This Is Me - Staying Home and Resting a Bit - HAH!

So, I told Bruce I was going to need to stay and home and rest a while.  It's a good thing I qualified that with "unless some super deal falls in my lap."  Just a couple of days after making that statement, a super deal fell in my lap.  An unheard of deal.  Just over $500 round trip from LAX to Sydney, Australia, unheard of!  Including a 3-day/2-night stop in Nadi, Fiji!  No way I could pass that up!  Especially since it wasn't even a glitch fare - it was a guaranteed fare on Fiji Airways.  Obviously a push for boosting tourism in Nadi, but hey - I'm good for taking them up on it!  So, I started planning this epic trip.  In the process, I started upping my physical therapy game.  Let's face it, the last trips I've been on since my foot and leg problems have come up, especially after shattering my shoulder, I have had to lean pretty darned heavily on my traveling companions - especially overseas with Chrissy.  She's been my rock, but she only gets so much vacation time from work.  And it was too far for Bruce to be able to fly.  So, it was either go alone or don't go.  I chose to risk it.

The first part of the journey was Seattle to LAX.  Since that wasn't part of the deal and couldn't be added and keep the low price on the important parts, I booked that trip separately.  Knowing how frequent delays are, I built in PLENTY of time for there to be connection problems.  The lady at the check in for Alaskan Air offered to check my bags through, but I could just see that being a recipe for disaster on having my bathing suit and snorkel stuff sitting in LA while I needed them on the ground in Fiji.  So, I collected my checked bag in LAX - and toted it around with me for right around 12 hours.  I definitely had plenty of time to collect my bag and get to the international terminal.  I took a couple of cat naps on my suitcase, hugging my carry-on, but eventually, we got boarded, and I slept almost the entire 10-1/2 hour flight.  I did put on the Rebel Wilson movie about life as a RomCom to watch during dinner, but I slept through most of it.  It had some pretty funny parts in it.

When I got to Fiji, it was time to hit the ground running.  I had a cruise to an island for snorkeling booked.  So, I collected my bag, cleared customs and immigration, and went to meet my transfer that was supposedly arranged by my hostel.  It wasn't there.  A lady at the airport called them and told them I was waiting and that I had to change, store my bags, and catch another shuttle, so they came straight away.  I did get a good shot of the sunrise from outside the airport.

They got me to the my hostel, the Traveller's Backpacker Resort, got me pre-checked in, and I went into the restroom to change.  After repacking the stuff I didn't need and putting the bags in storage for the day, I went to the beach area to wait for my shuttle to Port Denaru.  Definitely a nice place to chill for a little while.

I got to Port Denaru with plenty of time before the boat boarded, so I looked around a bit.  There really wasn't much there.  A few clothing shops, a Hard Rock Cafe, and a bunch of boats.

I did decide to put on my sunscreen before getting on the boat.  I put the rub-on stuff on the parts I could reach, and tried to spray my back.  Guess what!  You can't spray your own back, either.  At least I can't.  Fortunately, the border patrol/customs guys were sitting outside at a picnic table, and one of the officers was willing to spray my back for me!

Finally, it was time to board our ship to Tivua Island.  We were greeted by a couple of guys playing guitar and ukelele.

The trip out was beautiful!

And the boat was awesome!

The crew made the trip fun, as well.  We had a tea and cakes, and a kava ceremony, along with a sing along.

Kava is a plant that is prepared like a tea with depressant/downer effects if drank in quantities not quite so large.  It's also a large part of Fijian culture.  In fact, it appears to be one of the few pieces of Fijian culture that has survived colonization.  But, I digress.  Tomorrow, we'll talk more about the culture, including the surprisingly not-so-distant past.  Anyway, I participated in the kava ceremony on the boat.  You're supposed to chug it, so I did.  While I didn't feel the downer effects, my tongue did feel thick with that one little cup.  And it tastes like mud.  Not really a pleasant experience, but to someone who never developed the taste for beer, it really wasn't much different than having a few of those.

The island was beautiful and there were plenty of colorful fish.  Several species of parrot fish, tangs, clown fish, wras, and multiple others, including some little black tip reef sharks.  I didn't get many pictures.  My mask was acting up and leaking from the top.  I assumed I just didn't get the snorkel on right after we took it apart.  It's one of those full face masks.  I also apparently still don't know how to work the action camera.  It was great to see the fish, but I was kind of disappointed with it.  They said they had sunk a shipwreck and grown a full reef, but the reef appeared as if it was just taking hold.  In a few years, assuming it's well cared for, it should be an awesome place to snorkel.  It's not really deep enough to really dive, but they offer the discovery diving and if you want to do a full dive, you can.  I wouldn't bother using your dive hours here, though.  I hear there are much better islands to snorkel and dive, including the one preferred by Jean-Michel Cousteau, Jacques Cousteau's son.  It'll have to be another trip, because I only had one day for snorkeling.

