Monday June 21: JACKONVILLE ZOO FIELDTRIP; CORPORATE CONSERVATION

1:00 am: Vincent Arrival

My roommate for the course finally arrived early this morning. I hear the Canadian set his things down and collapse into his bed.

6:00 am: Breakfast

I met my roommate over breakfast and learned that he is a recently graduated veterinary student from Montréal. Shortly thereafter the Envirovet group loaded into two large vans and headed for the Jacksonville Zoo.

7:00 am – 2:00 pm: Jacksonville Zoo

Leader: Nick Kapustin, Senior Veterinarian, Jacksonville Zoo and head of Florida Panther Conservation; Delfi Messinger – Head of Zoo conservation; Craig Miller – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission; Dr. J. Andrew Teare – Jaguar reproduction Research; Donna Bear-Hull – Woodstork and Whooping Crane Programs; Dino Ferri – Amphibian Conservation Center.

Kapustin presented an overview of Jacksonville Zoo’s local and international conservation partnerships, illustrating important contributions that zoos can make to both conservation and public awareness; highlighting the work that has been done with Florida Panthers. Messinger illustrated unique programs the zoo has undertaken to raise money for conservation programs. These include involving all staff on projects and selling crafts (sticks and paintings) “made” by the animals. Miller described the efforts to zoo has undertaken to assist in manatee rescues. Teare shared the difficulties he has had in breeding jaguars in captivity. Bear-Hull explained the state of local woodstorks and whooping cranes and how the zoo is helping to grow their populations. After the presentations we toured the zoo’s Jaguar exhibit, nesting woodstorks, new Amphibian Conservation Center. After lunch we were given free time to explore the rest of the zoo grounds. Before leaving Kapustin lead a tour of the zoo hospital.

4:30 – 6:00 pm: Corporate Environmental Responsibility

Presenter: Jackie Ogden, Vice President of Disney’s Animal Programs and Environmental Initiatives, Orlando, FL.

Ogden talked about Disney’s commitment to corporate environmental responsibility, using their business and operational initiatives, stewardship and public education/outreach programs to illustrate the ways that businesses can help ameliorate threats to the environment. I absolutely LOVED this talk. Disney is doing some really cool things.

7:00 pm: Dinner

After dinner our group met to discuss our project and divide up responsibilities. It was a short but productive meeting. Once done, we grabbed a few beers and talked with the professors leading tomorrows sessions.

Sunday June 20 WILDLIFE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DISEASE MODELING

Happy Fathers Day to my dad and to Pat!

Since today was all lecture, most of today’s photos are from yesterday…

7:30 am: Breakfast

8:30 – 10:00 am: Wildlife Epidemiology and Risk Assessment

Presenter: Jonna Mazet, UC Davis Wildlife Health Center

Mazet introduced principles of wildlife epidemiology and risk assessment as they pertain to real-world problems and projects in wildlife conservation and ecosystem health.

10:15 am – 12:00 pm: Population and Disease Modeling

Presenter: Phil Miller, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group

Miller develops, tests, and applies computer-based models for risk assessment and decision making for wildlife conservation. These models, which focus on small population biology, conservation biology, human demography, social learning, and threats to sustainability including infectious diseases, have been developed to produce realistic management recommendations to prevent extinction of endangered species.

12:00 pm: Lunch

1:00– 4:00 pm: Epidemiology / Risk Assessment and Management Exercise

Leads: Mazet and Miller

We spent the afternoon in a group-based exercise to develop skills needed for outbreak investigation, epidemiologic modeling, risk assessment and risk reduction. I was in a group with Jon (New York), Amanda (Colorado), Wilson (Tanzania), Sridhar (India), and Ademola (Nigeria). We worked through a problem that occurred several years ago on Catalina Island dealing with a distemper outbreak in the local fox population.

4:00 – 5:30 : Introduction to Envirovet 2010 in Tanzania

Presenter: Jonna Mazet, UC Davis Wildlife Health Center

Mazet provided a glimpse of our time in Tanzania: the schedule, logistics, the people we will meet, and the sites and projects the course will visit.

