Bug Bites!

First of all I would like to inform everyone that I am INCREDIBLY ICHY!!!! There are a million and one mosquitoes here and I think I have been bitten in every place possible...I think I have bites on top of bites. Part of it serves me right for swimming in the ocean, then walking the beach at night without bug spray but still. I'm having a lot of trouble concentrating on anything else. Hard life I know. Everyone should be feeling really sorry for me right now. =P

Anyways,
After program ended most people left within the first two or three days. These goodbyes were some of the hardest I've had to make. I know I said that about the orphanage too but there's something about having lived with someone for three months and being within 112ft of them EVERY DAY that makes you pretty close. A few of us chose to stay longer, usually a week, with the exception of Cat and I. We left today (actually I haven't left yet...I'm still sitting in the airport waiting for my flight).

Antigua is a beautiful island and if you ever have the opportunity to come here I would highly encourage it. Cat and I have spent the last two weeks adventuring around and enjoying our new found freedom of not having a strict schedule.


One of the big highlights was Shirley Heights. On Sunday evenings you can make your way up to the top of a hill from which you can see all of English and Fowlmouth Harbour. While watching the sunset you can enjoy the music of the steel drum band and munch down on a delicious dinner. Later there is live music and the party begins! Shirley Heights is rated as the #1 place to be in the world on a Sunday night by National Geographic. Just sayin.

We were also here over the 2010 Classics Regatta (which Argo sailed in!!!) as well as the beginning of the 2010 Race Week. We were able to get up a couple of mornings and walk up to a small set of ruins from which we could watch the races. The atmosphere is intense and there are some unbelievable ships here. The money that has been walking around Antigua is incredible! The rumor is that Johnny Depp's ship was here for a while as well as a few other celebrity figures.


After everyone had left Cat and I went to the opposite side of the island for some much needed R+R. We stayed in a small "hotel" just outside of St. Johns. It was absolutely beautiful. It's the low season for them right now so we were bumped up to an ocean view room(!!) that had AC and an incredibly comfortable bed.

I'm so sad to be saying goodbye to Antigua and Argo but excited for the times ahead. I am on my way to St. Croix (part of the US Virgin Islands)where I will be visiting Kara (one of the women I went to Africa with last time, in 2007).I haven't seen her in years so pretty stoked for that!

My plane is about to board so I have to run but I hope everyone at home is doing well and thank you for the birthday wishes!

Much love and light!

A Solemn Farewell

My time on Argo has come to a close. Program finished on April 14 and it still doesn't seem like it has ended. The experiences, adventures, and people I met have inspired me beyond all I thought possible. I was so sad to see them go but I know we will see each other in the future. I wish that I could accurately describe my life for the last three months but I think it would be impossible. Maybe that is what makes it so special.
I have picked up a number of habits and sayings...some are sailor mannerisms others are American mannerisms...all of them strange! Just to name a few...
- I still take cold showers
- I ask for the head when I need a bathroom
- I sleep curled in a small ball because I am used to my bunk
- I wake up at 7am even though I were up until 4am
- I have no idea how to use two utensils let alone a napkin
- I have dreams I'm late for watch
- I catch myself saying "2...6!"
- I use polywog as an insult
- I say "uh huh" in place of "thank you"

These are only a few.. I could go on forever but it would take much too long.


In a brief closing:
Thank you to everyone who was on the Argo Spring 2010 Trip. You have changed my life.
And just remember......
WE ARE ARGO!

All Around the World

My time on Sea|mester is coming to a close and I have recently compiled a list of the places I have traveled to in the last four months. It goes something like this:
- Cape Town, South Africa
- St. Helena
- Fernando de Naronha
- Fortaleza, Brazil
- Isle de Salut
- Barbados
- Bequia
- Martinique
- Dominica
- Les Saints
- Guadalupe
- Antigua

Currencies:
- Rand
- US
- Pound
- St. Helena Pound
- EC (eastern caribbean)
- Real
- Euros
- Barbadian

I was attempting to buy ice cream the other day but when I pulled out a handfull of change I realized I did not have enough EC to pay for it. However, if I had been allowed to use other currencies I could have given her a Euro, two Barbadian, a US quarter, three Rand, and a Real.
...I think I need to go through my wallet!

Here are some random photos from the last three months...



Helming Argo early in the morning...I don't think I'm quite awake yet.

Water acrobatics with Jason in Fernando De Noronha.

Going through the "initiation" on the equator and making the switch from "polywog" to "shellback"!

Boomswing off Argo in Les Saints.

Climbing a coconut tree on Isle de Salut

Me jumping in for shower time!

Raising sails with Stephanie!

Hiking the volcano.


Brian and I preparing to dive.


Stephanie and I on the roof in Antigua.


In St. Helena.


My closest my friend on the ship, Catherine, and I sitting on some ruins on Martinique.

