Category Archives: Activities

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Global Wanderings & Inane Wonderings: A Midlife Gap Year: Elizabeth J Clark, Lynne Atkins

In the midst of two successful and promising careers American, Liz Clark & Australian, Lynne Atkins, daring forty-somethings, set off on a trip of a lifetime! Join them on their adventurous journey traveling through approximately fifty countries and all seven continents. Where were they going? How would they get around? This all became part of the comedy and the adventure. With nothing but a rough outline of flights and a fleetingly glanced at guidebook the rest they would have to make up as they went along.

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Global Wanderings & Inane Wonderings: A Midlife Gap Year: Elizabeth J Clark, Lynne Atkins

In the midst of two successful and promising careers American, Liz Clark & Australian, Lynne Atkins, daring forty-somethings, set off on a trip of a lifetime! Join them on their adventurous journey traveling through approximately fifty countries and all seven continents. Where were they going? How would they get around? This all became part of the comedy and the adventure. With nothing but a rough outline of flights and a fleetingly glanced at guidebook the rest they would have to make up as they went along.

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“Global Wanderings & Inane Wonderings” Published

We know you thought this day would never come, but it has! Strike up the band and start the party •.¸¸.⋰˚★ The travel book of the century is available for your enjoyment!! … giggle, giggle. Go on… purchase your very own copy and please share this post with the world.
Amazon http://bit.ly/GW-IW
or Kindle Link available soon.

~ ★ ツ Travel On!

From the Back Cover:

-In the midst of two successful and promising careers Lynne Atkins and Liz Clark took the final step in bringing their travel dreams to fruition. It followed years of hoping and dreaming, dreaming of faraway places and exotic destinations. Within each of them was a longing for not only adventure but for understanding. Understanding of the nature of humankind and the expansion of civilization, of spiritual mysteries and their individual place in the world.

 -After a surge in the Real Estate market they bravely sold their home. It felt like they had just won the lottery and they were determined to treat it as such! Excitedly both Lynne and Liz quit their jobs, sold their cars and household belongings and with a spring in their steps purchased two “Round the World” tickets! It would be a grand undertaking that would last one year, which they spent two days planning. They purchased backpacks which were promptly filled with clothes and supplies to see them through diverse weather conditions and a multitude of situations. With all momentum (and no responsibility) these daring forty-somethings set off on a trip of a lifetime!

Where were they going? How would they get around? This all became part of the comedy and the adventure. With nothing but a rough outline of flights and a fleetingly glanced at guidebook the rest they would have to make up as they went along. 

 -Join them on their adventurous journey traveling through approximately fifty countries and all seven continents. Lose yourself in a commentary filled with historical and hysterical information. Experience the panic as they are nearly kidnapped in Bolivia. Feel the exhilaration and exhaustion of climbing Machu Picchu. Ride along on an impressive Christmas Antarctic voyage. Experience the wonders of nature in the Galapagos and Ballestas Islands. Step through history into the ancient cultures of Rome and Egypt. Sense the trepidation of walking with lions on Safari in Zimbabwe. Discover the mysteries of the Hill Tribes of the Golden Triangle.

But wait…. there’s more…. much, much more for the armchair travel/adventure reader. With Liz journaling their daily antics and Lynne’s guidance, photos and sarcasm you will soon become part of the adventure. 
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Complete with photos and maps so you can follow their journey!
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 -An excerpt from one professional critique stated… “I described this guide to someone who immediately said it sounded like ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, which was also one of my first thoughts. I think this manuscript is much more fun to read, though.”
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 -Another stated… “Global Wanderings & Inane Wonderings” recounts the inspiring journey of two adventuresome travelers; creating worldwide appeal due to the varied locations, unique destinations, and diverse cultural interactions. GWIW is a very exciting and humorous book with mass appeal.
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 –**GWIW is a zesty journey filled with a continual quest for unique encounters, as the two main characters, chase not only spiritual enlightenment but their dream of seeing as much of the world as possible in one year. This is not a leisurely walk but a roller coaster ride of excitement.**
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Go on… purchase your very own copy and please share this post with the world.
Amazon http://bit.ly/GW-IW

Life is extra good when you’re on a cruise ship! Episode Two…

 (click on photos to enlarge)Eastern-CaribbeanEpisode Two: The Eastern Caribbean

On September 20, 2014 once again we sailed, heading out from Fort Lauderdale, Florida this time to the Eastern Caribbean.

