Amy’s Journey Across the Globe

South Africa, 2017

On May 11th, 2017, my friend Amy joined me on a trip that would change the course of my life. My brother Brian drove me to Chicago to catch my flight to the country I wanted to visit for years. On the flight, I sat next to a South African man named Harty who I couldn’t understand very well. In his strong accent and deep voice, he told me to go to Cape Point but to watch out for baboons. He also taught me a few words in Afrikaans. “Baie Dankie,” pronounced, “Buy a donkey,” means thank you very much, and “Lekker” means “good.” Nelson Mandela once said, “When you speak Afrikaans, you go straight to their heart.” Harty accidentally ate a stick of butter mistaking it for cheese. I looked out the window to conceal my laughter. After an eight-hour layover in Germany, I was on my way to South Africa. As Table Mountain came into view from my window, tears rolled down my face. I still didn’t know why but it had a powerful pull on my soul. A man named Randall met me at the airport with an iPad saying, “Amy Andree.” He drove me an hour to The Portswood Hotel where I would be staying with Amy for the next two nights. He told me a lot about South African history and culture and recommended I go to the Franschhoek Winelands and eat at Mitchell’s where Matt Damon filmed, “Invictus.” He pointed to a billboard and asked if I knew who was on it. When I said, “Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu,” he was impressed.

My room wasn’t ready yet, so I went to the pool next door. While I was lying by the pool I heard what I thought was a gunshot so I went back inside. Amy arrived a couple hours later. Even though we were jet lagged, and in need of a shower, we took a short cab ride to hike Table Mountain. The hike was steep and tough, but breathtakingly beautiful. When we reached the summit, we stood in awe of the panoramic views. We saw Robben Island in the distance, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Instead of hiking back down, we took a short, yet exciting cable car ride to the bottom. 

We were exhausted but famished so we heeded Randall’s advice and ate at Mitchell’s. We dined on fish and chips and each had a glass of red wine. A local approached us to discuss the rugby game that was on. He asked what we had planned and when we told him we were going in a great white shark cage the next day, he got mad, even though he had been in one himself. After our conversation and food, we walked back to our hotel. That night we had to call for a plumber and an electrician. The accommodations only improved.

Ahmin picked us up at The Portswood Hotel at 5:45am for our great white shark dive. He told us more about the history stating that Signal Hill was where they shot off cannons to let everyone know that boats were coming to trade. Now, they do it in remembrance. I realized that was the gunshot I thought I heard by the pool. Once we arrived at Apex Predators, they welcomed us with croissants and water. I was wearing shorts, so Ahmid offered me his jacket since it was extremely cold and windy. We shared the boat with five other men and women from Europe. On the way to Seal Island, we were accompanied by thousands of common dolphins. Some swam next to our boat while others porpoised and gracefully swam through the Atlantic Ocean. Sea sickness got the best of me and nothing helped but lying down. I still sat up from time to time to enjoy the excitement, the view, and to take photos.

Even though I felt awful, I told Amy I was having an amazing time and I meant it. The crew was sweet and brought me water, napkins, and a blanket. A girl around my age brought me a sandwich and Dramamine but I was past the point of no return. No amount of blankets warmed me and no amount of food in my stomach prevented me from expelling it. I happened to sit up to witness a seal tossing an octopus it caught for lunch. When we arrived at Seal Island in False Bay, there were thousands of Cape fur seals and one lone African penguin. We watched three dolphin pods come together, but no sharks. I had my wet suit on preparing to be the first one in the cage but there was not a shark to be found. One theory was that a pod of orcas swam through, scaring them off. We were also informed there was a large presence of white sharks in California. We traveled from the United States to see great whites and they traveled from South Africa to the United States. Nature has a funny way of doing that. The amount of wildlife we encountered made the trip more than worthwhile. No animal encounter is ever guaranteed. Sometimes they have other plans. On the way back to the harbor, an endangered Southern right whale surfaced for air.  

