WendysWanderings

Fiji was previously known as the Cannibal isles. There are 332 islands in Fiji (106 inhabited) it is believed Fiji's indigenous people arrived from western Melanesia. So hungry were the sailors on arrival, that they turned on each other as food. Other theories are, that they preyed on each other for land rights and ultimate insult and domination. Fijian's today, have great pride in their history and have a wicked sense of humour, when one said to me "yum, vanilla skin, you taste like pork" I saw the playful glint in their eye but thought...thank goodness for kava!! Kava or Kava Kava drink, is rife amongst the locals and makes them into very "mellow fellows" It is an intoxicating drink with a tongue numbing effect with sedative and euphoric properties. It makes their day extremely relaxed ... read more

Man made canals are really smelly in low tide. Fish house factories are another pong to the area in the main waterways of Saigon. The combination of sewerage and waste, is especially offensive when the tide is low. Houses run along the bank, held up by stilts, are only 20 - 25 meters square with 4 - 7 members in each one. Many people have disease, dengi fever is high due to mosquitoes. Other pests are rodents, rats and cocroches. High tides come in the houses, it is always damp. Most Vietnamese cannot swim. They take ferries across the river for 25 cents. Helmets are a regulation on the ferry and children have a school in the Mekong Delta. Commuters take their motorcycles or bicycle transport across with them. Barges have two eyes because there are ... read more

When offered a motorbike ride from Adelaide, South Australia across the Nullarbor via Kalgoorlie to Perth, spontaneity is good :) I flew out to meet a friend who bought a new Harley Davidson Cruiser in Brisbane and riding it across the continent. Halfway, as novice passenger, seemed my better option of 2,745.5kms done in three days and three nights. The only condition was, to travel 'light' and I took one backpack, which was strapped to the back. There were lots of highlights along the way and one, I had a laugh at, was a laminated page of snake tips at the Nullarbor roadhouse in the room, warning of four different types to watch out for. I resisted looking under the bed! Kalgoorlie super pit was another highlight, the reaped tonnage and sheer depth and girth of ... read more

Los Angeles is more or less in the middle of Chile. Climate heading into Autumn is moderate and vey comfortable, the population approximately 160,000. A car trip of the external, showed public hospital, two German colleges, three cemeteries, military base, industrial area, resturant strip, company houses, government housing, airport, University, wood mills, shopping centers (Lider, similar to Walmart and Jumbo). In the centro, I walked past the Police station, many retail outlets, malls, banks, government agencies and a big plaza area, where people gather and enjoy timeout from the CBD. It's easy to navigate as City is in grid formation. People and structurs are compressed together, rich and poor. Social code is evident. Only a few blocks appart. Two interesting sounding towns also visited were Saltos del Laja (beautiful waterfall) and Mulchen where timber (blue gums ... read more

The manor houses/palaces of Punta Arenas are some of the first buildings built by brick in the late 1800s and early 19th century Golden Age. Along with other commercial institutions, banks and residences. It was the era od European immigration of cattle keeping, mining and wood production. All these buildings are located around the town square and the French style is notorious. We visited two of these majestic buildings and all the original floor surfaces, fabrics and furnishings, statues and attention to detail remain. Totally breath taking in beauty and regal.... read more