Bright Sunshiny Days!

Well, I've finally made it to Oz! The last few weeks have been crazy, but so much fun! There were many a time where I'd just stop and think "Am I really here?". "Is this really happening?" Okay, so here's the breakdown:

My birthday was great. I spent the day surfing with my friends Mike and Corin. I got up on my third attempted, mmm hmm, thank you very much. Although I can't tell you how many times I did double backward flips in the air (not on purpose), bouncing off the board (usually with my face), on the way down. I have head to toe bruises to prove it. Fun! Seriously impressive things to see on this beach. There was a guy that kept surfing in on his head......or maybe I was still upside down in the water. Either way, it was cool. The only slight hitch to the day was that someone stole my brand new, very expensive bikini. WHO DOES THAT???? Anyway, to make myself feel better, I bought 2 new ones. Not really being able to afford 2 bathing suits, I decided to take on a cleaning job for a woman next door to the hostel to make a bit of extra cash. Her place was top to bottom, infested with cockroaches. Just spilling out of the cupboards! Ugh! I kept thinking "good preparation for Thailand". Oh, the things I'll do for money!

My crazy friend Darri, whose a local I met when my dad and I first got there, and her husband took me out snorkelling and body surfing on Hukalakaliki shore. Just kidding, I have no idea what the shore was called. It's Hawaiian. Anyway, the waves were powerful and needless to say, I almost lost ANOTHER bathingsuit. Apart from the gallons of water I inhaled, snorkelling was awsome. Great big angel and clown fish. I had this overwhelmingly odd sensation that I'd shrunk and was swimming through someones aquarium.

Monday, up to the north shore, FINALLY! I had butterflies the whole way up there. I can't be sure whether it was the excitement or the old, drunk German man driving the bus, flying around corners at ridiculous speeds. He was a self-proclaimed tour guide and actually told our bus load to "Shut the f*** up", so he could tell us about the Dole pinapple plantation. Corin and I arrived at the hostel which consists of little huts by the beach. The first thing I noticed were the thousands of chickens and kittens just wandering around...EVERYWHERE, which was unfortunate for them. You know the expression about being as scared as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs? Well, replace "rocking chairs" with drunk hostel people.

Corin and I went out to attempt the water. All of you with warnings about the north shore waves were sooooo right. The waves were so huge that when I'd float over one my stomach would actually drop coming down the other side. It was the best rollercoaster ever! It was on the shore line that was the most dangerous though. Every time Corin would try to get out of the water the undertow would knock her off her feet. So she'd be walking, dissapear completely, then when the water receded she'd be rolling head over heels back into the water, only to have it happen about 5 or 6 times over. I was laughing so hard I was almost screaming. I almost drowned because I couldn't stop and I kept getting mouthfuls of water. At least I would have died laughing.

So a crazy thing happened. That night I was sitting in the BBQ area of the hostel talking to someone, when suddenly the girl beside me looks at me and says "Cindy?". It was a girl Christie I went to highschool with, that I haven't seen in 8 years! She's been living on the north shore for 6 months. What are the chances???? Both of us were blown away! So for the next 2 days we hung out and had some of the best days I've had here.

I've read over all the comments on my last log and I was shocked at how many people have actually been here. I really appreciated all the advice about not even trying to attempt surfing up here, so when Christie (whose been surfing for years) asked me to go with her I flat out said.......yes. OH MY GOSH. I should have listened. I paddled out and was watching these walls of water coming toward me and I kept thinking "Embrace the wave. Become friends with it." I didn't so much embrace the wave as it actually embraced me, picked me up, tied me in a knot and pounded me against 14 other waves that seemed to be coming in all directions.....but I've lived (barely) to tell the tale.

My last day on the north shore was by far the most eventful. I decided to go to Lani Kai Beach to see the sea turtles. The water is thick with them and it's one of 2 places in the world where they actually crawl up on the shore. So I start walking down the beach (in the wrong direction...of course) and I walk for about 2 hours until there was nothing and no one around. I had no clue where I was. Suddenly I see something on the beach. It's air plane debris. i'm thinking "Oh my gosh, a plane has crashed here." Suddenly this guy runs over to me and says "Hey, we're in the middle of a shoot and as cool as it would be to have you in it, you don't really blend". I had walked onto the set of the T.V. show LOST.....and I was actually lost. Oh the irony! Instead of telling me to turn around he directed me to walk through a different part of the set! I'm walking through the forest and there's cast members sitting everywhere, and plane parts and little huts.....the ACTUAL set. It was so surreal. It took every bit of stength in me not to pull out my camera. Ha! Could you imagine? Like I wasn't already pushing my luck. Everyone was so nice too. They would just smile and say hi like I actaully belonged there. The set runs about 1/4 km long and I walked from one end to the other. Some crew were driving by in a jeep and as a joke I put out my thumb as they passed. They actually stopped and asked if I needed a ride. I walked past the Craft Services food table and the guys behind it asked me if they could get me anything to eat! I grabbed a water bottle. I know there are some of you who don't believe this. I don't blame you. I barely believe it myself. So I'm walking out of the forest thinking "I have a looooooong way to get back. I'm hot, I'm tired..." In mid thought, this car pulls up and this woman says "Do you need a ride?" YES!!!! Well, she took me into town, she took me to see the sea turtles, then drove me back to the hostel. Just a nice local lady who never picks up hitch hikers but got a vibe from me that made her stop, when she saw me walking down the street. The guys in my hostel told me I should buy a lotto ticket. I should have. Well the day was not over. Christie and I rode our bikes down to the beach and sat outside Jack Johnson's house. That's right, THE Jack Johnson. He's a local. Christie has surfed with him before. She is officially the coolest person I know now. We weren't being groupies, he just happens to live on Pipeline, one of the most popular beaches. So, who is out surfing? That's right, Jack. We just sat and watched Jack Johnson surf, while the sun set. THE craziest day of my life.