Ahmin picked us up again the next morning, to take us to Boulders Beach; home to thousands of African penguins, also known as the Jackass penguin. We walked around the boardwalk observing hundreds of these jackasses in their natural habitat. They were vocalizing and awkwardly, waddling around. They live to be around ten to fifteen years old in the wild and a bit longer in captivity. We shopped at the little stands outside the boardwalk where I purchased two scarves from a local and Amy bought a bracelet. We took Harty’s advice and went to Cape Point while staying on high alert for baboons. It is the southernmost point in Africa and is where the Agulhas Current converges with the Benguela Current.

We hiked to the Old Cape Point Lighthouse while evading an attack on any baboons. For lunch, we had an ostrich pizza and ironically saw the beautiful bird on the beach on our ride out of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ahmin wanted to take us to an ostrich farm but we had enough of ostriches and instead requested he take us to the Cape of Good Hope. Some say it’s where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean, but neither are true. Both are about 150km to the southeast. We saw a few more ostriches and eland on our way home.

Ahmin then took us to Bo-Kaap, Cape town, where brightly colored homes covered the cobblestone streets, representing freedom. For dinner, we had fresh seafood and I tried mussles.

The following morning, I walked to the waterfront at The Nelson Mandela Gateway to catch the ferry to Robben Island. My guide told us all about the history of the island and how prisoners couldn’t see children under 18 years old. Nelson Mandela was a rule breaker in the best kind of way. A man named Crystal snuck his two-year-old grandchildren to the island so Mandela could meet them. Because of this kind gesture, the two men became very close after this. To the world, he was known as Nelson Mandela, to his family he was Rolihlahla, to his friends, he was Madiba, and to me, he was a hero.

 In 1846, Robben Island was a leper colony with the last remaining inhabitants transferring to another colony in 1931. Now, the last remaining leper colony is on Molokai, Hawaii. On the ferry, I befriended a man from Chile and a woman from Brazil. We solemnly walked through the hallways of the prison and saw where Mandela was imprisoned. The cell contained a single blanket and a small table. The cell was only 8’ by 7.’ Without speaking, we walked around the courtyard where he worked out and planted his beloved garden.

 To make it though the horrific conditions in his prison cell and the excruciating work in the coal mines, he’d often recite this poem:

“Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance 

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how straight the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.” 

-William Ernest Henley

I sat quietly and alone while reflecting on a life so impactful yet tragic and a man who remained so positive and unwavering in the worst of circumstances. 

Time got away from me, and I ran from the ferry back to the hotel to meet Amy for our wine tour at Stellenbosch. On the hour cab ride through the countryside, we were accompanied by a girl from Turkey. We sampled wine in the tasting room while learning about the wine making process. We walked along the barrels and tried four more samples. After the tour, we sat outside with a spectacular view of the vineyard. We ate biltong, a traditional South African meat, and drank the same bottle of wine that Nelson Mandela drank on his 90th birthday. 

We woke up early, had breakfast at the hotel, and checked out before getting picked up by Sam, who took us back to the airport for the next part of the trip. We once again flew over Table Mountain on the flight to Nelspruit. After a two hour drive to the Sabi Sands, we arrived at Umkumbe Safari Lodge. Johan checked us in and told us about safety and the honesty bar. We signed a waiver saying we would not leave our room at night without an escort. The night before our arrival, a leopard walked through camp and he had to remove a Mozambique spitting cobra from the pathway. The door to the outdoor shower didn’t lock but he ensured it was safe, but not leopard or snake proof.

Johan took us on our first safari and Amy and I were the only ones on it. The other guide, Kyle, had a full tour so we received a lot of questionable looks. The first animals we encountered were a herd of elephants. I once again cried as we sat watching them eat while they curiously watched us. Elephants have around 40,000 muscle bundles in their trucks which enable them to pick up something as small as a blade of grass and as large as a tree trunk. We watched them do both. This was a moment I was hoping for and I will never forget.

