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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 07, 2009 07:00 PM Sunday mass on Marshall's
Sunday. International Women's Day - they do not celebrate it here - but best wishes to all ladies anyway...
It is worth to attend the church service in the remote location - they use their local language, the people dress nice coming to the church and - most important - they sing so nice their songs. I have been to the Catholic Assumption church - I liked the mass and the people, especially lovely barefoot kids...
No electric power on Arno. In Majuro people have all facilities but they are rather expensive. The last expensive internet (very slow) in the local telecom center cost me 8 cents per minute. So I have a choice: to have my Sunday beer in the evening (2.50 USD small bottle) or to send two messages to GS.
Here you are - but no beer this Sunday. That's backpackers life!
Thanks, my friends for your letters and best wishes - I am sorry I cannot response every one - thank you for your understanding...
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Mar 06, 2009 07:00 PM 5 hours on the truck...
Arno Atoll is one of 29 atolls of Marshall Islands. Beautiful lagoon is surrounded by small and some long and narrow green islands - motus covered by dense coconut palms and breadfruit forest. Di you try the baked breadfruit? - take your chance - it is important in local diet! I like it.
The longest motu on Arno is like 30 km long. I walked along the beach to the northern end. Then at the low tide you can cross the 200-m passage to the next motu, but take care - the high tide is coming fast - so you can be stranded there until the next low water!
To get to the other end of the long island I rented a little, open truck (there are only 3 of them on Arno). Yes, it must be a truck because there is no single kilometre of paved road - it is all 4WD, sand, rock and gravel...
We passed through many villages befere reaching Matolen on the eastern end of motu - round trip took me almost 5 hours. No shops on the way - if you are off the drinking water there are plenty of coconuts and friendly people offer them for free!
Enjoy!
In the late afternoon the boat arrived to take me back to Majuro -the sea was not so rough so I landed dry on the capital atoll...
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Mar 05, 2009 07:00 PM In the middle of the Pacific...
The bed was comfortable. But where is my paid breakfast? - It will come when public boat will come to the atoll. Maybe at 11 am Pacific Time... It means you have to survive on your food - if you have some...
Only 2400 people live on Arno Atoll. They have one little shop, there cars and one sandy road going end to end of the main island. There is more then hundered little island (motus) surrounding the beautiful lagoon. The color of the water is hard to describe: changing fron turquoise to the deep blue.
People live from fishing and harvesting copra - the white meat of coconuts. It is not huge income... But they are very nice and hospitable. They are returning smiles and ready to chat - but the knowledge of English is much worse than in Majuro - the capital island.
I was walking along the main island - from house to house, greeeting them in their language: Yokwe! Taking pictures on their tiny houses, their work and their faces. Especially kids are lovely and pretty here. Great place in the middle of Pacific!
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Mar 04, 2009 07:00 PM Through the rough sea to Arno Atoll
If you want to see the real life of the Marshalleese you must go to the one of outer atolls... I want to...
They say there are two public boats. One of them should sail on Mon, Wed and Fri to the nearest Arno Atoll. Departure 10 am Pacific Time (it means: at 10, at 11, at 2 pm or not at all...). Cost: 12 USD per person each way.
They say the big public boat is broken, and the small one - XXXX (the name of Australian beer) is chartered by US Navy. So there is no public boat! They find that there is another private boat "Budweiser" (another beer trade mark) ready to go - for 25 USD. No other choice!
It was nice as long as we sailed in the lagoon. Once out - the open Pacific showed his power - our little speedboat was sailing against the wind and the waves. I know higher waves from Antarctica, but this boat was really small and it has no winshield!. We were jumping the waves like a toy. After 10 minutes I was completle wet - sprayed many times by salt water (wear your bathing suit!).
After 5 quarters I landed on a little jetty on Arno... Wet but happy - even from the jetty Arno with palms, white sands and turquoise water looks like a paradise.
I was booked for the only tourist accommodation: RRE bed and breakfast. -They will wait for you! Nobody was waiting... I took a long, 25-min walk to the settlement all wet, carrying my backpack, food etc...
Welcome to the paradise! They charge for this B&B only 25 USD pp. No towels, no soap, but huge, breezy werandah and great view of the lagoon!
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Mar 03, 2009 07:00 PM Lovely tropical beach - just for you!
Last expensivie backpackers accommodation here is "Flame Tree GH". They charge 20 USD per dorm bed and 30 USD per room with a fan.
23000 people lives on tiny Majuro Atoll. The "capital" area of connected by bridges 3 islands Rita-Uliga and Delap is very crowded. What you have to do is to take a public minibus (2 USD) to the end of the Long Island - it is really long - like 55 km - and narrow. At the end of the island - in Laura.
