the starry sky, while you laid on the cool grass.

that night he kissed you at the university, having lunch on the roof alone for a bit.

when he kissed you, after you had made him dance with you to your favourite lousy songs and soundtracks.

and when he kissed you underwater at the beach, while he wrapped his arms around you so steadily you could never had escaped, in a million years.

the kiss was all of these memories together and even better.

because what really is meant for someone will find its way back, if only one is prepared to look for it.

you break the kiss and look at him straight in the eyes, while he smiles like an idiot with tears in his eyes.

"I thought," he starts, "I'd never see you again.. I thought you had forgotten me!"

"I'm sorry for trying to avoid you but I just couldn't...! I can't live if it's not with you!"

tears streaming down your flushed cheeks and Kirishima tightens his hug as if you would have to go any moment now.

"I can't... this is why I've decided I'm moving back here, alone!"

"Wha-"

"And it's okay that I can't be with my family, they will have to make time to visit and I will try visiting as much, even if it's so so far"

"And where are you going to stay?!"

"I may stay at my aunt's, if she'll have me, and I'll look for a job, even part time, I don't want to rely on my parents and cause problems..", you explain.

"I see..."

"But do you understand what this means...!", you exclaim in excitement, "Kiri, we never have to be apart now! Not anymore!"

Kirishima could only smile stupidly 'cause all this was too good to be true.

"Y/N, I don't even want to be apart anymore!"

"We won't have to!", you chuckled.

"I love you...", he whispered as tears streamed down his cheeks and you laughed while crying at him trembling.

"I love you too..

Let's go home, Hide"

and you both start laughing like idiots in love.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

[teacup-set]

Giants

Summary: 'Thank you for the recipe', her note says, but what she really means is 'thank you for raising me, thank you for making me who I am.' She knows mama will know what she means, she always does. [SSS family]

Read on: AO3, FFN

x

The sun is low on the horizon and the sky looks like it's on fire. The contrast of the world has shifted, and the aged rust-orange of the hokage tower looks burning red like its early days. The villagers often joke that the sun burns brighter these days because there is a flame-fanning uchiwa in the hokage office, that the will-of-fire that was once a flickering flame is now a ferocious katon. 

In her office chamber, Sarada feels much more muted, heaving under the weight of the faith people put in her. This had always been her dream and she harbored no disillusion about how difficult it is to be hokage. And yet, she is crumbling. The kage summit that she is organizing looms on the horizon, and every half hour there seems to be a new logistical difficulty without fail. Just the administrative nightmare that is hosting the world's most powerful dignitaries in an event that is without a doubt a beacon for those with ill-intent has eaten up all her time. She hasn't even gotten to thinking about the delicate issues and negotiations she has to raise at the summit. She is overwhelmed, but people depend on her so she can't let it show. Part of her wants to run to her parents home, because there she is still a child, free from the weight of the world on her shoulders. There is no time for that though. Her parents, along with the Uzumakis, moved out from Konoha some years ago, choosing to spend their retirement away from the shinobi world in a rural part of Fire country. It would take too long to make the trip, and there is still much to do for the summit. 

Sarada eyes the phone on her desk. 'I could call, I suppose.'

Without thinking about it too much, she dials the number. By the second ring, she remembers to cough and clear her throat lest her voice gives away her frustration. By the fourth, her mother picks up. 

"Hello?" 

"Hi, mama!" says Sarada, forcing cheer into her voice. 

"Sarada! How are you sweetie?" Sakura chimes. Already, Sarada feels lighter. 

"I am good, mama. How are you and papa?" asks Sarada, resting her chin on her palm. 

"We are both well sweetheart, though you and the others should drop by once in a while," her mother's voice becomes fainter as she speaks, like she is turning away from the mouthpiece, "Otherwise your father and uncle Naruto will keep trying to fill the void by acting like children themselves." and Sarada imagines her mother is eyeing some mess they have made in the background. She laughs. 

"Okay, okay, I will try to make a trip soon." she concedes. The line is silent for a second. 

"Sarada, is everything okay?" Sakura asks, and immediately Sarada wants to kick herself for thinking she could ever fool her mother. Both her and her papa agree, they could give the whole world the slip, but mama knows them by heart. 

"Yeah, of course." Sarada attempts, and from the silence from the other end she knows she has failed. "It's nothing, mama. Just stressed. The hokage summit is next week and Konoha is hosting." she admits in defeat. 

"Oh darling, that's a lot of work. Are you holding up okay?" 

Sarada wants to refrain from worrying her mother, but it is a chance to finally vent out all that she has been holding in and she is verging on desperate so she bites. 

"I...don't know mama. There is a lot to do." she starts, "I am still trying to take care of all the security measures. There is tension between Kumo and Hoshi, and they will not allow the Raikage delegation to cross into the land of fire." 

"Iwa and Oto have also been bickering. I really hope they will behave at the summit, otherwise I don't know how I'll handle them." she sighs and continues as Sakura patiently listens, "Even beyond the kage summit there is more to do. There have been a few bad harvests near the south east border, and sending provisions from the center's stock takes too long. Most of it rots by the time it gets there. The Fire Daimyo asked the Daimyo of Tea country to help since they are closer, but they refuse. Apparently we have 'a history of not interfering in each other's affairs' and that's how they want to keep it. Can you believe that?" she huffs angrily. 

"Sarada, is this line secure?" Sakura asks, her voice level. 

"Uh, yeah. I am calling from my office." Sarada replies, taken aback by her mother's sudden question. 

"Okay." Sakura begins, "The daimyo is wrong. Fire country and Tea country don't interact because of Tea country's reluctance to interact with nations that have shinobi villages. But during the time Lord Second was Hokage, Tea was experiencing tensions with Sea Country. Something to do with ships from Sea Country intercepting the cargo from Tea, I think? Anyway, they had requested help from Fire country then." 

Sarada sits up straighter, listening attentively. 

"They requested the Leaf to assassinate one of the people involved. They happened to be a higher-up in Sea country's government, and if the responsible party was discovered it would have caused a scandal." Sakura explained, "An ANBU unit was dispatched to take care of it, without any official mission report or paper transaction to make sure it would not be traced. But just in case they were discovered, to ensure that the Leaf would not be held responsible as the perpetrator, the Second kept a signed declaration from the Tea Daimyo sealed away. You should be able to find it in Lord Second's section of the records room. Not only is it proof that Fire and Tea have been involved in each other's affairs, this is information that Tea would very much like to avoid from entering the public domain. It might help you make your case, though I can't imagine how wicked someone would have to be to refuse to feed the hungry." Sakura finishes, sounding angered. 

Sarada is stunned. After quickly jotting down a note to check the records room, she pauses. Then slowly realization dawns. To her, mama is mama. Mama who braids her hair, always overcooks the fish, and doesn't believe in separating laundry by colours. But mama is also Uchiha Sakura. She was trained by two hokage, and was also on the same team as one (-and a half). For the longest time, she was also the director of the hospital and one of Konoha's most prestigious diplomats. There is perhaps no one in the village who has been in and out of the hokage building more than mama has. Of course she would know. Mama always has the answers, after all. 

"I...thank you, mama." Sarada stumbles, still basking in the awe of her belated realization. 

"Shh, sweetheart, don't thank me." from behind her, Sarada hears movement in the background, and then her papa's voice- 

"Who is it?" Sasuke inquires, asking Sakura. 

"It's Sarada, my love." Sarada blushes slightly, still embarrassed by her parents' affections towards each other, as she listens to her mother catch her father up on their conversation. In the next instant, her papa is on the phone. 

"Sarada. There is an alternate route from Kumo to Konoha through a set of islands near Whirlpool. I am sending you a map, await my hawk." her father's steady, reassuring voice carries through the phone. 

Once again, Sarada has to reckon with who her parents really are. Her memories of her father revolve around eating breakfast in the early mornings, packing lunches for mama, and throwing Kunai in the afternoons. But her father has traveled the whole world, and not just this one. He has inherited knowledge from the founder of the shinobi world itself. There is so much in this world that only he knows. 

"I will, papa, thank you." Sarada says, in a daze. 

"Hn." her father replies, satisfied, and then her parents have swapped the phone again. 

"Sweetie, is there anything else we can do?" worry rings in her mother's voice. 

The laundry list of tasks she has to complete is still infinite, but suddenly Sarada's heart is inflated again. She is ready. 

"No, mama, I can handle the rest." she says with confidence. 

She hears the smile in her mama's voice. "Of course you can, love." 

"You're doing a much better job than the idiot." Her father mutters in the background. 

Sarada gazes at her reflection in the window of her office. Staring back at her are her father's eyes, and the purple diamond on her forehead passed down from her mother. Her eyes trail to the hokage regalia hanging next to the door, but instead of feeling daunted, she is reminded of her earliest memory of them. The same cloak and hat, hanging on the back of a dining chair in her childhood home, first when Lord Sixth would come over for dinner, and then Lord Seventh. The same cloak that would hang between her father's dark one and her mother's lab coat, the same place it still belongs. It dawns on her simply. She was born to giants. She was raised by giants. And she is a giant too. 

Her reverie is broken by her mother's voice carrying through the phone. 

"Sarada, have you eaten dinner?" 

Suddenly Sarada wants to burst out laughing. Only her mother could go from delicate, high-risk politics to dinner without a pause. 

"No mama, not yet." she answers, smiling. 

"Sarada!" her mother exclaims, and her father clucks his tongue in disapproval. 

"You must eat, Sarada." her father's stern voice reminds her, and Sarada feels her heart soar. Some things are still simple, and for that she is grateful. 

"Oh, Sarada! Your father and I tried a new silken tofu recipe! You will like it, I am sure. I will send it with your father's hawk!" her mother gushes, then turns to her father, "Darling, do you think we could send some of the cucumbers we harvested, too? They will pair well." 

Her father grunts in approval and already Sarada can hear him walking away, no doubt to ready his bird. 

"We won't keep you anymore sweetie, you have work to do. Just make sure you eat!" her mother chides. 

Sarada wants to tell her, 'You aren't keeping me from anything. I will make time for you always. I love you with all my heart.' Instead she says- 

"Okay, mama. I will see you both soon." because she will, and then she will tell them. 

"Alright then. Bye sweetheart." Sarada savors the cadence of her mother's voice and then the phone disconnects, leaving her in the silence of her office. 

Outside the sun has set, but Sarada's heart is ablaze anew.

x

The hokage summit is completed, treaties are negotiated, the famine is tackled, and just as it always has been, new problems swiftly replace the old ones. Sarada is unflinching, she knows she will solve them, just as she always has. 

She finishes tying an envelope to the messenger hawk she is sending her parents’ way. Inside is a photograph of the silken tofu she made, and a note. 

'Thank you for the recipe', it says, but what she really means is 'thank you for raising me, thank you for making me who I am.' She knows mama will know what she means, she always does.

Fin.

AN: Inspired by the poem “My mother texts me instructions to cook silken tofu” by Sue Zhao, and my general dislike of being grown up. 

[thehikingviking]

Chaparrastique (San Miguel Volcano) from Conacastal

We had been in El Salvador for more than two weeks, and so far the trip had gone better than any of us could have hoped for. I surprised Asaka with a trio on the morning of her birthday. She stood outside the window while they sang her loves songs which she couldn’t understand. We celebrated by having a big pool party with Erick and his family. We bought a piñata and ate a special cake that my mom used to eat in her childhood. 

There was so much that I still wanted to do, so on our last Friday we went to Cascadas Tamanique. It was a steep hike down the canyon from town, but we were eventually rewarded with a beautiful set of waterfalls.

We swam in the pools and jumped off some cliffs. Leif made several motions to jump off the same cliff as well, but we told him that he would have to wait until he was older.

The next day was my last full day in El Salvador, and I wanted to go out with a bang. Chaparrastique, also known as Volcán de San Miguel, is the southernmost ultra prominent peak in the country, and until very recently, had been too active to climb, with large eruptions as recent as 2015. When I initially planned my trip, I didn’t even think climbing this volcano a possibility, but I learned through Nahuat Tours that the minister of geology had determined the mountain safe enough to climb. Zach was flying out that day, which meant I would be on my own. This would require the longest drive, as we had to go all the way from El Zonte to the “Wild East”. Apparently the people on this side of the country look and sound different, and perhaps the most glaring distinction is how they eat pupusas. I was mostly concerned with the heat. Erick joked that when people from San Miguel go to hell, they complain that it’s too chilly. I could find no trip reports online, aside from a YouTube video which didn’t delve into the details surrounding mileage and elevation gain. Nahuat Tours didn’t have much information either, again leaving such details to the local guides. To prepare, I brought a lot of water and expected the worst. What I experienced in the end was a moderate hike with agreeable temperatures.

Erick and the gang were outside of Villa Letty at 4am. I snuck out of the room trying my best not to wake the baby, grabbed my lunch from the fridge and threw my stuff in the back of the car. Chico and Young Erick were crammed in the back seat, while Gerardo had other tours to lead that day. The drive was long, but not terrible as El Salvador is a small country. We reached the town of Conacastal where we met our local guide Fernando. From there we hopped in the back of a 2WD pickup truck, then drove south along RN16S until reaching La Placita. We turned off the paved road here and continued up dirt and cobblestone roads further up the northwestern side of the volcano.

Riding in the back of a pickup truck was so fun, but just another day for the average Salvadoran. We drove to 3,800 feet where the road simply became too steep. Our driver gave it a couple shots, but there was no point in pushing it since we already saved about a thousand feet by driving up to this point.

We continued hiking up the road through a cedar forest. The road ended soon after but we picked up a trail. We passed a big family group who had started from Conacastal earlier in the morning. While this peak is somewhat reclusive to the “intrepid traveler”, it seems reasonably popular with the locals. We left Erick to hang back with them, while Fernando, Chico and Young Erick continued with me at a faster pace.

Fernando asked if I wanted to go up the rocky way or the sandy way. To me the answer was easy, so I requested rocky. An overgrown but well defined use trail ensued, but the dirt was solid and travel was generally easy.

Soon we emerged from the thick jungle, and the western expanse captured my attention. Volcán de Usulután, Cerro Taburete, Cerro El Tigre, Volcán de Tecapa and Volcán de Chinameca flooded the expanse before me.

More inland ran the Sierra Madre.

There was a nice breeze keeping us cool. We would need it because the next thousand feet would comprise of the worst volcanic scree to climb up that I have experienced to date.

It was the classic two steps up, one step down. I had a trekking pole with me that made the section bearable, but I eventually lent this to one of my young guides as he was having more difficulty than I was.

There wasn’t really a trail, but more of a path of erosion. One thing was clear, and that was to continue upwards.

Things started to get easier as we neared the top. A big block of solid rock caught my eye, so I decided to find a scramble route up.

I picked a class 4 route straight up the rock to add some juice to an otherwise non technical hiking trip. This can of course be completely avoided, and I think my guides looked at me quizzically for taking such an unnecessarily dangerous route in the first place.

Shortly after we reached the crater rim.

We dropped down to the flat sandy section beneath us and walked to the edge.

Inside, the fumaroles were seeping out of the yellow rock. There was no visible lava, but the volcano was clearly very active. Our local guide Fernando claimed that he scrambled halfway down the crater, and it was probably for the best that he didn’t go any further.

After the very cool detour, it was time to continue to the peak. We headed east and scrambled back up the crater rim.

The rim was easy to follow and there was a use trail most of the way.

After a few more minutes of hiking we made it to the top.

To the northeast was the city of San Miguel.

To the southeast were Laguna de Olomega, Volcán de Conchagua and La Union.

To the south was the summit crater.

To the west was the flat area from where we examined the depths of the crater. In the distance was Volcán de Usulután.

To the northwest was Volcán de Chinameca.

A point on the opposite side of the crater looked like it could potentially be higher, so I requested that we traverse the entire crater rim, even though Fernando confirmed that we were standing on the highest point. For these types of things you can’t be too sure.

To circumvent the rim, we had to drop into a small notch. Climbing out of this was a loose mess, but we eventually made it back atop the high rim. The travel was very easy and breathtaking, with everchanging views in all directions.

Once we reached the summit contender, it was clear that the opposite point was higher, however I am glad we chose to go this way.

-Volcán de Conchagua

-Laguna de Jocotal & Punta Mango

-Endless Beaches

As we continued circling, we got more views into the depths of Chaparrastique.

We got back to our original starting point of the rim traverse where we ran into the kids from the family we saw earlier. The parents were still below making their way up the loose scree. Among them was older Erick, chatting away about different business opportunities. I would not be patient enough to wait for him to reach the top. He turned around without me asking, but he would end up taking a long time to descend. We took the sandy (sandier) route down this time, which I was really looking forward to. This was some of the best scree skiing I have ever done, however this bliss was interrupted since I had to wait for Erick many times. I finally decided to enjoy the sandy portion of the descent uninterrupted, and wait for Erick down below. It was a very nice descent while it lasted, and afterwards we found a spot in some shade back in the forest. Fernando claimed that he made it from crater rim to dirt road in under 20 minutes. We ended up waiting for over an hour, and needless to say I was pretty annoyed. Once he finally showed up, I grumpily walked the remaining distance down to the road, and later to the car.

As we approached the car, I started to sense big animals moving in the nearby brush. Several heads of cattle were grazing the mountain slopes.