The name Caribbean comes from its people the ‘Carib’ who were the last group to rule the area before the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish and British invaded.

Life on Board
Lobster Tails & ShrimpIn episode one I described the many adventures and activities that can be found onboard a Princess cruise ship, but I neglected to discuss the FOOD! There is food aplenty onboard, not only in the amount but also in the variety of cuisine which tantalizes the palate. From extreme fine dining delivering seafood, steaks and soufflé to casual meals featuring pizza, burgers and ice cream, any culinary mood can be satisfied. Fresh fruit and veggies are always at the ready to keep your meal balanced and nutritious.

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Thankfully our early morning activities included a few laps around the walking track located on the Promenade Deck. Three laps equaled a little over a mile, but in the end, six laps each morning were not enough to keep me from adding additional pounds to my embarkation weight!

Eleuthera (Princess Cays)
Princess Cays, EleutheraThis thin sliver of an island is only 100 miles long and two miles wide. The Arawak Indians, who migrated from South America in the 9th century, were her earliest inhabitants. After being discovered by Columbus, a British group called the ‘Eleutherian Adventurers’ settled here in 1648 to escape religious persecution. They named the island Eleuthera which is the Greek word for Freedom.

As mentioned in Episode One, our destination, Princess Cays, is owned by Princess Cruises who bought 30 acres and created a beachfront resort. We were determined to explore more of the island during this visit! With government issued photo ID in hand, which is what we lacked on out last visit, we ventured outside Princess Cays compound. Although a favorite getaway for British Royalty we could find no way to get away from the Princess Cays area. What lies outside remains a mystery and something we are determined to discover, but this will take more research and planning. Returning to the Cays we immersed ourselves in crystalline waters where we engaged in spectacular snorkeling, followed by traditional rum drinking!

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St. Maarten

St. Maarten was also settled by the Arawak Indians of South America; the Carib Indians later followed and gave this island the name Soualiga, meaning ‘Land of Salt’. The island is divided 60/40 between the French, Saint-Martin and the larger Dutch section, Sint Maarten. This spectacular tropical destination offered plenty of opportunities to explore and discover, but wait, who are you kidding? I had only one thing in mind and could not be persuaded to do anything else…Maho Beach, of course!

Princess Juliana International Airport is adjacent to the beach and arriving aircraft must touch down as close as possible to the beginning of the runway due to the short length. The result is aircraft, on their final approach, flying over the beach at a breathtakingly low altitude! There is also danger for people, standing on the beach, being blown into the water because of the jet blast from aircraft taking off! It just doesn’t get much more exciting than that, if you ask me. Needless to say we had a BLAST!

Just take a look at these videos.

Well …only ‘Liz’ had a BLAST …Lynne had to document the mayhem.

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St. Thomas

SquirrelfishAlong with St. John, St Croix and Water Island, St. Thomas is part of the United States Virgin Islands. In the 1500’s buccaneers including Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Captain Kidd called this island, if not home, a safe pirate harbor. Despite the lure of tours to plantations, Blackbeard’s Caste and the Amber Museum Lynne and I immediately headed for Coki Beach. The snorkeling here was phenomenal! Having brought along several mini-boxes of breakfast cereal from the ship, we easy enticed schools of brilliantly colored fish to swim up close and play with us.

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Grand Turk

DSC_0082Not actually a part of the Caribbean, Grand Turk is the Capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is believed that the name ‘Turks’ was inspired by the Turk’s Head cactus which can be seen throughout the island. Despite the attraction of the world’s third largest barrier reef we decided to take a break from snorkeling and jumped on a local trolley for an island tour. This Island Trams tour was being promoted by a small group hyping their contribution to the ‘local economy’, in contrast to the more popular tours.

Turks Head CactusAlways wanting to support ‘the local economy’ we agreed to join. This turned out to be a very distressing decision indeed! In an attempt to fill their trolley, we were made to wait an hour passed our departure time, an hour sitting on a breezeless trolley under the hot sun! An hour not only sitting still in the hot sun but, having just walked a half mile out of the cruise ship terminal, to arrive at the very hot, breezeless trolley! You might thing this doesn’t sound too bad and well, for us it was but a minor inconvenience. For the little old lady, red-faced, puffing and panting it was a disaster! Although others grumbled and complained no one was offering her help, it was up to us! This lady was clearly overheated, scared and in distress. We gave her ice water we had brought along, Lynne whipped out her travel washcloth (carried for just such situations) doused it with water for her to pat her face and wrap around her neck. Poor old dear, she was so grateful and kept insisting to her helpless friend she would NEVER accompany her on an outing again. At our first stop we traded seats with her, affording her more shade and bought her lemonade stating “you need some sugar, sweetie”. It wasn’t long after that, the color returned to her face.

