And they will know us by the Trail of Bread...

 

You know that feeling you get just before you begin a new chapter??

When you hear adventure calling your name and the beckoning is so loud that you have to heed it... even though you're not quite sure where it will take you and what you will find when [if] you get there...??

When you're thrillingly terrified... And you can't sit or relax or even think for fear of what it is that is about to pounce at you??

After 9 years of incongruously traipsing this planet, I'm amazed that I still get the jitters; that exhilaration still pulses through my veins... Actually I suppose it's the bewilderment that keeps me doing this. Yes, I should have it down. I should be mentally and physically prepared and set and... this should be a walk in the park... But still the flutterbys swarm my intestines and well...

...Well yes, it's back into the vortex of sea I go... 

And this time I'll be crewing on my smallest sailing boat yet, a Beneteau First 25; which, as the name suggests, is a "mega yacht" measuring in at a whopping 25 feet (7.62 m). Mono hull.  

I'm still trying to work out my explanation for my choice of vessels (there were a plethora of bigger, flasher, faster boats to choose from and an array of kind and funny and adventurous skippers), but I've learned enough in life to follow my instincts. 

And sometimes you just know something's right. It's infinitely more important to be on the right boat with the right crew - regardless of the destination - than anything else... Boat hopping is as extreme as hitch hiking gets: There is nowhere to just hop off, it's a flipping long way before you get to refeul and replenish, and you don't get bathroom stops... 

Fortunately this time, as I reassured  my mother this morning, we actually even have a toilet aboard.

Although I still maintain that this is the world's best toilet!!!

In fact it's a pretty interesting mix of cultures aboard: The boat (Yacare) and the skipper (Raphael) are French. The first mate (Cocotino) is a young coconut tree. Then there's me, the African. And my first mate, the trusty (little bit crusty) Teddy Teddison. 

To top that we also have yogurt, wild yeast and other foody cultures we'll be cultivating and experimenting with as we continue to cross the Pacific. And, with the lack of fridge and freezer, we'll be forced to be regularly producing sour dough and fermented milk products... 

We may even leave a trail of bread crumbs for you to follow. 

You ought to be able to tell who's who in this picture...

There will be stars. And sea. And whales. And dolphins. Mermaids, and flying fish.

There will hopefully be time to read and write and draw. 

There will be French... a language I don't speak [yet].  

But here we go again... Goodbye Fiji and thank you for a flipping phenomenal time!!!

...Next stop, The Solomons [probably] with it's crocodiles and pirates and malarial mosquitoes and volcanoes... 

Yes, here we go again.

Ahhh, the excitement!!

Plenty

Welcome to the land of plenty!

A land ripe with plenty of coconuts.

I'm still perfecting my coconut shaving techniques.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where everyone has plenty of kids.

 

All of whom can climb coconut trees in seconds and effortlessly use a machete before they can walk.

There is plenty of muscles to help out whenever you need it.

There are plenty of fish in the sea (and plenty of fear of sharks in the sea, so if do go in, you have plenty of room to splash around)

  

 

There are plenty of friends to be made.

Left to right: Latisia (Qamia), Ben (Austria), Debra (Taveuni), me (South Africa), Damian (France)

There are plenty of people who invite you to share their homes and their villages.

There's plenty of food.

And plenty plenty of sugar.

Vatu Lele village

Malau village

Korowai Settlement

There are plenty of new skills to learn

 

And plenty of beautiful places to see.

And plenty of ways to get there.

Taking the ferry from Buca Bay to taveuni

Taking the morning school bus to Lobasa

 Plenty of amazing sunrises and sunsets

But there's also plenty of cyclone damage.

Plenty of poverty.

Plenty of sickness and medical problems.

There's plenty of hard work to be done.

Every single day I have been taken in and housed and showered and fed and served and  and overloaded on love and sugar and smiles.

(I'm not sure why I'm still carrying a tent and a cooker)

It's funny how those with the least always give the most.

 

 

 In Fiji they don't have the newest gadgets.

They don't have the biggest houses.

They often don't have shoes, or fancy name-brand clothing.

They share beds and bedrooms.

They share everything.

But you can ask any Fijian if they have enough, 

and the answer will always be the same:

They have PLENTY!

Descisions

They say that 10 years of doing something makes you an expert... 

But after 31 years of practice I'm so bad at making descisions that I can't even spell the word. 

I descided that my thirties would be a progressive decade where I leaped forward and lived a lot; grabbing life by the testicles and valiantly tackling all of life's problems as they were thrown at me. 

I successfully cycled over 5000 kilometers across Australia for the amazing charity that is Bikes 4 Life.

The last leg of the trip (and the first leg in lycra) down the Great Ocean Road (Feb, 2016)

I conquered both the Southern tip of Australia and Mount Kosciuszko with an over-sized teddy bear and a torn achilles.

Mount Kosci (Feb 2016)

Wilson's Prom (Southern tip - Feb, 2016)

I survived the first family reunion in 6 years (and Sydney).