Our driver was waiting for us right where he left us. The hike was 6.3 miles round trip with 3,400 ft of total gain (including the crater rim traverse). Please keep in mind that this does not include the section we were able to drive. We dropped off Fernando in Conacastal, then began our long drive back to El Zonte. Traffic was pretty bad towards the end of the drive, but I was able to make it back in time for dinner. This will for sure be a trip that I will never forget.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9ENCjN5o7M&t=5s

[michiganandback]

July 22 – July 24 AM   We got lucky with the weather on the 21st for the school reunion, but it promised to be a little wetter Sunday. We headed west by Northwest on us 421 in the direction of Harlan Kentucky. This was a Scenic Drive mostly up and down hills on two-lane roads that had been resurfaced so the drive was okay. We couldn't go very fast and that was fine as well. We got within 15 or 20 miles of Hazard, Kentucky but didn't realize it until we were past it. There were no signs pointing to it. I don't think we would have gone anyway because I didn't need to see where the Dukes of Hazard was filmed. It finally stopped raining about two o’clock and we found the only campground around 30 miles and dropped anchor. It was nearly deserted and it was reasonably priced with clean bathrooms. We took a leisurely drive along some Kentucky turnpike's until we got to a campground near Mammoth Caves. We went to the caves first and reserved two tours for the 24th. Some of the other tours were fully booked. They probably had been for weeks by people who knew where they were going to be. We'll see two sections of the cave on the 24th. After dinner we took a walk around the campground and ended up talking with a couple from the Nashville area. They were both retired and this is their third camper, smaller than the big rig they had had and better than the fifth wheel. After talking a little bit, it turns out he was a Marine corpsman in Vietnam up near the DMZ. He had some interesting and herrowing stories. One time he arrived back at base camp and got out of helicopter to go to his tent and a mortar round blew the helicopter up seconds later. Another time he had said goodbye to his best friend who was shipping out the next day from a base across the road from his. There was an attack and they brought the wounded in to be treated at his Hospital.  He was an operating room tech and they work for several hours on one guy before he died. When they took the cover off his face he found out it was his best friend. Not a pleasant thing. We didn’t get out of the cave until 6:00 PM, so we didn’t have time to visit with the Marine and his wife that evening.   The Cave July 24 – July 25 AM   We took our time Tuesday morning getting ready for the cave. Our first tour was at 12:45 so we headed up there about 11:30 to get a parking spot and eat lunch. Our first tour was called the historic tour because you went into one of the original entrances to the cave. It's a two hour, 2 mile walk through the cave. There was a place called fat man's misery (very narrow section that you have to turn sideways to get through in places) and following that was tall man's misery (you have to bend over at the waist and walk about 100 feet). We are given quite a lengthy instruction about what we're going to be doing to make sure that no one was claustrophobic or couldn't bend over for 50 to a hundred ft. I don't know how much you know about Mammoth Cave but it's a dry cave in this section where you enter. They had recently put paving stones in that part of the cave to make it easier to walk in. It was discovered in the late 1700s on land that was granted to supporters of the Revolutionary War. There are hundreds of sinkholes around this area that allow water to run into the cave so there are no streams or rivers of any size in this area. The rain just goes to the sink holes and drips into the cave and runs through the cave sections that it gets to the Green River. During the War of 1812, they mined saltpeter to make gunpowder. The owner got very rich. After the war, the price of saltpeter dropped by 90%, so he had to find another means of earning a living. He started charging people for tours in the cave. He had a slave that did a lot of exploring in his quote-unquote free time and became very successful tour guide even though he was still a slave. In the early 1900s the government decided to make this area a National Park. It comprises an area approximately 7 Miles Square and there were 1800 buildings with settlements and private homes in the area. Unlike the Great Smoky Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley National Parks, the people here were forced off their land. They either took the government's offer or the government exercised its right of eminent domain and took their property. They were not a lot of happy people who left this area by force. As of 2016, the cave has 412 miles of trails in accessible areas. It’s the longest cave system in the world, not in length but in length of trails. The trails are stacked on top of each other and we were walking over numerous trails and even above the Green River on the historic tour. It's not a very pretty cave with lots of stalactites and stalagmites and different formations, but it is interesting geologically. The end of the first trip was 158 steps straight up, practically, to get to the surface. Thank goodness for all the walking we've done. After that tour, we took a break and had our coffee. The next tour was at 3:45 and it required a 10-minute bus ride to the entrance. We had a very interesting and knowledgeable Ranger for this tour. This tour started with a hundred eighty or so steps straight down to the bottom of the cave section we were visiting. Again, it was not a very pretty cave but it had the frozen Niagara Falls section at the end. This cave had a little bit more water in it and the frozen Niagara was calcium deposits that look like frozen water when Niagara Falls actually freezes over. It also had a small section where you can stand up comfortably that has an almost perfectly flat ceiling which is very unusual to be so uniformly flat and even. We got back out of the cave late in the day, about 6 p.m. By the tine we got back to the campground, it was too liate to cook and I was hangry. We had a quick snack before settling in to watch some more of the HBO special “From Earth to the Moon”. That special is very interesting and we only have three more episodes to go. We probably would never have watched it at home, but it's perfect for a couple of hours an evening when there's nothing to do in the campground. Today, the 25th we continue our journey northward towards Michigan. We will be taking some zig-zag route following some Scenic trails and driving through some National Forest. This section of the country didn't get much in the way of national parks. We tried to get in touch with some friends who live in Boonville Indiana about an hour away, but they apparently are not in town or they're avoiding us. Either way, we won't be seeing them on this trip. Pictures will follow someday. There are just not enough of them so it shouldn't take very long when I get them all in one place to upload. Be patient please.  

[daveywankenobie]

If you’ve been reading for the last couple of days you’ll no doubt know that I spent much of my weekend exploring Wales. In my first post (link) I was investigating the sublime and eccentric faux Italian village of Portmerion and in the second one I spent the day wandering aimlessly along the length and breadth of Criccieth (link).

All good things come to an end however, and on Sunday morning (after a hearty hotel breakfast) my companion and I made an early start back in the direction of home.

Warwick is around 3.5-4 hours journey away, particularly if (like me) you prefer to drive like a cautious pensioner.

In order to break up this rather bum (and bladder) numbing distance we had decided to have a look around the surrounding area of Betws-y-Coed, which is on the way home and around 50 minutes drive from Criccieth.

Like Portmerion on Friday I’ve been there before – but never to do anything that was exercise or walking related. Like most of my experiences in Snowdonia from my ‘past life’ – my view of this pretty little bolt hole came exclusively from the seat of a car or the window of a restaurant.

Not this time though.

I was going to go for a flipping good walk and no mistake!

After parking up (before putting on my rucksack) I headed to the nearby rest room. Here I was confronted with a London-esque 20p toll gate to enter the toilet.

I hate these.

Behind me a guy sounded like he did too and tutted whilst he looked for change in his pocket. He was about to turn around and find a tree when my inner samaritan took over. This element of my personality (which is almost universally absent when faced with extorting public conveniences) was feeling oddly generous and decided on the spur of the moment to fund both of our ablutions.

I placed a coin in the slot, grabbed the door, opened it and turned (with a smile on my face) to make a friendly invitation to join me. In a moment of lightning foresight I just stopped myself from saying ‘have a pee on me!‘ and retreated from my planned comment – realising that it could be completely misconstrued.

I resorted instead to ‘I’m feeling flush – help yourself‘ and opened the door wider to let him in.

After I’d avoided a potentially embarrassing public toilet scenario my companion and I checked the tourist information boards near the river. This picturesque setting was the starting point for all of the area’s formal circular walks.

It seemed that there were several routes. Three were listed as ‘strenuous’ and one as ‘easy’. The longest ‘yellow’ route totalled about 6.5 miles, but the projected time would take a little longer than we’d planned – so we instead decided upon the shorter 5 mile ‘blue’ route (info here if you fancy visiting yourself).

Almost immediately upon starting we were heading up a rapidly increasing incline into the treeline above Betws-y-Coed.

Sunday was (thankfully) a much cooler day than Friday and Saturday – and the path ahead was heavily shaded.

This was something of a godsend because (despite liberal application of suncream over the last couple of days) I’d got a mild case of sunburn on my forearms. I’d once more covered them up though and was wearing long sleeves just to be sure.

The weather was pretty warm even without the sunshine mind you and in next to no time (thanks in no small part to the steep slopes – it’s almost a mile of uphill walking to start with) both my companion and I were getting a bit sweaty.

We momentarily stopped for a breather and a drink.

The forest (like most places we visited whilst in Wales) was practically deserted – and all that we could hear around us was the sound of birds, leaves or water.

This part of the world is absolutely magical.

As we twalked time seemed to fly by – and almost without warning (thanks to the walk being really well signposted we didn’t have to worry about navigation at all and could just stroll and chat) we’d emerged from the woods into larger, more open tracks that led into picturesque (almost Swiss alpine-esque) views.

Since things are being born and growing everywhere at the moment it’s practically impossible to go anywhere in Wales without finding a place filled with our wooly Welsh brethren – and this day proved to be no exception.

These continually vocal residents of the surrounding hillsides were never shy when it came to instigating and continually engaging my companion in conversation – who for her part seemed quite adept at keeping them talking.

‘Baaaahhhhh.’ she said – directing her query to the largest of the nearby sheep, who was looking us in the eye whilst thoughtfully chewing grass.

‘Barrrrrrrrhhh.’ She continued, expanding upon her previous point.

The sheep continued to look at her, as some lambs approached.

‘Bahhhhhhbbbaaaarrr’ my friend said with matter of fact candour.

The chatty lambs joined in – and a longer, more in depth discussion began.

‘Barrrhhh’ They all concluded after some back and forth.

‘I speak sheep better than cow.’ She advised matter of factly as I laughed about her conversation – and speculated upon what she was had been saying without realising to the assembled congregations in the fields.

Once my friend had tired of explaining her motivations for enduring my company to the clearly intrigued sheep we carried on – and soon returned to a covered area of the woods.

We were now heading downhill again.

Everything here was covered in a deep green mossy coating – and the whole landscape looked as if someone had been brought in to re-carpet the area solely for the benefit of visitors.

Looking into the woods as we walked by one could be forgiven for thinking that with nothing more than a pillow and a warm night that it was possible to bed down amongst the trees and get a good night’s sleep.

It probably wasn’t though.

If nothing else the nearby waterfalls and rivers would keep you awake – and soon we found the source of the nearby noise as we once again found the river that we’d started our walk from.

At this point we took a slight wrong turn (elongating the walk by around half a mile) and instead of walking down the river bank ended up hearing along the road back to the village.

This was (it turned out) no bad thing however, as the roadside path took us past the Pont-y-Pair inn & hotel (it’s just on the right in this photo – link) which happened to be in the middle of serving Sunday lunch, so we popped in to have a look at the menu.

After being told about the (very very reasonable) cost of dinner by an absolutely lovely lady publican behind the bar we elected to stay, sit for a while and recuperate.

The walk had been quite an energetic one – and had (at least according to Apple Watch) burned an amount of calories that would allow me at least a few roast potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding.

After ordering a drink I decided on the roast pork with apple sauce, whilst my companion elected to have the chicken.

Honestly – dinners rarely taste better than when you know you’ve worked for them, and I love nothing more than eating a (relatively) guilt free meal after a load of exercise.

If anyone is visiting this area, on the strength of the frankly excellent service, reasonable price and quality of food on offer I’d not hesitate to recommend this pub. It gets my thumbs up and no mistake.

Once we’d sat and relaxed for an hour it was finally (sadly) time to leave Wales and head back home – which we did.

By the time we’d reached home both of us were a bit tired but very happy at how the completely unplanned weekend had worked out. Almost everything had slotted neatly into place, and seemed to vindicate anyone with a belief that the best excursions are the once with zero structure.

All in all internet today I feel great!

I put a couple of pounds on in Wales though thanks to the fine dining I occasionally indulged in (I had loads of mayo in my coleslaw!!!) and the rest of the week will be all about me bringing that under control.

I’ll be eating lots of salad and doing lots of walking to get back into my target range for Saturday.

Fingers crossed it goes to plan!!!

Davey

Betws-y-Coed If you've been reading for the last couple of days you'll no doubt know that I spent much of my weekend exploring Wales.

[bjrdonghyuck]

Comfort Au; Trust Me; Hwang Minhyun

Requested? Nope but someone please request >~<

Summary: In which Minhyun tried to get closer to a girl who suffers from gamophobia.

Warnings? Nope |~•Masterlist•~|

Minhyun had been trying to flirt with you since he first layed eyes on you at the local University.

You were a new professor recently hired to tech Mathematics because tbh who wants to teach math to college students all day?

That’s percisley why you chose to teach it

Boring subject= boring teacher= no one likes that teacher

Basically you teach it to avoid people

Because the very thought of making a bond with someone, being tied to someone somehow unprofessionally terrified you

Your parents, after three years of fighting had gotten a divorce while you were 12

While 12 year old you may not have known what all those bruises were doing on mommy 13 year old you sure did

So now you have an irrational fear of getting married, dating, and friends all because your dad had abused your mother

What if the same happened to you?

Sure your dad seemed nice to everyone else but he was completely rotten on the inside

So what if you ended up with someone like your dad?

Sure your mom eventually realized how big of a problem this was and tried to get you to therapy

Key word: tried

You would do anything to get out of therapy and got pretty good at getting out of it by the end of the month

So your mom just gave up hoping someone would just come along and you would open up

Because she really didn’t understand your phobia at all

Anyways she fed you and clothed you so you went with it

Now she doesn’t because you moved out but you’ve learned to appreciate what may be the very little time you have left with her considering her age

Hwang Minhyun was an interesting fellow, at least that’s what you would hear your students whispering about

“I wish I got Mr. Hwang instead of boring Ms. L/N”

Apparently he was only about a year older than you and taught Mathematics as well

He was also very loved by students

Students groan whenever they find out they’re in your class

But then again that was your goal in the first place

Minhyun had heard a lot about you from other students

While he was passing out cookies students would say, “Wow Ms.L/N would never do this in one of her classes her poor students are suffering.”

Or something among the lines of that

But what was odd was that he never saw you around campus???

So eventually one day after dismissing his class 10 minutes early and standing outside your class until you disnissed yours he finnaly saw you

Boy was he snatched

Like who knew mean ol’ Ms. L/N wasn’t actually some weird grandma

And actually someone younger than him???

So he became your freind

You can’t even remember how it happened he kinda forced himself into your life and eventually you got used to him being there

Of course at the beginning you got panicky whenever he approached you and may have had a couple mini panick attacks (which he helped you through btw)

But he never gave up after learning about your issues

And your brain subconsciously gave him a stamp of approval

Minhyun knew and understood your condition after extensive research

And he was even open to admitting to his students about his love for you

Because tbh you never really listened to what your students said you just taught and the only information you got was from the news and Minhyun

And they totally shipped it and gave advice to Minhyun

He was forever greatful even though he refuses to admit it

You however were still very hesitant with Minhyun

He barely knew anything about you really

You let him do most of the talking when you two would eat lunch together

After 2 months of this weirdo friendship aka you eating lunch with Minhyun, things started escalating

Whenever he smiled, talked, or even came close to you, you had to refrain from breaking out into a wide grin

You found yourself speaking more in conversations and when picking outfits asking yourself ‘Would Minhyun think this looks cute?’

Minhyun had noticed you engaging more in conversations and was enthusiastic

Maybe I can confess one day if she’s comfortable with me! He would hopefully think to himself

Sometimes he thought pessimistic thoughts however what if she’s only comfortable with me as a friend?

Nonetheless you had figured out that Minhyun had snatched your poor little heart in the middle of a lecture one day

You might have had a mini panick attack in the middle of your class

Luckily the kids were smart enough not to call 911 and just carried you to the nurse’s office before informing the headmaster that you weren’t able to teach

Of course they stopped by Mr. Hwan’s room to tell him what had happened

Now the headmaster had to get two substitutes wOw

When you came to in the nurse’s office you were greeted by a concerned looking Minhyun standing over you with a concerned look

“Are you okay?” He gave you a look that only made you feel worse because your heart was pounding like you had just run a mile

It was pleasing, concerning, and scary all at the same time

“F-Fine” you managed to stutter out

Minhyun was more than very concerned at this point

There was no other reason for you to be stuttering other than you having hit your head too hard

Because why would you be stuttering because of him??? You obviously only see him as a friend due to your gamophobia

But maybe…

Minhyun, deciding to live in the moment because he knew he wouldn’t be able to surpress his feelings anymore

“Hey, Y/N. I kinda might like you…” He trailed off shyly rubbing the nape of his neck

You knew for a fact you liked him it was just so sudden you started to panick

You quickly ran out the nurse’s office and out the school, tears streaming down your face

Once you got home you didn’t go back to the college for a couple of days

The students that were watching you and Minhyun in the nurse’s office, hidden behind the door, all took pity of Minhyun and understood his position

Minhyun wasn’t as smiley as he usually was, he no longer gave out cookies

And your students were starting to prefer you over their current substitute

The principle had visited you and told you to ‘get your ass back to school and teach your class’

So you did

Minhyun’s students swore that his mood took a full 180° swing when he saw you walk pass his classroom during one of his lessons

You wore a concerned expression throughout all your classrooms, occasionally letting out tears but teaching nonetheless

How were you supposed to tell Minhyun you like him back?

Even imagining senarios where you confessed to Minhyun gave you a heart attack

Your mind had set toward confessing to Minhyun during lunch and taking the rest of the day off with him (the students had a half day today) but your body clearly did not agree

You found yourself taking the longest route possible to the garden

When you got there Minhyun was patiently waiting an extra lunch in the space beside him, persumabally for you

There were tears forming in your eyes and your heart was probably ready to jump out your chest and abondon your body

You sat next to him and silently opened the lunch while trying to get words to form

What came out, in a stuttering mess and tears was, “Minhyun I think I like you too”

Now both of you were crying gREAT

Minhyun desperately wanted to hug you in that moment after all you two were dating now right?

But he refrained not wanting to scare you or cause you to panick because it seemed just confessing took a lot of energy out of you

What surprised him was that you hugged HIM So he hugged you back <3

Honestly your relationship would be pretty slow moving

Minhyun would ask before doing anything because he doesn’t want you to be uncomfortable

First kiss was really cute because he 1. Asked first and 2. Had to crouch down to your level to do it

Will melt of you initiate anything you two are the sweetest things ever, you two are giving your students cavities that’s how sweet you two are

I had to end this early because I have too many blocks according to Tumblr whOps. Requests are open! Rules for requests are here.

[shannrussell-blog1]

In April 2016 my wife Linda and I hiked the Great Ocean Walk along the south coast of Victoria. For a comprehensive guide of what to expect on the track – where it is, length, supply points, water availability, accommodation, and so on, go to the end of the article.

Apollo Bay to Elliot Ridge (via Princetown)

The mist was slowly clearing as we made our way along the sandy track. It had been a cold night, but we were warmed by the strengthening sun. The coastline was still not to be seen, though we could hear the waves as they crashed ashore below us.

This was our first day and we were heading to the end of the Great Ocean Walk so we could start at the beginning. Sounds a bit strange I know – it worked like this.

Linda and I had left our car and caravan at Princetown, which is around 7km from the end of the walk, at The Twelve Apostles. The official end of the Great Ocean Walk is Gibson Steps. The Twelve Apostles car park is a little past the steps but it was where we would catch a bus to take us to the start of the walk at Apollo Bay.