These were all shot with the underwater camera.  I got nothing on the action camera.  Hopefully, I'll have it figured out in time to use it some in Cairnes!

The food they served wasn't far removed from regular fare:  grilled snapper, slaw, potato salad, bar-b-que'd chicken, etc.  Not really exotic at all and seemed to reflect the British colonization much more than traditional fare - a little on the bland side.

But the old ways aren't completely gone.  On the way back to Viti Levu, the largest island in Fiji and the one that contains Port Denaru and Nadi (pronounced Nandy), we did pass a single hulled outrigger canoe, similar to that depicted in the Disney movie, Moana.  It crossed our path, so I got it both front and back lit by the sun.

When I got back to the hostel, I was exhausted.  I got my room and got settled in and showered.  Then I went back for dinner.  I got a spicy rice and prawn dish that I simply can't remember the name of, but it was good and was probably more traditional than what we had on the island, especially since Sala said it was a traditional dish, not one that had been changed much over the years.  I intended to have Sala give me a massage, but I fell asleep and didn't get it.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Good Thing That Jerk Didn't Hit That Ewe!

The drive north from Tonopah was pretty, though desolate in many places.  Lots of ghost towns, dilapidated buildings, old mines.

After a while, we started seeing rows of mounds that looked like underground bunkers.  I thought we should turn down one of the little dirt roads and explore.  Bruce vehemently disagreed.

He thought this little barbed wire fence was supposed to be a deterrent!

As we got closer to what looked like an overground inhabited area, the highway was dedicated to veterans of various wars.  There was a new sign every mile or two.  This group recognized the Cold War.  Sorry that sign was blurry.

Turns out maybe it was a good thing Bruce was driving.  It turned out to be the Naval Sea Systems Command, Warfare Centers, Mines Logistics Branch, and we were just outside Hawthorne, Nevada, a little town I had never heard of, but that I might want to revisit later.

Hawthorne appears to have loads of personality.  It's obviously a military town with a veterans park where dog owners fear to leave gifts.

Those brown stones under and in front of the flag are engraved with various campaigns and the names of residents who lost their lives in that campaign.

The town was definitely military oriented, with an ordinance museum and various artistic installations of military and Old West equipment.

Not all of the installations were military or Old West themed, though.  But, if you're going to have a military base, you really need a pool hall.

On the other side of town is the beautiful Walker Lake.  The road is between the lake and some small mountains, and the road is marked with multiple signs to watch for wildlife.

It didn't take long before we came upon a herd of ewes.  Just as we were rounding a curve, one of them was crossing the road and jumping the guard rail toward the lake.  We stopped and took some pictures, giving them time for the rest of the herd to follow, but they didn't seem to be so interested.  So, we went down to the empty docks to see if we could see the ewe that had already crossed.

This little ewe was on the lake side of the road and looking back.

After a while, we decided they must be happy where they were, so we went back up to the road, turned around again, and came back through to look at them one more time.  Right at this time, the larger part of the herd decided it was time to cross.  So, we stopped to wait for them to cross.  While we were stopped and the ewes were almost finished crossing, some jerkwad driving an RV came up behind us.  He had plenty of time to slow down and stop, and he did actually slow down.  Then, he decided he didn't want to stop, hit his accelerator, and whipped around us, barely missing the last crossing ewe and scaring the crap out of all of us.  We caught up with the dipstick not far down the road, and I tried to get a picture of his tags and the driver's face.  I know there's nothing I could do about it, but maybe I could put him on Facebook blast and let everybody know what a dick he is.  We finally got a safe passing area, and I had my phone trying to get pictures.  It didn't work out.  I didn't get a single shot of his face, but he looked over and saw me shooting.  His eyes got as big as saucers, and he hit the brakes.  He apparently knew what I was planning and didn't want any part of it.  He slowed waaaaay down, and after making a few more curves, we never saw him again.

After stopping for lunch in Reno, it was my turn to drive.  That's why there are no pictures of the juvenile moose that crossed the road in front of us somewhere around the Modoc National Forest in rural Northern California.  Bruce was asleep, so he swears it never happened.

After spending the night in Klamath Falls, Oregon, we were back on the road, still on back roads, heading northwest.  Just a little before reaching I-5, there was a little covered bridge just off the road.  Knowing that I like covered bridges, Bruce pulled into the road, and we stopped to check out the Lowell Covered Bridge.  The bridge is no longer functional, but it is maintained as a destination, with plaques in the center describing how it was built.

It was a beautiful day, and people were enjoying themselves on the Dexter Reservoir.