7:00 pm: Dinner

After dinner most of us made a quick stop at the bar before heading to the pool. Nate and I taught our classmates how to play three-fly’s up and we all messed around in the pool for a while before heading to bed.

Saturday June 19: WOCC TOUR; DRIVERS AND SOLUTIONS

Another late night followed by another early morning. I need to start getting some rest!

6:30 am: Breakfast

7:30 am – 12:30 pm: Tour of White Oak Conservation Center

This morning we joined the White Oak Conservation Center staff for a guided open-bus tour of the White Oak Conservation Center's threatened and endangered species collection. Things started out with a trip to the cheetah arena where they used a series of ropes and balls to get two cheetahs into a full sprint. Needless to say, it was incredible to witness! Throughout the morning we also got to see 4 of the 5 species of rhinos, including one of the three Sumatran rhinos in the USA. These hairy creatures seem to be transplanted for an earlier age. Other highlights included touching a baby white rhino, visiting the veterinary facilities, feeding a group of young cheetahs, playing with some giraffes, and learning all about the breeding they do here for endangered species.

Fun fact: the single Sumatran rhino here (which belongs to the LA Zoo) accounts for half of the food budget for the entire park as a special feed needs to be flown in from the San Diego Zoo every day!

12:30 pm: Lunch

1:30 – 3:00 pm: The Global Bushmeat Crisis

Presenter: Heather Eves, Bushmeat Crisis Task Force

Eves is a wildlife biologist whose conservation work began in Africa in 1985, with a focus on the bushmeat trade beginning in 1994. She presented an overview of the unsustainable bushmeat trade including trade drivers and dynamics as well as conservation and health impacts. Worldwide demand for bushmeat, including the United States, was discussed. Successful and unsuccessful strategies to mitigate bushmeat trade were highlighted, and existing and proposed programs, policy and legislation were outlined.

3:15– 6:00 pm: Conserving Iconic Species: Elephant Conservation and Management Presenter: Susan Mikota, Elephant Care International

The world’s African and Asian elephant populations encapsulate the challenges facing wildlife conservation in the 21^st century: habitat, hunting, disease, and politics. Mikota has devoted her veterinary career to elephant conservation, and in one way or another has been immersed in all of the issues facing wild and working elephants. She discussed how elephants are affected by – and impact – ecosystem health (including human communities), the available strategies for mitigating stressors and conflict. She discussed elephant disease issues that must be factored into all elephant conservation and management programs. A large portion of the talk focused on the growing concern about TB in elephant populations.

6:30 pm: Dinner

Group Discussion – All

The composition of the Envirovet Class of 2010 truly exemplifies the opportunities and challenges of working to improve ecosystem health and conserve biodiversity: these are global challenges, with local implications, requiring people from multiple nations and differing educations, cultural backgrounds, and belief systems to work together. We discussed how international collaborations work and can succeed.

Friday June 18 DRIVERS OF CHANGE; SOLUTIONS

Today was another day full of lecture and did not present many picture taking opportunities. I promise that there will be some good photos starting tomorrow!

I had a hard time getting up this morning as I was up all night reading about the Lakers big win…But, I managed to crawl out of bed in time for the days activities.

8:00 am: Breakfast

9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Ecological Economics

Presenter: Jon Erickson, University of Vermont

This lecture addressed questions such as: How do we place economic value on healthy ecosystems? What does it cost society to implement ecosystem health programs, and what does it cost society if we don’t? What are the trade-offs, and how do we work toward solutions that balance ecosystem health and conservation with the economic well-being of individuals, communities, and the business sector? It was full of fun and interesting games to illustrate many of the important points.

For anyone interested in a quick econ refresher her is a fun link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVp8UGjECt4

12:00 pm: Lunch

During lunch I caught up on all of the world cup action with some fellow students and professors. Not sure I should be happy the USA made a comeback or upset that they didn’t get the win.