We saw several impala who are known as the “McDonald’s of the bush due to the “M’ marking on their behinds and their abundance. I mistakenly thought a warthog was a cheetah and then embarrassingly apologized admitting I was a zookeeper. While they couldn’t look more different, I couldn’t contain my excitement being on my first safari. The next animal we saw was once most people don’t ever get the opportunity to see. They are elusive and blend in shockingly well with their environment. Johan explained how one guest came year after year for the last seven years and never saw one. Tatowa was a female leopard who they believed was pregnant. They identified each leopard in the reserve by counting their spots on their faces among other recognizable features.

After the encounter, we stopped near a pond for a sundowner. There was a tablecloth spread laid out on the jeep with wine, chips, kudu, and nuts. We ate and drank while watching a mother hyena and her two youngsters drink from the pond. Hyenas often get a bad rap but they are incredibly important in the bush. They aren’t just scavengers, they are excellent hunters too. They have even been known to perform better on intelligent tests than chimpanzees. They learned to cry out in distress to scare other hyenas away, enjoying a meal in solitude. Movies have portrayed both hyenas and sharks in a negative light but they are two of the most important species on the planet. Both species maintain the fitness of the oceans and land by preying on the dead, weak, and dying, keeping the environment healthy and in check. They are also intelligent and successful hunters. Hyenas are one of the only animals that can eat and digest bone, teeth, fur, and hooves, so nothing goes to waste. Sharks wouldn’t dare waste a meal either. They demand respect and have definitely earned mine.

Earlier on the safari, we saw an impala in a tree. A leopard most likely pulled it up there for safe keeping for later. Now that it was dark, we decided to go back to the tree. Totowa was perched on a branch eating the impala while a hyena watched and waited for scraps below. We heard the crunching of the bones and saw the animal inside out with blood on Totowa’s beautiful face.

We let her finish her meal in peace, sans the hyena, while Forward, our tracker, found the same herd of elephants on our way back to camp. There was a buffalo kill lying in the grass being devoured by Maxabeni, another leopard who Johan hadn’t seen in six months. We were told we were safe in the jeep but if we were to get out we would be ripped to shreds. The animals see the jeep and the people in it as a whole. Even though I wanted to jump out to pee, remaining inside the jeep seemed like the better option. We watched in awe at what we were witnessing. 

When we arrived back at the lodge, a delicious meal was already prepared. Each table had a candle and detail wasn’t spared in the delicious spread of food. The chef Jaco became our new favorite cook and friend. We stayed up late that night, accompanied by Jaco, Johan, and Kyle. We sat by the fire and shared stories and laughter. Johan asked me about being a zookeeper and I asked him about his culture. He told us about an ancient folklore story about the Tokoloshe. Legend had it that a dwarf-like evil spirit used witchcraft to instill fear and create bad dreams. South Africans, being very superstitious, would lift their beds up on bricks so the Tokoloshe could run under them and they’d remain unscathed. After a few more ghost stories, we gazed up at the beautiful display of stars and Johan pointed out the Southern Cross, as we counted our lucky stars. The last flame from the fire fizzled into the African sky as the magnetic pull of undeniable attraction pulled us closer together. 

At 5:30am we were woken up to banging on our door for our morning game drive with Johan. We immediately saw two lions at the buffalo kill. They were brothers and didn’t seem to notice our arrival. Umkumbe means white rhino and that was the species we saw next. They were peacefully grazing and also unaware of our presence. They have poor eyesight and are endangered due to their ivory. Even though their horns are made of keratin, the same thing our nails and hair are made of, they are still poached for them. People believe they have medicinal purposes and they sell for thousands of dollars on the black market. 

At sunrise we stopped for coffee as zebras and giraffes surrounded our peripheral view. After breakfast, cookies, and several photos, we saw Tatowa under the tree where the remaining impala was left dangling from the tree. This time, she was peacefully resting on a termite mound as if guarding her lunch for later.