It was a sad state of affairs that helping a fellow human being, what should be normal behavior, turned out to be ‘the nicest thing anyone has ever done’ for her. Lynne and I both felt blessed for the opportunity to stand up and give this simple gift of kindness. Remember ALWAYS carry water, and wear a hat in the tropics! Another good idea for all of us would have been to discover the whereabouts of the trolley before handing over our money!

Other than the pristine waters which surround Grand Turk, donkeys, flamingos, a lighthouse and a spaceship were the highlights of our tour. Donkeys are allowed to roam free all over the island, I’m guessing as an alternative to mowing the grasslands. Happy for a pat and a treat these semi wild animals added a bit of excitement to our tour, over very bumpy roads…on this very hot day.

Wishing for an early escape, we talked our trolley driver into dropping us off at Jack’s Shack, a local bar and grill with lots of island character. We ended our day cheering the brave old lady who almost didn’t make it out of paradise! This seemed fitting as we were leaving paradise ourselves, tomorrow we would be back in Ft. Lauderdale.

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Cheers mateys and thanks for joining us on our Caribbean adventure!

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Travel On! Join us as we travel into the unknown.

¸.•♥ In-ƤЄƛƇЄ ~ ԼƠƔЄ ~ ԼIƓHƮ & ԼƛUgHƮЄr ☮ ♥ ★ ツ *。.☆

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***

Life is extra good when you’re on a cruise ship!

The Global Wanderers returned to the United States of America, where they quickly jumped at the opportunity to join a cruise and ventured into the Caribbean.

Spontaneous Travel and Last Minute deals go hand in hand!

Travel On!Western Caribbean
Episode One:

Life is extra good when you’re on a cruise ship!
On September 6, 2014 off we sailed, heading from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to the Western Caribbean with Princess Cruises (our favorite).

Life on Board
$400-WinAlways plenty to keep you running around, like a headless chook, on board a cruise ship.We spent mornings by the pool, afternoons exploring and participating in activities and the evenings, fine dining and watching the nightly entertainment. Our bellies would have grown more if it were not for the laughs we had watching karaoke and the spotlighted comedians. Impossible for us to resist, we played BINGO twice ~ WINNING $400!!! Not a bad sport with our luck ~ Woot!!

Grand Cayman
Previously a haven for pirates, deserters and shipwrecked sailors, in approximately 1730 the British officially “founded” the Caymans. Now a British colony, Grand Cayman has become the world’s largest offshore financial hub. If we had won a bit more at BINGO we would have stashed it away here so we could enjoy the pristine waters, complete with exotic marine creatures while visiting our tax sheltered money!

When Stingrays Attack!--

When Stingrays Attack!–

I must admit I was scared as hell swimming with the stingrays (see pic left…lol) while having flashbacks of ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin being tragically killed by the barb of a stingray in Australia. I did however, enjoy eating fresh raw conk cut from the shell by our ship’s captain, Jake!

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Roatan
This tropical island in Honduras boasts some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world and rightly so! We ventured to the opposite side of the island from where our ship had docked and found a more private experience. After and amazing snorkel with an abundance of colorful schools of fish on show, we settled in at a beachfront shack for some local beer and conk fritters! ~ YUM-O!

Cozumel
Settled by the Maya during the first millennium AD, Cozumel remained untouched by the European world until the arrival of Cortes in 1519. After which disease and slaughter nearly Big House Templedestroyed the entire population. Today many ancient Mayan sites have been restored and the population has stabilized. We put on our archeological hats, rented a car and ventured out to explore the San Gervasio ruins. In this dense, humid, tropical forest we sweated our way along ancient roads made from rocks which displayed fossilized sea life. We trekked for nearly three hours, discovering hidden temple sites that had once been colorfully decorated and reverently cared for by the Maya. Almost deserted on the day of our visit, we could feel the mystery and wonder embedded in the stones left behind by ancient ritual.