1:00 – 2:30 pm: Current Events: Oil Spills and Wildlife

Presenter: K. Gilardi, UC Davis Wildlife Center

The Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico is an environmental disaster that will have environmental consequences for the foreseeable future. Gilardi presented an overview of the impacts of oil on wildlife, oiled wildlife care, and provided a firsthand account of working on oil spill response. Kirsten worked on the San Francisco oil spill in 2007 and was forced to give this lecture because all of the current experts are presently occupied in the Gulf of Mexico.

2:45 – 4:15 pm: One World, One Health

Presenter: Steve Osofsky, Wildlife Conservation Society

Human-animal interactions have important consequences for both human and animal health, as well as for the health of the environment we all share. These connections are increasingly relevant as climate change potentially facilitates expansion of disease vectors and as population growth means humans and animals increasingly share the same habitat. The “One Health” approach, focused on catalyzing problem-solving in places where tensions and challenges at the interface between animal (wild and domestic) and human health are often greatest, can be relevant at a range of scales. Osofsky discussed various 'One Health' entry points for mitigating conflicts between conservation and development by identifying and facilitating 'win-win' opportunities. Much of the discussion focused on the COMACO project is described on the website www.itswild.org. If you are really interested you can watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjFfRAtZ83c&feature=player_embedded

4:30 – 5:30 pm: Gilman International Conservation Projects Worldwide

Presenters: Steve Shurter, Gilman International Conservation, White Oak Conservation Center

Shurter provided an overview of White Oak Conservation Center, and Gilman International Conservation, and introduced flagship species conservation as an ecosystem health tool to protect remarkable sites of biodiversity. We spent a lot of time talking about the Okapi project they are working on. For those of you who might be wondering, Okapi are the only other member of the Giraffe family and are found almost exclusively in the volatile area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

5:30 – 6:00 pm: Group Assignment Introduction.

Presenter: K. Gilardi

We were broken up into groups to work on a group assignment. I am in a group with Colleen (Wisconsin), Lia (Indonesia), Wilson (Tanzania), Albert (Tanzania), and Aemlie (Canada). We attempted to select our topic but had a difficult time coming to a consensus. It should be fun!

7:00 pm: Dinner

As usual, dinner was amazing. I sat with some classmates and Scott Citino, the only full time veterinarian and white oak and another member of the UC Davis Wildlife Center team.

Once we finished eating, several of us made our way to the bowling alley to end the night on a fun note. We also squeezed in a few games of foosball and a round of billiards.

Thursday June 17 INTRODUCTORY PRINCIPLES

7:30 am: Breakfast

8:30 – 10:30 am: Ecosystem Health as a Discipline, a Practice, and a Condition.

Presenter: Val Beasley, University of Illinois.

Beasley introduced concepts of ecosystem health and conservation medicine, and challenged us to consider how vibrant natural ecosystems yield sustainability and benefits to society, and how human systems have caused ecosystems to become dysfunctional. We were then asked to think about where we are in human history, and the roles and responsibilities of the veterinary profession, government, academia, the corporate sector, grassroots organizers, and other groups in implementing innovative new strategies to accelerate our progress through the current crisis to an era of ecological recovery.

10:45 am – 12:00 pm: Linkages between Human Health and the Environment

Presenter: K. Gilardi

The majority of emerging infections diseases in humans are zoonotic. We discussed what causes a pathogen to jump from animals to people. How humans contributing to this phenomenon, and when and why is it not natural. Gilardi then discussed the interrelatedness of ecosystem health and human health, focusing on examples of where and how ecosystem disturbance and loss of biodiversity impacts human health and well-being. It was all about the one health initiative.

12:00 pm: Lunch followed by tossing around the Frisbee.

1:00 – 2:30 pm: Mitigating civil disparity and poverty

Presenter: Patricia Erickson, University of Vermont

Erickson described the mission and operations of a non-profit organization she and her husband Jon Erickson established in the Dominican Republic called Batay Libertad, which strives to improve the health and well being of a Haitian community through education and health delivery.

