2013 Highlights

To conclude my last post:

Driving to Florida with the kitties in January! 

Chicago in February!

Checking out Lake Worth with a new friend in April.

Back in NC for Transformus in July!

Moving into my new place in August.

Dali Museum in St. Petersberg in August.

Minneapolis zoo in September.

Pumpkin carving in October.

Thanksgiving margaritas with my wife!

Back in NC for Xmas. 

Interim

Considering how much I find myself travelling, I should probably perhaps keep this blog more up to date.  A travel journal, so to speak.

So, tomorrow I'm headed to Seattle WA for a week.  Where have I been since then?  Let us recount:

After my "Semi-World Tour"...or maybe "Hemi-World Tour"?... I came home and got a job in June 2012 working as a contract employee for Bayer CropScience.  That was a whole lot of bullshit.  $14/hour slinging pots around a greenhouse while our boss, who didn't know jack about greenhouses, bitched about all the dirt.  But, at least I lost a lot of weight during it!  I finally found a job with Syngenta as an Assistant Sweet Corn Breeder, but it required moving down to Naples, Fl.  Which I did.  And so here I am.  My parents helped me find and move into a crappy apartment where I was stressed and depressed for the next 6 months as I learned a new job and a new town and tried to make new friends.  Fortunately, my parents and my best friend Susannah visited a few times, so I usually had something to look forward to.

 I finally sold my house in Durham around April (which I took a big hit on, I'm sad to say), and started looking for something more permanent in Naples...I got lucky and found the best little duplex!  2 bedroom, 2 bath on a canal... huge master bedroom and big bath tub with separate shower and screened lanai! It's so lovely (except for the kitchen)... I swear I'm keeping this house as long as I can.  I should post pics. Will try to remember.

It is a little old- built in '87 and hadn't been updated, but it's been fun working on it (except for all the money that goes into that--that's never fun!).  So I moved in in August. I slept amazingly well the first night without having to hear neighbors and traffic and having a parking light shine into my bedroom. My parents came to visit soon after and did awesome things like helping me clean it up and paint the kitchen and a bunch of other things.

I slowly started making friends-- dated a few very sucky guys very briefly, and then met this one guy, Jared-- who was fun until he wasn't.  We dated off and on for about 6 months.  Unfortunately, I don't think I can stay friends with him and that's about all I'll say about that.  Met another guy named Matt who I've been hanging out with, but not dating, and got really lucky and met this...triple?...a guy and 2 girls who live together, and they're all very cool.  I'm hoping to hang out with them much more in the future. I also found a meetup group I can see myself going to more frequently in the future.

So, yes.  Things are looking up.

But back to the whole travelling thing. In roughly sequential order since I moved to Naples: Went to Chicago/Champagne for a corn conference in February that I didn't understand most of. Chicago was awesome though, and I got to hang out with a good friend from Bayer and get in a really crazy fight with her guy friend who was also there. Traveled locally for work- Belle Glade and Clewiston and Bainbridge,Georgia. Made it to Lake Worth a couple times to hang out with someone while I was near that coast, and visited my sister and her grandmother-in-law in West Palm Beach. Went home to see family and Asheville for Transformus in July.  Went to St. Petersburg, Fl for a long weekend to hang out with a new friend on his sailboat (Dali Museum was awesome! His moped getting towed, not so much). Traveled to Stanton, Minnesota in September for work and hung out in St. Paul a grand total of 1 day.   Went home again for Xmas.  Drove back in my mom's Prius (yay new car!).  Went back to Minnesota for work in February (blizzard much?). Went kayaking up at 3 Sister's Springs with this professional kayaker guy who was down here visiting his family for a month (he lives on a houseboat in San Francisco! Another trip I'll need to make!). Visited Miami to meet my parents for lunch at the airport on their way back from Peru, and hung out with a very awesome guy (who is also very horrible at texting. So sad.). I will definitely have to put up a synopsis of my Miami trip. More local travel for work. And now I'm headed to Seattle to take a couple classes in Quantitative Genetics.