Serious hikers have messy campsites, right?

Starting at Princetown

Princetown was the only secure place we could find to leave our vehicle while we did the walk. It also meant that we would be walking back to our car. So, doing the last 7km first meant we would finish back at our car which saves doing any car shuffling.

Once on the bus, it was a relaxing ride along the Victorian coast to Apollo Bay. There we had lunch, made a quick visit to the information centre to get the latest track report, and we were off. Of course, the first thing we did was head along the wrong road out of town, but we soon sorted this out and were then on track.

Length, walking options and accommodation

The Great Ocean Walk is 100km long and can be done from end-to-end as we were doing, or as a series of day or shorter multi-day walks. It’s easy to access shorter sections as there are numerous car access points along its length. Guided walks are also available with transfers and accommodation. There are campsites for walkers, and for car-based camping. The campsites are not too far apart, so you can have short or long days to suit your pace. Bookings are essential at each campsite, which is done online before you start.

The track mostly follows the coastline, with spectacular views in both directions. Sometimes the track wanders inland, and you travel along dirt roads through a mixture of farmland and dense forest. But mostly you hug the coastline, going over ridges and through gullies which can be a little steep at times.

There are several sections where the track goes along a beach or rock platform. These sections are often covered by the sea at high tide. In some cases, you can take an alternative route inland. But on occasions, there are no other routes that can be taken. You have to time these sections to avoid high tide, as there may be no escape route if you find yourself caught on a beach with the tide coming in.

Some parts of the track are pretty steep.

Our first night

The roar of the traffic soon faded as we left the town and were on the track proper. Our first night was at the Elliot Ridge campsite, which we easily made that afternoon. We came upon a sign that said the campsite was 700 metres away, but unfortunately at the top of a reasonably steep hill. It was good to reach the campsite, set up camp and get the stove on for a hot cuppa. There is a common shelter at each Great Ocean Walk campsite, as well as water tanks. If there hasn’t been any rain, the tanks may be very low, or even empty. The information centre at Apollo Bay will advise you of water availability at the campsites before you set out.

We were sharing the campsite with a school group and another walker. It was a dark, peaceful night and we slept well. Next morning, we were up as soon as it got light – had breakfast, packed up and we were on our way for day two.

Elliot Ridge to Parker Hill

On our second day, the trail followed a vehicle access track that climbed steadily through dense forest taking us inland at first, before returning to the coast at Blanket Bay. Some of the rivers we would have to cross were unbridged. Fortunately, we had no problems – the river levels were very low and needed no more than a bit of a hop to get across.

After lunch at Blanket Bay, we headed off for Parker Hill campsite, where we would stop for the night. The last section up to the camping area is rather steep. After a 100-metre beach walk the track heads up a long set of steps, that seemed much longer than they probably were. But, at the end of the day, with a still-full pack, we were a weary pair of 50 somethings that finally dropped our packs at camp and took in some magnificent views back along the coast. This is a drive-in camp and there was one vehicle camper and another walker in the camp.

This is the typical scenery you can expect. Not bad, right?

The night was quiet and dark. Until we heard a little rustle here, another there. We realised we had a small furry visitor that kept scurrying around our tent, looking for food. Each night we brought our food bags into the tent with us, but this night we forgot about the rubbish bag. We realised what it was after, so we brought that in as well, and our visitor eventually left.

Parker Hill to Aire River

From Parker Hill, we made our way to Cape Otway. There, we were hoping to get a cuppa at the café we thought was there. However, we found only a small shop and loads of tourists. The café was inside the grounds, which required an entry fee, which would make a cup of tea very expensive.

We bought a cold drink and posed for some Asian tourists who beckoned for us to wave to them so they could take our picture. We then moved on, and after that, we stopped briefly at the Cape Otway cemetery where the graves of the early lightkeepers families and shipwrecked sailors were. It is always sad to see graves of young children in these isolated places. Testimony to the remoteness of the place, where help was just too far away.

The Great Ocean Walk fronts onto the Southern Ocean. Rain is a fact of life.

The day was becoming very warm as we continued on. This part of the trail was cut through the thick coastal scrub. The trail was clear but with scrub around 3 metres tall either side. There was nothing to see except the track in front of you. Sometimes there were birds fluttering about, or a small kangaroo would bound off into a little tunnel in the scrub. But otherwise, these sections involved just walking along.

This day was our hottest day, with temperatures getting into the thirties. Needless to say, we were looking forward to our camp that night at Aire River. When we finally made it to the escarpment lookout above Aire Inlet, we could see the camp and bridge below us. It didn’t seem that far but the track had other ideas.

Camping at Aire River

It first went inland away from the river then turned back and went down through more thick scrub and very soft sand. This was hard going despite going downhill. It would have been a very difficult climb if we were going the other way. Finally, we made the bottom but still had a sandy track to the bridge, then across to some more steps up to the walk-in campsite, only to find several school groups and an almost empty water tank. The school group was not a problem, but the near-empty water tank was. This would be our water for the next day’s walk.

We filled our water bottles with the dwindling supply and set about getting our camp organised. The water tank at the drive-in site had water but it was salty. It was okay for washing though. We usually washed each night, taking turns in the tent with a small collapsible bowl, just sponging ourselves down.  We had met up on several occasions with a fellow from Canada, he lent us a small collapsible shower. Even though it was only a small shower, having warm water running over you at the end of a hot day of hiking was rather nice.

That night it rained and fortunately put some water in the empty tank. This was the only time we were concerned about water, all other camps had plenty available.

Air River to Johanna Beach

The next day I really started to struggle on some of the steep climbs. I wasn’t feeling well at all and had to stop fairly often to rest. My wife and I have been on a lot of long hikes, and this is the first time I thought I may not make it all the way. I had to stop and have a decent rest.

We decided to have something to eat. It had been drizzling all day and was much cooler, so we heated some water and added some packet soup. We had stopped at a spot where the track meets the main highway and bumped into our Canadian friend again. He suggested I have some electrolyte gel that he was carrying. I mixed some with water, and with some warm soup and a good rest, I started to feel much better.

A relic of the past. Unforgiving coastline this.

After our break, we continued onto Johanna Beach. This is the longest beach walk on the track. The beach is 2km long with no exit points and can include an unbridged river crossing. The river was not flowing so no problems there, but the sand was soft no matter where you walked.

With the sea pounding away to our left we started along the beach. The best way we found was to walk in a previous walker’s footprints. This way the sand was more compacted and slightly easier to walk on. We had been meeting up with some of the school groups that day, which were now in front of us, so there were lots of footprints to choose from. However, it was rather difficult to find a set of footprints that matched your own stride, especially when they were scattered all over the beach.

Stopping for the night at the group camp

Finally getting off the beach, we had a short break, then another uphill climb to the campsite. The views once again were spectacular, looking back along the coast and beach we had just come from.

The school kids had beat us to the camp, but there was plenty of room for tents and we were happy to wait as they cooked their dinner in the shelter which was a little small for all of us. This was where the school groups were to leave the walk as there were no group camps after Johanna Beach.

Shortly after dinner, we went to bed as it was a much colder now and a light rain was falling. Something we do like on our walks is being snug in our sleeping bags in our cosy tent. Especially when you can listen to the rain on the tent roof.

Johanna Beach to Ryans Den

The next morning, the school group went back to the main campground and caught a bus back home. We still had 3 days to go.

Once again, the track headed inland, going through a mixture of forest and open farmland. This was the biggest climb on the trail, going up around 300 metres from the beach. It was a steady climb then a descent to Milanesia Beach. The last couple of hundred metres were rather steep and slippery. Lunch here, then the final section to Ryans Den campground through coastal forests and a very steep set of wooden steps.

The track takes you along the coast, through farmland, and into a beautiful forest like this.

At Ryans Den, we met up with another group of walkers who had parked their cars at the access point for Milanesia Beach. They were heading for the Twelve Apostles on a 3-day section of the Great Ocean Walk. Linda and I have always enjoyed the comradery in the shelters and huts we have shared with other walkers. This was no exception, with swapping ideas and experiences and general chatting.

Most of the campsites were quite good with small tent sites separate from each other, some with a small platform. But being last in you had to take what was left.

This camp was not our favourite. We ended up with a tent site that was down a slope, which was a bit muddy and one end looked like someone had used it as a toilet. There are toilets at each campsite so why someone would do this I can’t imagine.

Ryans Den to Devils Kitchen

The following day we had more ups and downs, some fairly steep. It was a mixture of coastal scrub and forest.

It was a pity there were no distance markers on the track, as we had to keep referring to our guide book to work out how far along the track we had come. The track is well-marked and easy to follow, but it would have been nice to know where we were.

And another steep bit.

The track took a turn inland and briefly went beside a road. It was here we stopped for a short break and in the distance spotted the Twelve Apostles. The end was not far off now.

After returning to the coast we went past the Wreck Beach car park. Here you can divert and go down the 366 steps to the beach. Then walk along the beach and rock shelf past the wrecks of the ‘Fiji’ and ‘Marie Gabrielle’, then back up to the track and walk back to the campground.

We were not enthused by this so kept on and finished the day at Devils Kitchen campground. We would check out the beach the next day.

The last night on the walk

This was our last night on the walk, and the campsite had great views of the coast. We ate our last main meal then relaxed at our tent. This time we had our own small platform to put our gear on. Not all the tent sites had these. It was very convenient, as the main shelter was about 40 meters away and we would have had to carry our cooking gear there and back if we wanted the use of a table.

It gets very dark, very quickly in the bush where there is no artificial lighting. We each carry a head torch, but mine came on in the pack on our second day and flattened the batteries. It did work for a short while but gave up after only a short while. When I put in the extra batteries, it still wouldn’t work. I then discovered a crack that went right through the body, so we were left with only one torch for most of the trip.

Devils Kitchen to Princetown

After breakfast, we packed up and went down to Wreck Beach where the sidetrack was not far along the trail, or so we were told by the other walkers. We left our packs behind at the camp and only took our cameras. We should have taken the packs and left them at the entrance to the beach, as the double back was a bit of a chore.

There is little to see of the wrecks as times and tide have all but removed any traces of the ships. The only thing we could see were their anchors and what appeared to be the anchor winch. One of the anchors has been stood on its end as a memorial to the wrecks.

From here we headed off on our last leg back to our car and caravan. The trail started to flatten out and slowly descended down to sea level.

A typical 3-walled shelter that you will find at campsites along the track.

Looking back on the walk

The walk was an enjoyable one. With great views of the coast and a variation of forest, coastal scrub, beaches and some farmland. Some of the climbs were a bit steep, so a reasonable amount of fitness is required if you are walking end to end unsupported. Being able to carry sufficient water is also necessary, as there is no water between the campsites.

And so it was that 7 days after we started, we finally topped a small ridge and there was the Gellibrand River and the campground where we left our car. We took a couple of selfies then descended to the river’s edge, where it was a short walk to the campground. We took off our packs off for the last time, and we finished The Great Ocean Walk.

Where is it?

The Great Ocean Walk follows the same stretch of coast as the Great Ocean Road. But don’t worry – you won’t be walking close to the road.

The hike begins in Apollo Bay before passing through the Great Otway National Park and making its way towards the Twelve Apostle National Park and finishing between Princetown and Port Campbell at Gibson Steps.

The trailhead in Apollo Bay is roughly 198km (3 hours) south-west of Melbourne and 123km (2 hours) from Geelong. Kevin and Linda travelled from Adelaide, which is 739km from the track.

Distance

100km from Apollo Bay to Gibson Steps

What direction can I walk the track?

The track is completed east to west.

How do I get to and from the start/end of the track?

Car

For groups of two or more, the most common way to access the track is to drive and do a car shuffle. You will drive two cars to the end, leave one behind, and drive the other to the start.

Secure parking is available in both Apollo Bay and Princetown. Kevin and Linda left their car securely in Princetown for around $20 for the duration of the hike.

Public Transport

Apollo Bay is accessible by train and bus (via Geelong) from Melbourne. You take a train from Southern Cross Station to Geelong. Then the Warrnambool bus westbound through to Apollo Bay. Coming back you can board the eastbound bus in Princetown or Port Campbell.  There are three services between Geelong and Apollo Bay on weekdays, and one between Port Campbell/Princetown and Geelong.

Go to Public Transport Victoria for more information.

Shuttle

There are a number of private shuttles that will take you and your gear to the trailhead and from the end of the track. Go to the Raw Travel website for more information.

Do I need to book to hike the Great Ocean Walk?

You do need to book your campsites. Book via the Parks Victoria website.

Do I need to walk the track over 8 days?

No, there are many shorter options available. Parks Victoria provide a great resource with a list of the best shorter hikes.

Where can I camp?

There are 7 designated camping spots along the Great Ocean Walk. Parks Victoria has put together this nifty table to show you what to expect at each campground:

The Parks Victoria campsite list.

Supplies

It’s important to be relatively self-sufficient when hiking the Great Ocean Walk as there are few amenities along the way. Here are the few places to buy food and drinks.

Apollo Bay

Supermarkets, health food shop, cafes, restaurants, pubs

Cape Otway

Small kiosk with cold drinks and snacks, café serves hot meals and coffee but requires you to pay an entry fee

Princetown

General store, café, pub

Have you walked the Great Ocean Walk or driven the Great Ocean Road? Share your favourite bits in the comments below.

The post Track Report – The Great Ocean Walk appeared first on Snowys Blog.

[dornishsphinx]

twenty-two meetings that never happened (2/22)

2. THE MAGICIAN

Yosuke swiped his finger across the screen to bring up the email again, just like he had done at least five times already. Meet your assigned partner at the clock outside the main building at 12pm sharp! Once more, he found himself checking the time. With a little notebook-style flipping animation, it ticked over from 12.29 to 12.30. God damn it.

He shifted from foot to foot; his right, his left, then right again. Had his assigned partner forgotten about the meet-ups? It would be just his luck if he had - though maybe at least it would be a good anecdote for his first call back home.

Home. Huh. Yosuke folded his arms across his chest and leant back against the wall, letting his gaze drift upwards to level with the roofs of tall buildings which loomed over the plaza. So, Inaba was home to him now? Weird. The city had been what his default image of home was for the longest time, even months into the provincial life.

Things here were different to how he remembered them, though. He’d assumed he’d get back into the swing of things soon enough when he first arrived, but now it was undeniable, even for him: the city of his earlier years seemed to have melted away in his absence. Before, he’d had stable roots: parents to go back to at night; old friends he could chill with; the quickest routes through the wide streets firmly memorised.

Now, though? That easy closeness with his friends had been shaken by years’ worth of texts gone unanswered, and he wasn’t quite sure how to fix it, or if he even should. Several of his old haunts had been shut down - while he hated to empathise with the those among the residents of Inaba who’d shunned him and his family, he had to admit to finally gaining a glimmer of understanding the moment he discovered his favourite takoyaki stand had gone under. As for his parents, they were still in Inaba and had no plans on returning, their city house having been sold when they left town. He’d rode past it, once, when going to see one of his oldest friends from the neighbourhood, like muscle memory had forced him to go past his house. A strange kid had been playing outside. He’d avoided going that route since.

“Yo! Sorry I’m late!”

He snapped to. A friendly looking guy was waving over at him. Presumably it was his assigned partner - thank god, he wasn’t going to have to decide whether or not to leave. Yosuke flipped close his phone and plastered on a grin.

“Hey, no worries, I was kinda late too!” he lied.

“Yosuke Hanamura, right? I’m Kenji Tomochika. They sent your name and photo so we could find all you lost newbies.”

“Oh, cool! Good to meet you, senpai!”

God, what the hell was his voice doing? Why was it so high and panicky? Had Tomochika noticed? He hadn’t seemed to, but was he was just being polite?

“So, hey, you wanna come see the canteen first?” he said. “Food’s not great, but it’s hella cheap. I’ll pay. I’m the reason your lunchtime’s been cut in half, after all.”

“Sounds good. Senpai.”

Tomochika grinned. “Awesome, I’m starving! We can do the tour after, ‘kay?”

The canteen was a blocky, grey building, with some weird murals painted across it that only made the rest of it look all the more industrial. Inside, it was swarming with students; all the ambient chatter made the air hum. Yosuke hesitated, but Tomochika pushed on ahead into the queue to the hot food section.

“Hey, you should get the curry rice,” Tomochika shouted, “It’s actually okay. The rest of the stuff here pretty much sucks.”

His voice carried; the server shot dirty looks at him. Yosuke winced and brushed it off with an embarrassed grin - he’d been on the other side of the counter so many times, after all. Still, it wasn’t as though the guy was wrong: casting an eye over the other options, it became super obvious that none of these options were gonna be appetising. At all. Pretty much immediately, he decided to go with the suggestion - though not before his attention was caught by what looked like they were supposed to be steak skewers. Weirdly, he found a small, nostalgic smile had started tugging at the side of his mouth at the sight of them.

Then, his attention got snatched away from them by a polite cough. He snapped his head around to see the girl ahead of him already walking away and the cashier looking at him pointedly. He could take a hint.

Tomochika was after him in line - as he waited for him to pay, Yosuke scanned the room for any potential seats. Yeah, no, this place really was packed - like, the impossible to move, let alone find a seat kind of busy. But then again, Tomochika was swanning off like he knew what he was doing, and Yosuke didn’t have half the experience he did, and so he followed him. Magically, he found two seats. Yosuke leapt for his, just in case someone else spotted it before he managed to park his ass.

His stomach grumbled. Tentatively, he lifted out some of the rice - twisted his wrist around one way, then the other - and took a bite. (You didn’t encounter Yukiko Amagi’s cooking and not check for suspicious patches of colour or lumpy bits that shouldn’t be lumpy in every other meal you ever had.) Flavour - sweet, spicy flavour - burst over his tongue.

“Huh, not bad,” he said in surprise.

“I know, right?” Tomochika exclaimed, brandishing his own chopsticks in a way that would make anyone with the slightest care for dining etiquette wince. “Trust me, if you’re coming here to eat, you wanna stick with that. Someone should profit from all those terrible lunches I went through my first year, when I was testing all the options.”

“Hey, it can’t be as bad as some of the stuff I’ve had back-” He paused. It was one thing to call Inaba home to himself, quietly in his head. Hell, he might tell his friends, if it came up. It was another thing to say it out loud to a stranger he was trying to impress. “-In the town I was living in the past couple years. Seriously, it was like they thought steak croquettes were high cuisine.”