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Princess Cay

Princesses at Princess Cay

Princesses at Princess Cay

Nice day for it: nothing to do today but relax and enjoy the private beach owned by Princess Cruises. Clever buggers—double dipping! They went and bought a piece of the island*, more profits going straight back into their pockets, but then again we did have all the free food and access to our drink package like we did on the boat. It was a day of the simple pleasures of feeling the white sand between our toes and swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Not a bad way to end the first half of our cruise!

* Learn more about the island of Eleuthera when we return for another visit to Princess Cay in Episode Two of our cruising adventure in the Eastern Caribbean.

Where to Next?

Where to Next?

Where to Next?

Global Wanderers Motto 'Have Fun'!

Global Wanderers Motto ‘Have Fun’!

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Travel On! Join us as we travel into the unknown.

¸.•♥ In-ƤЄƛƇЄ ~ ԼƠƔЄ ~ ԼIƓHƮ & ԼƛUgHƮЄr ☮ ♥ ★ ツ *。.☆

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OR sign up to hear about our Global Wanderings Book Release

***

Another Trek Across the Aussie OUTBACK!

Having loaded up our Subaru OUTBACK it was time to ‘Bugger Off’ from Darwin, Northern Territory, which has been our home for nearly a year. We were appropriately driving through the Aussie OUTBACK — destination, Wauchope, New South Wales. Our journey would take us 4136 Kilometers or 2567 Miles, from the Top End of Australia, through the OUTBACK to the Mid North Coast of NSW.

Outback Trek Pt.2It quickly became evident that Australia is indeed the flattest continent on earth, as the view towards the horizon melted flatly into a mirage of mysterious vapors. Although the Australian outback is undoubtedly flat and arid, the wildlife is abundaRoos on the Roadnt!

Spotting hundreds of kangaroos, dozens of emu, a handful of echidna and wild pigs we considered ourselves fortunate, as there was not much change in the landscape and what landscape there was, was not much to look at. Unfortunately we saw many animals as they ventured across the road in front of our car and thousands that had not successfully made that crossing, and lay in all stages of decomposition on and beside the road! It was a crossing that required our vigilance so that we did not contribute to the carnage!Aussie Roadkill Cafe

Quaint little towns also spread themselves along the highway, however few and far between. Our vigilance was also required to ensure we didn’t run out of fuel! Following the Stuart Highway South we took a left at Threeways and began the daunting journey along the desolate Barkley Highway, crossing into Queensland near Camooweal. Although stopping to insure our Outback was fit to continue this arduous trek we hurried out of the large mining town of Mount Isa, with the slogan, “What’s the best way to see Mt. Isa? – through the rear vision mirror!” which was true!

Walkabout Creek Walkabout Creek HotelAt Kynuna we drove past the Walkabout Creek Hotel, famed hangout of every Aussie’s mate, Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee. In the town of Barcaldine we visited the ‘Tree of Knowledge’, birthplace of Australian Unionism and the Labor Federation Party. From Mitchell we turned onto a one lane road for 200 kilometers, which required our increased vigilance, moving over off the tar to share the road when the occasional vehicle passed by. After crossing into New South Wales we  detoured to Lightning Ridge, legendary for its black opals, did a bit of fossicking and found some tiny pieces of the colorful gem in a ‘potch’ patch. Liz-Digging-in-Potch

Next up was Walgett, with a population of 2300—a must on our list of tiny towns! Why so important, well the house Lynne lived in for her first 18 months of her life was in Walgett – “Keep moving nothing else to see here!” Walgett,-NSW

The human spirit runs strong in this land! The early Australians built warm, inviting towns, on land that would be inhospitable without them. Those brave enough to live in these areas always welcomed us with a smile and a cheerful yarn about life in the Outback.

The trees increased and the wildlife decreased, having now made our way to ‘The Bush’ country of New South Wales and we felt triumphant! Six days after beginning our trek we arrived at Lynne’s Mum, Brenda’s, homey country farm-house alive, safe and very cheerful!

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Travel On! Join us as we travel into the unknown.

¸.•♥ In-ƤЄƛƇЄ ~ ԼƠƔЄ ~ ԼIƓHƮ & ԼƛUgHƮЄr ☮ ♥ ★ ツ *。.☆

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OR sign up to hear about our Global Wanderings Book Release

***

The Truth Beneath a Picturesque Thai Fishing Village

Salak Khok Fishing Village, Koh Chang, Thailand

A couple of flights from Darwin to Bangkok, Thailand, via a stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, followed by a five-hour drive and a half-hour ferry trip bought us to our destination, the island of Koh Chang. While there we took the opportunity to explore a local fishing village.

