The Life Aquatic with Casey Hudetz

Hello!

Back to dry land! Let me recap:

Funny Story: After my last entry, while in Mission Beach, I decided that I wanted to go on a "bush walk" and check out the local flora and fauna. My company, Leonie and Emma, didn't feel up to it, so I decided to go it alone. The daylight was fading quickly, so I had to hurry. I was dropped off at the beginning of a 10k path, that according to the hostel workers, I could traverse in a little under 2 hours. I had roughly about an hour and half of sun left, so that meant that if I moved quickly, I could be back in time to watch the stars come out.

As I was getting out of the drop-off van, I noticed some other figures a little ways down the rainforest path so I thought to myself, "Well, if other people are out tonight, then I surely can handle it." The door slammed and the van sped off and I headed into "the jungle."

A few paces in, I realized that it hadn't been people I spotted on the path, but rather a Cassowary (ostrich-type bird) and her two chicks! We had been told the day before how rare it is to see a mother and her children in the wild together, so I was awestruck. I followed them for a little while, trying not to make too much noise, until they darted off into the woods. The bird moved how I imagine a velociraptor would have. I managed to snap one photo, from a distance, which probably won't turn out.

Well I looked up from the bird, and realized how dark it was on the path, and how quickly the daylight was fading. I then started panicking (I'm in the middle of a rain forest, miles (kilometers) from anything familiar, by myself, the sun's going down, and I don't know what sorts of dangers lie ahead of me). That panic moved from my mind down into my legs and started carrying me at a very quick pace. I was sprinting past large palm trees, splashing through puddles, imagining all of the horrible things that would probably happen to me (human poachers fixing me in their sights as I approach their booby trapped bridges and ravenous hounds).

The jurassic park theme begins playing through my head as I pick up the pace and as I ignore signs warning against unsafe bridges. With a few well placed leaps, I made it across rickety wooden structures which provided scant passage over deep valleys and steep drop-offs. The fear in me wouldn't let me slow down or consider how stupid that had been.

I eventually made it out of the jungle without first having encountered a few intersesting plants and animals. My walk back to the hostel was a sweaty and tired one, but when I arrived to the front desk, I bumped into the same hostel worker that had skeptically dropped me off at the beginning of the path. I told him about how I saw the Cassowary and the chicks and he went on to tell me how dangerous Cassowaries are, especially when protecting their young, and with a few well placed kicks, they are known to tear people's chests open with their "large talons"!!

HA! Isn't that hilarious?! (Mom, I'm safe now. Relax)

Fun Fact! Did you know that until 1976, it was legal for Australian hunters to shoot and kill the Aboriginals because they were still considered part of the natural Flora and Fauna of the land? 1976!!

After Mission Beach, I took an 8-hour bus south to Airlie beach (parting ways with the British birds), and began my Whitsundays Sailing Trip. Over the 2 days, 2 nights, the weather was pretty wet and rainy, but that didn't prevent our group from doing some really colorful snorkeling, a great amount of sailing, and some hiking on the islands themselves.

We stopped at one place in particular, Whitehaven beach, which has been called the "Most Beautiful Beach in Australia." It definetley lived up to its reputation. The sand there was so fine, that when you walked in it, it felt like baking flour between your toes. Not only was it the same consistency, but also the color. Surprisingly, with having as many tourists as it did, it still seemed quite untouched and secluded. Really incredible. Good pictures as well.

Fun Fact The Whitehaven beach is so highly protected, that if you are caught taking even a jar of sand off of the island, it could cost you up to $5,000! That's, like, 50 cents a grain!

Interesting Observation: When we finally made it back to Airlie beach, I separated from my group, and began walking around the pier. Having been on a boat for 2 days and 2 nights, I was all disoriented (I still am). When I sit still, I am still rocking back and forth and have to balance myself every once in a while. Also, the sensory depravation from being on the sea for so long has resulted in heightened senses while on land. Colors are brighter, smells are stronger. I promise I haven't been drinking.

All right, I've written enough. Hopefully you even made it this far. Keep posting comments (they are nice to read) and keep on sending your emails and good wishes! Now, to the south!