Future travel plans include Nampa, Idaho (right after Seattle- work related).  There's a possibility I may end up in Pasco, Washington for a week.  And an even slighter possibility that I'll be visiting Arica, Chile for a week or two late this year.  If that happens, I'm going to try and make a side trip to either the Easter Islands or Macchu Pichu.

Hopefully I'll get to post some interesting touristy things in the next couple weeks!

Rock on!

Tioman/Singapore Part 2

Day 2 in Monkey Bay was lovely.  There was more work to be done on the sailboat before it could actually sail.  We lost a small piece that helped hoist the jib, and Matt did quite a few 20 meter dives trying to find it, but  he eventually gave up.  Luckily the piece was not vital and we raised the sail easily.  Most of the rest of the day was spent swimming and lounging (for me anyways.  Matt's the type that can't sit still for more than a few minutes unless he's got a beer in his hand).  That evening we both went snorkeling (I'd learned my lesson and wasn't getting in the water unless he was in it too).  I think I must be somewhat of a curiosity to the sharks because as soon as I was maybe 10 meters from him, I saw 4 sharks, two on either side of me, glide by.  I didn't panic quite so much this time, but I did locate Matt pretty quickly and start swimming back towards him.  He hadn't seen the sharks but was impressed that I had.    After reading about the blacktip coral sharks I'm now a little more comfortable with the idea of seeing them (they really are pretty harmless) but at the time I was still a less impressed than Matt.

On our way to Monkey Bay!

Dinner was the same thing as the night before... burgers, brews, endless stars.  We'd set up my hammock so I attempted to sleep in it.  I got a bit chilly around 3am though so ended the night back in the cabin.
Day 3 we went snorkeling for a while and Matt caught a fish that happened to run into a pointy thing.  We did a little more work on the boat and then weighed anchor and finally did a little sailing.  The wind was perfect, running south, which was back towards the marina.  We got back to Tekek that afternoon and cleaned and scrubbed down the boat.  That evening we went to a bbq place for dinner.  It was excellent!  We had fried rice, calamari in sambal (which was way hotter than I was expecting), and grilled snapper.  It made me wish we'd gone out to eat more often.  It's a lot easier to find good food when you go with someone who knows all the good places and what to order.  All the locals seemed to know Matt and greeted him where ever we went.  We ended the evening at the cabana with some drinks and good company.

Captain Matt (in Monkey Bay post swim)

It rained a little bit that night, which was the first rain we'd had all week.  The next day was cleanup, a swim, a shower, and then packing to leave.  I elected to fly out this time.  I'd had enough of ferries and buses.  I was really sad to leave, but all good things must end... or else they become common. 

View from the plane

So now I'm in Singapore getting ready for the journey home.  Maybe not quite the world traveler compared to some... but I'm working on it.

Time to pack up and head out.  Signing off.