“What town’s that?” Tomochika asked, seeming genuinely interested.

“Uh, Inaba? It’s pretty tiny, it’s kinda near-”

“Whoa, wait, I think I know that place! I mean, unless there’s a whole bunch of little towns with the exact same name. Which could be the case, I guess. Lemme see, uh… is the school called Yasogami?”

Yosuke’s jaw dropped. How? How the ever-loving hell did this guy know Inaba? It was Inaba. Nobody knew Inaba. Mom had pitched a fit when she’d figured out how remote the town the company had been moving Dad to was, and that had only been after a boss-difficulty-level google search to actually find the place.

“Yeah,” he said, dumbfounded. “Uh, wow. How do you know Inaba? It’s like, in the middle of nowhere. It probably doesn’t even show up on maps.”

It was only after he said it that it occurred to him: it wasn’t as though Inaba was as unknown as it had been when he moved there. It couldn’t be. Not after everything that had happened last year.

“Oh, our school did an trip there in second year, to exchange ideas on learning styles, or some bull like that. It sure was, uh. Quaint?”

Oh, so it wasn’t because of the murder spree - well, that was certainly unexpected. Ugh, wait, why was he even thinking about that? It had been more than a year ago; this was a completely different place; and he was over everything that had gone on then. Forcibly shoving the sudden pit in his stomach away, he twisted his face back into the jokey way he’d had it before.

“You’re telling me. I had to move there because of my dad’s job - from this city, actually. Wasn’t exactly an easy adjustment.”

Tomochika winced at that. “I am so sorry.”

The response rubbed Yosuke the wrong way a little. It wasn’t Tomochika’s fault, obviously: he was just going along with the atmosphere of camaraderie to keep things from getting awkward in that oh-yeah-we-are-actually-complete-strangers-aren’t-we sorta way. Still, he’d found himself missing the little place over the weeks he’d been back, quaint and tiny and murder-y as it had been. Even the steak croquettes, at points. (Hey, he’d never said his feelings were rational.)

“Nah, but it wasn’t really so bad. Like, there was a city not too far away - I mean sure, it wasn’t convenient like here or anything, but I wasn’t completely cut off from the world or anything.”

“I mean, I guess that’s not as bad as it could have been, but still. I can’t even think about going back to Tatsumi Port Island now that I’ve lived here and the city there’s actually pretty big. Oh hey, so if you’re from here, maybe you should be the one showing me around-”

Yosuke interrupted him: “Tatsumi Port Island? I’ve been there! Well, I went to the school, at least. Maybe it was the same programme you went on to Inaba?”

“You visited Gekkoukan? Man, that must have been after I left. I wonder if anything’s changed since then.”

Wait. If Tomochika had been at Gekkoukan High a few years before Yosuke went on the exchange there, did that mean he’d gone to school with those Shadow Operative weirdos who’d shown up to take Labrys away? Naoto’s investigations, at least the ones she’d shared with the Investigation Team, had pointed to Gekkoukan as their old base of operations, and it would be around the right time, considering the guy only had a few years on him. Hell, was he one of them? Those guys had been pretty suspicious, after all, so it wouldn’t be completely out of the left field if they sent one of their own to spy on him.

Oblivious to Yosuke’s minor freakout, Tomochika laughed, brushing aside the matter that he’d got tongue-tied over.

“But man, that is so weird, like, we visited each others’ high schools and didn’t even know it. You think maybe the organisers looked into our backgrounds while matching us up, to see if people have anything in common like that?”

“Seems a bit much for them to bother with, doesn’t it?”

He peered at Tomochika, waiting for a reaction, but he just shrugged. “Huh, I guess you’re right.”

Maybe he wasn’t some Shadow Operative secret spy after all. Weirdly, he found himself a little disappointed.

“So,” said Tomochika, dragging out the sound, “Inaba. I heard that’s where that crazy murder case happened last year? You’d have been living there at that point, right?”

Oh. Yeah. Of course he knew. It was stupid to think he hadn’t: it had made national news.

“Yeah. I was.”

“Oh, wow, no way! Musta been pretty scary, huh?”

“Yeah. I mean, I guess.”

Something in Yosuke’s face - or voice, or maybe even just his aura - must have tipped Tomochika off, because he winced and in a hushed voice, he asked: “Ah, you didn’t. Uh. Know anybody who was, y'know…”

“I did, yeah.” Tomochika winced. “Oh. Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up,” he said, and to his credit, he actually sounded sincere about it. “I mean. I lost a friend in high school so, I know it’s not easy. I mean, he was closer to other people and it’s not like he was murdered but- I’m making this worse aren’t it? Sorry. I’ll shut up now.”

“It’s okay, man,” said Yosuke. “We weren’t really that close.” Well, it was true, even if only on her end.

“Still,” he said, “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Honestly, it’s no sweat. You didn’t know.”

Tomochika smiled back, a faint edge of nervousness creeping in at the edges. Oh, just awesome, he’d managed to freak out the guy he was supposed to be impressing. What the hell happened to him always being the most normal guy in the room? Though, looking back, maybe it had always just been in comparison to those goofballs he called friends back in Inaba.

Though. Maybe he could lean into it a little? New place, new people, new him? Oh, what the hell, why not?

“Hey, Tomochika-senpai, did you by any chance tune into the LMB Fest this summer?”

[drtanstravels]

***It has been pretty much impossible to share new Dr. Tan’s Travels articles or send out alerts when they are posted recently, because the URL for Dr. Tan’s Travels was blocked unexpectedly toward the end of June without warning or any reason given by certain social media sites. Despite constant appeals, that doesn’t look like changing any time soon, but I’ll keep trying to get it fixed and a big thank you to those who keep checking in to read my page, I truly appreciate it. Please keep it up too, we have a bunch of trips coming up!***

Recently I’ve been telling the story of our journey around the Pacific Northwest of the USA in July: In part one we spent a night in transit in Los Angeles, followed by a few nights in Jackson, Wyoming for Anna’s conference, as well as trekking through mountains, whitewater rafting, and trying to avoid line-dancing while dressed like complete idiots at a cowboy-themed dinner. Part two was the first instalment of the holiday leg of the this trip, where we went glamping and hiked through national parks in both Wyoming and Montana, seeing plenty of geysers and other geothermal activity, but unfortunately, not a whole lot on the wildlife front thus far. Now it’s time to conclude this tale and it’s always good to go out with a bang. We saw a lot of cool stuff over the final few days of this trip!

Saturday, July 13, 2019 We had just spent our second and final night of glamping in our Stargazer tent just out of West Yellowstone in southwest Montana. Now it was time to get back to relative civilisation, however, it was going to require a bit of driving to get to our final abode for this adventure, Lake Yellowstone Hotel back in Wyoming. Before we left we took another walk around the grounds of where we were staying, grabbed a coffee, played with an enormous dog belonging to some fellow guests, and then we were off.

When I was first thinking of titles for this post I had a few ideas, mainly related to works by artists that I love; My favourite band, Ween, have a b-side called Mountains and Buffalo, a rather apt title once you continue reading. Also, before it became a classic film of the same name starring Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro, Hunter S. Thompson‘s novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was loosely adapted into a bad movie with Bill Murray in the lead role called Where the Buffalo Roam, a title that would also turn out to be an appropriate one for this piece. There was just one problem with both of these titles that bothered me — Although both references are of American origin, the animals found in the US aren’t technically buffalo, as buffalo are only found in Africa and South-East Asia. The animals we were going to encounter are Bison:

The term “buffalo” is sometimes considered to be a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two “true buffalo”, the Asian water buffalo and the African buffalo. Samuel de Champlain applied the term buffalo (buffles in French) to the bison in 1616 (published 1619), after seeing skins and a drawing shown to him by members of the Nipissing First Nation, who said they travelled 40 days (from east of Lake Huron) to trade with another nation who hunted the animals. Though “bison” might be considered more scientifically correct, as a result of standard usage, “buffalo” is also considered correct and is listed in many dictionaries as an acceptable name for American buffalo or bison. Buffalo has a much longer history than bison, which was first recorded in 1774.

Whichever you want to call them (I’ll be using bison, a term that is apparently becoming more common anyway), there were a ton of them along the way to our new hotel and it wouldn’t be the last time we ran into them, either. Here are a few shots from our park and some of the bison we encountered as we were driving:

Anna kicking back in our “glamping” tent

Apparently we could see all of this at night. I chose to sleep

This dog was friendly, but I could probably ride it

This car has been in the background of photos in the last post and this one so here’s a closeup

A bison taking a nap

Now awake

Anna in front of a couple

Me with my game-face on

There were a ton of these things around

Let’s hope it just stays there

Finally, we had stumbled upon some animals worth seeing! Once we had spent enough time with the bison we returned to Wyoming and checked into the exceptionally large Lake Yellowstone Hotel. It was a beautiful hotel overlooking the lake, there was an enormous dining room and bar that was to have a live jazz band playing that night, and our room was big with a Nespresso machine and different types of coffee pods. However, if you take a look at that link you will instantly notice that we were going to be off the grid again for another couple of days, as there was no TV or wifi. Don’t get me wrong, there was wired internet with an ethernet cable right next to the bed, but I don’t think I’ve owned a device that one of those can even plug into in at least five years. Oh well, ignorence is bliss.

We decided to go for a walk around the area, taking in the lake and the local scenery. Besides fly-fishing, pretty much everybody’s hobby here, there wasn’t a whole lot to do in the immediate vicinity, although following a continuing theme, there was a convenience store. We knew that, despite being a Saturday, the bar in the hotel would stop serving drinks at about 10:30pm and we’ve been checking out animals at dusk on previous nights, meaning that we would probably only return to the hotel about an hour earlier so we decided to stock up on drinks. We had also wanted to go to a rodeo while we were here and the general consensus was that the only one worth going to was in a town called Cody, the self-proclaimed “Rodeo Capital of the World”, and it was also the nearest one:

Since the turn of the century, rodeos and parades have been part of the Fourth of July here in Cody, Wyoming. 90 plus years, starting officially in 1919, the Cody Stampede Rodeo has been held every summer. 2018 marks the 99th anniversary of Cody Stampede and the 80th anniversary of the nightly performances.

These two events establish Cody as not only one of the longest running successful professional rodeos, but also the only place in the country that has a rodeo performance nightly making us the Rodeo Capital of the World. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association named the Cody Stampede “Best Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year” in 1998 and 1999. In 2001 the Cody Nite Rodeo was nominated for “Best Small Outdoor Rodeo of the Year”. Night after night, Cody proves that we are rodeo, all summer long!

The only problem was that Cody was 80 miles (128 km) away so about a two-hour drive through a region where all four junctions at crossroads have stop signs for some reason and the idea of negotiating those in the dark on the opposite side of the road while rednecks in their massive trucks flew past us wasn’t all that appealing. I guess I’ll have to find another opportunity to bust out the Borat shirt (above, right). There was an ice machine down the hallway from our room in the hotel and we had purchased a cooler for times like this so we decided to just stock up on drinks instead so we could spend the later part of the night hanging out in our room, talking, drinking, and listening to music. That meant we had to buy some beers, wine, and perhaps a bite to eat so we went down to the convenience store and got some wine, a mixed 12-pack of cans from Big Sky Brewing plus a huckleberry beer, and a chilli dog each, me trying to resist the urge to cover mine in the liquid cheese they had on tap. Take a look around our hotel and the surrounding area:

Just the entrance of our enormous hotel (yes, I’m aware the sign says ‘exit only’)

Where we’d be sleeping

There’s a distinct of television…

…but at least there was internet

Overlooking the lake

We weren’t in Texas, but we got the feeling the mindset was similar

On the way to the convenience store

Lunch is served

I could fill a cup with this and drink it if I didn’t care about my health at all

My libations for later

Here’s what was in the box, I forget what the seasonal one was

Lunch was sorted and we had some drinks reserved for when the bar shut irresponsibly early, so now it was time to go find some animals again. We had to drive about 40 minutes to get back to an area of Yellowstone National Park where there was stuff to see and do, taking an absolutely terrifying road; it wasn’t just the potholes alone that felt like they were making the vehicle’s chassis come loose that were troubling, it was the fact that hitting one could almost make you jackknife and lose control of the car and this, the only route to take, was a dual-lane highway on the side of a mountain with no guardrail for the most part, nothing at all to stop us plummeting hundreds of metres to our fiery deaths. Add in the potential for extremely large mammals to run out in front of us at any time, as well as drivers blindly overtaking other cars, and it was impossible to take a relaxing, weekend drive. But if we wanted to do anything outside of the hotel at all, we’d need to take this road several times a day. Seriously, some of the potholes were about a metre (1.1 yd) across and growing due to the size of many of the vehicles driven around these parts constantly hitting them.

Once we had made it deep into the park we saw a whole heap of cars pulled over so we did the obvious thing and pulled over as well to take a look. On this particular occasion there were several deer up on a hill, grazing. “Not bad,” we thought, but we had already seen deer, what else has this park got to show us? Well, not 10 minutes down the road we saw a lot of people pulled over and this time we got something resembling what we had come here for — A black bear strolling around on a hillside. Ironically, I hadn’t brought the bear spray and a bear showed up, unlike previously when I constantly had it with me and never saw a single one. This black bear seemed quite a distance away, but was headed down the hill in the general direction of the road and it didn’t seem like changing its path any time soon. In this era of social media, safety comes second to getting likes so when the bear started getting close to people, many took the most minor precautions and put in the least effort to get away from it, usually standing behind the open door of their car, so they could continue filming and taking closeup photos as this massive beast walked past them and across the road. Anna and I weren’t in the direct path of the bear, more off to the side, and even we seemed more concerned than some of the people directly in front of it. Some photos of  the deer and the bear, as well as a video of the bear walking down the hill before it got a little too close:

Just a small portion of what that road is like

A few deer

Got this one’s attention

The black bear walking toward us

Getting closer…

That black blob in front of the grey SUV at the end of the carpark is the bear’s head!

Safely on the other side of the road now

It was starting to get a bit late and we could now say that we had seen a bear in the wild, plus we could possibly still see more, potentially grizzlies, the next day so we thought it was probably a good idea to start heading back to the hotel. There was just one problem; we got stuck in a traffic jam — A Wyoming traffic jam. Yes, Wyoming may be the least populous state in the US, but it’s not a back up of cars or just general gridlock that causes traffic jams here, but animals. It’s not uncommon to find a lot of bison just hanging out on grassy areas and it seems that if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. It is, however, when they start wandering on the road that trouble starts. These aren’t the fastest moving animals in the world, just wandering along at a leisurely pace, and they are also massive with sharp horns so you don’t want to honk or do anything to piss them off, you just have to wait for them to get out of the way. So that’s just what we did when there were several on the road:

Good from afar

There’s not a whole lot you can do when this happens

Just have to hope it moves

A few more around

Some even closer

Then we had further problems; what Anna initially thought from a distance was a morbidly obese person turned out to be a bison slowly walking down the middle of our lane without a care in the world and it seemed like the car in front of us was stuck behind one as well. In the video, when I wind down the window you’ll be able to hear one on the side of the road, breathing heavily:

After we had had several other bison wander in front of us, as well as having to stop for a family of ducks to walk across and make their way to a pond, we had to take that terrible road again and eventually made it back to our hotel unscathed… so far. Both on the drive to Yellowstone that day and the return trip we had noticed that the trunks of many of the trees in the area were devoid of bark about two feet (60cm) above the ground and tapered inward, as if something had been rubbing against them. It was only when we returned to our hotel that we found out that this was indeed the case, as there was a rather large bison rubbing up against a tree directly in front of where we were staying. I started to film it, but it didn’t take long for the bison to lock eyes with me and stop what it was doing so that’s when I decided to get out of there. It would appear that I had made the right decision, because not long after we returned to Singapore there were not one, but two bison attacks: A nine-year-old girl was flung in the air by one in Yellowstone on July 22 and then a 17-year-old boy was gored in the thigh and flung in the air five days later! I’m just glad I bailed when I did instead of sticking around to keep filming:

Once I had regained composure and stopped sweating we went inside the hotel, had some dinner, and then pulled up a stool at the bar while the band played. Once the bar closed it was up to our room for a few more drinks and talking about what an awesome day it had been. But in reality, this had been nothing!

Sunday, July 14, 2019 Our adventure through cowboy country was coming to an end so we had to do the last full day here properly. First we went downstairs to grab a coffee each and there was another family doing the same, the father explaining to his son, who would’ve been about 16 or 17 years old, that cheese comes from milk:

Father: “When you milk a cow it’s more than just milk, there are fats as well and that is used to make cheese.” Son: “So it isn’t just 2% that comes out?”

The father was dumbfounded. This kid didn’t realise that other dairy products come from cows and for those uninitiated with how milk is classified in the US, 2% is simply reduced fat milk. He also believed that how the milk is in the carton was exactly how it comes from the cow, which had Anna and I pissing ourselves. The thought raised so many other questions he might’ve had — Does each udder give a different type of milk, such as one for half-and-half, one for full cream, etc? Do brown cows give chocolate milk? The list goes on.

We hit the road again, taking the pothole-ridden, railless death-track to a new hiking destination, stopping at the only convenience store/gas station/toilet along the way to get a map and some snacks. We also both opted to get another takeaway coffee and immediately regretted it, while at the same time remembering why we had been drinking coffee at the hotel. Coffee from places like this is always disgusting, in this case they had the choice of filtered coffee or a cappuccino machine that had three possible options; vanilla, cinnamon, or mocha. Anna asked which option was the least sweetest and then ordered two of those, however, they still had so much sugar syrup in them that they were essentially undrinkable. Seriously, this stuff could give you diabetes instantly. When we reached the place where we would be hiking it initially looked a little overcast so I brought a light jacket with me, a decision I wouldn’t regret. No, not because of any rain, the weather ended up being beautiful, but to protect me from the sheer amount of mosquitoes and horseflies. Despite covering ourselves in insect repellent, these things were relentless, even biting us through our clothes. My jacket, however, is windproof so I wrapped it around my head in such a manner that it only left a small slot to see through, protecting my face from getting bitten, as well as helping me conserve energy by not having to constantly swat a cloud of insects away. We kept hiking for about three hours and around these parts people live extremely remote lifestyles. There were houses that we saw (left) that didn’t even have windows, let alone running water. A bit too Little House on the Prairie for my liking, especially here in the twenty-first century. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what staying in one of those places would be like during winter. Besides the remote housing and a few deer, we didn’t see a whole lot and after the previous day’s sights, deer were kind of below us now. That and the mosquitoes and horseflies were getting a bit much, to the point where some of the bites were beginning to hurt. Time to get back in the car and find some real wildlife.