DSCF4838

Up the narrow river, from Salak Khok Bay, Koh Chang, Thailand, nestled in mangrove forest lays a picturesque fishing village. This fishing village has existed for over a hundred years and has grown to not much more than its original state. Despite the world progressing around it, it would seem time has stood still. On closer inspection however, effects of the modern world can be seen. The open plan living accommodations hold contemporary trappings; the occasional television, clocks, hangers with western style clothing and miscellaneous things made of plastic. Unfortunately this plastic can be seen as rubbish scattered throughout the village.

Boats Rides for Tourists.

Boats Rides for Tourists.

The dilapidated state of this proud fishing village becomes incidental in comparison with the spirit of its occupants.

Ever resourceful, the village increases its income by facilitating kayak rental and wooden river boat trips for tourists. They are hard workers by necessity, yet not seeming to comprehend the shocking visual and aromatic effects on their visitors.

DSCF4875(We think this is the communal bathroom in the falling shed, you can just make out the long drop toilet.)

Never complaining, always grateful for what they have, the Thai people of Salak Khok fishing village lend a new light to our now seemingly trivial third world problems. Essentials that have become virtually negligible in our life back home are nonexistent here, the inhabitant’s resilience enveloping us in gratitude and compassion.

Teeny-FishThe fish are small due to overfishing according to our Thai friend Mao, but the people never complain about their life.

Spending hours picking tiny shells out of their nets, “The best thing about this life is you sleep well at night,” Mao assures us.

(Teeny fish…..soup maybe?)

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***

Travel On! Join us as we travel into the unknown.

¸.•♥ In-ƤЄƛƇЄ ~ ԼƠƔЄ ~ ԼIƓHƮ & ԼƛUgHƮЄr ☮ ♥ ★ ツ *。.☆

To keep up with our Global Wanderings ~ Like us on Facebook & Twitter

OR sign up to hear about our Global Wanderings Book Release

***

 

 

Ramblings of a Beachcomber

Beach-Treasures Although the air was still a little cool from the night I could feel the warm sun on my skin. The calm water was so clear, little fish were easily seen swimming in front of the gently breaking waves. With hardly a cloud in the sky, the sun, already halfway to its highest point, sparkled off the water like fairy dust. I am a beachcomber and nothing brings me more joy than contemplating life’s wonders while wandering beside the ocean. I spent a month combing Far Beach (Mackay, Queensland, Australia) and the experience was truly inspiring.

People could always be seen walking along this beach, some relishing the gentle waves with feet in the water, some scattered further up the sand. On this vast expanse of shore it never felt crowded. I could only see a handful of people at a time, more than a few walking their dogs. The dogs were so happy, you could feel their smiles! During one walk I found myself watching a man who had a fishing line in the water, (rod butt stuck in the sand) as he casually threw his net to catch bait fish. His brown border collie madly ran up and down the beach, FLAT OUT! It would run, run, run just along the water’s edge, then stop, turn around and run, run, run back to the fisherman. I also witnessed a young boy laughing at his huge mastiff. The boy repeatedly pointed out fish in the shallows and that big floppy puppy would try its hardest to catch them, sticking its head under the water and coming up shaking and splashing water all over them both! The pure joy of these canine companions becoming contagious as I emotionally joined in their fun.

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Each morning I visited this beach the tide appeared lower, exposing more sandy beach. One morning, I couldn’t help but notice tire tracks in the sand, someone had been having fun! I saw more lovely dogs playing in the ocean, some new and some returning visitors. While beach combing along with some shells, drift wood and a feather, I found a fantastic little blue and red Hot Wheels car, but on this day another car seemed to have washed ashore! It was a huge four-wheel drive Jeep! It was this Jeep that had made the tire tracks, and obviously the driver had a little too much fun! Although tipped on its side with a smashed windscreen, you could see it had been a nice vehicle. The puppies in the area didn’t give it much attention at all; the ocean was far more interesting and fun!