Tioman/Singapore-Part 1

And we're back!
Where to begin?!  I guess I can start with where we left off, having lunch in Juara after a grueling hike across the island.  I took a taxi back and if I recall correctly, I think Matt's friends came and hung out at his dock again and we pretty much drank our dinner.
Friday: Despite a hangover the next day (Friday), we managed to get the boat fixed up enough that we headed out of the marina that afternoon.  We didn't actually sail--there was still too much work to be done and we had to get the jib up, so we just motored our way down 2 bays to Monkey Bay.  It was great.  Tourists come and snorkel during the day, but there's nowhere to stay so in the evenings and mornings its nice and deserted.  Right after we set anchor Matt encouraged me to go snorkeling out to the south side of the cove.  All other visitors were gone and the bay was quiet and calm.
So, snorkeling I went.  It didn't have quite the variety as Ringus (the small island I snorkeled at during my first trip), but it was still lovely and I was just drifting along in the shallow waters, admiring the sea life when I see this long shadow swimming off to my left.  I turn, and sure enough there's a shark!
I am a little ashamed to admit that at this point I freaked out.  I started heading to shallower water, trying not to splash, and desperately trying to think of everything I've ever learned about sharks and what to do.  Nothing really came to mind.  So I keep an eye out as I swim and I keep catching glimpses of it.  My heart is absolutely racing.  I know it's highly unlikely that it would attack, but that doesn't keep me from heading to shore as quickly as possible.  Once I'm there, I look back to the boat and try to figure out what to do about Matt. It's too far to even signal him or anything. Okay, sure, shark attack in unlikely, but I really don't want to swim back without Matt, and at the same time I'm scared he'll get bit.  So I stay where I am and hope he comes soon.
So, he finally finishes his boat stuff and goes over the side...and then starts swimming for the opposite side of the bay!  I keep an eye out, thinking maybe he just wants to do a lot of swimming and then he'll come towards me.  I wait and watch and slowly pick my way through the shallows filled with dead coral towards his side of the bay, but he seems to have disappeared.  It doesn't help matters that I saw a lot of jumping fish and maybe some thrashing over there, which made me think the shark was now on that side.  I wait, and wait, and now I'm really feeling frantic.  What if he was bit?!  While way over there?!  There's no way I'm going to go back in the water and that's the quickest way to get to where I last saw him.  Finally, after what seems like ages, he reappears back on the boat.  I wave at him and he waves back but there's no way I can convey to him that I'm freaked out and unwilling to get back in the water and would you please swim over here and escort me back to the boat through shark infested waters.  So, I gird my loins, telling myself that if he's still alive there's a good chance I'll make it back, too, and pick my way through the shallows and then back to the boat.
So, yes, I am a big pussy.  I think my imagination definitely got away with me, but when you've been snorkeling around and the largest critter you've seen is maybe a foot and then all the sudden this six foot shark comes gliding by.... well, give it a try and let me know how you react.
When I got back on board and told Matt my story he just grinned and said he wished he'd seen some sharks.  Apparently there's only really blacktip reef sharks in the area and no one's ever been bitten around Tioman.
And that was day 1 in Monkey Bay.  We ended the evening with beer and burgers and the stars were even more amazing with no ambient light around.  There were storms way out in the east by the mainland that you could see the lightning flashing.  I got a really good view of the Southern Cross, too.
I'll post about the rest of my stay a little later... here's a spoiler- more sharks!
:)

Tioman island day 2 (round 2)

The weather has definitely shaped up for Tioman round 2. It's been sunny and hot. I spent all day Tuesday traveling back to the island with Matt. We were at his boat for 10 minutes when some of his fellow sailors came over bearing drinks. A few beers later and an impromptu dinner of 'burger' patties and eggs with a lone sailor named Dave (who is convinced the apocalypse is 4 years away and so had prepared accordingly) and it was bedtime.
The next day I explored a local cantina which had wifi and did a little computer work, tried out one of Matt's sit on top kayaks and helped with a few chores on the boat to get it ready to sail.  I also did a little snorkeling. Drinks on the dock and dinner and we called it a night.
Now, I'm sitting in Juara, finishing my lunch. I shouldn't be hungry after the three egg omelette I made this morning, but I did end up hiking across the island. I think it took me three and a half hours and it felt like I climbed up a mile worth of stairs (and maybe I did) but my feet are aching and when I got to the ocean and made my salty contribution, it was quite paltry. Matt thinks I'm a wuss since there's no way on hell I could hike back, but, well, I guess now I have an exercise goal. Damn those spry sporty guys.
I did get to share some of my misery (and my water) with a cute Finnish guy who was also hiking down. He was carrying probably 60 lbs too. I didn't catch his name tho. I should get better about that.
Alright,I guess I should start thinking about heading back.
below is lunch (makeral) and the view.

Singapore- Day 7 (?)