2:45 – 4:00 pm: Transfrontier Conservation

Presenter: Steve Osofsky, Wildlife Conservation Society

The development of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) to further the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development through the harmonization of transboundary natural resource management is a priority for SADC (the Southern African Development Community). A key economic driver behind TFCAs is nature-based tourism that seeks to maximize returns from marginal lands in a sector where southern Africa enjoys a global comparative advantage. However, the management of wildlife and livestock diseases (including zoonoses – diseases transmissible between animals and people) within the envisaged larger transboundary landscapes remains unresolved and an emerging policy issue of major concern to livestock production, associated access to export markets, and other sectors, including public health, in the region. A large portion of this talk centered on the prevalence of BSE in south African wildlife and the challenges that the presence of this disease presents when trying to sell meat to European countries.

4:15 – 5:00 pm: Grassroots Soccer

Presenter: Jon and Pat Erickson

We discussed the tactics that Grassroots soccer utilizes to make children in developing countries aware of HIV. We participated in games that are used to illustrate how the disease can be spread and how people with the virus are often treated poorly.

7:00 pm: Dinner

Evening: OPTIONAL viewing of the PBS film "State of the Planet's Wildlife."

LAKERS WIN! LAKERS WIN! LAKERS WIN! – That sums up the rest of my evening

Wednesday, June 16: ARRIVAL DAY

Well, its been a few years but I am going to get this blog going again this summer as I am off on another big adventure! This summer I am participating in the envirovet program for veterinary students interested in conservation and wildlife medicine.

Jackie took me to the airport this morning very early (12:30) and I jumped on a red eye to Jacksonville, Fl. By the time I arrived I had not slept much but it was already noon. After collecting my bag I was greeted by one of the other students and a veterinarian at the white oak conservation center, where we are staying. We patiently waited at the airport for another student and the program director, Val.

Upon arrival I dumped my luggage in my room and then went to the lodge for some food. This place is amazing! It is like some sort of wildlife resort. Everything is very fancy...I then wandered to grounds with a few fellow students before our scheduled activities.

5:30 – 6:45 pm:Introduction to Envirovet Summer Institute Session I

Presenter: Kirsten Gilardi, Co-Director, Envirovet Summer Institute, UC Davis Wildlife Health Center

Gilardi walked us students through the schedule for our two weeks at White Oak and on St Catherines Island, orienting us to White Oak Conservation Center and describing what to expect and prepare for throughout the session. We then introduced ourselves to fellow students and faculty, and shared our motivations and hopes for participation in Envirovet 2010. We have a very diverse group from all over the world, it is going to be really fun to meet everyone! Ohh and my roommate is not going to be here for a few more days so for now I have a place all to myself.

7:00 pm Dinner

We are going to be eating very well during out stay. Tonight we had a three course meal and were told to expect the same for the next few weeks. It was delicious.

After eating I joined some of my fellow participants in the pool behind our lodging. Sadly, I forgot my swimsuit so I had to make due with an extra pair of basketball shorts. We then made our way to the bar for a few drinks and some socializing. We learned that this fancy plantation has seen its fair share of celebrities. We heard stories about snoop dogg, Howard Stern, and Sir Paul enjoying the grounds.

PS – Sorry I didn’t take any pictures today. I was pretty exhausted from the red eye flight. I will get back on it tomorrow!

February 1, 2007 Sydney Australia – Eugene, USA

February 1, 2007
Sydney Australia – Eugene, USA

For those that do not already know, I have been forced to go home early (Spizz is coming with me and B is going to try to continue on). The appendicitis combined with the entire van situation drained me physically and financially. The Doctors recommended that I not surf, scuba dive, or physically exert myself for more than a month (all the things I want to do in Australia). Similarly, the van represented both an investment in accommodations and transportation (almost all my money for Australia). As such, I decided to go home and recuperate before ending my trip in Fiji with Jackie…I will have to come back to Australia in the near future and experience it the way I want to.

