Dare Devil Joyce

So the day before Thanksgiving, Jack and I were in Tuvalu. We decided to head out after breakfast and explore the extremely small island of Funafuti. Well, we had hear the best way to do this was to rent a motor scooter. We rented one at the front desk, but when it arrived we realized it was an actual motorcycle.

Jack tried to ride first, but stalled. I then hopped on. I started the bike without problem, and started to go... but couldn't stop. I went too fast, uncontrollably, and hit a car. A government car. It was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me.

I didn't scream, but it felt like it. I was stuck between the car and the ground for a moment or two - it seemed like forever - until Jack, the mechanic and a few other men came rushing over.

They helped me up; and hobbling, I went to sit down. I had some rather nasty cuts on my knee, a huge lump on my leg, some other cuts and scraps and some swollen fingers. The worst part was right after the accident, when it all went a bit fuzzy and slightly black for a few seconds.

I ended up going to the Tuvalu hospital, which was an adventure. The hotel van took me there, after the cop asked for ID. It was all rather nonchalant. The hospital was hot and full of ants, but the desk attendant was nice and sent us to the Pediatric Exam room. Weird. I went in after a few minutes and had the doctor look at me. He seemed rather unconcerned, but impressed with our first aid kit, which Jack brought. It doesn't bode well for the rest of the third world countries we're visiting.

I was sent back to the hotel.



The next day, Thanksgiving, I didn't leave the room. My leg had swollen to the size of a softball and I could barely move. That didn't stop me from getting extremely sick - I couldn't hold down food. But, I've survived and am doing much better.

I am now in New Zealand, and despite an infection scare, am fine. The hospital here was awesome and I was reassured that everything was healing well.

I have to say, although I don't gush about my husband often, he's the best man in the world. He's been amazing, even renting this ridiculous bike to get around Tuvalu faster so he could get back to taking care of me as fast as he could.


I think that's the last of my motorcycle days.

Coastal Defenses in Tonga and Tuvalu

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit the Kingdom of Tonga was because of climate change. For the past few years I've been studying security in general and the way in which environmental change could lead to conflict, known as environmental security. Although a small field, it interests me because it allows me to look at both the environment and security studies. It also allows me to delve into climate change and its affects worldwide.

That primarily is what brought us to Tonga and later Tuvalu. As a large small island state, Tonga has a rather influential position within the region. It is also one of the bigger countries involved in the UN group representing small island countries. As a group they are largely concerned with rising sea levels and the affect this could have on their countries, especially if the polar ice caps melt as predicted. Tonga also has one of the more advanced countries, in terms of protective measures taken to guard against destruction due to sea rise. I wanted to see for myself what that entailed.

Tongan lagoon -



When we arrived in Tonga, both my husband and I were surprised at the laid back attitude of the islanders. This went way beyond a laissez-faire approach to work. Instead it meant that when we asked directions, for instance, we often got blank stares and quizzical looks. Everyone wanted to help, but seemed not to know the answers. Even when asking location questions, no one seemed to know directions. When asked about this, one local explained that it was most likely because Tongans generally do not know much about the world outside of their country. But we persisted and attempted to ask a few people about climate change. Locals seemed unaware of the topic, until we mentioned coastal erosion. Then they were happy to discuss their concerns.

On our island tour we were shown the defenses, which consist of about a meter high coral wall around only about a third of the main island Tongatapu.


From what I could gather, the best defenses were on the island of 'Eua, which rises about 20 meters from the ocean.


This gave me concern for the rest of the region. If Tonga only had a coral wall, what were the rest of the countries likely to have?

Nothing. Probably.

This is exactly what I found in Tuvalu. Although a personal accident kept me from visiting the lagoon at a closer range, I was able to see that there are no defenses. No disaster planning or preparation either, which leaves the country in a dire state if seas were to rise. At least Tonga has a contingency plan to move its people to Australia. I don't know if there is such a plan on Tuvalu. We attempted to speak to government officials while there; but as parliament was in session all members were meeting in the tent outside the airport. We did get a peak inside the Ministry of the Environment, which was strewn with pamphlets from the UN regarding climate change.

Although beautiful, there is no protection for Funafuti, Tuvalu:


In contrast to Tonga, Tuvalu is an extremely small nation, with only about 8,000 citizens. With so few people, and a small government, its no wonder they have nothing to protect their land.

As far as our trip went, I was able to take back with me a concern for the region and a better understanding of general malaise surrounding the issue. Hopefully I'll be able to do something in a future career regarding disaster planning. Perhaps create something better than a meter high sea wall.

Chilly Chile

Jack and I got to Santiago on Halloween. Although marked by children in costumes and the passing out of candy in the USA, in Chile we found little evidence of this. Maybe it was the fact that we were in the city, or the fact that we spent the evening drinking margaritas in a Mexican restaurant, but it did not have the same festive feel. I fear that this will be our experience with most holidays oversees.