Right. So I was supposed to be leaving for home tomorrow.  And then I met a guy.  Isn't that just typical.
The story thus far:
I left Tioman on Friday, and everything went pretty smoothly.  Of course the weather was clearing up as I was leaving.  Before the ferry docked, a short, slightly scruffy guy with the deeply bronzed skin and air of someone who's been living on an island a while started chatting with me, asking where I was headed, where I'm from, etc.  Turns out he helps run a business from his sail boat that he lives on and is docked at Tioman, and is returning to Singapore to hang out with some friends and do a little sailboat racing.  He laments that I didn't meet him at the harbor earlier since he could have showed me the island.  Apparently the marina is a great place to meet single guys.  It was lamentable, but at the same time, as a woman travelling by my lonesome, I am very aware of how vulnerable I am and how unlikely it would have been that I'd sail around with someone I'd just met.  But we disembark and he helps me get a taxi (I was going to take the bus but the next one was in another 2 hours and I was so tired of waiting for public transport I splurged for a $50 taxi ride instead).  I took a gamble that he wasn't going to use me as a drug mule and invited him to ride with me.  He turned out to be very entertaining during the drive and then useful knowing which buses and where to go thru customs and whatnot.  Turns out we were both going to west Singapore, and so Matt invited me to hang out at the Raffle's Marina with him to have a beer and meet his friends who own the boats he was staying on (dive boat) and racing on (sailboat).  I had no plans, and Michael already had plans for the evening, and frankly I was ready for some social interaction since I didn't really meet anyone at the resort I stayed at (too many honeymooners and families).
So, tasty cool beers and swims (Raffles Marina is very glam-- I felt like such an interloper), and then his friends Lizzy and Gordon showed up.  They definitely remind me of my parents, or maybe Darryl and Mary Kay- very chill, relaxed, they live in East Singapore but usually stay on their boat on the weekends, and their vacations are taking their boat out to some nice tropical island and going diving.  I had a great evening, and I returned the next afternoon to hang out and meet the rest of the sailing crew, and got Michael and his friend Zhara to show up as well.  It was quite an evening.  I stayed too late for public transportation so slept on the boat.  Hangover + slightly rocking boat is an odd combination.  Coffee and a morning swim was nice though.  And then as I was leaving and giving my goodbye's Matt mentioned that, you know, I could change my flight and come back to Tioman w/ him for a bit.  At first I didn't really consider it, but then I realized changing my flight would be a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a round trip ticket, even if I ever do get the time to come out this way again.
Much stress, many phone calls, and about $300 later, my new itinerary has me flying out next Tuesday and being home that Wed.   I need to take care of some things that I would have done when I got home (like pay bills), but other than that in a couple days I should be on a boat with my new friend on a tropical island!
And so, that is how things stand.  Lets hope for better weather in Tioman!

Tioman island day 2

So yes I finally did arrive and this is my second full day on the island. I'm currently not watching the sun set as it's still cloudy but watching a couple well built fellows frolicking in the waves almost makes up for it.  I also just witnessed a large school of small fish desperately skimming between the air, water and shore ahead of a larger fish.
Today has been the best day so far....while still cloudy, it did stop drizzling this afternoon.  I also went snorkeling around non today at a nearby island.  The fish were magnificent. So many colors! I wish I could have taken pictures.  The guy who drove the boat to and from the snorkeling platform offered to take me put again this afternoon, free of charge, but I'm sure he was still trying to sell something, heh.
Of course the weather tomorrow is supposed to be nice and sunny for my trip back home. Ooh well. I think the monkeys are out to get me.  I'd better leave before I walk under the wrong coconut tree.  I sure hope my journey to Singapore is smoother.

Right,I forgot I should mention the previous day and a half. Got to the island, hopped a small boat with a couple other folk and went to the next town down. Altho town is a bit generous. It was more a collection of huts and was pretty isolated. My chalet was quite...charming. I'll post some pics so you can see what I mean. I swam in the ocean and showered and had a beer and chatted with an older couple that had been coming to tioman for the past 10 years. They told me some great stories and I tried a durian pudding (which was barely edible) then went to bed. I decided I wouldn't stay another night 1) because of the isolation and 2) because they weren't sure they'd have a room available. So I went back to the larger port, found internet, corrected my ATM card problem, emailed my parents, and half a coffee before I realized the ferry had arrived and ran off to catch it. A few stops later and I was in Tekek. The first hostel I stopped at was full so I decided to splurge and stay at a nice resort. And that's where I am now. And the cheeseburgers suck.  Guess this ain't my paradise.