Once back on the winding avenue of death we were ready to make a couple of stops along the way, but nothing could really prepare us for what we were going to see and keep in mind that I forgot to bring the bear spray again. Our first stop was as we were passing another herd of bison. Not so much a stop, I guess, but we really had to slow down because they were right by the side of the road so I managed to snap a couple of close shots from the safety of the Corolla. About another 10 minutes later there was a crowd of people pointing into the wilderness so naturally we pulled over and there was a brown bear feeding nearby and a grizzly bear in the distance about five minutes after that. It was difficult to get decent pictures of both of those, but I didn’t have to worry, because another 20 minutes later we’d get a closeup of what we had come to see. Cars were stopping everywhere along the road to the point that it was impossible to pass, however, nobody got upset or honked their horns, everybody just stopped and got out of their cars as well. When we got out and wandered to where the bulk of the crowd was mulling around, we were greeted by what people were saying was a large grizzly bear nearby, close enough to see properly, but still at a safe distance. It was just walking around, eating, completely unperturbed by the mass of people taking photos and filming its every move. I managed to get some decent photos of it, as well as video, before getting back into the car so we could enjoy our final night at the hotel, spotting another black bear in the distance along the way. This was the reason we had come on this holiday, to see creatures like these:

Some of the mangy animals we saw on our bug-infested hike

Some bison on the roadside

The first black bear

These were the people that wanted to see the brown bear in the distance, not even the grizzly!

The best shot I could get of the brown bear

This is what we had come for

They are bigger than they appear in the pictures

One final black bear on the way home

We arrived back at the hotel and there was book in the bar that looked like a guestbook, but you filled in the date, the animals you had seen, and where. Some dumbasses had actually used it as a guest book, despite the other entries saying things such as “July 3 2019 ¦ deer ¦ at the river” or “7/13/19 ¦ 3 marmots ¦ Storm Point,” they had written something to the extent of “7/11/19 ¦ Tommy & Julie Cox ¦ Wilmington, N.C.” That’s a real example, by the way. I took the opportunity to write in the book and although I could have written about the multitude of deer, bison, and bears we had seen that day, I took the low road and wrote “July 14, 2019 ¦ Flys & Mosquitoes ¦ Everywhere!!!”

We had dinner in the restaurant and then went to the bar early to enjoy our last night in Wyoming, drinking with some fellow guests at the hotel and that is where we heard a sentence that perfectly encapsulated this part of America; in reference to Amazon Prime:

Woman at the bar: “Tomorrow is Prime Day, so if you can find internet…”

We honestly thought the kid that was legally allowed to drive in this country learning about dairy products from his ashamed father was going to be the greatest thing we would hear that day, but it turns out we were wrong.

Monday, July 15, 2019 Our time in Wyoming and Montana had come to an end and we now had to embark on a gruelling journey home — We needed to drive to Yellowstone Airport, catch a one-hour flight to Salt Lake City, Utah, transfer to another one-hour flight to Los Angeles, sit through a six-hour layover, and then catch a 17-hour flight back to Singapore. It was going to suck, but we made a couple of interesting sitings along the way; first, there were a lot of Amish-looking people in the lobby of the hotel as we were checking out (I realise the Amish are generally in the east, but there is no other way to describe these people), and then we would pass a herd of bucks grazing next to a river on the way to the airport. Once we arrived at the airport we realised our hotel was bigger than where we were flying out from! Seriously, this thing was tiny. A few final shots from this trip to the US:

The animal siting book that some used to check in

Mine is the bottom entry

Andre the Giant may still be alive and living in the house we saw while hiking. At least they wouldn’t notice the lack of wifi

A shuttle out the front of our hotel

Some bucks by the river

Getting a little closer

Panoramic shot of Yellowstone Airport

Anna took the car keys to the rental shed and then we checked into our flight. We started to make our way over to the only place to eat in the airport when I saw a sign warning about carrying bear spray in your luggage, both check-in and carry-on. I quickly went back and informed them that there was bear spray in my check-in luggage so they grabbed my suitcase and got me to remove the spray so it could be disposed of before my luggage was put on the plane. If I hadn’t removed it, my luggage probably would’ve been taken away and destroyed. At least they let me keep the holster for the spray, I might use it for carrying deodorant on those really humid days back here in Singapore. The flight to Salt Lake City was fine, but the one out of there was awful; it was a tiny plane and we had a really bumpy take off that made everyone feel sick, followed by constant turbulence. We killed time in LAX by shopping, I managed to pick up this awesome Donald Trump colouring book, and then just kicked back in the lounge, eating free food and drinking free booze. Once aboard the flight, we both tried to stay awake as long as possible so the jet-lag wouldn’t hit us quite as badly, Anna by watching movies and me by playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on my phone, but to no avail. The jet-lag was just as bad, if not worse when we arrived home.

By visiting Montana and Wyoming we both saw a part of the United States that we never thought we would and eventually encountered a lot of fantastic animals in their natural environment. But if I learnt one thing on this trip it was this — The only way to see bears in the wild is to forget your bear spray.

Traveling through Wyoming and Montana looking for bears and bison ***It has been pretty much impossible to share new Dr. Tan's Travels articles or send out alerts when they are posted recently, because the URL for Dr.

[craftsguide]

51 Fun Summer Activities You Can DIY!

New Post has been published on https://craftsguideto.com/awesome/51-fun-summer-activities-you-can-diy/

51 Fun Summer Activities You Can DIY!

Don’t let the hot season pass you by without doing some fun summer activities! If you’re concerned about the cost, don’t be because I’ve made a list of fun things you can DIY.

RELATED: Backyard Projects To Enjoy Time Outdoors This Summer

In this article :P TAGENDDIY Fun Summer RecipesDIY Fun Summer Home DecorDIY Summer Fashion Ideas for LadiesDIY Summer Fashion Ideas for MenDIY Fun Summer Fitness ActivitiesDIY Fun Summer Activities at HomeDon’t Forget Anything This DIY Summer !DIY Fun Summer Travel Plans !DIY Fun Summer Music FestivalsDIY Outdoor Summer ActivitiesDIY Fun Summer Beach ActivitiesDIY Fun Summer Activities for PetsFun Summer Activities to Try for the SeasonExciting Things You Can Do This Summer

From food to makeup to your next summertime destination, you won’t be short of exciting things to do all summertime long! Only keep on scrolling and don’t forget to share these fun summer activities and notions with your friends and family.

Summer is always better with some company, and we’ve got something in here for everyone!

Have the Best Summer Ever

Hooray for summertime! I have to say this is the most foresaw season of the year, and son does it flown by!

My head is spinning with fun summer activities to do this year! My children have been scheming what they still want to do too, and like the good Mom that I am, I decided to help them out by making the ultimate summer activities list.

Don’t worry, this list isn’t just for children. There’s a little something for everyone.

So, find out how you can have a blast this summer!

1. Throw a Beach-Themed Party

| Can’t go to the beach? No problem!

Take the beach to you and have fun even if you’re high and dry. Get all the ideas you’ll need here.

When it turns dark, have this DIY smartphone projector ready for some movie time.

DIY Fun Summer Recipes2. Pinwheel Appetizer

| Start them off with this recipe. It’s one of the best party foods you can prepare this summer.

Get the recipe here.

3. Best Summer Drink Recipes

| Cool down with these refreshing drink recipes. From sparkling summer melon slushies to double apple iced tea, they’re all guaranteed to help you beat the heat.

4. Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade

| If you want something boozy, this is the perfect cocktail recipe !

5. Summer Desserts

| Make popsicle in many ways. It’s guaranteed to be a hit with the children and kids at heart!

6. Summer Backyard BBQ Ideas

| Why only have a party when you can have a BBQ? Get all the ideas and recipes you need here.

But, don’t forget to practice safety when grilling of course!

7. 5 Foods to Never Eat During Summer

| With all the partying and feeing, don’t forget to avoid these 5 foods. These foods may lead to fatigue and decreased digestion( simply to name a few impacts) so stay clear!

Level up your water with these detox water recipes!

Don’t forget to hydrate this summer! Stay freshened with these DIY detox waters. https :// t.co/ strNqVTUr5 pic.twitter.com/ ZgAmlKZ4vC

— DIY Projects (@ DIY Projects) July 11, 2016

DIY Fun Summer Home Decor8. Beachy Living Room Ideas

| Everything has to match with summertime even your living room. See how you can spruce it up with these unique notions.

9. Summer Floral Centerpiece

| What’s summer without flowers, right? Take your picking from these eye-catching floral centerpiece ideas perfect for summertime !

1 0. DIY Outdoor Lantern Ideas

| With the amazing climate and all the parties you’ll be hurling, complete your decoration with some outdoor lamps . The party is already schemed, and the adornments are in place.

Next thing you have to worry about is you.

DIY Summer Fashion Ideas for Ladies1 1. Women’s Summer Fashion Ideas

| It’s all about preparation. Be sure to fish these combinings out of your closet or head to the nearest store.

Check them out here.

1 2. Day-to-Night Summer Outfit

| Planning to be out all day and all night? I have you covered with these outfit ideas.

You can thank me later.

1 3. Work Outfits for Summer

| A girl can dream that you won’t have to work this season, but we still have to face reality. Stay stylish with these summer work outfits .

DIY Summer Fashion Ideas for Men1 4. Men’s Summer Fashion Ideas

| No required to experimentation the summer months. Here’s your guide to summertime manner that’s not only iconic but also timeless.

1 5. Light Wash Jeans Look

| Men love their jeans, and that’s a fact. Keep it illuminated this season with these light wash jeans appear .

DIY Fun Summer Hairstyles, Nails, and Makeup1 6. Short Summer Hairstyles

| Summer is the perfect time to chop those locks. Here are some great notions for all sassy dames out there.

1 7. Long Summer Hairstyles

| Still want to keep it long? Then, try one or all of these summer haircuts!

1 8. Go Pink with This Hot Summer Hair Color

| Feel like running a little crazy? Then try this new trend celebrities are going gaga over- pink hair!

1 9. Summer Makeup Ideas

| You’ve seen them on the runway, and now it’s time to recreate them. See these notions here.

2 0. Cute Lipstick Shades for Summer

| If you’re a mom like me who only has time to apply lipstick, then you’ll love these shades!

2 1. Tropical Neon Flower Nail Art

| Looking for a bright and fun floral nail art? Check out these flowery designs!

2 2. Fruit Nail Art

| Not really a fan of blooms? Then try running fruity instead in this guide.

2 3. Nautical Nail Art

| Going on a cruise? Nautical nails are just what you need. Try it the summer months!

RELATED: 11 DIY Backyard Ideas To Do In Your Yard

DIY Fun Summer Fitness Activities

It’s never too late to do a little workout for summer.

2 4. Which Way to the Beach?

| Sun’s out, handguns out! Lead the way to the beach with your best arms of the season with this routine.

2 5. Hot Yoga

| Want to keep it light? Then do yoga.

Find out all the great benefits hot yoga has to offer. When you’re done, grab any one of these healthy summer drinks.

DIY Fun Summer Activities at Home

Don’t feel like going out? Keep yourself occupied with these at-home summer activities.

2 6. Cheap DIY Home Projects for Summer

| Give your home a makeover without blowing your budget. From the patio to the kitchen, you’ll find something to work on from this list .

2 7. Cool Summer Crafts

| Just want to tinker? Then these cool summer crafts will keep you busy.

2 8. DIY Crochet Top

| Why buy when you can crochet your own top? Get the tutorial here .

2 9. Cute Pants and Summer Shorts

| One can never have too many gasps and shorts. See all the sewing projects here .

3 0. Summer Tote Bags

| The beach is never a place for designer pouches. Store them away and start making one of these summer tote bag.

Number 9 is brilliant!

3 1. 25 Forms of Flowers to Plant for Summer

| Fill your garden with blooms and find what the best types to plant are here.

3 2. Summer Garden Crops

| Self-sufficiency knows no season. See what garden harvests you can grow in summer.

3 3. Read a Book … or Seven

|

Okay, perhaps you don’t have to be at home to do this. But, I’m sure you’ll love all of these summer reads.

3 4. Chill to 90 s Pop Songs for Summer

| Have a trip-up down the memory lane with these pop sungs from your favorite boy bands from the 90 s. Give in to this guilty pleasure.

Don’t Forget Anything This DIY Summer!

Before I listing down the places and activities you can do, make sure you’re ready first!

3 5. Summer Garden Care Checklist

| You won’t come home to withered blooms and crops if you follow this checklist before you leave for your vacation.

3 6. Travel Packing Checklist

The Ultimate Packing Checklist For Every Kind Of Family Travel >> #familytravel https :// t.co/ 2ZO7676d8c pic.twitter.com/ GOjRnH3 2eZ

— NOW Travel Insurance (@ NOWTravelIns) March 2, 2017

Here’s another checklist you must have. The list has everything you need to bring when traveling.

Be sure to have all your summer beauty essentials for your skin, too!

3 7. On-the-Go Makeup Routine for Summer

| With all the traveling you’ll be doing, you may not get all the time you want to prepare. The solution: on-the-go makeup tricks !

DIY Fun Summer Travel Plans!

You may or may not be able to fit in some last minute travel plans. But, if it’s too late, there’s always scheming ahead for next year( the earlier you book, the cheaper the fare !)

Take your picking and have fun!

The Best 2019 Travel Destinations For Each Zodiac Sign https :// t.co/ VLCvzPIf3m pic.twitter.com/ DNLvoCRoBM

— Izu hihiara (@ OMGStacks) January 16, 2019

Want to let the stars decide where you’re going? Find out the perfect travel destination for you here.

DIY Fun Summer Music Festivals

Be surrounded by people who also love summertime, music, and way. Be music festival ready with these notions :P TAGEND3 9. Top DIY Festival Looks for Ladies

| It’s really about being yourself and letting run. But, if you want to DIY your route to your celebration appear, take your picking here .

4 0. Music Festival Outfits for Men

| Men shouldn’t be left behind in the music celebration manner race. There’s so much more than t-shirts and jeans.

See the outfits here.

DIY Outdoor Summer Activities4 1. The Longest Hiking Trails

| Connect with nature and satisfy the urge to have an adventure the summer months by taking one of these long trails. If you’re in the UK, check out walks nearby over here.

4 2. Campfire Recipes

| When it’s time to camp, be sure to know a couple of these campfire recipes . They’re easy to attain especially when you know different kinds of campfire cooking methods.

4 3. Camping Lunch Ideas

| If you want something a little more lunch specific, these recipes are just what you need.

DIY Fun Summer Beach Activities

Can summer ever be complete without going to the beach? Here are some fun summer activities you can do there!

4 4. Bikini Ideas

| I’m sure you won’t be caught without appearing hot in your bikini at the beach. Here are some bikini ideas you can choose from.

I’m even throwing in tips on buying swimsuits!

4 5. Super Fun Free Things to Do at the Beach

| Now that you’re ready, don’t merely sit around. Do some fun things at the beach, and best of all, it’s free!

4 6. Throw a Beach Wedding

Wait, what? This isn’t a must but just in case you need to help a loved one throw a beach wedding.

These are the essential must-haves.

4 7. Attend a Summer Wedding

| If you’re merely attending, might as well appear the very best. The traditional seem may not work in such a reception, so here are a couple of choices you can try.

DIY Fun Summer Activities for Pets

Don’t forget your pets and animals! I’m sure you’re having the time of your life, but how about your beloved pets and livestock?

They need some summertime love, too.

4 8. How to Keep Cats Cool

| People are not the only ones prone to dehydration, heatstroke, and sunburn. Cats get that too.

So, keep them cool and comfy with these cat caring tips-off .

4 9. Keep Barn Animals Cool

| Your livestock is your livelihood. Be prepared with these homesteading tips-off so your barn animals won’t get stressed with the summer heat.

5 0. Summer Dog Toy

| Dogs love to play, and with the hot of summer, let them do that while cooling off at the same time. Choose from these fantastic dog toys that your pet needs the summer months!

5 1. Preserve and Treasure Your Summer Memories

| With all the fun things you did and all the new experiences you tried, I’m sure you’d want to have a way to look back. Keep those memories safe and preserve them with these fun and creative notions .

Listen and watch this summer soundtrack: summertime by Calvin Harris? Enjoy!

With these fun summer activities and ideas, you’ll never run out of things to do and enjoy during the season. Make the most out of these ideas and never let the high temperature hinder you from doing what you love!

What are your summer plans and other fun summertime activities? Let me know in the comments section below!

Up Next :P TAGEND20 DIY Summer Fashion Tips To Beat The HeatHow to Make DIY Water Blobs44 Saucy BBQ Recipes& Ideas for Creative Kitchens

Stay connected with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on August 2, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

The post 51 Fun Summer Activities You Can DIY ! appeared first on DIY Projects Craft Ideas& How To’s for Home Decor with Videos.

Read more: diyprojects.com

[jandrada96]

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

The first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear the word “Guimaras” is mangoes. Guimaras Mangoes are dubbed as the world’s sweetest fruit. I have not really tasted Guimaras Mangoes until I have set foot on the island and stayed in Nature’s Eye Beach Resort last month. And I must tell you that Guimaras Mangoes are the best mangoes I have ever tasted… taste bud delight, if I may add. You see, I am from Pangasinan and we have mango trees in our yard. Hence, mangoes, when in season, are a mainstay around the family table. Suffice to say that I know my mangoes. LOL.

Other than knowing about Guimaras as the Mango Capital of the Philippines, I have always been curious about this island down south especially after news broke out on August 11, 2006 about an oil tanker that sank off the coast of  Guimaras causing what is considered today as the worst oil spill the country has ever had.

The Taklong Island National Marine Reserve was severely damaged after the the M/T Solar oil tanker sank off the Guimaras Strait, Philippines, on 11 August 2006. Photo By Shubert Ciencia – Flickr: Oil Spill (Nueva Valencia, Guimaras), CC BY 2.0, Link

Twelve years later, who would have thought that I would have the privilege of exploring Guimaras? On August 12, 2018, I took the first boat trip out of Carabao Island to Caticlan to board a Ceres Bus to Iloilo.