People go on hundreds of safaris without ever seeing one. They are elusive not to be messed with. Predators fear them and they are immune to snake venom. Johan and I were in the front seat and were the only ones to see it. A honey badger ran across the road in front of us. They are small but mighty. Tough and fearless. A lion wouldn’t dare mess with them and we didn’t either. On our way through the bush, we ended up approaching a herd of around 50 cape buffalo. They are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa due to their unpredictable temperament. They will fiercely defend their young and their herd. If a lion is brave enough to choose one for a meal, they risk getting impaled by the buffalo’s horns or getting tossed like a rag doll. The “buff” is one of Africa’s “Big Five.” The other four are the elephant, rhino, leopard, and lion. All of whom we saw before breakfast. 

Jaco prepared the best “easy over” eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, and mini waffles before our morning game drive. Kyle managed to get his vehicle stuck in the mud while watching the lions feed on the buffalo. Johan tried to get it out using a rope tied to his vehicle, but it kept sliding down the hill towards the pond and towards the lions. As a punishment, we made him wear Amy’s black dress and go back to change the flat tire. Each time he turned his back to the lions, they began stalking him. He didn’t make much progress as he had to keep jumping back in the vehicle. The lions don’t see the vehicle as a threat or a meal but once you’re outside of it, it’s fair game. So a 15 minute tire change took more like 40. 

Amy and I enjoyed the afternoon by our infinity pool overlooking the Sabi River. I sat up to get a drink of water to see a herd of elephants doing the same. They tossed sand on themselves and the babies played in the water. When they quenched their thirst, they left as quickly and quietly as they arrived. 

The night safaris were my favorite. It’s when the bush comes to life and the predators are on the prowl. At dusk, we saw more zebras and giraffes. We also were lucky enough to see Tatowa again. The sky turned dark and in the distance we saw the silhouettes of the two lion brothers walking directly towards us. We sat still and quiet in the middle of the open air vehicle. Our breathing sped up as they approached the jeep. Amy and I held hands as they looked us directly in the eyes from five feet away before slowly getting low in the grass. The buffalo were back and the lions were stalking. It was bold but brave to go for the herd. They singled out a youngster who cried out but the mother kicked them away. They missed a meal but the calf lived another day. When you realize that a lion only makes a kill half of the time it tries to eat, it puts into perspective throwing away an apple because it’s bruised.

A homemade lasagna, green vegetable soup, and apples were waiting for us back at the lodge. We ate every last bite. We sat by the fire after dinner accompanied by Johan, Kyle, and Jaco, a nightly routine. We shared more laughs and stories. Johan told us about a black mamba who stood up and chased him and his tracker, Forward. They are known to be aggressive and fast, but this was on another level. He had to throw the jeep in reverse and drive backwards through the bush, over bushes and trees, as the snake chased them. On another occasion, a bull elephant walked up to Forward and put his tusks on either side of him, pressing his forehead into Forward’s. Forward looked back at Johan and said, “Why?!” Kyle told us how his tracker, Moses rode his bike home through the bush with his pregnant wife on the front. There was a pride of lions on the bottom of a hill. He was going too fast to stop so he started yelling. They separated as he rode right through the pride almost running over them. Stories in the bush never cease to amaze me. It wouldn’t be until years later that I’d have a tale or two of my own.

Each day our lodge was made up with our shoes neatly placed on the door mat, our clothes folded, and rhino cookies on our pillows. It was a new day but not an average one. This was no ordinary place and certainly no ordinary people. Our 5:30am wakeup call came quickly followed by, “Mornin!” While observing a herd of elephants on our morning game drive, we heard lions roaring in the distance. The brothers we have been seeing are not in their territory. Lions are territorial and they are taking a risk by stepping outside of theirs. We spotted them again but this time, they were lying in the grass, next to the river, under an Acacia tree evading the hot African sun. 