Despite the lack of celebration, our Chilean holiday was not without entertainment. On our third day we rented a car and drove to Valparaiso. Its a city located on the coast, among the hills of the Andes. It also was once home to Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet. We visited his house, bizarre, beautiful and amazing all at once. It has fabulous view of the harbor, with interesting touches everywhere. He used old portholes as windows in the stairwell and doors from old buildings all over. It gave me some ideas for decorating, as well as recycling efforts when building a home.




Our second destination was a small town in Rancagua where a well-know spa is located called Termas de Cauquenes. Although once probably a grand spa resort, the building looked like it hadn't been renovated since the 1930s. The hotel is most known for its restaurant, which we thought was five-star. However on our first night, we were one of three customers. The food was spectacular though. Even though the trip was less than expected, it was an experience. I feel as though Hollywood has missed a great opportunity here to film in a relic.

We then headed further south to the wine region around Santa Cruz. This area was gorgeous and boasts some of the best wine in the world. We visited Vina Santa Cruz on our second day. We would have stayed longer, but we had to get back to Santiago to head to the south pacific.




I found Chile pleasant and welcoming. Besides the fact that the highway was not well marked, making it an interesting place to drive, it was very developed, a step ahead of the rest of the South America we explored. Its very diverse, so we felt as though we could have stayed much longer and been amazed the whole time. Every aspect of it was beautiful, from the coast to the mountains. On our drive back to Santiago I took in such a fantastic site: the mountains looked as though they were floating in the sky. A blue patch separated the foothills from the high peaks, giving it a sense of suspension in the air - breathtaking!



Because Chile has a large number of biomes and ecosystems, from the desert in the north to Patagonia in the south, this is a place I want to come back to.

Here we are on a "date" to a nice dinner in Santa Cruz. This is one of the only days I've been able to dry my hair with a blow dryer. Exciting stuff!

Beautiful Air and gibberish

So onward to Buenos Aires.

Jack and I went to Buenos Aires in late October. It was a rollercoaster of a few days, mainly walking the streets for hours on end. The city is gorgeous. It is no wonder it's name means 'beautiful air.' There were parks galore. One of the major attractions for us was the nature preserve located on the Rio de la Plata. It had miles of walking trails, all closed to vehicles and reserved strictly for bikers, walkers, or rollerbladers. It was also full of birds and other wildlife; in general, it was spectacular.

I broke down on the second day and just had to go see a movie. It didn't matter what exactly, just as long as it was in English. You see, at this point I was having difficulties. My spanish is non-existant, and Jack, well, if you know Jack, you know that he's beyond gifted with languages. It's annoying at times. He never claimed to know spanish very well, "Just a few phrases to get by," he claimed. Yeah right. We're in Costa Rica for a few days, and he just picks it up! Although this is fabulous overall, it meant that in South America I was glued to Jack's side. I couldn't wander because if I got lost, I couldn't ask for directions. I couldn't read menus, which meant Jack was ordering for me. And in general, I was mute in conversation. It was frustrating.

This leads us to the movie. We went to see, of all things, Invasores, or the Nicole Kidman flick based on "the Bodysnatchers" or something. It would not be my first choice by any means, but options were limited in English. That was the low point.

We were only in Buenos Aires for a few days, but as luck would have it we happened to be there during the Presidential elections. It was interesting to walk the streets and read the signs (well, Jack read them) that were mainly about communism or abstaining from voting in order to prove a point. What point is that? I've never understood those who abstain from voting. Plus, its a bit ironic that they'd call for non-voting when voicing a rejection is permitted in a democracy. Communist countries don't generally allow you to do that. The very thing they abhor is what allows them to voice objection in the first place. Oh well.

We also got to see my friend Antonio. I worked with him at the UN for a few months last winter. It was great to see him and catch up. Although Brazilian, he's working in Argentina and was able to give us a bit of an insiders perspective. He took us to this great restaurant, full of meat! Really Argentina is known for its beef, so it was nice to enjoy a steak for a change. Vegetarians beware!

Here are photos:




I've been taking photos of recycling around the world as we've traveled. These, by far, are the largest recycling bins to date (right outside of the Pink House, Argentin'a White House):

Cool Cuzco

Before I move onto our trip to Buenos Aires and Santiago, I thought I would write a bit about Cuzco, Peru. Up until now, this city has been my favorite. Cuzco is located high in the Andes at about 12,000 ft. which makes for a very cool climate. Its a bustling cultural center among the ancient ruins of the Incan empire and the historical sites of the Spanish conquistadors. Cathedrals are built with Incan stones, and an Incan temple's ruins can be seen as the foundation for the Dominican monestary.