Random Fun

I haven't been quite a diligent about keeping up with writing so there are only a few random things i have written on that I will include in this post.
#1-Volcano Hiking..no biggie!
Our most recent hikes were day long adventures. One led up to the only existing set of boiling ponds in the world! The steam held an excruciatingly strong smell of sulfur and the water burned…literally. We had a chance to put mud on our faces and pretended to be jungle people for a while which was pretty fun. We stopped at several spots along the way to swim in the warm water. Another cool thing was we went hiking in one of the spots that the second Pirates of the Caribbean was shot in; the scene where they are in the canyon swimming around and the natives are up on the cliff shooting arrows at them. So amazing to think i swam there too!
#2-Night Dives
First night dive: April 2, 2010. In a word: INSANE!!! It was one of the coolest things I have eve done. I was in a group with five other divers and we started the dive right off the stern of Argo…quite a drop! That first plunge in to water was actually pretty scary but it was only a moment. Descending down to a depth of 40ft for 45 minutes it felt like we were navy seals of something…It was…eerie. You are completely surrounded by an inky darkness; the water seems to be thicker in a sense. You can’t see anything except for the small beam of light coming from your flashlight. We each had a red glow stick attached to our tanks so when we turned off our lights all you could see was a faint outline of five other divers with little red lights hanging from them. We saw an eel, a couple of sea snakes, a squid, and various other fish. It was definitely one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had!
#3-Certified Rescue Diver!!
Myself, along with three other students have officially become rescue divers! It was some intense training and then testing but it was all worth it. After we had finished our training we were "on call." This means that at any point (day or night, meal time, or classes) we can be called on to deal with a "unplanned rescue scenario". They would often include things like panicked diver, tired diver, or unconscious diver, or a combination of the three. It was very stressful and our fellow shipmates would often be watching. We had five of these scenarios and we were all able to pass them! The four of us called ourselves the "Ninja Turtles" because yes, we are just that cool =)

Fresh Fruit and Water Falls

We had an amazing day today! We went on a bus tour of Dominica for nine hours but it definitely didn’t feel like it was that long. We stopped along the way to eat a ton of different fruits I had never even heard of (star fruit, breadfruit, limaas), broke open coconuts, and climbed up trees to get different fruits. We even got to make chocolate! We stopped for small hikes along the way, one of which was absolutely incredible…it was only about 20 minutes but it wrapped through the rainforest and came out at this huge waterfall. The water was freezing but surprisingly, not 40ft away, there was a hot spring that we could jump in to. It was a day I could never have imagined I would get to have, and yet, here we are!

A Moment

We are now in Bequia, a small, relatively unknown island in the Caribbean. It is beautiful here! We got the opportunity to go to a turtle sanctuary which was amazing! It was started by a man who hunted turtles "back in the day" but then realized how endangered they are. He goes out and collects baby turtles as they are hatch and then takes them, raises them, and then releases them back in to the wild so they have a much better chance of survival. It was pretty amazing to see.

They had rain for the first time in four months while we were there. When it started I had just finished lunch with Cat and Spike and they were on their way back to the ship to start making dinner. I was at the end of a small peir, eating ice cream and sitting with my feet in the water. The sun went behind the clouds and suddenly the sky opened up. I barely had time to slip on a shirt over my white tank top before I was completely soaked. It was a warm rain and it felt like I was being washed clean. It was a truly incredible moment. It took a women in a taxi boat driving by calling me crazy to finally stand up and walked back in to town. The streets were empty save for one fruit stand from which I bought a fresh mango. Now for everyone who knows me…think of a typical Cayley moment…it went something like this: jean shorts, blue, slightly oversized long sleeve, clothing and hair soaked all the way through, bare feet, flip flops in hand, African bag over one shoulder, mango juice dripping all over my free hand, walking in the rain on a dirt road beside the ocean on an island in the Caribbean. Yes, that actually happened =)


Later that day I had another moment. I got my hair braided (in the hopes of making dreds…don’t worry, it didn’t work out) and the lady who was braiding my hair was telling me all about her life on the island and I asked her if her family was with her and she said yes except that her sister had died the previous day. We talked about love and loss for over an hour. I don’t even know her name. It was remarkable how two people who had never met before, and most likely will never meet again, were able to have such an intense conversation. After she was done I paid her (less then $25 US for my whole head!!), gave her a hug, wished her luck, and we walked out of each others lives.

BahBayDos!!

Hot, humid, and beautiful Barbados is an exceptional island. It was much larger then I was expecting but still holds the “island life” culture. Things in the Caribbean are taken slow and enjoyed, much like I believe all of life should be. Diving was incredible and the night life was a ton of fun as well. We were here over St. Patricks Day and ended up getting in to one of the bar/clubs that was having a big party. We met some people who rowed across the Atlantic…needless to say we were all very impressed.

While we were here Cat, Leah and I went provisioning which turned out to be a very interesting experience. We had SO many people asking us if we were going on a picnic or something. It feels a little strange to walk through a grocery store and pull out 42 onion, 14 breads, and 38 cans of tuna fish. And this was only a small provisioning!