NSW, Feb 2016

I braved the flight to New Zealand and valiantly hopped around by the power of onesy (and thumb).

South Island New Zealand, March 2016

I out-paddled a storm as we kayaked the Abel Tasman.

Day 1 of 5 paddling the Abel Tasman, March 2016

I tackled my first grade 4 white water rapids (only because I was too slow to hop out and carry my pack raft).

Hiking out to the Pelorus river (March 2016)

I licked the tip of the South and the top of the North.

Absolute South (Mar 2016)

Top of North, May 2016

And then I descided it was time to complete my circumnavigation by other-peoples sailing boats.

Whangerei, May 2016

I've spent the last few weeks hunched over with terrible back ache and chronic knots in the shoulder and what feels like cows roaming and grazing on the inner lining of my stomach. My heads been on a spin cycle for 25 days and I still struggle to get a clean thought out of it. I've been unable to function on any normal level; and as you might imagine, that's not quite fitting for my gypsy regime. Why you ask? I've had a terrible case of indecisiveness!

There were too many boats owned by far too many nice people heading in far too many exotic tropical directions and I just didn't know how to chose. Fiji or Tonga or Vanuatu or New Caledonia?? Sail with a family or a couple or a single hander? Do a delivery or go cruising? A mono-hull or a cat? Step aboard as crew or take plunge and go captain?... The descisions were endless!!! And every time I was about to comit (another word I can't spell) a new option would appear.

Yesterday I finally descided to cut the crap and I did it - I took the plunge and made a big life descision! I've just hopped aboard my new home and in the morning we set the sails and wish new Zealand goodbye and well... [watch this space] ... 

Apparently descisions are going to haunt us for the rest of our lives. And you know what? It's probably a good thing!  For most descisions it doesn't matter so much what you choose: The chicken or the beef... going commando or granny panties... it doesn't matter where you go and what you do ... but you only have one life so make sure you make epic ones!

Ted Talks

Well, it's about time Adeena finally let me say something! Jeepers!! - I get lugged around the freaking planet for four and a half years and dragged through all sorts of shit being tied to bicycles and motorbikes and yachts and then she goes and shares her side of the near death experience (because lets be honest, every adventure has a near death experience) seeing some positive light and being all optimistic about our failed suicide attempts that I tried to talk her out of... what the flip?

Central Coast, Australia

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Somewhere, Vietnam

Martinique

Colon, Panama

No, I think the only reason she keeps me around is because nobody else is stupid enough to venture out with her. Don't get me wrong, she really is a lovely girl; but she's clearly flipping unlucky, or got terrible karma, or something!
I mean, how many people do you know who have been shipwrecked and marooned on a desert island, been attacked by both dogs and pirates, fallen into a volcano, had far too close for comfort unplanned encounters with sharks and lions and komodo dragons and molestorisers and a leopard and cassowaries, been involved in 8 motorbike and 9 bicycle crashes, lost their rigging and got stuck at sea for months...!? The answer I'm sure you'll agree is one: Adeena.
Actually, I'll be honest - the only reason I stick around is because I can't run away - my legs are stuffed!

You don't have to look hard to see how I've deteriorated over the years

No, I really don't get it! She's on this big mission to flightlessly travel from Australia to Spain and after 5 years and a month, she's 3944 km further away than she was when she started.
Yes, okay I'll give her credit - she's gotten close - she's dragged me through some 27 countries and we've been around the world once, but how do you just miss Spain? It's right in the middle!

And don't even get me started on accommodation!
Adeena's happy to sleep in a cave or on a beach, or in a weed plantation, or a cinema, or restaurant, or on a strangers floor - but that's only because I'm her freaking pillow. Give me a night at the Hilton for once?? Although they probably won't let her in - she doesn't have shoes.

A bar in Malaysia

On a stranger's floor in Lankawi when she lost me for 3 days.

This is not okay!

Yes this looks like an ideal setting, but after the sun disappeared, this transformed into a bed for the night.

Adeena's definition of luxury accommodation: camping

Yes she got me my own passport - but I know they're thinking it every time I walk through border control- "Wonder what he's laced with?" - Right? No normal grown up carries a teddy my size with them unless they're up to no good. Do you know what it's like to be scanned and dogged and constantly probed by weird men and hairy ladies in uniforms?
And on that note too - it's thanks to her that I've had so many run ins with the law and it's upholders.

Orange isn't even my colour!

Okay, it's not all bad.
I've seen and experienced some amazing things that most people can only dream of.
And being the cute furry co-gypsy has some perks

I'm not normally into men, but I'll tolerate this kind of thing

No, it's a hard life being the side-kick; but Adeena promises that this year will be different!
It's only January and she has already locked in 2 flights (which is a lot for someone who doesn't fly), a bicycle tour, a family reunion, and a shower.
She's even talking about finishing both her circumnavigation and this crazy mission to Spain.
It might actually be a good year.
No, stuff that, it's going to be freaking fantastic!