Today we trekked for about 5.5 hours - most of it all uphill over a steep, rocky, muddy slippery trail. Arriving at a plateau (and a small village) we were greeted by the entire village welcoming us with a cheerful song. We busted open the heavy glass jar of Prima Scelta Chargrilled Artichokes that we dragged up here from when we bought them in Sydney. Food had rarely tasted so good despite these chockes being saturated in the heaviest of … [Read more...]
Exploring Kokoda Papua New Guinea
Today we hiked to Kokoda - about a 50 minute walk. Our host family in Beleni village walks this every day for vegetables and fruit as that is the main method of transportation here. They said this is very short walk for them; I hate to see what a long walk would would be like! There is a concrete slab where ladies walk from nearby villages and sell mostly vegetables - small bundles are tied up neatly and are displayed on their plastic sheets. … [Read more...]
Our First Introduction to Papua New Guinea
It is only fitting that I found myself in an airplane to begin the dawn of the new year. This past year was a whirlwind of travel, airplanes and airports. With 28 countries and territories visited in 2012 (including my home country) - 2013 is off to a good start! Papua New Guinea has long been on my list of countries to visit for a number of reasons: incredible array of wildlife ranging from the untouched marine environments to colorful birds, … [Read more...]
Sprout Eco Friendly Watch
Sprout Watch (Reviewed January 2013) Affordable and Eco-friendly do not always match up in the same sentence - but they do when referring to Sprout watches. Sprout brings watchmaking into the current century for the environmentally conscious generation - their watches are biodegradable. The adventure watch we tested is contained in a case made of corn resin, the material behind the dial is natural bamboo, the strap is organic cotton and the … [Read more...]
Dropping onto Saipan
Dropped into Saipan in the dead of night - starry skies, the blackness of the sea greeted us - disturbed only by the lights emanating from this small island. I had only done cursory research before our visit here and after speaking for nearly 2 hours to my seatmate who lives here now - I wasn't really sure what to expect. He spoke of sweat shops (now extinct), high alcoholism, a hub for smuggling drugs in from China, unemployment, gambling … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Long Beach
Long Beach is located about 30-40 minutes south of downtown Los Angeles - note that the metro also runs down to Long Beach servicing several stops. Long Beach is also a departure point by ferry or helicopter to Catalina Island. The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are among the world's busiest. From the end of the 110 Freeway in nearby San Pedro across the green Vincent Thomas Bridge (or blue at night lit up by hundreds of LED lights) and … [Read more...]