The city also boasts a European feel, no doubt of Spanish influence. The streets remain cobblestone in the center and most buildings have terraces. The views are also spectacular because of the hills. From our hostel window we could see little children practicing cultural dance in a square below; and the music from wind instruments carried up to our window as well.

Of course, along with the hagglers and nagging sellers of post-cards and finger puppets came many fabulous locals who sold tapestries and works of art. Many women carried bundles on their backs and wore local dress. Hats depict various areas of Peru, and although we never were able to tell which was which, it was interesting to note.

We spent a few days there in October, both before and after our hiking trips in the Andes and the Amazon. There was a lot to do and see, and I would certainly go back if I could. We spent some time in the artisan market, tasting the local dishes and finding great meals, the best one was only 12 soles for 2, which is equal to about $4, and visiting the Cathedrals. Just walking up the streets was a challenge at times because of altitude and the sheer fact that they were so steep.

Here are some photos for you:






Before I left for the trip, my dad asked me if I'd look out for evidence of large companies taking over business or negatively affecting locals' lives. Of course, this was due to his recent reading of Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Regardless of reason, and partially due to the fact that I'm interested in organic farming and the use of pesticides, I thought it was interesting that one of the only factories in Cuzco is a pesticide plant. Most of the other industries have left, and the existence of the pesticide company means that most of the local farmers use them. We noticed a large number of ads for them around the city. I couldn't resist mentioning this because it contrasts with the way of farming used by the Incas themselves, who were really good at using the climate and landscape to their advantage. (They obviously didn't have pesticides and used terrace farming, in circular patterns when possible. One theory for this is to help with irrigation.)
Anyway, it was an intersting sidenote. One for you, dad!

Peruvian Amazon

Many things have shocked me on our travels, but our trip to the Amazon was stunning, for a few reasons. First, we had just come from Cuzco and Machu Picchu, where the climate was cool and crisp. So the heat of the jungle was shocking at first. I'm not one to do very well in hot weather. My crew coach in college once gasped at how I had sweated through a sweater on a run, to give you an idea.

Second, the days before we reached the Amazon, we were immersed in Peruvian culture. From the Larres Trek, where we met local people living on the mountainside, to Cuzco, where we saw many Incan and Spanish sites, to Macchu Picchu, one of the best preserved Incan villages. Peru had thus been an educational experience. I will be the first to admit that before going, I had little interest in Incan history. So, going to the Amazon, I expected to be an extension of our Incan learning. How wrong was I?

Third, I just didn't realize what we would encounter.

We flew from Cuzco to Puerto Maldanado where we met our tour group and traveled by bus to the boat. We had to travel 3 hours down the Rio Tambopata to our destination.

Here is the river and the boat we traveled on:



We walked through parts of the jungle before reaching the lodge around dusk. Both Jack and I were excited to stay there, because it was an eco-friendly lodge, basically that meant no hot water or electricity most of the time. For me, this brought another surprise though, as our room didn't have either an actual door, or windows. Instead it opened up to the jungle. This meant that bugs of all sorts visited us. They did provide us with mosquito nets however. We were warned not to leave anything with a scent out, because opossums frequented the rooms.

On the first night, on my way to dinner, I spotted a really bizarre animal outside the room. It looked like a opossum in the face, but was bright yellow and had spikes all over its body, making it a porcupine or something. I called for Jack, and he came out too. So there was a witness! But our guide, Diego and the others claimed they had no idea what it was when I described it and said they had never heard of such an animal. Who knows, maybe I discovered a rare Amazonian species?

The second day, it rained; so our activities consisted of an afternoon walk. The jungle alone was simply breathtaking. We were suppose to go to a huge salt lick, where tons and tons of macaws go in the mornings, but it rained. We went to a lookout tower which was awesome, and high. We were swarmed by bees and wasps at the very top, but no stings. Instead we saw tropical birds, Macaws, and other weird birds. Again, I'm not big into birds.

Here is the view from the top of the lookout tower and the canopy view:






That night, we took a boat ride in the river to see the Caymans. They are related to alligators and crocks, but much much smaller. They live all along the river. It was very cool.

On the third day we got an early start and went for the whole morning to some small lakes. The walk there was about an hour long, then we got in a long canoe and headed across the lake. The sun was blistering hot. Once we crossed, we walked a ways and got into another canoe. This one had issues. You see, it did not have a paddle. Our guide said some local must have stolen it. Our group consisted of about 12 people, all in one canoe, so we desperately needed a paddle. One of the people, Smit as we called him, got out a pocket knife and handed it to the guides. They then proceeded to cut down a small tree to use as a paddle to cross the lake. Two men, at either end of the boat, used these stick like things to move all of us along the lake. I thought we were crossing it, but after a few hours of apparent bird watching, I realized that it was not the case. We went up a part of the lake and got stuck, where our guide pointed out the grass growing all around us to show that it was nature's way of making new paths for the water and filling in the rest with swampy marshes. I thought an explanation would have sufficed, but whatever. We then backtracked, all of us grabbing the grass to pull us out, and finally reached the shore. Meanwhile, the whole time, the guy in front of me had noticed a leak in the canoe when we first started. He was hauling water out with a small bucket the entire time!