We continued driving through the bush and watched a female giraffe with her two calves. The mom had an oxpecker on her neck. These birds have a mutualistic relationship with mammals. The oxpecker removes ticks and insects and in turn gets a free meal. They also have an alert call when predators are present, alerting the animal of danger. While drinking our morning coffee next to the jeep, a female waterbuck gracefully walked by, walking over several lion tracks. Mid coffee break, Johan was alerted over the radio that there was a leopard sighting. There was no time to finish our drink as we hopped into the jeep and sped off through the bush. We were holding on for dear life as we swerved around each turn as fast as the jeep could take us. We were bouncing out of our seats with a smile from ear to ear. The roller coaster ride led us to yet another leopard. 

A new family arrived at the lodge. After their first safari, they complained that they didn’t even see a tiger. The guide said, if they did, something would be very wrong. His comment was lost on them but not to us. Meanwhile, Amy and I saw a squirrel and added the next animal sighting to our list.

Grateful isn’t a word strong enough to describe the feeling of being here. I contemplated how lucky I was to be here, in this moment, in Africa. I felt like I belonged, like I was home. A nap was enjoyed by the pool before lunch was served. Jaco enjoyed his cooking with us. The days were long but full. Time slows down when something is so intense you can’t forget it. We couldn’t wait until our next game drive.

We went back to the hyena pond for our sundowner. The hyenas had other plans but we watched a beautiful sunset reflected in the water. Johan was a very knowledgeable guide. He knew the animals’ next move before they did. When the other guides left, we stayed. Back at the buffalo kill, we found where one of the hyenas was hiding. We watched him eating while hearing the bones break and watched as the intestines were being pulled out. He kept looking up while eating as if he knew there was another predator lurking in the bush. A leopard came running out of nowhere and chased him away. Hyenas are social animals so seeing only one was rare. The hyena was wounded from an attack from wild dogs. He was weak and needed to eat so he risked his life coming back to the buffalo to share a meal side by side with the leopard. His instinct to eat outweighed his fear of the leopard. Johan said he hadn’t seen anything like that in the six years he was guiding. Crabby pants Kyle was sulking when he heard the news. Back at camp, “fresh meat” arrived. It was a nice couple from India. Krish and Carrie joined us at the fire that night. We heard lions roaring in the distance. Two coalitions vocalizing over territorial borders. As we walked back to our room with Johan escorting us, we saw hyena tracks and heard them cackle.

On our morning game drive we saw giraffes, kudu, impala, and hyenas. Kyle and Johan saw lion tracks so they followed them into the bush telling us to stay in the vehicle. We didn’t know until later that there were no tracks, they were plotting to hang out with us that night. Back at camp, vervet monkeys took over. They were on cars, tables, and by the pool. A bush bok took shade on our porch. It was their home. We were just living in it. 

The night safari was like no other. We saw Kekalea, a two and a half year old leopard, Tatowa, and Maxabeni, all on separate occasions but all on the same night. Tatowa’s beautiful face appeared from behind a tree illuminated by the light from the jeep. She had determination and intensity written all over it. We decided to stop in the middle of the reserve to listen to the sounds of the bush and stargaze. It was pitch black. The only light came from the crescent moon above and Forward’s flashlight. We heard them before seeing them. Heavy breathing. Uncertain movements. Two white rhinos approached us. They were as started as we were as they turned perpendicular to us going butt to butt only five feet from the jeep. We saw their breath silhouetted in the beam of light. Their body language told us their hearts were pounding as loud as ours. Amy and I linked arms. They awkwardly galloped around us and when they were clear from the front of the vehicle we took our change to make it back to camp. 

It feels right to be here, on this continent, on this night, with these people. Kyle bought us a bottle of wine for having such an amazing week. He said we were good luck. We listened to music and drank around the fire. They told us a story about how leopards got their spots. A leopard took a tortoise to the top of a tree for its spots in exchange for saving its life from a flood. At 11:30pm, Jaco made us a midnight snack and at 12:00, the lights went out at camp. Johan compared me to a leopard. He said they were wise, patient, and beautiful, but wild when they needed to be. He said, “Everything happens for a reason, and we were meant to meet.” Few other words were spoken except, “Isn’t it nice when two souls meet?”