This is a picture of a bottle of rum and a chocolate bar...prices are in Barbadian. The chocolate is more expensive then the rum!

How to: Open a Coconut

Many have wondered at the success of properly opening a coconut. I am here to tell you that it is not a task for the faint of heart; it takes copious amounts of determination to accomplish opening such a thing. According to the World English Dictionary a coconut is defined as “the fruit of the coconut palm, consisting of a hard fibrous husk surrounding a single-seeded nut with firm white flesh and a hollow core containing sweet-tasting liquid (coconut milk).” This, in and of its self, is intimidating. You cannot merely smash a coconut on the rocks with just your hands. Why? One: it will simply not work. Two: if, by some strange chance you do manage it, all of the milk will seep in to the ground and half of what you worked for will be lost.

If you believe you are one of the few who possess the adventurous spirit needed here are a few tips to help you:
1) Find a flat rock. Place your coconut on the rock and then find another larger rock to throw on it.
2) Throw said rock 2-3 times, only enough so that the outer husk is broken. Be careful not to crack open the inner portion of the coconut as the milk will all spill out and you will be forced to look like an incompetent amateur as you stand there, half a coconut held up to your face, trying unsuccessfully to drink the milk which is spilling all down your arms, face, and shirt attracting mass amounts of flies.
3) Once the outer portion in cracked go ahead and find yourself a thin piece of rock, one that you can force in between the inner and outer section. Then find a good bashing rock and essentially chisel the outer part out one section at a time, ripping off the husk around it as you go. This will take you a solid amount of time so I recommend taking a seat.
4) Once the outer section is completely off find a fifth rock, this one must be fairly thin. Use it to drill out one of the three “eyes” on the coconut. If a rock doesn’t work you can use a thin, preferably somewhat clean, stick in place of a rock.
5) Once the eye is pocked all the way through…drink your prize! Caution: the milk inside is enormously delicious; you may find yourself with a new addiction.
6) Once you have finished the last sip of that delightful milk you will be after the meat inside the coconut. Find another rock and crack your rock roughly ¾ of the way up. Follow this ¾ mark all around the coconut. If done correctly the top should split off and you will find yourself with a coconut bowl filled with mouthwatering wonder.


Things to consider:
- Don’t wear your best clothes; they will be ruined. This is a sweaty, physically demanding task and as such you should not be worried about getting your hands dirty, literally!
- Don’t be afraid to bring out your inner caveman. In fact, it will probably be tremendously helpful.
This is a task that takes extreme determination. You will have moments of complete frustration and I recommend channeling this energy in to giving an especially hard smash. This is not an activity for the faint of heart and should not be taken lightly. Proper coconut opening is one difficult task to master but the rewards are well worth the struggles. Don’t give up, good luck, and enjoy!

Hand Gestures and Broken Languages

We arrived in mainland Brazil in Fortileza, a city of 2.5 million people, quite a change from what we have been used to. It was the first large city we have come across and as we entered. the lights of the stars were dulled against the vast expanse of city that was spread out before us.

Brazilian people speak mostly Portuguese, very few are able to communicate in English so for the majority of the time we communicated with a mixture of broken Spanish, broken English, and a series of failed hand gestures. I absolutely loved it!

We were able to explore the city very little because it was relatively unsafe to wonder more then a few blocks off the beach. The port we were docked in was a commercial dock in a rather sketchy part of the city so we were forced to make the 15 Real cab ride if we wanted to go anywhere. But even with these restrictions we were able to get a quick taste of the Brazilian culture.

Cat, Brian, Spike, and I found ourselves, on our first free day ashore, eating at a delicious steak house. The food was absolutely phenomenal, unlike anything I have had. Pork, beef, duck, lamb, chicken etc. It was all there, in mass quantities, just waiting for us. The way the house is set up has it so that one never really has to leave their seat. Rather, you are brought endless amounts of meat until you can no longer consume anything else at which point you turn the small circular tab by your glass of local juice over to the red side indicating your satisfaction. We spent close to three hours there, hopefully that’s a good indication of how wonderful it was!

The next couple of days was spent exploring the “main drag” however, Cat and I often found ourselves trying to find the small “out of the way” “not touristy” places. I’ve learned that it definitely pays off to ask the locals where their favourite places to eat are (that is, if you can do all that communication).

We were able to have two nights out in Brazil. One was spent with the majority of our group eating together at another steak house and then wondering the street market. The other we were able to get out a little more and checked out a few of the local bars along the beach. It was so much fun, we talked with the locals (Pepe and Daniel) and managed to have a few, shall we say, interesting experienced along the streets. All ended well and we will soon be heading up in to the Caribbean.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to travel in to the Amazon. Captain Dan has informed us that the safety is extremely questionable. I’m pretty upset about it but he has said that we will be able to do more diving which is a good thing.

It felt like our time in Brazil was only touching the tip of an iceberg, one that I would love to explore. I guess this just means I will have to come back!