Ceres Bus Terminal near Caticlan Jetty Port in Aklan

Click here to read about my visit to Carabao Island, Romblon.

On board a Ceres Bus from Caticlan, Aklan to Iloilo City, Iloilo

The bus ride from Caticlan to Iloilo took about 6 hours because of slow traffic. I did not really mind the long ride because it was such a scenic route. Also, I needed to catch a few winks to regenerate for Guimaras. Hence, I slept most of the time throughout the trip and woke up only at bus stops- Kalibo and Passi.

Ceres Bus Terminal in Kalibo, Aklan

I traveled with fellow travel blogger Cai Dominguez of Travelosyo who is also the Resort Manager of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort in Guimaras. He quit his corporate job in the bustling Metropolitan Manila to live a more meaningful life on the island.

Upon arrival at the Ceres Bus Terminal in Iloilo City, we took a couple of rides more, a jeepney and a tricycle, to get to the Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal.

How To Get To Guimaras Island

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

The Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal is the gateway to Guimaras Island. So if you are coming from Metro Manila, you need to book a flight to Iloilo. In our case, we traveled by land from Caticlan to Iloilo. Other do-it-yourself travelers whom I met in Guimaras traveled by sea to Iloilo from Bacolod for 2 hours. A boat trip from Cebu takes about 14 hours and a boat trip from Manila takes about 27 hours.

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

The Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal is near the newly opened CityMall Parola where we got some snacks to go before boarding the boat. Boat fares are as follows:

Day Time (6 AM to 5:57 PM), 43 passengers per trip: Php 15 per passenger

Night Time (6 PM onwards), 31 passengers per trip: Php 22 per passenger

Senior Citizens and Persons With Disabilities may avail of discounted rates upon presentation of proper identification.

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

I must say that I was quite impressed with the Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal. It was spacious and orderly. It had good air-conditioning and efficient lighting. Boat trips to and fro Guimaras are frequent. Usually, a boat leaves every 15 minutes. The last trip to Guimaras is at 8 PM while the last boat leaves Guimaras at 7 PM.

Boat docked at the Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port

Our boat trip from Iloilo to Guimaras was on schedule and took only 20 minutes. The boat docked at the Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port upon arrival in Guimaras.

Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port

Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port

  We have been traveling close to 8 hours in total since we left Carabao Island. I was close to exhaustion (yeah, coming from someone who slept throughout the whole trip). I tried convincing myself that this long trip had better be worth it. I mean… a destination this hard to get to must really be awesome, don’t you think?

We rented a tricycle for Php 500 to take us to Nature’s Eye Beach Resort instead of riding a regular public utility jeepney. I had too many pieces of luggage with me anyway and told Cai that I did not want to inconvenience the other passengers (or me, LOL).

How To Get To Nature’s Eye Beach Resort

Below are the number of ways you can get to the number one beach resort on Guimaras Island from the Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port:

Take a public utility jeepney from Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port to Dolores Crossing for Php 38 per person. Then, hire a motorcycle from Dolores Crossing to Tando. Fare is Php 50 per head

Hire a multicab from Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port to Nature’s Eye Resort. Fare is Php 500 per way

Hire a multicab from Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port to Guisi. Then, hire a private boat from Guisi Beach to Nature’s Eye Beach Resort Beach Front. Fare is  Php 300 for 2 persons (additional Php 100 per person)

On the way, we passed by The Pitstop Restaurant to get the famous Mango Pizza. The 9-inch Mango Pizza cost P240.

The Pitstop Mango Pizza, 9 inches, Php 240 each

The Pitstop Mango Pizza, 9 inches, Php 240 each

The Pitstop Mango Pizza, 9 inches, Php 240 each

I rode at the back of the tricycle with my drone and luggage. Guimaras has paved highways and not too many people by the roadside. Not too many vehicles plying the road either. I guess most of them were already in their houses as it was already beginning to get dark.

Twenty minutes before reaching Tando, it was already pitch dark and all I could hear was the revving of the tricycle. I could also already smell the beach. When we reached Tando, a Nature’s Eye Beach Resort staff was waiting for us and helped me with my luggage. With our cellphones serving as flashlights, we hiked for a good ten minutes to reach the gates of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort traversing what seemed to be a forest.

The path to Natures Eye Beach Resort.

We trekked through mud. I could feel the undergrowth brushing against my ankles, too. I could hear crickets and the ebb and flow of the waves of a nearby beach.  I willed my eyes to adjust to the dark surroundings so I could see what I was hearing but to no avail. I just let my vivid imagination to take over.

One of the Ficus Trees that abound in Nature’s Eye Beach Resort.

We went straight to the main reception and dining cottage where the owner, Ms. Rowena Amancio, was waiting. She warmly welcomed me to her resort. Over dinner, she shared to me how she started the resort. I learned that she used to live and work in Switzerland for the longest time. During one of her vacations in the Philippines some years ago, she came to visit Guimaras and went island hopping. That was when she discovered this serene area by the cliffs overlooking the sea. In 2014, she decided to build her retirement nest and later on with only two cottages she opened the resort to the public.

Fast forward to 2018, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort already has five cottages and is the number 1 resort on Guimaras Island per Tripadvisor. It is the perfect place for that once in a while getaway with your significant other. Privacy is high. Hospitality is warm. Service is customized.

Rainy Season Sale

Nature’s Eye Beach Resort has an ongoing Rainy Season Sale from July 1 to September 30, 2018:

Sunset Cottage for two, 3 days and 2 nights, Php 3980 per head, rate includes:

1 Queen Size Bed

Fan

Native bathroom with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

Sunset Cottage for two, 2 days and 1 night, Php 2115 per head, rate includes:

Queen size bed

Fan

Native bathroom with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

Ocean View Lower Deck for two, 3 days and 2 nights, Php 4700 per head, rate includes:

King Size Bed

Fan

Private bathroom

Balcony with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

Ocean View Lower Deck for two, 2 days and 1 night, Php 2475 per head, rate includes:

King Size Bed

Fan

Private Bathroom

Balcony with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

House Rules

Please keep noise to a minimum.

Avoid staining our bed sheets and towels.

Take good care of our home and things.

We do not have wi-fi, talk to each other pretend it is 1995.

No smoking, eating and drinking inside the room.

Check-out time is 12 noon.

Nature’s Eye Beach Resort House Rules

How To Book

For bookings, visit Nature’s Eye Beach Resort’s Facebook Page here or call +63-907-7579055.

Cliff Top Cottage

After dinner, it was time to call it a day. I was billeted at the Cliff Top Cottage. From the reception cottage, I had to go down some 200 or so steps and climb up another 50 or so steps to get to my room. It was windy when I got to the veranda of my cottage but I could not really see any of the surroundings apart from the cottage itself. I reckoned that the beach must be nearby. I fell as asleep listening to the waves hitting some rocks and the rustling of the leaves in the trees as they danced with the wind. It was that time of the year when Habagat or south wind was at its mightiest. I had a good night’s sleep just the same.

When I woke up in the morning, only then did I realize that I have certainly hit the bull’s-eye with Nature’s Eye Beach Resort! I was so sleepy last night that I did not appreciate how sizable my room was. It was big enough for a family of four. The mattress and pillows were comfortable. The bed also came with a pull-out.

Cliff Top Cottage, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

To keep that back to nature mood, the room’s interior was made of indigenous materials fused with modern and sturdy structure. There was a big closet with extra beddings and a safe deposit box to boot. There was also a number of electrical sockets strategically spread around the room… just perfect for charging my gadgets. How many did I have to charge every time anyway? Well…

Two drone batteries

Drone remote control

Two laptops

Three mobile phones

Gimbal

Action camera

Two DSLR batteries

Power bank

When I stepped out of the room, lo and behold, the view was to die for with the veranda overlooking the ocean. Between me and the cliff were two branches of trees made into terrace railings.

Cliff Top Cottage Veranda, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

It was such a beautiful sight to greet my first morning in the resort! The view was so inspiring that if I were a novelist I thought that I could actually write a whole novel here. Just peace and quiet.

Instantly, I fell in love with the place. The next logical thing to do was for me to get my camera and take lots of photos and selfies. The veranda was my second most favorite part of the Cliff Top Cottage. It served as my me-time spot in the resort where I regrouped myself and planned for the next move in my life. You see… I have been contemplating for the longest time if I should go on with travel blogging or go back to doing a routinary 9 AM to 5 PM (most of the time 11 PM) work schedule. I guess this time, it is still passion over money.

Cliff Top Cottage Veranda, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

Cliff Top Cottage Veranda, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

Native Bathroom

Adjacent to the veranda was the toilet and bath or native bathroom… my most favorite part of the Cliff Top Cottage. They do not call it native bathroom for nothing. It did not have walls. You can do number 1, 2, 3  and what have you while staring at the big blue sea.

Native Bathroom of the Cliff Top Cottage, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

Native Bathroom of the Cliff Top Cottage, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

I guess the only downside was the low water pressure in the shower. Having a cottage perched on top of a cliff would certainly weaken the flow of water without an electric pump to boost it . I guess the resort knew about this already because the native bathroom came with a pail and a dipper. Oh, let me not forget that I love their organic shampoo and shower gel. True to the resorts eco-tourism advocacy, they only use organic toiletries.

After doing my morning rituals, I got a text message from Cai to proceed to the dining area for breakfast.

The five-minute walk from my room to the main cottage was not so tiring after all. The pebble-covered path through the thick foliage seemed more of a treat to me than torture.

Natures Eye Beach Resort Path

The main cottage was breezy and had a perfect view of the Guimaras Marine Sanctuary. I must say that my coffee never tasted so good. That view and my cup… just the perfect blend.

Natures Eye Resort View from the Dining Area

Sunset Cottage

I also checked the resort’s Sunset Cottage. For obvious reasons, this cottage was facing the west and had the perfect view of the sunset. No one was billeted in the cottage so I stayed at the balcony and waited for the sunset.

While waiting for sunset, I attempted to fly my drone but habagat was too strong. Ten minutes into challenging nature, I landed my drone and told myself, “Next time, Jaws… next time.”

Me attempting to fly my drone in windy Guimaras

Island Adventure

I also went on an island hopping activity to visit the nearby islets of the Guimaras Marine Sanctuary. The resort can arrange this for you. In fact, it is already included in their Rainy Season Sale.

The boat’s pick-up point was a good ten minute walk from Nature’s Eye Beach Resort. On regular days, the boat can pick up the guests from the resort’s beach front. On the way, we passed by two small villages.

The tide was stronger than usual. I was told though that the waves were manageable. I was glad we were pushing through because I wanted to see for myself if the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve has already recovered from the damage brought about by the oil spill.

Three hours of island adventure is included in the room rates of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort

  Taklong Island National Marine Reserve

After braving the strong waves of the open sea, we sailed through mangroves where the clear water was still.

The Taklong Island National Marine Reserve in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras is composed of 46 islands and islets, is home to various species of birds, marine creatures and other animals. The mangrove is 53 hectares.

Sadly, from the boat, I could see plastic bottles floating by. When we checked, most of the discarded mineral water bottles came from neighboring countries Malaysia and Indonesia. The current apparently has brought them here to stay.  I hope that all (and not just tourists) be more responsible in disposing their wastes. We only have one planet.

Plastic bottles floating within the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

Our first stop was the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve Eco-Park Office. This eco-park, composed of 46 islands and islets, is home to various species of birds, marine creatures and other animals. The mangrove is 53 hectares.

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve Office, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

I was not allowed to fly my drone in the eco-park. Besides, the wind was too strong anyway. So, after paying the environmental fee of Php 30, we headed immediately to the nearby tower to get a good 360-degree vantage point of the eco-park.

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

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Basking in the sun. Expectation versus reality (swipe left) #natureseyeresort #guimaras #itsmorefuninthephilippines #travelbloggers #travelblogger #travelblog #travelph #travelphotography #travelphotos #pinoywanderer #wanderer #wanderlust #globetrotter #asianwanderlust #Philippines #digitalnomads #diginomads #pinasmuna #online #content #creator #island

A post shared by Joel Jaws Andrada (@joeljawsandrada) on Aug 12, 2018 at 11:39pm PDT

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

  Floating Cottage

On our way back, we stopped by the Floating Cottage Sandbar . These two large nipa huts was built on a submerged sandbar in December 2015 through the help of Gina Lopez whose family hails from Guimaras. We paid the entrance fee of Php 50. Tables and chairs were available for the guests to lounge and relax. Some guests brought packed lunch and were eating when we arrived. Smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages were not allowed.

Floating Cottage Sandbar, Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

The swimming area was enclosed by a net for safety. The water level was about 5 feet deep. I was told that during summer, the water level is lower (about waist deep) and safe for children to swim.

The swimming area was enclosed by a net for safety. The water level was about 5 feet deep. I was told that during summer, the water level is lower (about waist deep) and safe for children to swim.

We did not bring any food. So after an hour of swimming, we decided to head back to the resort.

Selfie with the women manning the Floating Cottage Sandbar, Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

  Tan-Luc Snorkeling Site

Back on the mainland of Guimaras, we visited the Tan-Luc Snorkeling Site near the boat’s drop off point. Well, it was not the best time to go snorkeling because of habagat but I had a good dip nonetheless.

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Guimaras #natureseyeresort #guimaras

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Below are their rates:

Entrance fee is only P20 (adults); P10 (18 & below)

Snorkeling Gears Rental P10 per hour for locals; P50 per hour for individuals from outside the barangay

Life Jackets P20 per hour

Paddle boat P100 per hour

Patrol Boat P450 for the first hour; P150 for every hour succeeding

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Well, it was not the best time to go snorkeling because of Habagat (Southwind). I had a good dip nonetheless. I'm coming back next summer when the water is less disturbed. They say it is crystal clear. But it's already nice as it is. When in Guimaras, visit Tan-Luc Snorkeling Site. It is just a 5-to-10-minute walk from Nature's Eye Resort. ➡️Entrance fee is only P20 (adults); P10 (18 & below) ➡️Snorkeling Gears Rental P10 per hour for locals; P50 per hour for individuals from outside the barangay ➡️Life Jackets P20 per hour ➡️Paddle boat P100 per hour ➡️Patrol Boat P450 for the first hour; P150 for every hour succeeding Will post some more photos on my Facebook Page and website. Don't be a stranger. Follow me. You might learn something new. #natureseyeresort #guimaras #itsmorefuninthephilippines #travelbloggers #travelblogger #travelblog #travelph #travelphotography #travelphotos #pinoywanderer #wanderer #wanderlust #globetrotter #asianwanderlust #Philippines #likesforlikes #followsforfollows #digitalnomads #diginomads #pinasmuna #online #content #creator #island #likeforlike #followforfollow

A post shared by Joel Jaws Andrada (@joeljawsandrada) on Aug 17, 2018 at 5:30pm PDT

I enjoyed my stay in Nature’s Eye Beach Resort. It was a good three days and two nights of communing with nature, disconnecting from the stressful urban life and reconnecting to my core. I would love to be back though in summer to visit other places of interest in Guimaras such as:

Guisi Lighthouse

Ava Maria Islet

Guisi Beach

Tatlong Pulo Beach

Balaan Bukid

Roca Encantada

Turtle Island

Villa Igang Beach

Buho Ramirez Cave

Sad-Sad Falls

Thanks to Ms. Rowena Amancio, Cai Dominguez and the whole staff of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort for welcoming me like family. See you soon and keep in touch.

Selfie with Ms. Rowena Amancio, owner of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort in Guimaras.

We have got only one life. Never stop exploring the world one island at a time. Signing out for now. Peace!

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"Just shout it to the universe and the universe will realign and conspire to make it happen." By the sea, I just did the other day with all my heart. And, last night it came out of nowhere. Thank you, Lord. #natureseyeresort #guimaras #itsmorefuninthephilippines #travelbloggers #travelblogger #travelblog #travelph #travelphotography #travelphotos #pinoywanderer #wanderer #wanderlust #globetrotter #asianwanderlust #Philippines #digitalnomads #diginomads #pinasmuna #online #content #creator #island #tripod #thesecret

A post shared by Joel Jaws Andrada (@joeljawsandrada) on Aug 15, 2018 at 6:16pm PDT

  ESCAPE TO THIS NO. 1 RESORT IN GUIMARAS | NATURE’S EYE BEACH RESORT The first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear the word "Guimaras" is mangoes. Guimaras Mangoes are dubbed as the world's sweetest fruit.

[jamesandanna12]

Pincher Creek (Alberta) to Fairbanks (Alaska) - 18-26 Aug 2017

Our plan from Pincher Creek was simple. We would ride 1,100km north through the Rockies in Alberta until we reached the town of Dawson Creek in British Colombia. Dawson Creek was the start of the Alaska-Canada highway (generally known as the Alcan) which runs a further 2,300km through the Yukon to Delta Junction in Alaska.  We faced a lot of riding ahead - we were still on a mission to beat the Alaskan winter.

The wind wasn't as bad as the previous day and riding was great.

Having camped quite a bit in the previous week, we were hoping for a comfy motel on our first night after leaving Pincher Creek.  We were tired. It was not to be... In fact we ended up having our single longest riding day of the trip so far - 625km!!  We also saw some amazing scenery.

Our route took us through beautiful countryside to the ski resorts of Banff and Lake Louise. 

We reached Lake Louise late on Saturday afternoon and hoped to find accomodation there.  No chance! It was a weekend in mid-August - everywhere was packed with Canadian families on their summer vacation.  There was nowhere to park - even for our two small bikes! We squished them beside a small car and went in for a coffee. 

After a quick googling of accommodation nearby it quickly became obvious that we would not be staying in Lake Louise 😕 In mid-August, there was still daylight until 9pm, so we decided to ride on to Jasper, another ski resort, which we hoped would be quieter.  It was a further 232 km which we hadn't planned to ride until the following day... And it was already 5.30pm! We were tired but had to keep going... 😕 

The ride from Lake Louise to Jasper turned out to be truly spectacular. The road is known as the Icefield Parkway - huge mountains interspersed with glaciers.  It was stunning.

We saw incredible glaciers! The sun was gone and it was freezing cold! We couldn't stop for long to admire these gorgeous views as we had to get to Jasper. We stopped to take some photos but we were frozen! 