We left camp early for our last night safari after hearing about a leopard nearby. We hung on again for dear life on another rollercoaster ride through the bush. We saw “White Dam” lying in the grass. A clueless impala walked right over her and was history. She had an easy meal, and we had the best encounter. I don’t like seeing animals suffer but it was quick and one animal’s death is another’s survival. White Dam was a 10-year-old leopard who frequented Sabi Sands but this was the first time seeing her. She tried to pull the impala into the tree, but he was so heavy she had to lick the hair making it easier to open up the skin. She began eating him inside out when two hyenas showed up and scared her up a tree. With their menacing laughter they started ripping him to shreds. They cackled as they devoured the impala with blood on their faces. White Dam made her way down the tree and stole the stomach. Grass was pouring out of it as she ate in the tree. 

We skipped dinner that night and gazed at the stars. Johan and I saw a shooting star and made a wish. We sat outside the next day talking about what we wanted to do with our futures. Jaco said he never met Americans like us and he wanted us to stay. We heckled Kyle all week so he said he couldn’t wait for us to leave. When our transfer came to pick Amy and me up, Johan and I embraced in a long good-bye. As we drove out of camp, as if on cue, zebra, impala, kudu, and warthogs approached the car. An elephant stood on the side of the road flapping his ears as if he were saying good-bye. With tears rolling down our faces, we said good-bye to Umkumbe. But it was not a good-bye to Africa. It was a see you again, very soon…

Living in Hawaii was a beautiful chapter of my life but my living arrangements were sometimes questionable. I was sharing a one-bedroom apartment at the time with 3 people and sleeping on a mattress on the floor. The view of the ocean from my room and the rooftop pool were incredible but my living situation was not. I made laps in the food court for free samples and filled up on rice that was provided at work. Molly was one of my closest friends on the island and she introduced me to her friend Simon who she knew from college. Simon and I instantly hit it off. He was hilarious, interesting, and someone you just wanted to be around. When he saw my living arrangement he told me he had an extra bedroom in Waikiki, so I moved in the following month. Simon loved to travel and when he did, I watched his dog, Maxine who was a beautiful, sweet yellow lab. We went on lots of adventures from hiking to surfing, camping, and a trip to Maui. Simon joined Molly and I last minute as “shark bait.” I took the bus everywhere from the grocery store to work so Simon graciously allowed me to take his jeep to work when I was training dolphins at Sea Life Park. As if that wasn’t enough, as a thank you for watching his dog, he bought me a ticket to Fiji which was a trip I will never forget.

On October 15^th, 2008, Simon and I arrived in Nadi on Viti Levu after the long flight from Oahu. I hadn’t traveled much at the time so I couldn’t believe we were served free meals and drinks on the plane. We stayed at The Nadi Bay Resort, a quaint hotel in the city. After a quick shower, we walked 10 minutes to the beach accompanied by lots of stray dogs to watch the sunset. There was an abandoned Volkswagen bus in the sand and a sunset to be remembered. We sat on the beach until the sky went from yellow, orange, to red and darkened into a deep purple. We ate at an Indian restaurant for dinner where the server put a Bindi on my forehead to welcome me into the family. The food was incredible and the water was bottled Fiji water. 

The following day we took the Yasawa Flyer to the Mamanuca Islands, a tropical paradise with crystal clear blue water. When we arrived at Beachcomber, Simon and I immediately jumped in the water and snorkeled amongst blue starfish that sporadically covered the sea floor. We swam and relaxed on the beach all afternoon until it was time to take the flyer to the next location. At Mana, a local took us to the Survivor set. He said they don’t usually show people where it is but it looked like we would go anyways. We sat in the chairs designated for tribal council and explored the huts that the contestants stayed in. We were surprised to see the simplicity and also the A/C units. Back at our lodge for the night, we watched one of the most spectacular sunsets over our infinity pool.