This morning we woke up to a light knocking on the door (7:45). Kristina entered, said her goodbyes and wished us well. Once again I must explain how grateful we all were/are to have a friend in Sydney and a place to stay…

I then jumped in the shower and prepared for, quite literally, the longest day of my life (we will be crossing the international dateline and living Thursday February 1, 2007 twice!). After ensuring that all our belongings were packed away we chilled out and waited for Millie to stop by and say goodbye. Unfortunately, she never showed up and we were forced to head to the train station without saying goodbye to our dear friend (I later learned we missed her by five minutes…)

The three of us road the train to the airport (B carrying my large bag for me) and began to really feel the trip coming to an end. We made our way to the international terminal and arrived at the Air Pacific desk before they were even open.

At 10:30 (3 hours before the flight) they finally allowed passengers to begin checking in, we were the second people in line. After settling some flight change debt Spizz and I got seats next to one another and even talked the guy into giving us a row of our own for the flights.

When we were done we cruised around some of the airport shops and looked at all of the overpriced tourist products. Eventually we decided to grab some food (Subway and Krispy Kreme) while we reminisced about our good times and tried to forget the recent bad times…

At about 13:00 Spizz and I said our goodbyes to B and went through airport security. The entire experience seemed surreal. The trip was quickly coming to an unplanned close…

We arrived at our gate and had to wait almost half an hour before being let on the plane. I used the time to start my newest book, Next. At 13:55 we left Sydney and started our journey home. I continued reading for most of the three-hour flight to Nadi, Fiji.

Once in Fiji (which from the air resembled Hawaii) we got off the plane and made our way to the gate for our connecting flight to Los Angeles. We had a 4-hour layover and had no idea how to spend the time. After wandering around the airport shops (where some of the sales people tried to haggle with us!) we settled into some seats and watched some Deadwood. At some point we also made a quick trip to a café for a snack.

At around 22:00 we boarded an enormous plane headed for LA. For the first time in my life I sat on the second floor! Once again Spizz and I had an entire row. I spent the first part of the flight watching movies (The Illusionist and Invincible) and the second portion of the flight trying to get some sleep.

During the flight we crossed the international dateline and started Thursday over. We arrived in Los Angeles at 13:00, passed through immigration, and collected our baggage. We then made a long trek across the large airport to the United Airlines domestic flights check-in counter (about a 30 minute walk…). Then it hit us, we were back in the USA!

After finding our gate we made a quick trip to Starbucks and then chilled out and waited for our flight to Portland. At 16:20 we began the final leg of our journey. The time passed quickly as I finished my book.

We arrived in Portland at around 18:40 (several hours before we left Fiji…). As we made our way through the airport the first day of the trip came rushing into my thoughts. It was strange to be back!

As we made our way toward the baggage claim I caught sight of Jackie with a large welcome home sign. I was so excited to see her again. Though my appendix kept me from running, I hurried to her and we had a special moment at the airport.

From there the three of us headed for the baggage claim and got our luggage. As usual, I was not able to carry my big bag and relied on the kindness of Spizz and Jackie to get my things to Jackie’s car. Though I knew that it would not be warm, I was surprised how incredibly cold it was in the Pacific Northwest. Spizz and I were freezing!

Throughout the drive back we discussed the trip and how everything fell apart in the span of just a few days. Once in Albany we dropped Spizz off at his parents house and continued on to Corvallis.

Everyone at home was super excited to see me. We ate cookies, talked about the trip, and jumped in the Jacuzzi. I was amazed at how much taller my brothers were. They had each grow several inches in the last few months.

Exhausted from such a long journey, Jackie and I climbed into bed a little after midnight. The trip was over and I was home!

January 31, 2007 Sydney, Australia

January 31, 2007
Sydney, Australia

This morning at 7:00 B’s alarm went off. The only person it woke up was Spizz, who then woke us up. We quickly prepared for the day and packed up our things. B and I headed to the train station and jumped on a train headed for the legendary Blue Mountains (Spizz stayed behind to take care of some travel arrangements).

The train to the Blue Mountains (about $16) took about 2 hours (110 km). Besides a few other backpackers we were the only people on the locomotive. Not getting much sleep the night before, we both slept for a large portion of the journey.