I kept walking along and spotted an older fellow collecting yabbies, (a tiny crayfish), to use as bait. You do this by sticking a tube pump into the sand and sucking them out with a syringe like action. Then you push the sand out of the tube and pick out the yabbies. I went up to have a look at the yabbies and have a bit of a yarn with ‘Old Mate’. As I was chatting away I noticed another truck out in the surf. My new friend, Rod, said it had been there for at least 12 months now! They can’t get it out!

“Crazy hoons trying to go out too far and got stuck in the sand,” he suspected.

Rod was 80 years old and fished on this beach often, and you could tell he knew his stuff! You wouldn’t have guessed his age and I told him so.

He responded with a blunt “No, you wouldn’t.”

He had his yabbie plunger slung over his back and over his shoulder a small bag to put his fish and extra tackle in. With fishing pole in hand he headed down to an area that forms an inlet which looked like a river but, Rod said it doesn’t go in far and has no fresh water. I was hot on his heals! Just call me Liz-tag-along. Rod was happy to have me along and said we would have to be fast because the tide was coming in, stating, “It’s a big tide and it will be on us in no time.”

No word of a lie, he caught a nice sized whiting on his first cast! Brilliant! The water was getting higher, “we’ll have to be quick and move back in soon” he said as he cast out a second time. BAMM… he hooked a big brim! Go Rod! By then the water was up to the bottom of my shorts. So, we started walking back in. I made the mistake of walking on his right side (you need to be on the left side of a right-handed fisherman). He cast out again and hooked my hand!! Bloody hell! – SHEeeEEW – I pulled it out quickly and hid the tiny spot of blood. He joked that it was the first time he’d caught one of my species!Brim

I said “No, you didn’t catch me. I’m the one that got away.” I told him I knew it was my fault letting him off the hook twice! Rod said tomorrow would be better because it wouldn’t be such a big high tide. Today however, the tide kept coming in so, I took my leave, both of us saying we’d look for each other tomorrow.

As I was making my way back to shore the water rose to above my waist! I hadn’t expected that! As I sloshed back home I passed a few more playing puppies. A lady was using a Chuck-It to send a ball far out into the ocean for her border collie. She said she wanted to be a dog in her next life, HA! If you’re going to be a dog, be a beach dog! I made my way back past the crashed jeep which was now being swallowed by the tide.

Where did the water go?

Where did the water go?

Another day as I walked to the beach, the ocean appeared to have disappeared! OK, it was there but, I’m telling you, the water was a very long way out! It was clear to the horizon. Talk about contrast; I was amazed at how flat and wide the shore had become and the beach was almost deserted — very few people, very few dogs. I could see far out in the distance some dedicated dog owners who had ventured to the shoreline.

I walked along the beach taking more notice of the trees along the bank. Windswept and full of character, these old trees must take a beating at times. My observations were soon called back to the flat sand that had been revealed with the receding tide. It looked as though artists had been creating masterpieces and the sand was their canvas. Billions, I’m not exaggerating, billions of little balls, of rolled up sand dotted the beach for as far as the eye could see. The intricate patterns looked like oceanic fireworks!

I spotted my mate Rod, he was sucking yabbies. I was excited to see just how this was actually done. After a friendly greeting I joined in the fun, Rod would suck out some sand, dump it out and I helped pick up the little critters.Yabbie Sucking

“Watch out, you’ll feel it if they get you with their nippers” he warned. Rod said I was saving his back, poor old fellow, that’s a lot of bending down. In truth I was trying to earn a fish or two, maybe someday? Not that day sadly, because he didn’t catch any fish while I was with him. He did tell me who the sand artists were, turns out they’re solder crabs. He sucked one up with his yabbie gun and handed it to me. Apparently there are heaps of them and he told me if I look for them as the tide first starts to recede I will see millions! “That’s when you should see them.” he assured me. I’ll be doing that, I thought!

Yabbies in a canI definitely needed a tide chart!

That day a man was in our fishing spot. He made me giggle, in his blue ‘budgie smugglers’ (Australian for speedos). He shared a story with us about fishing in that location.