So, we were in a canoe with no oars, with a leak, in water where piranhas live! It was quite the experience. We survived though.

Here is Jack fishing for pirahnas:





That afternoon, we went to an organic farm. The owner was taught to farm organically by a NGO, ProNatura (www.pronatura.org). Although only one of four farmers in the region to take part in the program, Don Manuel is the only one that profited from the change. The farm was small, but well organized. One of the main crops, that will be profitable in many years, are mahogany trees. Apparently mahogany was over cut, and is now is extremely short supply. So the NGO showed Don Manuel how to intersperse the trees among the crops. Besides growing fruit, such as starfruit, bananas, papayas, mangoes, hybrid fruit etc. he had coffee, sugarcane, chicken, and much more.
It was really fascinating to see.

The whole trip was fantastic. We agreed we would go back if we could later in life. The Amazon is certainly stunning. And hot. If you want more information on the group we took the tours with, Rainforest Expeditions (amazing because of how eco-conscious they are) go to www.perunature.com

Beautiful Peruvian Trek

Jack and I went treking for three days in the Andes in mid-October. Here´s how our trip went. Let me break this down for you. We got up around 5:45 am so that we could be picked up at 6:20 am to meet our guide and the rest of the group. Then we got on a bus and drove through some mountains in the Andes to our destination point, from where we started hiking. Anticipating that I may have some trouble with rocky areas, steep drop-offs and the high altitude (we were at around 12,100 feet high at the start) I hired two walking sticks. I soon found out that I would definitely have problems with the altitude. I sounded like a woman doing lamase while hiking up the steep parts - which was quite often, considering we were hiking for about 5-9 hours a day. But I did it, and was surprisingly not too sore either.

The hike was absolutely amazing. The area was gorgeous, like nothing I´ve ever seen before. We hiked a total of 3 days for perhaps 19 hours total. The highest campsite was 4,400 meters (about 13,000 feet or so). We hiked past glacier lakes, llamas and alpacas grazing, small villages where children often tended the animals. Most of the trip was extremely rocky, with steep drop-offs. I was frightened to be sure. But most of the time I was too busy trying to breathe to worry about the cliffs and rocks. I do have a new found respect for those people who climbed the Alps to get to freedom.





Here is a picture of a glacier in the background:



We were really taken by the local people, who only speak Quechua, and live in small huts.


Children would come out to great us on the path, and ask for candy. We had bought some small gifts for them, hair bands for girls and combs for boys, in a market before setting out the first morning, and they took them with the biggest smiles on their faces. Another hiker had bread, or ¨tanta¨ in their language, and they absolutely loved that! One little two year old, who could barely walk up the steep hill from his hut to the path, only took the tanta and literally rejected all other gifts- clearly its food that mattered most to him.



The striking thing about these children, was that they all seemed so happy, even though they were extremely dirty and work nothing more than sandals on their feet (it was freezing at times). They also had burns on their cheeks, from both sunburns and frostbite. It was heartwarming to witness how they live and to know that in order to get to school, the majority of them travel a few hours a day. Some take a bus, but most walk to school. And the walk is not an easy one.

On our second night, three women came to sell tapestries to us at the campsite. One woman carried a huge bundle on her back, plus a three month old baby. And she totally put us to shame walking up the steep hills - she was incredibly fast. That night it started to snow - we literally woke up on the third day to a few inches of snow around us.

On the fourth day we made it to Machu Picchu. We woke up very early again to take the bus up and see the ancient Inca site as the sun rose. It was amazing. Although we were sore and tired, the ruins were stimulating.


We ended our hike by returning to Cuzco and preparing for our trip to the Amazon. I would highly recommend this to anyone who's willing.

Pictures of Past Events

So here are some photos I have neglected to post.

After so many meals in Costa Rica, consisting of fried plantains and rice, this was my favorite meal. I have to admit, it did sustain us for quite a few days - we even ate the bread and peanut butter for breakfast. Yum!

Here I am in the Costa Rican canopy, going upside down! Crazy moments I tell you. If you can't figure it out from the photo - I'm absolutely screaming at this point. It was so much fun.

And here Jack and I are, going together on the zip line. Cute, I know.

This picture sums up our terrible night in Puerto Viejo. The hostel looked like something from a horror movie. Quite honestly, between the ants crawling on the wall, the lizards and Jack's terrible rash, it was my idea of a nightmare. Really, that's an overstatement.

Ok, I hope you've enjoyed some of these. More will come, I promise!