We arrived in the mountain town of Katoomba at about 10:30. The town was small enough that we were able to walk from the train station to Echo Point (the renowned lookout point). Though it was only 2 km, it was hilly and made the walk feel a little longer in my current physical state (no appendix…).

Once we got to Echo Point it made the whole journey worth it. We stood on a platform looking out over a massive canyon. It was sort of like a squashed version of the Grand Canyon but with a forest eucalyptus within the canyon. It is from these trees that the “mountains” gain their name. Apparently, the oils of the eucalyptus cause a blue haze when viewed from a distance. Still, I have no idea why they call them mountains…


The most spectacular part of the view was a geological formation known as the Three Sisters. Three peaks extended from the sides of the canyon and stood majestically over everything else. They were awesome! After taking a million photos from Echo Point we walked along the edge of the canyon to a platform connected to the first of the sisters.


From there we took a few more photos and then began our journey back. As we walked through the eucalyptus forest and reminisced about our trip, we heard a loud crashing sound in the woods. Startled, we looked to see what had caused the disturbance. I was absolutely thrilled to see that it was a wallaby! We watched the unique creature until it bound out of sight…(The woods kept me from getting a good photo)

A few minutes past noon we made it back to the tourist area and decided to grab some lunch and wander the shops. Though we didn’t purchase anything we did treat ourselves to some free wine tasting before making the trek back to the train station.

Luckily we arrived at the station just before a train was headed back to Sydney. It was a slow, relaxing ride back to the big city. At 15:30 we arrived at Central station and then made the quick journey over to Kings Cross.

When we got back at Mates Place we reconvened with Spizz, chilled out for a few minutes and then headed over to Kirstina’s house. As usual these days, Spizz was my hero and carried my big bag for me. On the way one of the most random things in recent memory occurred. As the train made one of its usual stops and the doors swung open, there stood Tessa (one of Millie and Kristina’s friends). In a city of more than 4 million we randomly bumped into one of the 4 people we knew…

When we arrived at Kristina’s no one was home. We sat on the porch and watched some Deadwood until her sister showed up and let us in the house. As it turns out, we sat watching the computer screen for about 2-hours before anyone came home (19:30).

Once inside we finished our episode and then headed out to get some dinner. We rode the train a few stops to meet up with Tessa and then she directed us to a local pub for a late dinner (20:45 or so).

Having not yet had an Aussie meal, I decided to try the steak. I was a little disappointed with the meal but I suppose a pub is not the best place to sample the renowned outback beef. In the middle of our dinner Kristina showed up (just off work, and Millie couldn’t come because she was too busy with a boyfriend or something) and joined our little group.

When we were done eating the five of us wandered to 7-Eleven to grab a Golden Gaytime. As always, it was delicious. From there we made our way to the train station and headed back to Kristina’s (on the way saying our goodbyes to Tessa).

By the time we got back to the house we were all quite exhausted. Even so, I managed to gather up my things and pack my bag whilst talking with my companions. We finally got to sleep just before midnight…

January 30, 2007 Townsville – Sydney, Australia

January 30, 2007
Townsville – Sydney, Australia

We woke up this morning sometime around 8:00. After eating the free breakfast (cereal and toast) we packed up our things and checked out of the hostel. At 10:00 a taxi came to the hostel and took us to the airport. We were shocked by the price of the cab. In addition to a $2.50 initial fee the cab cost $1ASD per kilometer (plus a stopping fee)! Though we only traveled 12 kilometers, the ride cost $16.50…

Once at the airport we checked into our flight for Sydney (flying the cheap Virgin Blue) and then chilled out at the airport. We arrived several hours early and spent most of the time making phone calls and trying to figure out our dire situation…

After a short delay, our flight left at 13:45. I was somewhat disappointed that I did not fall asleep for any of the 3-hour flight. My head was filled with too many ideas and trying to figure out the best plan of action.

We finally arrived in Sydney at 17:00 (after losing 1 hour to time zones). We gathered our baggage, climbed onto the subway and headed back to Kings Cross and Mates Place hostel. The entire way my good friend Spizzle Stix carried my baggage to help me deal with my wound.