The light was disappearing fast and we still had a bit to go! The distances between any civilisation in this part of the world are vast!

And then we saw a big group of elk 😀 

We had to stop! 😉

After the endless photo opportunities of the Icefield Parkway and the unexpected sighting of elk, it was dusk when we arrived in Jasper. EVERY hotel was full.  Riding in darkness, we backtracked 5km to a campsite we had passed on the way in to town.  Luckily we got the very last spot, and pitched our tent under the headlights of the bikes! 😱 We were so cold! And hungry! We had some sachets of instant soup that we carry as emergency food so James boiled water in pitch darkness only to discover that the soup was out of date - it tasted foul so we didn't eat it. We were still frozen. We weren't planning on camping so had no food with us apart from a couple of granola bars and a chocolate... So that was our dinner. We were absolutely shattered but it had been an amazing day's ride! 😍

In the morning we finally saw where we pitched our tent - it wasn't half bad. 

From Jasper, it was another long ride the following day to the town of Grande Prairie in northern Alberta.  We were definitely in oil country - most of the traffic in this remote area was oil-related.

It was very cold!

Although very cold, we were enjoying the riding. The scenery was gorgeous. 

Every now and then, it would threaten to pour rain but we somehow managed to avoid getting completely soaked. 

The roads were lovely and straight. All there was in that part of the world was trees - both in nature and on trucks. 

We managed to find a very basic motel in Grande Prarie, definitely a "one-nighter" (both the motel and the town!!). James hated the place. 

Yet another long ride the next day to Dawson Creek, the start of the Alcan highway. 

After a few photos it was on to Fort Nelson in northern British Columbia, through the wonderfully named settlements of Buckinghorse River and Sikanni Chief. 

We rode mainly through wilderness.  It was beautiful! 

There were a few roadworks delaying us 20-30 minutes at the time but we didn't mind it too much. 

The roads were wonderfully straight and empty!

Fort Nelson was merely a small settlement along the Alcan to provide gas, food and accommodation for passing travellers. We found a very nice and inexpensive motel - it was warm and cozy. We were happy! 

We went for a quick walk around Fort Nelson and took photos of the "most picturesque" places: 

And the best of all.... Dolly's corner!! 😂😂😂

As there was really no reason to linger in any of these settlements, it was another long ride the following day to the town of Watson Lake in the Yukon.  We were now a long way north.  The skies were no longer blue and sunny all the time.  We often went 15-20 minutes before seeing another vehicle.   Mostly those vehicles were all travelling the opposite way to us .... leaving Alaska to travel south.  We were pretty much the only travellers going in the other direction.  Obviously the tourist season in Alaska was drawing to a close ........ and we had yet to arrive!!

The skies were deceptively clear - it was very cold!!

We were enjoying the remoteness of this part of Canada very much! 

We started seeing beautiful wildlife! 

First.... Longhorn sheep! 

We rode for ten miles or so..... 

And an elk ran past! 😁

We got to the next settlement - it was time for petrol and a bite to eat. 

James sorted out petrol..... 

Whilst I figured out what's for lunch (piping hot chilli)! 😉 For once it was hot outside - happy days! 😍

After lunch we kept going. It was getting cold and we had to wear all our layers again 😕

We saw more longhorn sheep - this time they came right towards us! 😁

It was quiet and peaceful - we loved it! The scenery and wildlife were fabulous! 

And then we saw a black bear!!!!! Oh my God! What an excitement to see one as you ride past! 😍😁😍

We were lucky to watch the bear for a few minutes before it ran away. What a treat! We rode on and before too long.....

We saw a bison run across the road!! 

We followed it until we reached his friends - lots and lots of them! 

We arrived in Watson Lake not long before sunset - the town looked very unmemorable! We started looking for a hotel.... Most places were full and the couple that weren't, were absolutely filthy! I should have taken a photo! Horrible places! 😨

It would be another night camping for us.... After a long day we couldn't bring ourselves to stay in a dirty dump so we decided that although cold, our tent would be a better bet. 

The local campsite was 9km out of town in a forest, 5km down a gravel track from the paved road. We pitched our tent just before it got dark. It was too dark to cook so we had some granola bars and went to sleep...  We don't do anything the easy way! 

It was another early start the following morning for the long ride to Whitehorse, the largest town in the Yukon with a population of only 22,000 people.  We decided to ride back to Watson Lake to find breakfast. 

We stopped at the famous "Signpost forest" ☺

We had a bit of breakfast and set off for Whitehorse. 

It was yet another memorable day's riding.  Stunning mountains, remote lakes, wild animals (including black bears) and devoid of people/buildings.  We will remember these days of riding for a very long time.

We were wearing all our layers including two pairs of long johns beneath our bike trousers... Yet we were frozen! 

We stopped for petrol and a bite to eat. 

The little restaurant served lovely hot soup with cheesy bread rolls - yummy!! 

The soup really heated us up so we set off warm... Only to be frozen again within minutes 😉

By late afternoon, as we approached Whitehouse, the weather deteriorated. The temperature plummeted and we rode into town through a deluge of icy rain. We were a long way from the heat and humidity of Miami only a month earlier!

We were very pleased to reach our warm, dry motel, and to discover that Whitehorse was a charming little town. We really enjoyed walking around despite the rain. The town had several chic little cafes and a lovely restaurant for supper.  After our hard days on the road, the little comforts were welcome. 

Supper was a bison burger with fries - yum! 😉

As ever it was back on the road early the following morning.  It was to be a short day of only 170km to the tiny settlement of Haines Junction, Yukon, setting up the final push to the Alaska border the following day.

 The roads were beautiful and empty. 

We got to Haines Junction and rode around to check the hotel situation. Most places were full but we found a comfortable motel for the night. 

 The views from the motel were lovely!

And, to our amazement, we found a village coffee shop! 😀

We had a restful afternoon in a truly stunning setting.  

We went into the visitor centre just before they closed and learnt a little about the history of the indigenous people - fascinating!

There was only one place "in town" to get food - 1016 pub. 

The menu choices were burgers with fries or burgers with soup. Burgers it was that night 😉

It was an early start again the next morning......... via the village coffee shop. Thank God for good coffee! 😉  It was freezing cold but incredibly atmospheric! 

Today we were heading for the tiny town of Tok in Alaska.  On the way,  we would pass through the US border.  I (Anna) was a bit emotional knowing that we would finally make it to Alaska! It's been a long journey to get here .... We've enjoyed every bit but  for the last month, had to rush and ride pretty much every day. We were tired..... But so excited to finally arrive in Alaska!!!! 

Riding was fantastic! 

We were frozen with the wind chill whilst on the bikes.... There was nowhere to stop for miles and miles until we reached a sign for a bakery! 

We pulled up and the lights were on! ☺

They had some pastries but more importantly, they served hot soup! 

We waited in the cozy dining room trying to warm up. My hands were shaking from the cold! 

Our food arrived quickly - yummy spicy pumpkin soup! 

Warmed up, it was time to get back on the bikes. We rode for 10 miles or so and saw two lovely bears in the distance!! 😍

It was a beautiful day and we were getting very close to Alaska! 

And then we got to the border! 

After a quick chat with the border officials we were in Alaska!!! 

Oh my God! We were delighted!! 😁😁😁

We were delighted with ourselves! Having ridden over 8,000km from Miami in little more than a month, we were delighted to reach this landmark.  We felt huge sense of pride and accomplishment! A year ago I wasn't even able to ride a scooter!! 😂

The riding was yet more desolate beauty.  

There really was nothing in Tok Alaska.  It was another staging post of gas, food and accommodation for travellers. We found a nice campsite and pitched our tent. 

We went out for a quick walk around Tok. The skies were threatening!! 

After our quick walk around Tok we headed to the only restaurant for a well deserved cold beer and dinner. We ran for the last twenty metres or so as the heavens opened!  

Sadly it poured rain all night and continued the following morning.  We broke camp in a deluge and hit the road soaked before we started.  It was still late August but there was nothing summer-like about the Alaskan weather. 

James looks pretty soaked even before we packed up! 

On leaving Tok, our route would take us through the crossroads of Delta Junction (the end of the Alcan highway!) and on to Fairbanks, Alaska where we hoped to rest up for a couple of days. 

The rain wasn't stopping and it was unbelievably cold! The riding was great though. 

After a couple of hours riding, we didn't have too far to go - Fairbanks Alaska was just 95km away! We would of course go there via the town of North Pole! 😉

We rode on for a few miles and were treated to a lovely sight of several moose grazing in the marsh! We watched them for an hour or so! 😊

We decided to leave the pretty moose behind as we were frozen, as always. The views were so impressive that we had to keep stopping! 😉 

We got to North Pole - Santa's house!! 😉

Kitsch beyond belief! 😉

But the signs were quite cool 😁

As soon as we left North Pole it started raining.  As was by now becoming a daily occurrence, we arrived in Fairbanks in a deluge.  Given that we were soaked at the start of the day when we left Tok, the weather was really playing with us. We booked a guesthouse for a few days in Fairbanks.  We found it easily and were greeted by John, our friendly, if slightly eccentric, host. 

The guesthouse was very oldie worldie but clean, cozy and most importantly, warm! 

We quickly settled in to our comfortable quarters and set about drying all of our sodden riding and camping gear.  We were looking forward to a couple of lazy days........... with no riding! 😉

[starlightchild6]

Shattered (Part 11 of ??)

I didn’t want to wait to post this part any longer. It was incredibly exhausting to write, way more so than I expected. Also I think it’s the longest part I’ve written to date. I think that’s because I wanted to avoid the mob with pitchforks if I cut this off in the middle. This is the last of the heavy parts for now. As always, please wait to read if you’re in a bad spot right now, and PLEASE text the Crisis Help Line at 741-741 if you need help. They’re available 24/7.

Missed a part? You can catch up here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

The bad part about owning a house? Yard work. I spend most every Saturday working on some task that needs to be done. Today, it’s mowing. That takes most of the morning before it’s finished.

Just as I cut off the mower’s engine, Drew pulls up in the drive. “You look like you’re having fun.” He grins.

“Piss off. You could have came over earlier and helped.” I toss my sweat soaked towel at him.

“Hey! Now is that any way to greet the guy who brought over pizza for an epic gaming session?” Drew opens the backseat door to reveal 3 large pizzas, still warm. I laugh as we head into the house.

“I suppose that’s an acceptable bribe to get out of yard work.” I grin as he sets the boxes down on the dining table.

“Hells yeah. You gonna dig in?” Drew’s already opened the first box and is carefully separating a piece.

“Yeah, let me just go get Star. She didn’t eat breakfast. Hopefully, this might tempt her appetite.” I murmur before heading up the steps.

“Starlight? You busy? Come eat lunch, babe.” I knock on her slightly ajar door, peeking in as it slowly drifts open. No sign of her. Just a half finished sketch on the floor.

Wait… is that…? “Star? You okay? Can I come in?” No answer.

I push the door open further. “Babe, I’m coming in. I need to make sure you’re… Shit! DREW!”

Oh God… the sight of her body crumpled there on the floor is one that will never leave me. I scramble to her side, kneeling down beside her and checking for a pulse immediately. It’s faint… but it’s there at least.

Heavy pounding up the stairs alerts me to Drew’s presence. “What’s wro… damn it!” Drew yells as he catches sight of Starlight. “I’m calling 911.” He yanks his phone out of his pocket and starts dialing.

“Go grab some towels,” I order him. “We’ve got to try to stop the bleeding.” He nods and dashes to the bathroom, already relaying info to the operator. “I need you to talk to me, okay Star?” I move to roll her over only for her to weakly try to push me away. She mumbles something I can’t catch before letting her arms fall back down.

“Stay with me, babe.” I murmur, brushing her hair out of her face. “You’ve gotta fight. For me. Please.” Drew brings me two towels and I wrap them around her arms as tight as possible, holding them in place even as she tries to pull away from my grasp.

Drew kneels down beside me, checking her pulse as well before relaying info to the operator. “ She’s conscious but very lethargic. We’ve got her arms wrapped and pressure applied. How long before the ambulance gets here?” He covers the phone and tells me the medics are about 10 minutes out. I just nod, keeping my gaze on her face.

Before I know it, the paramedics are rushing into the room and taking over her care. They have her on a stretcher with IVs started in seconds. I can’t focus on anything but her pale face. What could have happened to make her do this? For her to lose so much hope?

I watch as they take her down to the waiting ambulance, following close behind. Drew places a hand on my shoulder. “They’re taking her to St. Luke’s.” He hands me my phone. “Go with her. I’ll take care of things here and meet you as soon as I can.” I nod and watch as they load her in.

“Can I ride with her? Please?” I beg one of the paramedics. “I need to be there…” Something on my face must have convinced him because he motioned for me to climb in, jumping in after me and slamming the door. I settle in a jump seat out of the way and watch as the medics stabilize her en route to the hospital.

God, she’s so pale.

I don’t understand. How could I have missed the signs? I know she’s struggled with this in the past, but I thought everything was okay. Was it just an accident? Or was she trying to take her own life?

“Sir? Sir?” I jerk, breaking free from my thoughts and look over at the medic trying to gain my attention.

“Y... yes?” I swallow, wiping my palms on my jeans.

“I need some info from you to help your friend, okay?” I nod. “Do you know what happened?”

“Not really. I found her on the floor of her room with… like that. I couldn’t really wake her up, so I wrapped her arms to try to slow the bleeding down and give you guys a chance to get there and help her.” I scrub my face with my hand. “Is she going to be okay?”

“She’s stable for now. We’ve got the bleeding under control until the doctors can stitch her up.”

“Will she need a transfusion? I can donate.” My focus drifts to her still form. I can’t help but brush more hair out of her face.

“I will let her doctor know that when we arrive.” The medic watches us for a second. “Are you two... close?”

“Yeah... she’s my best friend..." I close my eyes. “She has to be okay. I can’t...” I won’t cry. I won’t cry. I have to be strong. For Starlight.

We’re at the hospital within minutes, the paramedics unloading her and relaying info to the doctors taking over her care. I follow her as long as I can before a nurse stops me. “I’m sorry, sir. You can’t come back here.” She’s kind about it at least. “The waiting room is right over here.” She shows me into a small room filled with chairs and promises to come get me as soon as she has an update.

I collapse in a chair against the wall, unable to stop the tears from falling any longer. Damn it! Why is this happening? I should’ve checked on her before lunch. Or got her to come outside with me. Or... something. Anything. If she...

No. No. I’m not going to think about that. She’s strong. She’s a fighter. She’ll be okay... she has to be okay. If I lose her... I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t imagine living in that house without her now. I can’t imagine my life without her. I don’t want to imagine a life without her.

I don’t know when Drew, Katie, and the rest of the group showed up. I only know that they did. Katie sits beside me, rubbing my shoulder. Drew holds Emma in his arms as she cries into his chest. Jess stares off into space, I think she might be praying, but I never hear her speak a word. We’re too afraid to voice what we’re all thinking.

How did we miss the signs?

Why did she resort to this?

What if she doesn’t survive?

Someone clears his throat. “Family of Lillian Black?” We all stand up in a huddle, finding a doctor clad in scrubs watching us.

“How… how is she, Doctor?” I ask, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “Is she…?”

“I’m Dr. Alexander. She’s stable. We managed to stop the bleeding and suture the lacerations.” She tells us. “We’re going to want to keep her for a few days for observation just in case.”

“Can we see her?” Katie pipes up before I can ask. “Please?”

Dr. Alexander nods. “You can. Follow me.” She turns and leads us down the hall, showing us into a room with dimmed lights.

We all stop short as we see Starlight propped up on the bed. She looks so weak, laying there hooked to monitors and IVs. Both her forearms are wrapped in bandages. How close did we come to losing her?

I’m the first to head to her side. I carefully stroke her hair, needing the touch to reassure myself that she’s still here. ‘Babe, you awake?” I murmur as everyone else gathers around her bed.

Her eyes flutter open as she looks up at me. “Hi.” she whispers.

“Hi.” I try to smile but only succeed in letting a few tears drip down my cheek. I can’t take my eyes off of her. She’s here. She’s alive. All I want to do is wrap her in my arms and never let her go.

“You gave us quite a scare,” Drew says, making her turn to look at him. “I was so worried we wouldn’t get you help in time.” He’s still got an arm wrapped around Emma, who’s clinging to him like a lifeline.

“Get me help?” Starlight echoes.

Drew nods. “You, um, you cut your arms pretty badly tonight. Deep enough that we had to get you emergency help.” He indicates the bandages.

She doesn’t say anything but looks down at her hands, picking at her cuticles.

“Why, Lils?” Katie asks, voice wavering. “What happened? Why didn’t you tell us you felt like this again?” She’s on the edge of tears herself and Ben moves to her side, hugging her gently.

“I’m sorry!” Starlight wails. She’s becoming genuinely distressed at this point, shrinking into herself as much as she can. The noise brings a nurse in to check on her.

“I think it’s time to let her get some rest.” The nurse tells us gently. We all agree, and one by one, everyone hugs her before slipping out of the room. I’m the last one left.

“Can I stay with her?” I plead, my voice cracking. The nurse glances from me to Starlight before nodding and leaving us.

I perch on the edge of her bed and take her hand in one of mine. “Babe, what happened to set this off?” I ask, my eyes begging her to tell me.

She sighs. “I ran into Darren when we were out dress shopping last week. He said some stuff and I…” She breaks off mid-sentence as her eyes fill with tears.

“Shh, shh. It’s okay.” I reach to wipe her tears away with my free hand. “I’m right here.”

“I’m sorry!” She cries. “I just felt so much like a burden, and that I was pulling everyone down with me.”

“Never,” I promise her. “You’re never a burden to me. And you never will be.” I rub my thumb over her knuckles.

“How do you know that?” She asks. “How do you know you won’t change your mind?”

“I won’t. I’m always going to be there for you.”

“You can’t promise something like that!” She pulls her hand away from mine. “Look at me! I’m useless!” She slumps back against the pillows. “Why would you even try to save me? I’m not worth it.”

“Because I love you, damn it!” I blurt out.

She freezes, before breaking into laughter that quickly turns into tears. “I must be dead. There’s no way this is happening.” Her eyes radiate the pain she feels, and my heart breaks more. “You can’t love me. It’s not possible.”

“Oh yeah?” I challenge her before leaning in to capture her lips with my own, pouring everything I feel into a gentle kiss. She stiffens in shock for a second before sliding her arm around my neck to pull me closer. It felt like it lasted forever and yet all too soon, we pull apart.