SO the north shore was full of beautiful sunsets, bonfires on the beach, hitchhiking in pick-up trucks and soooo many other memories I will never forget. I flew into Sydney the day before yesterday and it was a bit of a shock. Surprisingly, going from waking up to the beach outside my window, to waking up to a never-ending row of prostitutes yelling out cat calls (my hostel is in a really nice area) has had a slightly negative affect on my emotions. Surprisingly. My Aussie friend Peter has come to my rescue though! Thank goodness for friends! We're now up at his cottage in the country (which is twice the size of my house) where he's trying to fatten me up (he's a chef) and teach me how to speak Australian. "Crikey!" Seriously, could I have it any better? Yesterday we went and saw some whales off the shore. It was awesome until Peter casually mentions that the bushes surrounding us are infested with some of the most deadly snakes in the world..... What do you say to that? I'm not sure what my plans are for the next few days, but i'm sure they will be eventful.

Sorry this was such a long one. You know how I can talk! I'll try to write soon....or the next time I have free internet access. Thanks Pete!

Miss you all!

Love Cindy xo

Did I say new Zealand?

Well, I must have been mistaken. Flying stanby certainly has its perks....until you get stuck somewhere, that somewhere being Vancouver. So for the first 4 days of my trip, instead of "G'Day", it was just "Hi" (that's how they say hello in Vancouver) I was very lucky to have awsome friends who like me weren't working and were able to hang out with me. It was certainly a lot more fun than it could have been.
After a few trips to the airport we felt like enough was enough and my father, my hero decided to escort me onto Hawaii. One step closer. So for the past 4 glorious days it's been "Aloha", but so I don't sound like a loser I still say "hi". So it was just me and my dad hanging in Waikiki. Yup, that's right. Sniff...no big deal. Yeah, it's pretty awesome here. After the Vancouver cold and rain, which wouldn't have been so bad if I had clothes other than sandals and shorts (I hear Toronto is the same) the sun and beach were quite welcoming. Up until yesterday my dad and i were staying in the Coral Reef hotel beside a bar called "Da Big Kahuna". I'm not kidding, they actually HAVE one of those! I've also never knew a coconut could be carved into so many different kinds of monkey. Fascinating. My favorite discovery so far though is the fact that Don Ho is STILL here!!! and as my dad pointed out to me, still singing Tiny Bubbles. He was here on my parent's honeymoon. Too Funny! So after a few days of hanging out on the beach, drinking beer and Mai Tais and eating mahi, my dad has finally left me, but with some good memories. Because I'm here on my own for my birthday tomorrow, ahem, my dad took me to a fancy luau to celebrate it early. To say I've been spoiled would be an understatement. There were over 500 people at this luau (yes, I counted) and the host got me to stand up while everyone sang me happy birthday. My dad thinks of everything. Oh, but the fun wasn't over, oh no. For the grand finale of the show, I was pulled backstage, dressed up in a hawaiian skirt and palm crown and was told do whatever the Hawaiian dancer did on stage. Well, the guy went crazy....which left me no choice but to go crazy as well. Then four Hawaiin male dancers started closing in on me until they were wildly spinning around me, bumping me back and forth, trying to make a Cindy milkshake. Thank goodness my dad got it aaaaallll on video. It is surely a moment I will want to relive many times over.

So, here I still am, staying at the Waikiki Beachside Hostel, phone # 808.923.9566, so feel free to call me!.... or make reservations for your own trip. It's a pretty nice hostel. There's only one crack-head in my room. My dad's not laughing right now. He met him. Anyway, he's a very nice crack-head and I've met a ton of other people already. I already have trips planned, the next one being up to the north shore. I am having the time of my life. That's why I'm still here and not in Australia...or more importantly in New Zealand. (I'll get there soon Pete and Sue!)

So I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you. Thank you so much to all of you who sent birthday wishes. They really mean a lot to me. I've been loving your emails too so pleeeease keep them coming, even if I can't respond right away. My grocery budget has gone soley into internet cafes so far and at some point I have to eat so I might not be able to respond immediately. i will try my best though.

Anyway, wish you were all here!!!!

Love, Cindy xo