Five days later and ten pounds lighter. Who would have known that one could subsist on mashed potatoes and saltine crackers for so many endless days at sea. I read six books and slept for approximately 80% of the trip, trying to put my mind elsewhere aside from the up and down, topsy-turvy motion of the boat. From my small porthole in my stateroom (bedroom), I went from seeing 6 inches of water to 6 inches of sky, to 6 inches of water to 6 inches of sky….and if that isn’t enough to turn one’s stomach, just throw in the acrid [View Full Entry]

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'''Nothing on Tahiti is so majestic as what faces it across the bay, for there lies the island of Moorea. To describe it is impossible. It is a monument to the prodigal beauty of nature.''' - - JAMES MICHENER Moorea is, by far, the most gorgeous, peaceful and tantalizing island I have ever been lucky to visit. Following a three hour sail from Tahina marina, we sailed into Cook's Bay on Tuesday afternoon and anchored fifty meters off of Pao Pao, population two grocery stores and fifty dogs. Towering 900 meters to our right was Mt. Rotui, Mt.Tearai to our left; [View Full Entry]

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The bustling capital of Tahiti, Pape’ete is also known as the “basket of water,” our first, and not very accurate, glimpse into Polynesian life. No idea why it carries that nickname but I’m sure there is some island legend behind the idiom as there is with all other things here. The mountains have legends, the lagoons have legends; even the dances have legends behind them. I learned this vital information from my, “Facts for the Tahitian Tourist” data sheet I picked up at the visitor’s center (they had free bits of pineapple too!). FYI - there are no poisonous snakes or [View Full Entry]

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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain (Before you get too confused, these beautiful pictures of paradise are from my stop in the islands on my way home back in May. I'm a tad late in posting them but this farm girl has been a bit busy!) Seven months at home in the States. Seventeen hour work days, driving my rusty [View Full Entry]

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We were an hour late. The sun was setting behind insipid, lifeless hills, and a pale salmon glow highlighted the waters in our path. My partner formed a dim outline in front of me, his urgent, quirky paddle strokes creating fleeting shadows over my bare legs. The water was smooth and we maneuvered easily. The high tide came in over two hours ago, covering the abandoned estuaries and sandy playgrounds so enjoyed during the hours of low tide. These public hot spots teaming with running children and beached boats during the afternoon were now vacant and silent. We were alone. [View Full Entry]

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Wandering in the Sounds It's lightly sprinkling as the sun makes a final dip behind the surrounding green hills and tranquil ocean basins. The windows are speckled with streaks of warm, springtime showers, the panes fogged from the comforting warmth of the log fire by my toes. Beyond pale reflections of tiger orange luminosity lie the striking cradles and ridges of Charlotte Sound, a breathtaking and mystical oasis of hushed lagoons, bewitching, tropical fern forests and striking scenic vistas. Though the sullen weather has dimmed my chances of kayaking along the rocky ridges and shadowed beaches in search of the [View Full Entry]

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Airports are distracting. To avoid interruption of the sheep herding phenomenon, airports should be altered into concrete blocks consisting of no frills, fancies, or inflated monetary amusement. Case in point: when I should have been sprinting across the main terminal to retrieve my battered luggage from carousal number 2, I was cleverly tricked into trying on hot pink eye shadow, spritzing myself with free Dior perfume and sampling the three new flavors of Bailey's from the duty free counters. Those product placement marketers have been ingeniously trained! Therefore, it was almost a full hour later (while browsing through the Disneyland of [View Full Entry]

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Once upon a two day train trek, I wrote a small tale to tell. Sit back and listen as the story unfolds, of our true train adventure from "hell". A flight was just too much money. There was no road to follow by car. A train was the very last option for the distance to travel was far. Shanghai was our next destination. Two days by train it would be. "Let's do it," I said and our tickets we bought The decision? A mistake I'd soon see. Fourty whole hours to wistfully waste as we perch on hard planks of wood. [View Full Entry]

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Lijiang is an oasis for the burnt out backpacker. After six weeks of nonstop travel, endless bus rides, late nights on the town and early morning rushes to pack, rapid sightseeing tours and too much street food, we arrived weary and drained into Mama Naxi's Guesthouse for some much needed nurturing and mothering. Mama has a reputation around the inner travelling circles of China. Her name is whispered across pubs and communal rooms and her bent card is passed from hand to hand with declarations of affection and fond memories. Mama's cooking is an acclaimed ritual and grumbling tummies will [View Full Entry]

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We've officially done Hong Kong. We've climbed the 226 stairs to the top of Lantau's bronze Giant Buddha and grazed isle after infinite isle of claustrophobic market stalls; we've dined on spicy Cantonese yum cha and tasted the salty spray aboard the Star Ferry; we've strolled through the polished ambience of Louie Vuitton and gawked at luminous diamonds on display at Tiffany's. We traipsed down every naked alleyway and peered in all the clandestine nooks and crannies - - time in Hong Kong is winding down. The overcast gray skies seemed to taunt with smug, arrogant smirks, teasing that they alone [View Full Entry]

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