“Do you believe me now?” I rest my forehead against hers and watch her eyes frantically search mine, for what I have no clue.

“Are you sure I’m not dreaming this?” She asks hesitantly, and I shake my head.

“Very sure. It wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to tell you but screw it. It’s out there now.” My heart is pounding as I ask the next part. “Do you think you might feel the same?”

She’s silent for a bit, watching me. Fuck. I’ve screwed up now. I move to pull away, but she refuses to let me. “I….” she starts, before faltering.

“It’s okay,” I reassure her, feeling my heart sink. “You don’t have to say anything.” I look down at my feet.

“No, Jeremy…” She whispers softly. “I… I love you too.”

I jerk my head up, not believing my ears. Did she just… well, damn. “Yeah?” She nods. I smile before leaning in to kiss her again.

When we separate again, I gently trace a finger down the gauze wrapped around one arm. “Babe, what brought you to this point? What happened that affected you this badly? That you thought you had no other choice?”

“He… he said I was a slut and an attention whore… that no one cared about me unless I did something for them... That I should go ahead and just…” she sighs. “Kill myself so no one would have to deal with me any longer.” Her voice hitches. “That I’d be doing the world a favor.”

“Oh baby, c’mere.” I pull her into my arms as she sobs, holding her close. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t.” She mumbles. “Was afraid he was right after all.”

“No, baby.” I lift her chin to meet my gaze. “He’s wrong. So wrong.” I take a deep breath before continuing. “When I found you laying there, my heart stopped. I was so scared.” My voice cracks. “I thought I had lost you… it shattered me. I can’t…” I have to stop to choke back tears.

“I don’t care what’s going on, even if it seems like the most trivial thing on the planet, You can always come talk to me. No matter what. Just, please… no more of this, okay?” I cradle her arm in my hand, bending down to press a gentle kiss on her bandages. “Promise me.”

“Promise.” She yawns. “Will… will you stay with me?” I smile and shift to lean against the pillows with her still cradled to my chest. We’re probably breaking a hundred hospital rules, but right now, I could care less. I press another kiss to her forehead before murmuring in her ear.

“Always.”

[youmeandwinona-blog]

We apologize for the delay in posting; it has been a busy (in a good way) last couple of days.

Jess has just notified me that she does not apologize.

On Wednesday, February 22, we spent the day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure using our full day two-park pass. For those of you who are not familiar, these are essentially two separate parks. Universal Studios is known for its classic movies and shows like the Simpsons, Shrek, and Revenge of the Mummy, while Islands of Adventure has more of the epic sagas like the Marvel storylines, Jurassic Park and King Kong. Both of them have children’s sections but overall, Islands of Adventure is more teen-friendly while Universal is more family-friendly. 

Recently, Harry Potter world was introduced and eventually placed in both parks. They are connected by the Hogwarts Express in order to get people to pay for both parks! ;)

Anyways, it called for rain for most of the day so we figured that there would be less people. I am also quite scared of roller coasters but Jess and I spent the previous evening preparing me with Youtube videos of the rides and a route that started with light attractions that got more and more intense.

The main three big rides we were building up to were:

3. Rip Ride Rockit (Universal) - big drop, lots of twists

2. Dragon Challenge (Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure) - two rollercoasters side by side, very twisty and upside down most of the time

1. Hulk (Marvel, Islands of Adventure) - very powerful, fast, many loops

9:00 AM

We got there early to avoid any line-ups; although, as we expected, there were none. Our game plan was to start in the Islands of Adventure section of Harry Potter World when it was less busy, take the express to Universal, where the rides are less intense, and then train back over to Islands of Adventure and do the two big rides (amongst other things, of course). 

Walking into Harry Potter world was unbelievable; the castle was so well done and all of the rooftops were covered in snow with Ollivanders, Honeydukes, and other adorable little stores amongst the rides.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Jess remembered that this ride had a really long line in the past so by speed-walking across Islands of Adventure, we weren’t in line for more than 10 minutes. The storyline behind this 4D was that Harry, Ron, Hermione and the gang urged us to skip class to see a Quidditch match. But, things went awry went they realized that the dragon was on the loose. During the ride, we were strapped in and experienced flying around Hogwarts, the Quidditch field, and running away from the dragon.

Hogwarts Express

The train took us from Hogsmeade Station to Diagon Alley. In a way, this was its own little ride because it too had a story. In a train compartment with 4 other people, we witnessed the trip from Hogwarts to London’s dark alleys within King’s Cross station. The window was really a TV screen showing us the forest, Hagrid following us on his flying motor bike and the scenery leading up to the city. The doors to our booth were also TV screens; we could see the shadows of Harry, Ron and Hermione talking to the confectionary lady as the chocolate frogs they’d purchased also hopped along the sliding door to our compartment.

Exiting from King’s Cross into Universal Studios, we had to find the rest of Harry Potter world (because Diagon Alley is hidden from the muggles)! You can see how realistic (or magical) both renditions of Harry Potter World were from the pictures we posted earlier. 

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott’s

This was probably the longest line we waited in for the whole day - only 30 minutes! It’s a new ride so this is expected. Also 4D, this ride had a similar story only this time we were taking a tour of the vault, but the gang was breaking into the vault (like they did in the seventh movie). There was a dragon. Shocker. Plus, Voldemort also made his appearance. Jess was happy that I liked these rides so far. When we exited the ride, the rain had started.

So, we booked it to...

Revenge of the Mummy

Jess had loved this ride when she was a kid apparently, so I had a good feeling going in. I knew that this ride had a drop somewhere in it, but I didn’t know what to expect. This ride was completely in the dark and surprisingly short. It was very obviously based on the movie. There were a couple parts where we were going backwards, and there were a couple of drops, but I loved it in the end! (And, Jess did too of course.)

We went to check out the Rockit as our next ride, but it was closed due to the rain.

The Simpsons

This ride had a lot of TV’s showing old episodes the whole time, so our 25 minute wait was a breeze. The premise of this ride (which was stationary and mainly the 4D experience) was that we forget who was out to destroy the rollercoaster we had just boarded and Homer was trying to save us. But in the end, Maggie saved the day and we won’t tell you how. :) 

For some reason I ended up feeling quite nauseous after this one, most likely from all the jolts and the extreme drops in the movie we watched. But, it was lunch time so I had to power through.

12:00 PM

Krusty’s Burgers

To pass the rain, Jess plowed through her pizza and I had a grilled chicken sandwich plus the carrots we had brought. 

Shrek 4D

To seek more refuge from the cold weather, we decided to partake in this show. Shrek, Fiona and Donkey try to hide from the ghost of Lord Farquaad but they face a couple of challenges along the way. This ride featured some spurts of water representing Donkey and/or Shrek’s spit and a lot of moving around in our seats!

I had now built up the courage to skip the third most intense ride (which was the Rockit) and go onto the Dragon Challenge back in Islands of Adventure.

Dragon Challenge

After another ride on the express, I got quite nervous about this rollercoaster! The wait time was only 5 minutes which did not give me any time to freak out before the ride (which was probably a good thing). So, after a (unnecessarily long) stroll to the front of the line, we sat in the blue dragon. 

Side note: This ride has a cool design; it is basically two dragons that ‘battle’ with each other. Jess told me its even cooler when they set off the dragons at the same time because there is one point in the ride where we can see their feet flying when we are upside down! 

Back to the ride.

After being strapped in with no escape, I tried to act all confident to make Jess think I was fine and also because we were sitting in a row with two young teenagers and didn’t want to embarrass myself. But I was not fine. The click click click of the rollercoaster felt as if each following click was slower than the last. When we got to the top, we twisted off to the side right away, and dropped HUGE. The rest of it was just a series of screaming, constant change of scenery between sky and ground, and catching my breath. 

But it was so much fun. 

So we did it again. This time, on the red dragon. Jess was so soososoosos proud of me!

We decided against the third time in a row because we were feeling quite woozy, so we went out to get some butterbeers that we were eyeing before.

The guy working the butterbeer stand didn’t seem to be enjoying himself at all. Which doesn’t make sense because what he was selling was soOO good. It basically was a caramel, vanilla and root beer slushie that was smooth and frozen through-out; no extra ice at the end. Even though we were dripping wet from the rain and freezing from the wind, it was perfect. 

3:00 PM

Poseidon’s Fury

Next, we decided to slow things down by attending a show. Here, in a room full of other tourists, the host was an archeologist named Taylor who told us that the professor he worked with would be back shortly! He told us about the room we were in, and excavating, and how it was Poseidon’s chamber. I don’t recall the full story, but Taylor had gotten us into a pickle and also got us out by helping Poseidon fight his fiery counterpart - the evil Lord Darkenon - by finding his long lost trident. We walked through a spinning water tunnel to see the crazy finale where Poseidon and Darkenon fight with fire and water explosions! 

After this, we walked back around through Harry Potter world to access the rest of Islands of Adventures. Along the way, we picked up some treats from Honeydukes: a lollipop and some fudge! To get to our next ride, we passed by Jurassic Park to get to...

Skull Island: Reign of King Kong

There was basically no wait here either! The ride involved our sitting in a safari truck throughout the rainforest. Unfortunately, Jess and I were seated in the front seat right in front of a canvas. This was because the driver’s cabin was right in front of us. It was difficult to move our heads left and right to see all of the action! The 4D part of it was cool though; King Kong fought off a bunch of dangerous dinosaurs to save our lot of helpless humans!

We walked through Toon Island, where we decided against all the water rides because it was already freezing outside, and made it to the final Marvel section.

4:30 PM

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

This was my favourite ride! Here, you are journalists meant to take pictures of Spiderman’s victory in stopping Dr. Octopus and his accomplices from stealing the Statue of Liberty. The makers of the ride did a very good job of keeping Spiderman’s story true to the comics and less about the movie; it was also very interactive.  

The last big ride we were going to do, the Hulk, was also closed which was a bummer because I got really excited after my successful experience with the other rides.

That concludes the end of our trip to Universal + Islands of Adventure! We walked the way back to our car and then spent an hour in traffic.

6:15 PM

Once we got home, Jess napped, I made dinner and then I got her started on Are You The One. It is a really good-but-bad MTV reality TV show, as well as my guilty pleasure.

- Maria

[theelectricfilmdiary]

We spent two glorious days walking the streets of Paris, and despite the constant rain it was amazing. Nine hours was spent on a bus travelling from London to Paris – via the channel tunnel aka chunnel, which was kinda freaky: locked inside a bus, in a large train, in a tunnel, under the sea for 40 minutes …..still gives me the shivers!

When we arrived in Paris, it was dusk and we made the decision to avoid the trains, busses and wrong turns (not to mention the arguments where we blame each other for being lost) and caught an Uber to our accommodation. We got lucky with a driver who had spent three years in the states learning english and we chatted away with him about Paris. He told us a bit about the local culture and the goings on with the numerous recent terror attacks. Feeling slightly more educated we were dropped at our gorgeous lil’ apartment in the 4th Arrondissement. The apartment was super cute; small and cosy but had everything you could need and was a perfect haven to return to each day. It was about 8:30pm by the time we arrived and unpacked so we walked to a nearby supermarket and stocked up on cheese, baguettes (of course), olives and cured meats as well as an AMAZING bottle of red wine, and watched… French Kiss! I know, cliché, but it’s so funny. Well sated we then fell into bed.

Morning arrived (11th Jan) and we got up, made a coffee and then departed for a day of site seeing. The first stop – a bakery where I had my first authentic French croissant – and holy fucking shit it was good – too good.  I’ve been ruined for life now!  The next stop was the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Sounds a bit morbid and weird that we would visit a cemetery, BUT there are a tonne of famous musicians and writers (as well as a host of others) buried there and it has become a bit of a tourist attraction in its own right. The first grave stop was that of the one and only Jim Morrison of The Doors. The grave was sectioned off because unfortunately some extreme fans are partial to theft (headstones) and there is one recorded incident where a group of students dug two meters down in the hopes of recovering his hallowed bones before being caught. There are now a couple of hidden cameras recording the grave site visitors. Weird. The next stop was Edith Piaf, an extraordinary French singer who I absolutely love. We also tried to find Oscar Wilde’s grave site, but after searching for about 20 minutes we gave up – more to see in Paris aside from graves anyway…

James, as per usual, needed to pee so we stopped in a cafe and ordered one of the days many espressos so we could use the luxury bathroom facilities (luxury at this point is anything that doesn’t have pee –  or worse – on the floor/toilet seat/walls etc and also provides the most basic of amenities – toilet paper and hand wash).  The coffee of course was better than most we had tried throughout this entire trip – and soo much cheaper than the ones we had in London, Denmark etc – though you have to drink it at the bar, otherwise you pay more for the pleasure of your seat.

From the cafe warmth we strolled the streets until we reached a market selling produce, clothing and nick nacks. The food – OH MY GOD – each vendor (fish mongers, bakery/patisserie’s, fruit and vege, fromagerie (cheese), butchers, Pate and terrines (yes a stall just for them), jams and sauces, olives, flowers, everything you could imagine) had their wares displayed so beautifully – it was art itself. Every part of it was quality too. We came across a stall selling hot food for lunch, french stews, chicken, beef – all doused in amazing gravies and sauces. We had been told that street/market food in France is amazing and that you should try it if presented with the option, so Jim ordered up the vegetable stew with couscous…. SOOO GOOD. We stood on a side street digging in while the rain sprinkled down, and a passer-by commented “bon appetite” – no shit a Frenchman actually said that haha.

We walked along the River Seine admiring the beauty of the Parisian buildings and architecture until we hit the Notre-Dame de Paris – not before being harassed by a few wandering gypsy types trying to scam money out of us. We declined and were promptly sworn at… ahh Paris. The cathedral was beautiful, the front arches ornately decorated with hundreds of carvings, and the inside… dark, brooding, and the stained glass windows shone down a multitude of colours and images. The entry was free also which was great for us backpacking on a budget. After spending about an hour in the cathedral we walked outside to the Point Zero des Routes de France square in front of its big doors and watched people scaring flocks of pigeons into the sky – James of course had a go and leapt/skipped through them like an overgrown, semi-bearded child. Great photos.

From there, another pee stop for James and another espresso – seriously half of the conversations this trip have been based around his bathroom requirements… to which he blames the cold… rather than the two gallons of water he consumes each day. We walked the last hour of daylight home – our feet nearly bleeding stumps by this point – I actually have a bruise on my foot from walking so much. I ran back down to the supermarket and got more bread and cheese, salmon, beans and their rotisserie chicken and potatoes. Perfect dinner to finish the day – We sat in front of the laptop and watched something… so tired I can’t remember!

The morning of the 12th, we were up and out of the unit – this time the agenda was Paris Catacombs, Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe…. Not seeing the Louvre this time unfortunately… we have done so many museums and galleries over the past weeks that we were more keen on seeing the behemoth-monument side of things. Croissant and espresso breakfast was consumed and we walked our way to the nearest metro station where we caught the train to the catacombs. GUESS WHAT?!? They were closed… only through January of course. Apparently we chose a particularly good time of the year to travel. Every city seems to do their renovations just after Christmas. Makes sense really…

So. Rather than getting back on the train we decided to walk… feet be damned… to the Eiffel Tower (we had noticed it towering away in the distance). On the way through some side streets we passed a store which only sold art and books by one of Jim’s favourite artists  – Jean Giraud, aka MOEBIUS. He’s a French comic book artist who creates really bizarre, colourful, other worldly scenes. Kind of futuristic/sci-fi as well. He also inspired the look of the film The Fifth Element. We walked in and looked through all the amazing prints while chatting to the store manager. Before leaving, we bought a poster print as well as a signed print of one of the artists comic book pieces from Blueberry, which is his longest running comic book and is set in the wild west. Moebius died in 2012 so it was pretty cool that Jim got to visit his only store and get something signed by him.

On to the Eiffel Tower – not before yet another bathroom stop… then we were queuing up for security searches, and tickets before being bundled into a small room sized elevator with a hundred other tourists and slowly ascending to the second level of the tower – The third and top most floor was closed… I know… big surprise aye! The view was great though, despite the rain and clouds covering the sky, you could still see a surprising amount of Paris. It was fecking cold. We held out as long as we could taking pictures and looking around before getting friendly with more strangers in yet another elevator. We could have taken the stairs but as I mentioned earlier… our feet are bleeding stumps at this point.  Once back on the ground we walked the short distance over to the Arc de Triomphe, again it was surrounded by tourists. It is massive though, much bigger than we had imagined and is covered in colossal stone sculptures. Beautiful.

A train ride later and we were back on our side of town. A patisserie stop later… more croissants, a lemon tart, and mille feuille….healthy aye. We enjoyed our sugary treats with coffee back at our apartment as night closed in and rain started to pour rather than drizzle (for shizzle). The wind howled up and down our apartment alleyway and we munched away on scrambled eggs for dinner. The next day we were to be up, packed and catch a train to Orly airport for our flight to Lisbon, Portugal so a few movies later it was lights out.

The morning of the 13th of January flew by in a blur of coffee, meticulous packing, and train tickets. Before we knew it we were sitting in the departure lounge drinking Italian beer and prosecco. Paris was amazing, and we wished we had a few more days to explore… next time we return it will definitely be spring or summer. Winter was still great… it’s just a lot was closed and it was cold and raining most of the time which made getting around that bit more draining.

One thing I will mention to anyone planning to visit Paris, or any European city for that matter, is always watch where your walking… dog shit is plentiful, and Jim experienced a good caking a couple of times… hahaha

View from the Eiffel Tower

Dinner at the apartment – night two

Fontaine Saint Michel, Paris

View from the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower details

Inside Notre Dame de Paris

Arc de Triomphe details

Paris street art

Paris street details

Fontaine Saint Michel, Paris – Details

Paris street details

Arc de Triomphe details

Fontaine Saint Michel, Paris

Inside Notre Dame de Paris

Arc de Triomphe details

Moebius art shop

Sweet treats and coffee at the apartment

Railway overbridge, Paris

The Eiffel Tower

Inside Notre Dame de Paris

Paris

Arc de Triomphe

This is how our bakery treats came wrapped – so cute

Arc de Triomphe details

Paris, la ville de l’amour et merde de chien… We spent two glorious days walking the streets of Paris, and despite the constant rain it was amazing.