The next day we boarded the Yasawa Flyer to the Yasawa Island chain while two Pacific bottlenose dolphins accompanied us along the way. After the magical boat ride, we arrived at the Sunrise Lagoon Resort on Nanuya Lailai Island. We were greeted by two men who introduced themselves as “Queen” and “Eddie.” They were breaking coconuts open with a machete and offered us a welcome drink with an umbrella. Eddie took us on a boat to a village on Tavewa to introduce us to the chief of the island. We sat in a circle with the chief and his family in a hut or a traditional Fijian lunch. It was very bland and accompanied by a lot of flies. While we ate, a man played guitar, and the chief told us about his culture. We expressed our gratitude and I purchased a handmade bracelet from a local woman. Eddie took us back to Nanuya Lailai and told us to follow the three dogs that eagerly ran up to us. We didn’t question it but we had to keep up. We lost two dogs on the way but one took us on a hike to the Blue Lagoon Beach where Swiss Family Robinson and Blue Lagoon were filmed. The last remaining dog sat next to us and watched the sunset. When we made it back to the village we heard the dinner bell. There were three people from Sweden, one from London and another from Canada. Queen made us introduce ourselves and sing our National Anthem. Canada refused and even though Simon could sing, he knew I could not so we hummed ours. The food was much more plentiful and flavorful than lunch. For dessert, Queen changed into a black jumpsuit and a green headband and sang and danced to Celine Dion. After the show, we sat around in a circle and had our first kava ceremony. There is a chief and a spokesperson who tell you when to drink and how to sit. Before you take a drink, you clap once and say, “Bula,” and then clap three times. Kava is made from the root of a kava plant mixed with water. It is supposed to have hallucinogenic and narcotic properties but it tasted like dirty bong water and makes your lips tingle.

The following morning, we woke up in our mosquito nets and I brushed my teeth in the trickle of water from the sink. Simon said “Its like a baby peeing.” I watched the sunrise from my bed as it started to rain. Queen took us to Sawa-i-Lau Caves on a little dingy in the ocean. He was the only one wearing a life jacket. We somehow almost hit another tour boat so Queen told us if we couldn’t swim to swim to the Queen. When we made it to the caves, Queen turned on the flashlight which was flickering and very dim. When it died about 30 seconds later he said, “Who forgot the batteries?” We met up with another group and watched their guide swim underwater through the cave. He did remember the batteries and we followed the light underwater from one cave to the next. We got to a cave called “Pregnant Cave” that we had to vertically scale and then squeeze through a tiny opening to get to the other side. I took a deep breath, pretended I wasn’t claustrophobic, and scraped by back and stomach on the walls inching my way through. On the other side we had to push ourselves off the wall of the cave to another wall to prevent ourselves from falling off the ledge where cannibals would kill their victims on the pointy rocks below. We swam in the cannibal cave while large crabs scaled the walls. The locals climbed the cave walls and jumped 40 feet into the water. Simon and I followed but didn’t make it as far as they did.

When we got back to the resort, we had lunch and took the Yasawa Flyer to White Sandy Resort where a small boat was waiting to pick us up from the water. The tide was so low, we had to walk to the beach in knee deep water. We were welcomed by locals singing and playing ukulele and given a coconut with a hibiscus in it. It was refreshing and sweet. There were three baby endangered hawksbill turtles that were being rehabilitated at the resort. I stayed with the turtles while Simon went snorkeling. I joined him shortly after. Our room was a small hut on the beach that we shared with two men from Israel. The weather was cloudy and overcast so I walked to Honeymoon beach while Simon continued snorkeling and I met a couple locals who invited me to a kava ceremony later that night. We had dinner and warm bananas in water for dessert. After dinner, they played music and we all danced and played games. Simon ended up in a dance competition and I went to the other side of the island for the kava ceremony. It was a fundraising event for living expenses. They made their own clothes, built their own homes, and fished to put food on the table. They were all welcoming, happy, and said “Bula” to people passing by. The simple way of life brought them a lot of joy. Everyone encouraged me to take pictures and they loved looking at them. At 10pm the power goes out on the island so when I made it back to our hut, it was dark. Simon was playing guitar around a fire with some other locals from the island. 