There is pristine, sandy beach fringed by palms. I did not see there any other tourist - you have this beach just for you... Oops! The local family who takes care about the places collect 1 USD fee... They keep the place clean - it is worth to pay!
Back in Majuro. I am still looking for the opportunity to go to the outer atoll - out from the capital. The closest one is Arno Atoll and they say this is the only one with the regular boat connection from Majuro - I'll try!
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Mar 02, 2009 07:00 PM Majuro after years...
The flight from Honolulu to Majuro took me 5 hours... It was tropical rain when we landed on Majuro Atoll where the tiny capital city of the insular Republic of Marshall Islands is located. Friendly islanders were waiting for us with umbrellas in the remote airport. Strong sun appeared 20 minutes later.
I have been here 2 days in the 90-ties. No much changes...
Visa is not required... Hot, humid air. Nice, smiling people - what a change after money-oriented Honolulu!
Just gold worth info on the begining: Air Marshalls flies every 14 days from Majuro to Tarawa - Kiribati - this is probably the only route from Micronesia to Polynesia (you can easy continue from Tarawa to Nadi - Fiji). But oneway ticket is expensive: 331 USD.
I plan to go to the little, remote atolls for a few days...
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Mar 01, 2009 07:00 PM I lost the day!
Monday. We started from Honolulu at 7 am. Then they served a weak breakfast. And then it was already Tuesday! - I crossed dateline on my way from Honolulu to the Marshall Islands. Today is aready tomorrow!
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Feb 28, 2009 07:00 PM Escaping to Honolulu...
Sorry, no northeren lights, also today... But I was awarded by the excellent view of Mt MacKinley - the highest mountain of N. America flying from Fairbanks to Anchorage. No clouds at all!
It is worth to know airline routes around the world. Two years ago I regognized that Air Alaska opened direct route from Anchorage to Honolulu. Today I took it. It was the first time in my life tat I arrived to the destination 1 hour ahead of the schedule. The flight took 5 hours instead of 6.
Snaow and frost in the morning - warm breeze and palm trees in the evening... I kon Honolulu from my previous jouneys - it became very tourist, very expensive and modern. So this will be only stopover on my way to the South Pacific...
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Feb 27, 2009 07:00 PM Icy Alaska...
Billie's Hostel is the only backpacker's accommodation in Fairbanks staying open in the winter. I must say that it has unique atmosphere. It is family place with bunk beds, long table in the common room, country music... It is only 6 of us - winter visitors enjoying heavy snow and spruce trees around. Billie offers free internet, tea and coffee and charges 35 USD per night - it is reasonable price in expensive Alaska.
Fairbanks is a little place but very spread out - distances are large and it is difficult to walk around. There is public bus, but it goes only 10 times per day. Day bus-pass costs 3 USD, but it is hard to use if you want to visit many places. My friend Bill took me by his car to the "downtown" where you will see few public buildings and Immaculate Concepcion church - probably the only old monument.
Then we spent few hours wandering on World Ice Art Championship. On the open air, in the park I saw more then 50 sculptures in ice, some of them 5-6 m high. Snow was falling and it was so frosty that after an hour we escaped to the local cafe for half an hour - to warm up and then to continue walk around exhibition. There are only few places in the world you can see such an art...
It was a great day - thanks a lot, Bill!
It is evening now and so far aurora borealis did not appear. And nobody can guarantee that it will appear tomorrow or the next night - the weather is very changeable here.
Just a bad luck... Maybe next time...
Tomorrow I want to fly south - to the warmer region of the world.
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Feb 26, 2009 07:00 PM 14 hours in the air...
Arequipa to Lima flight was on time... Then I was waiting for the connection to Houston, Texas. It was much cooler there... Then another flight to Seattle, Washington with a great views of snowy mountains.
In Seattle I had to wait few hours in the airport. Well ahead I send a message to the most-active Seattle member of Globosapiens, asking if he want to meet me there - he even did not responsed (it is well-known problem of "dead souls" in GS).
It was sunset when we started from Seattle to Fairbanks, Alaska. On Alaska Airlines they serve for free only soft-drinks and little pack of chips... They do not have for free even a music program on board...
It was 9 pm when, after 14 hours in the air and few less in the airports I landed on Alaska...
Brrrr... Dark, snow around, minus 20 deg Celsius... I put on me all my warm clothes one by one. From the first moment I was watching the sky, looking for Northern Lights. Sorry, nothing like this, it is cloudy... Maybe tomorrow...
I was really happy to see in the arrival hall my GS friend. Thank you Bill! - there are still people you can really rely on! Bill took me in his car to the town - we found in the darkness the only Fairbank's hostel. It is time to rest...
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