But we were growing road weary and were looking forward to getting back to Puyallup.  I told Bruce that I thought I might want to stay still for a while and rest, unless, of course, a deal that can't be passed up falls in my lap.  Within just a couple of days, a steal of airfare to Australia dropped in my lap.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get into good enough shape to do everything I want in the Land Down Under!

Clowning Around in Tonopah

Coming from the Extraterrestrial Highway, the first thing you see of Tonopah is the Tonopah Test Range, marked by a model missile, minimal fencing for a restricted installation, and some surveillance cameras.

Once you get into town, though, silver is king.  You see, Tonopah, Nevada, was one of the hot spots during the silver rush, being only a couple of hundred miles from the Comstock Lode in Virginia City, NV.  The city is chocked full of old silver mining equipment dotting sidewalks and roads throughout town.

We decided to check into the Clown Motel first and foremost, to prepare for our haunting.  Because of the collection of clowns and the next-door cemetery, it has been called "America's Scariest Motel."  The owner is trying to back away from that reputation, though, and now says there are only happy clowns in the motel.  Happy or haunting, there sure are a BUNCH of clowns in the lobby!

The rooms were shabby and in really poor repair with some exposed pipes and such, but we were there for the haunting.  Definitely not a place to stay without the reputation.

It wasn't quite closing time for most businesses, so I decided to see if I could tour the Historic Mining Park before settling in for my haunting.  Bruce wanted a nap, so I let him get a head start.

It was a really cool park.  The guy that runs it took me around on the 4-wheeler and gave me a good historical look at the park.  There are a handful of different mines on the property because the guy that initially staked it out, staked out a huge area and funded his initial mining operation by leasing out parcels to other miners.  He showed me how you can see some of the seams of silver that are still in the rock but considered not large enough to be worth the cost of extracting it.

He talked to me about the process of extracting the silver - both from the ground and from the rocks - and the ways those processes advanced throughout the year.  There were lots of different types and generations of equipment along the grounds.

They have a mining shaft that is preserved and you can see all the way down.  In the waning light with long shadows, it was impossible to get a good shot, but I tried.

We went inside one of the shaft extraction buildings and saw the equipment used to core and bring up the rocks.

There was a setup of a tent the miners lived in while in camp.

And there were several seams and a collapsed "Glory Hole" that we saw.

There is also an inside museum with samples of different rocks from various mines around the world.  It was definitely a neat place to visit.  While I was there, there was a man who was mapping out the park and the various sites in it.  He stopped us to talk while we were around, and said there was a potential new silver discovery not far from there, which would be excellent for the area.  I asked the guy about buying a rock with silver in it, and he said he couldn't sell those because the mineral rights to the land are being disputed.  So, he gave me one that somebody had picked up off the grounds of the park.  Apparently, people who walk the park and find interesting rocks are welcome to keep those finds, but he can't sell any of them.  If you find yourself in Tonopah, definitely stop in and have a look around.

I got back to the hotel in time to wake Bruce from his nap.  He said he hadn't been haunted while I was gone, but the clowns were still looking at us from the walls.

If there was a haunting overnight, I slept through it.  When I mentioned that to the manager, he said he was in one of the haunted rooms, and he hadn't experienced it yet, either.  He said hauntings don't happen every night.  I think we found the protectors.  The Hole-In-The-Pipe Gang obviously keeps the ghosts in the cemetery and out of the rooms.  Here they are, lined up for morning inspection between the cemetery and the motel!

The cemetery next door is in the process of being restored by the Historical Society.  They're trying to map out the graves, not all of which are even still marked.

Some of the graves have been kept up by descendants of the decedent, like this one with a fence around it, and a bell to notify you if their spirits are around.

My favorite is the pipes sticking into the ground so they can breathe!

According to the walking tour brochure you can pick up at the gate, these brothers died in a mining accident at the Belmont Mine.  The brochure gives you a bit of insight of the private lives of the people of Tonopah in the early 1900s, and it's quite interesting.  And you can visit the cemetery wherever you stay or if you just pass through.

One of the people buried here is the town hero, William "Big Bill" Murphy.  He died in the Belmont Mine Fire of 1911, when he re-entered the mine for the third time to try to bring out others who were trapped below.  There is also an iron statue erected in front of the post office depicting Big Bill carrying out one of the fallen miners.

Tonopah is a neat place to visit, but if you stay overnight and want breakfast to go, be sure to wake up early.  We stopped for gas, and I went in to find something for breakfast.  They had a biscuit sandwich area, so I looked for a sausage, egg, and cheese or some other breakfast biscuit.  All they had were lunch type sandwiches, though.  They said all the breakfast sandwiches had already been sold out, and they were making lunch sandwiches now.  It was 8:30 a.m.!!  So with our bag of Hostess strawberry powdered donuts we left town.