We met some kids the next day and they too wanted to look at our pictures. Simon gave them his favorite grey sweatshirt right off his back. They also loved the music that was coming from Simon’s phone. They were singing, “You have one hour and one minute at White Sandy.” They called me “Dolphin” and they loved Simon. How could you not? After saying, “Bula,” we got back on the Yasawa Flyer which took us back to Nadi. We rented a car that Simon drove. Not only were we driving on the left side of the street, we were dodging toads, dogs, people, and cows. It was dark and I was freaking out. I was stressing Simon out so he told me to close my eyes and go to sleep. I woke up laughing when he said “It’s like a bad game of paper boy.” Up ahead a police officer was flagging us to stop. Without saying a word, he got into the back seat of our car and told us to take him to a village. We stopped at a house where he got out and told us to wait. Immediately after he was inside, we took off. We weren’t anticipating picking up a hitchhiking police officer nor did we want to find out what was going to happen next. We luckily made it to a luxury backpackers’ resort which felt like hours later. We stayed in bunk beds with about 20 other people in a dorm with a pool by the ocean. 

I recently received my scuba certification in Hawaii and wanted to dive with sharks. The prerequisite for the dive was having 20 dives under your belt and being certified for 90 feet. I was certified for 60 feet and this was going to be my first dive. The guides said it was ok if I joined. Simon stayed on dry land while I went with two older men and five locals on a boat to the Shark Reef Marine Reserve. We were briefed on the dive and informed which sharks we could come in contact with. If our guide saw a tiger shark, he would signal to us with three fingers making a stripe motion across his chest. If he saw a bull shark, he would put two fingers up next to his head like horns and so on. As we slowing descended, the pressure in my ears was intense but I was determined to see the sharks. At the bottom, several nurse sharks gracefully swam over. The guides encouraged us to pet their smooth yet rough denticles. Shortly after, black tip reef sharks arrived followed by oceanic white tips. The aggressive sharks slowly started arriving one after another as if on cue. I was completely surrounded. The water was starting to get murky and I didn’t see the next three who joined the party until the guide put up bull horns. Bull sharks are interchangeable with great whites and tiger sharks for being the most aggressive sharks. They have the highest testosterone out of any animal on the planet. They are territorial and unpredictable. Adrenaline was pumping and yet it was peaceful being in their presence. They slowly dispersed and we made our first safety stop at a ship wreck. It was a beautiful dive. I was ravenous after so I devoured a plate of fettuccini alfredo by the pool. It started to rain so Simon and I drove to Suva and walked around the market and explored the city. 

The following morning, we drove along the Coral Coast and heard about a beautiful waterfall that a local named Moses told us about. He said there would be an abandoned tractor on the side of the trail when we got close. Soon after we saw a family bathing in the water by the falls. I placed a hibiscus in front of it for a picture that Simon called cheating but it’s still one of my favorite photos. Moses also told us about sand dunes that were not to be missed. After spending some time at the waterfall, we drove on another scavenger hunt to the dunes. We climbed up the steep dunes with a beautiful view of the ocean. On top of the dunes was a cross and a crab. The winds were gusty, so Simon took off his shirt and wore it around his head and face. Then he proceeded to try and slide down the dunes. He didn’t get too far but it was fun to watch. Our next stop on our road trip took us over a rickety wooden bridge to Natodola Beach which was rated the 7^th most beautiful beach in the world by “Ask Men” Magazine. It was a white sand beach that offers lots of activities including horseback riding. A man who introduced himself as Peter immediately met us at our car with a horse and I eagerly jumped on. We walked along the beach until he jumped on the back and we ran. It was a beautiful way to end this incredible trip.

We flew back to Oahu where I would live with Simon for several more months before moving back to the mainland. We would stay in touch over the next 15 years sharing our travels and life experiences. I would visit him in Hawaii a couple years later. We would laugh and reminisce whenever one of us found a lost “soul.” He would get married and have two beautiful children. He would continue to inspire me until cancer stole his life and he became my guardian angel.