Eventually we settled into our room and dropped off our things. We immediately headed out to get some food. We settled on eating some cheap pasta and heading back to the hostel.

The remainder of the evening was spent chilling out at the hostel. I used the internet for a long, long time and took care of a lot of little things…

January 29, 2007 Cardwell – Townsville, Australia

January 29, 2007
Cardwell – Townsville, Australia

As has been the case lately we woke up fairly early. I struggled out of bed and slowly packed up my things. Spizz took on the gargantuan task of walking back to Diversity and gathering the rest of our belongings. While he was gone B and I showered and relaxed in the room.

Spizz returned just after 10:00 (checkout time). He gave us our left behind possessions and we headed to the Cardwell bus station (this consisted of a café located next to a gas station…). Once there we purchased some phone cards and began trying to sort out the van mess.

B called Root-1 (our rental company) and explained to them what happened so that we could get our money back or get a new van. They told him to call back in a few minutes and then they could discuss the situation. When B called back they informed us that they would not give us any money back and could not provide an alternate vehicle. They claimed that the breakdown was our fault and that we should pay for repairs!!

Needless to say, we were totally shocked. We has basically poured our transportation and accommodation money for Australia into the vehicle. Furthermore, it is almost impossible that the breakdown was our fault…We began to feel like we had been scammed.

Not knowing what to do, we started calling home for advice and help in formulating a plan. We were forced to cancel credit cards, contact the US embassy, and yell at the Root-1 employee…

We spent nearly the entire day at the bus stop café. At 16:45 we finally boarded a bus for Townsville, the nearest large town. The bus ride was uneventful. We basically sat and watched the rainfall for 2.5 hours…all of us were quite depressed.

When we arrived in town we unloaded our belongings (Spizz was nice and did all of my lifting and bag carrying for me because of my surgery) and found a hostel representative. We loaded into his van and got a courtesy ride to the establishment.

Considering our luck, it is not surprising that it was a horrendous hostel. The room was somewhat expensive and tightly packed. We did not even have room to put all of our bags down. Even so, we were too frustrated to look for anything else.

After eating dinner at a decent seafood restaurant we went in search of the internet. Unfortunately, none of the internet cafés were open in the evening. Instead we returned to our hostel and settled on using their expensive computers ($5 per hour).

In an incredible stroke of luck, B found a piece of paper lying on the counter and was treated to 30-minutes free internet. After showering, I took my computer to the internet area (3 old, rundown computers) and stole one of the Ethernet cables out of the back. Surprisingly, it worked perfectly and I got almost an hour of free internet (at which point the owner came and told me this was illegal).

We all reconvened in the room and settled in to watch some Deadwood. It was nice to relax and take our minds off the days happenings. When we finally settled in to fall asleep, I found that I was no longer tired.

I tried to fall asleep for almost an hour before giving up and deciding to steal some more internet. I took care of some business and then retired to the room. I climbed back into bed just before midnight.

January 28, 2007 Cairns – Cardwell, Australia

January 28, 2007
Cairns – Cardwell, Australia

Everyone is a hospital seems to wake up early. Thus, I was awake at about 7:30. I was surprised to find that my breakfast was waiting for me as I sat up in bed. Not knowing what else to do, I ate my porridge and watched some TV.

At around 9:00 Spizz wandered into my room. He told me how they slept in Diversity and it was as miserable as ever, way to hot and very cramped. A short while later B came by and we all hung out in the hospital and waited for the doctor to come check on me.

Unfortunately, the doctor never came. I was expecting to be looked at and then checked out but nothing of the sort happened. At around 11:30 B got the nurse for me and I talked her into letting me out of the hospital (a day or two early) so we could continue our journey. Everything seemed quite unorganized and I left feeling as though I may not have been given all of the necessary information…

After leaving the hospital we found a street café and discussed the future of our trip. Spizz spoke of how miserable the van was. I told the boys how I didn’t know what to do because everything I wanted to do in Australia involved the ocean (which I am not supposed to go in for a while). We had no idea what to do…

Unsure of our future we decided to look up some stuff on the internet. I have never wanted to go home so badly. I was in pain, hungry, and desperately wanted someone to take care of me. Still, in the end I decided (after several calls home) that I would continue on for a few days and see how things go.

