Albums of the Year, 2013

I know this is venturing a little away from my traditional travel blog content. But I dont really feel like 'My' year is begining or ending. Why? well I went through some big changes in my life back a year and a bit ago in September as well as this September. So I see this as a sort of year to year point in which I look back over my last year, see my Best of Photo post back in September of this year. 

 Anyways, here is my favorite Albums of 2013 as I love music, I love listening to if and no surprises here. I love Atmospheric Black Metal. But there are a few other gems as well laced in the top ten I have listed. Sit Back, and enjoy a song or to will you!!

10-Fell Voices - Regnum Saturni

9-Barn Owl - V

8-Intronaut - Habitual Levitations

7-Njiqahdda - Serpents In The Sky

6-Year of No Light - Tocsin

5-Seven Sisters of Sleep - Opium Morals

4-Altar of Plagues - Teethed, Glory and Injury

3-Deafheaven - Sunbather

2-Cult of Luna - Vertikal

1-AshBorer - Bloodlands

Merry Christmas

It's a hot and Merry Christmas down under, and I am spending the day with a few Canadians and other travel orphans. We are all in a food coma after a lunch of pork, pork crackling, turkey, vegan kabobs, all the veggies, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding. 

We are now working off the food coma and preparing to head to Sandringham beach, for a truly authentic Aussie Christmas. 

I write this post to reach out and say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. I have met many people along my travels, some will read this, some will not but I hope it reaches most of you.

Merry Polo Christmas to all those in my home town at Mallets of Mayhem, Saskatoon bike polo, EAST VAN(miss you all so much), Seattle BP, Everett homies, Portland, my Corvalis homies, Sacramento(lots of thanks to Dead Dog, Tsunami, and Christine), San Fran, LA Bike Polo, No Manor!, and Las Vegas... All the homies in anchorage and everywhere else that made my travels this year so memorable. 

Love you all and enjoy the festive season! 

 

W

Melbourne; Settling in Down Under

24,100km

 Hey Y'all! Long time no post, but I have been busy settling down to life min Melbourne Australia. Spending my days applying for jobs, playing polo, hanging with new friends, and biking... a lot. 

When I first arrived in Melbourne I was fortunate enough to be put up with a few folks of Melbourne bike polo, which after loosing my wallet in Los Angeles I needed some time to get some stuff sorted out. Once I sorted out some important things, a nice home in the suburb of Ascot Vale sort of just fell into my hands with some friends of friends. 

A few weeks ago was Melbourne Bike Polo's Christmas Tournament and it was a blast with folks coming to play from Sydney, Perth, and New Zealand. Our team, 'Commonweath Shames' placed 5th.

Anyways, Since then I have found a few jobs, a couple of bartending positions at craft beer-centric bars and one at Tru Bru in South Yarra which is a sort of growler refill station with 20 taps of craft beer to choose from.

Now that I am working I am doubtful I will be getting out of the city anytime soon but I do hope to head out to the Mornington Peninsula, Wilson's Prom, or the Great ocean road in the new year. Soon I will have a post with my photos of Melbourne from the last month. Cheers.


W

Fiji: Viti Levu

20,240 km

On my last full day in Fiji I decided to take the relatively long journey half way around the island of Viti Levu from Nadi to Suva. Suva is Fiji's capitol and second largest city with a population of around 175,000. It certainly had that 'big city' feel that I don't think you really experience in Nadi.

I began my day with a really awesome open air local bus ride from my Couchsurfing hosts home to the center of Nadi, where I then boarded a bus to Suva for the picturesque journey, but don't be a trooper, go on an air-conditioned bus. The ride is around 4 hours depending on construction, animals on the road, stops in small ocean side towns and a return ticket will cost about $35 FJD(about $20 CAD). 

 
It is a ride though a landscape of rolling hills and farms and then transforms about half way into lush tropical rainforest. Have your camera ready and especially when nearing Suva for pictures of the downtown skyline and a really picturesque high cone peak in the distance. The mountains really made me yearn to hike them, but for the rainforest and lack of trails.

Once in Suva near the bus station you will notice a lot of open air markets, food stalls, fresh juice vendors, and a whole lot of hustle bustle. I immediately set out to find some unique buildings and to achieve my prime objective: see the parliament buildings, which turned out to be a little to far. I found a great deal of old British colonial and catholic inspired architecture along my walk through town. I also watched a little bit of rugby and ate some really great curries along the way... pretty authentic Fiji I think.

Along the way through downtown you will see it all, vendors on sidewalks, low budget clothing stores, gift shops laden with cheep Chinese nicknacks, and a lot of kind men out for a chat with a westerner... Be wary as nice and easy to talk to as Fijians are there are still those out to make a quick buck. At first you will be approached and made into light conversation usually, "Hello! Where are you from?" and eventually leading to them inviting you into a shop to by something... or, I assume because I was a young backpacker, I was offered drugs and wristwatches as well. Rule of thumb, you can just say goodbye at any point if your not interested.

 

Anyways, the architecture was unique and something I have never really experienced before. A pretty grand church, colonial architecture, some government buildings(that looked rather oppressive), and some other cool buildings. At the end of my time in Suva, I hit up the Suva Municipal Market near the bus station for some fresh fruit and then hopped back on the bus.

Although I did not quite make it to the Parliament and the Presidential Palace due to time constraints, I did see some cool stuff and it was a great way to spend the day. 

W