Evolution in the Spice Islands What a heavenly holiday!--making a pilgrimage to your mentor's home (a true hero), sharing lunch space with goats, having a waterfall in your upscale dining room and then being danced to sleep by fireflies. Amazing that the area around the caldera lake was a part of continental Australia only 6,000 years ago, and how prescient of the young to be planting trees in the lava! The magic of biology everywhere.
Diving Passion!!!!! Indeed...sail away from that safe harbor my friend. You do, you did, you will. Visions of the spice trade, false teeth shops are always nearby the betel nut. We always love a blog with a bit of history and a bit of adventure. Thanks for delivering. OMG, look out she's got a canon. Waiting for more..........
Thank you my friend! There was certainly no lack of adventure..we even found the boat named Adfenture in Ternate..it was one of those trips that just grew more epic every day. A very very special part of the world.
Amen sister! I live by that Mark Twain quote, or at least try to. After visiting Zanzibar's spicy island, I am spice obsessed! Thanks for the great blog mate.
You got it Andrea ;} Yes, a well known over used quote, but seeing the Duyfken was as much a part of this trip it seemed appropriate to use it. Except the Duyfken would never have got me there in time and people would be unhappy about a missing ship.
WOW As a long time Duyfken tragic your adventure to Ternate the last resting place of the Duyfken would have been quite sad.
But looks like you had a real good time.
Thank you Bob :) Trust me, I wished You, Gail, Andrew, Mirjiam Frank and Ellie and everyone could have been there - thought of you all standing up there.
Reaching life's necessary destinations T'was meant for you to be a pirate Cindy...to be a member of the crew of the replica Duyfken...to search for the grave of the original Little Dove. T'was meant to be...t'was an appropriate quest...t'was appropriate you fulfilled your destiny.
A Quest..now I like the sound of that..how piratey Thank you Dave, I often said throughout this trip that it felt like the ghost of Wallace was following me there and the Duyfken was daring me there. Sometimes, things come out of the blue and you never know until afterwards that you were given a call from destiny. And now, me hearty, I shall need a new quest..mm..let me think about that and get back to you. Or fate might take me on one. Thanks for your kind comments.
Rich treasure! Buried treasure, buried history, encountering the invisible grave of the original Little Dove (the European discoverer of your homeland) and being on the island that inspired Wallace that inspired Darwin and your uni studies. How wise that you threw off the bowlines and set sail on this rich course of discovery! I'll remember Ternate next time I eat cinnamon and clove.
Thank you Tara Lots more to come..this really ended up being an epic adventure. I dont think i will ever eat spices again without smelling Ternate. I guess its pretty geeky going in search of a bio geologist and looking at rocks but Wallace left an amazing if unrecognized legacy.
Wonderful Singapore and Wonderful Writing So glad that you were finally able to see one of my favourite cities in the world. People call it sterile but it ain't! So much energy around the food and shops - it is a lively city. Yes, Changi Terminal 3 is my vote for the best airport in the world - fish, butterflies, free cinema, free massage chairs and free wifi and the list goes on. This was a beautifully written blog - from start to finish you took us with you on a journey filled with evocative descriptions - superb!
You made it to Manila !!! Really nice blog about not so nice Manila. I would love to defend it, but I too tried to get out of the city and head to the islands every time I come back home.
Singapore! Glad you finally had a chance to visit, though 24 hours isn't nearly long enough. Singapore is one of my very favorite cities, and I go there mainly to eat! Mmm, crispy pork, Hainanese chicken, Buddha Hand pastries... I'm drooling already.
Salivating! OMG--those food forays, orchids and enchanted gardens have me dying to go to Asia! Since everyone has tattoos now, Singapore can't bar everyone who has one--you were just ahead of the times. Glad you had a fancy, fantasy holiday for a day there!
Heh Tam..I left that bit out :) Ah, yes, the vomiting. She does tend to rock and roll around a fair bit, so far I have yet to even feel like I am at sea, but I luckily seem to be pretty good when it comes to seasickness. Generally every voyage we have passengers and crew vomiting....if its getting too much for the passengers the captain will take her back inside fishing boat harbour.
We are sailing most wednesdays and sundays - if we are not sailing on a sunday I am there guiding - drop down so I can show the kids around :) be lovely to meet you.
Very nice Are you doing this regularly Cindy? so not just a once off? I went on the Luiwen when I was about 15 in high school and it was not a good memory...pretty much lots of vomiting :) There was no mention of that so i'm guessing your enjoying the sails!
Thank you all :) Its certainly been interesting changing to the other side in being a tour guide, I hope I do it well. Ive only ever been on a couple of tours so thought back to what I liked and found it was the passion of Rocky in Tahiti..I think passion is what sets a (hopefully) good tour guide apart. Ive also found genuine reward in volunteering.
Bob - Im glad Cook came along, im not a fan of clogs in the sand ;)
Tara - I forgot to post some pics of the cabin and the hold, the other thing about nightwatch - we sleep on bricks or timber because....hammocks werent known by Dutch then LOL!
Dave, Jo, Brendon, D&MJ, Ren - thanks for putting up with endless FB posts about the dove, I thought a blog about her would explain why I am clogging up your newsfeeds.
And Dave....Can I have a gold tooth instead? plunder, as it were! Thank you guys so much for the Soren Larson because it was the catalyst in getting around to ringing to volunteer.
All I need is Capn Jack Sparrow to show up :D
Evolving into a damn fine tourist attraction The 1600's, the ships were grand but hard work as you are finding. Wear those bruises and sore muscles as a badge of honor. Glad you've earned the position as we are certain you have the blood of a pirate. We hope to see your ship one day.
I can just see you Oh Cindy, I have seen many Facebook posts regarding this, but wow, this blog put it all together. I am very impressed, not to mention happy for you. Thank you for sharing your passion with not only us, but also the tourists.
A pirate be Aah me hearties (adjusting my eye patch and wooden leg) there's a whiff in the air of adventure. From manning the wheel in Sydney to Freemantle...to a real pirate be. Fantastic Cindy. Just have to knock out one of your front teeth...don a bandana...and the tourists will line up for photos with you.
Hiya :) I'm a 50 year old free spirited lady from Australia who just updated her profile because I realised i am no longer 46 and am also not Peter Pan. I like to spend life doing ridiculous things and have no intention of ever stopping. I've taken a year off to explore the planet and reward myself for well, years of work.. Im very much a seat of your pants traveller and totally irresponsible. Most of my travels are spur of the moment run away from home episodes and my teenage sons are cool with this. Im at peace with knowing riotous times dont have to stop when your supposed to have grown up... full info
taracloud
Tara Cloud
Evolution in the Spice Islands
What a heavenly holiday!--making a pilgrimage to your mentor's home (a true hero), sharing lunch space with goats, having a waterfall in your upscale dining room and then being danced to sleep by fireflies. Amazing that the area around the caldera lake was a part of continental Australia only 6,000 years ago, and how prescient of the young to be planting trees in the lava! The magic of biology everywhere.