On Saturday, Carlos leads an expedition into the hills around the volcano. I want to go to see the lava and stuff, but Carlos tells me it’s too dangerous, and anyway the top of the volcano is off limits to the public…
The bedroom door bursts open, and David flicks the light on. ´Quick amigo! Out of bed! There is an earthquake!´ I sit up, rubbing my eyes and stare at him stupidly. ´Seriously..?´ ´Si, si! Vamos! We must go outside..!´
Sunday afternoon I was in jolly old England, wearing two jumpers… Monday lunchtime I’m eating a gigantic pork chop with fried bananas in Ecuador, South America…
Officially it’s ‘Bua Tong Waterfall’ but Orawun tells us all the locals call it ‘Sticky Waterfall’. It’s a really hot Chiang Mai day. Getting into the water is awesome. It’s cold, and clean, and surrounded by thick, lush jungle…
As I started festival-hopping, I got into the “scene of crazy people”… Instead of spending all their money on a car or on public transport, they would just hitchhike everywhere…
The house band kicks off the evening with some slick prog rock, and then segues into blues and R&B standards. I jump up on stage, first chance I get, and it’s great fun. Everyone is relaxed, and happy to jam out…
Coming from Australia, New Zealand is familiar, but also oddly different. One obvious difference is the size of the lumps. The landscape here looks a bit like Australia, only stretched, like someone scaled a picture on Photoshop…
“You aren’t recycling, you’re stealing!” “Stealing?” I ask him incredulously, “this food is in the bin. How can I steal rubbish?”
He pulls out his phone. “I’ll give you one minute to get out of here and then I’m calling the police…”
Fairy Meadow Beach is in the northern suburbs of Wollongong, on Australia’s south-east coast. Shannon and I have spent a lazy, sunny week here. This is a spot that could hardly be more convenient for low budget travelers. There are plenty of dumpsters nearby, overflowing with fresh fruit and vege’s. We have set ourselves up…
Hitchhiked 900 kilometres across Eastern Australia to Drake Village. Rode my bike 15 kilometres to the banks of the Rocky River. Hiked through the bush, pitched my tent, lived on mung beans and lentils for a week… all so I could be at Rainbow Gathering. Was it worth it? Yep. Absurdly beautiful river. Lovely, lovely…
Old mate from the council comes over, with a security guard in tow, and tells us:
“You can’t busk here unless you have a license”
We look at him like he has just landed from another planet.
“Of course we can” I tell him. “It’s our birth right as humans to play music wherever and whenever we want…”
…The night is a resounding success. We fill the car with food and only get yelled at by a security guard once. We get back to the house, tired, smelly, and smeared with yoghurt, but victorious. Bread, fruit, vegetables, watermelon, strawberries, meat, sausages, a pork roast, a leg of lamb, eggs, cakes, muffins, milk, chocolates……