“I use a kayak to get across after the tide comes in, now…” he explained, “I use to swim across but, the last time I was swimming with about twenty whiting and a bull shark grabbed them and was pulling me back out. I had to let them go,” he said calmly. FAR OUT! I would think so! He didn’t mind a chat, telling story after story. Looking at the water coming in so fast it was like time-lapse photography I decided it was time for me to go! I made it back with dry shorts this time. I was thinking I should dress in such a way that I don’t mind getting wet. As long as I beat the sharks to the shore I’ll be all right! Right?

big CrabThe tide kept coming in erasing all the crab created masterpieces. More people and more dogs started showing up. They must have a tide chart! I managed to get an up close photo of a bigger crab on shore, but, was quickly photo bombed by a cute little puppy, which was just as curious about this crustacean.Photo Bomb

I could write a story about this beach every day and no two stories would be alike. The tide continued to come and go, at times withdrawing as far as a person could expect to walk in one day. Along with the tide, the people and the dogs vary, scattered about the sand and surf. I wonder if they notice how magnificently different the shore line creates itself each day.

The Jeep disappeared, leaving no evidence of its wild moonlit ride. Waves from the changing tide had already started to separate its pieces and the salty water of the sea had begun to rust its metal before it was removed.

Dscf2917One morning I was pleasantly surprised to hear bagpipes playing! It seemed they were being played just for me. In truth I think the bagpiper was trying to coax the water back to shore, it was an extremely low tide! He was playing a musical sonnet ‘Return of the Waves’.

I took Rods advice and was delighted to see swarms of Soldier Crabs clicking in regimental style, making their little sand balls in the receding tide. Looking like blue hard-shelled bubbles scurrying away as I approach.Solder Crab

Unfortunately, I didn’t see my friend Rod again. The last time we spoke he shared with me the story of his career with the railroad. “I worked for the railroad for forty-nine years, six months and thirty-nine days” he said proudly and with a mischievous smile he continued, “I didn’t quite make it 50 years.” I find myself wondering just what happened and why he didn’t cross the fifty year line. He started out as a porter, then became an engine cleaner and worked his way to driver. “I have driven steam engines, diesel and electric trains,” he explained. It fascinates me talking to older people, hearing how the world has changed around them and they have been able to keep up with it. I told this story to my mother on Skype and seeing her face shine from another hemisphere halfway around the world, I was grateful she has kept up with modern technology.

BeautyTowards the end of my week of beach walking, I begun to see single delicate blue butterfly wings resting on the sand. I wonder if they are from butterflies that have ventured across the ocean from another land and fell dead in exhaustion just before reaching the tropical paradise only meters away. My wings, unlike the butterflies, are still strong! I have flown across the ocean with the aid of modern technology, no heroic adventure making the crossing in a rickety plane or dangerous tail ship. A privilege granted to me by the ‘older people’, like Rod and my mother who have come before, not only keeping up with but, creating a world advancing with new technology. I am free to explore the beaches and venture inland to a tropical paradise that promises new discoveries and exploration.

I hear adventure calling me in the breeze; though not much remains undiscovered, it will be new to me! The need for new encounters and new destinations is part of the makeup of every traveler and I am one of them! Filled with excitement, both Lynne and I, the Global Wanderers, will strive to spread our wings journeying, seeking and reporting on new discoveries during our explorations!

Thank you for reading the ramblings of my beachcombing ~ Travel On!!

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Travel On! Join us as we travel into the unknown.

¸.•♥ In-ƤЄƛƇЄ ~ ԼƠƔЄ ~ ԼIƓHƮ & ԼƛUgHƮЄr ☮ ♥ ★ ツ *。.☆

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Darwin Beachcombers find Hidden Treasure

 

WOW! Look what we found ~ A little treasure on the beach!

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Travel On! Join us as we travel into the unknown.

¸.•♥ In-ƤЄƛƇЄ ~ ԼƠƔЄ ~ ԼIƓHƮ & ԼƛUgHƮЄr ☮ ♥ ★ ツ *。.☆

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Farmer’s Market – Darwin Style

Making Paw Paw Salad

Making Paw Paw Salad

Pulsing with color, noise and action, this scene at the local farmers market is typical of Darwin, a city that’s closer to Asia than it is to the rest of Australia, both geographically and in spirit. The northern capital is home to people representing over 100 cultures, each somehow managing to retain its essence. It’s more a mélange than a melting pot.

Some of the best food we have had is at the many local markets, where cross-cultural influences and abundant tropical produce is everywhere!

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Travel On! Join us as we travel into the unknown.

¸.•♥ In-ƤЄƛƇЄ ~ ԼƠƔЄ ~ ԼIƓHƮ & ԼƛUgHƮЄr ☮ ♥ ★ ツ *。.☆

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