At around 14:00 we got back in the van and began heading south. I fell asleep almost immediately. When I woke up we were at our destination for the day, Mission Beach. The beach was incredibly beautiful. The rainforest came all the way down to the sand and the beach was long and empty (much like Thailand). Unfortunately, it was raining unrelentingly. We took a quick walk on the beach, snapped a few photos, and then got back in the van and decided to continue heading south.

After driving for about 25 minutes the oil light came on and the car started making a buzzing sound. B (who was driving) immediately pulled over and we immediately noticed that the engine (located in the back of the vehicle) was creating a cloud of smoke. We quickly got out of the vehicle and waited for things to cool down. None of us know much about cars so we felt somewhat helpless.

We waited 45 minutes and then drove 2 kilometers to the nearest rest stop and asked for help. Fortunately, there was a nice couple that let us use their cell phone and call roadside assistance. After making the call there was not much to do except sit and wait (and try to avoid being eaten alive by mossies).

About an hour later a rickety old truck pulled up and informed us that he was sent to help us out. He took one look at the engine and declared that it was “cooked”, that the vehicle would not be driving again. He gave us a tow (which consisted of a rope tying the two vehicles together) into the nearest town, Caldwell (pop. 1,420). We dropped the van off at his shop and then he gave us a ride to a nearby motel.

The motel was surprisingly nice. We had a large room with three beds, a kitchen, TV, AC, and hot water. It was well worth $25 ASD each. To top it all off, there was a spectacular tree-frog just outside our room.

Once we finished checking in the lady working the front desk gave us a ride into town so we could grab a quick dinner. We quickly consumed some hamburgers and walked back to the motel. We settled into our room, took showers, and then watched some Deadwood.

We all fell asleep a few minutes before 23:00.

NOTE: It seems that nothing can go right here in Australia. After 5 months with almost no problems I guess luck is catching up with the trip. As we sat sitting on the side of the road for most of the day, I wished that I had stayed in my hospital bed. Speaking of which, most people were surprised to hear that I was released from the hospital so quickly and everyone has been quite friendly regarding the matter.

January 27, 2007 Cairns, Australia

January 27, 2007
Cairns, Australia

I woke up this morning at around 7:30. I was surprised to find breakfast waiting for me at the side of my hospital bed. I devoured the porridge and bread as I watched some TV and the nurses checked my vitals.

Most of the morning passed without event. I did a crossword puzzle and a sudoku as I relaxed in bed. The head surgeon came to check on me and said that I was doing quite well and that I could leave the hospital tomorrow.

At around 10:30 Spizz and B came to say hello. The told me of their night out on the town celebrating Australia Day and showed me some pictures. They were able to snag me a free hat, which I enthusiastically put on. Even better, they brought me my computer and some DVD’s so that I would have some entertainment for the day

The boys left at around 11:30 and I spent most of the early afternoon playing on my computer and having some lunch. I also attempted to make some phone calls as I watched the women’s final of the Australian Open. Unfortunately, international calls are not permitted from my phone.

Instead, I headed downstairs and used my phone card to call Jackie. We chatted for a bit and then I returned to my bed and played around on my computer for a while (with no internet…). Throughout the rest of the afternoon I chilled out in my bed. I talked to some family members and watched the TV.

Sometime around 15:00 Spizz came and hung out with me. We talked about future plans for the trip and watched some more TV. A short while later B also came by. I decided to take a shower and then we settled down to watch a few DVD’s. Just before we started Dumb and Dumber Jackie called to say goodnight. I talked with her and she made me feel better and then we started the movie.

Once the movie was over we decided to watch another one. We looked through B’s movie library and selected The Incredibles. When the movie was over (around 21:30) the boys took off and I was left alone in the hospital.

I couldn’t find much to watch on TV and instead played around on my computer for a few hours.