Casey

Vonnegut

Hello Dedicated Reader!

I appreciate that you are taking the time to read my little journal here. I look forward to writing in this thing and I hope you enjoy it half as much as I do. Okay, onto the trip. But first, a joke.

Q: What's the difference between Yogurt and Australia?
Give up?
A: At least if you leave Yogurt alone for a hundred years it develops a culture!
I kid, I kid.
Things here are going well.

I finished up my time in Cairns by spending a good chunk of my bleedin' budget on a package deal to the WhitSunday Islands and Fraser Island (which should happen in the next couple of weeks). I suppose there is one born every minute right?
After sulking over my bank statement, I spent my day with fellow travellers from Australia and London. We eventually made our way to a pub that night as a send off for me. That is when this happened:

Funny story:  Before going into an Irish Pub, to
listen to American Music, in the Middle of Australia,
with friends from England, my group was
met by a another English traveller who knew one of the girls in our crew.
They chatted for a while, and as this newcomer spoke, her wooden
bracelets clinked together, punctuating each anecdote and recollection with
a friendly percussive jingle.   
We parted ways and the next day, while waiting in line
for a bus, I noticed the same wooden bracelets on the
wrists of the girl in front of me.  It was the same
traveller from the night before.  I asked her how the rest of her night was,
started a conversation, and suddenly her friend
standing next to her said "Casey?  Rita's Brother?"
I said yes, and realized that this girl was an old
family friend that I went to PRESCHOOL with in
BELGIUM!  Leonie Haynes!  Wow!  Eric and I had stayed with
her family last summer in London, but she hadn't been home.  How strange.  Of all the places...

So from then, I changed my travel plans and stayed on with these two (Emma & Leonie). 
We arrived in Mission Beach yesterday and stayed at the Tree House Hostel. 
That place was incredible.  In the middle of the rainforest with an open air living room, no television,
plenty of board games, hostel rooms with no locks on the doors, and plenty of spaced-out hippies to fill its beds.
Needless to say, I felt at home (except for the spaced out thing.  I've been taking Flax Seed Oil).
We laid our stuff down, in our lockless rooms, grabbed our valuables, and headed for the nearby town.
We bought a good amount of food for dinner after having walked along the beautiful beaches (I'll have to show you the pictures, made our way
back to the Swiss Family Robinson accomodations..

Had a good dinner, played a little scrabble by my request, (EXIT landed me 36 points, the winning score, and
bragging rights until we part ways), and hit the hay.

This morning, by the girl's request, we changed hostels and are about to go on a bush walk through the Rainforest.
The Mission Beach area is known for its Cassowaries, which are Ostrich-type birds, so hopefully I can spot a few!

My plans have been changed around the farming (It turns out there's a lot to do in Australia!), but there's
still a good chance I will do some before I head to New Zealand.
I leave tomorrow to begin my Whit Sundays Sailing trip.  I can't wait.

"Peculiar Travel Suggestions are Dancing Lessons From God" Kurt Vonnegut says in Cat's Cradle, and I am
slowly feeling those rhythms enter into my two-step.   By the time I come home I hope to be a ballroom dancer
capable of executing moves that would impress even the Almighty Himself! 

Thanks for reading and until next time,


Casey

Sydney/Cairns

All right.
I'm here in Cairns (pronounced CANS). Things are going well.
Made some friends in my hostel.
Snorkelled the Great Barrier Reef, where I saw 2 sea turtles and 2 sharks, among other things.
I did not find Nemo.
While in Sydney, I took the obligatory pictures in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Sydney Opera House. It was a bit of a chilly day, but that didn't stop me from a good amount of walking.
Story: I was wandering through a botanical garden with head phones on when I suddenly started hearing some shrieking. I took my headphones off and realized that I was in the middle of a bat sanctuary of some sort. I looked up and there were literally hundreds of bats hanging upside down, fighting, flying, and overall creeping the bejezus out of me. I took a few pictures and got out of there.

I hope to get a hold of the farming woman tommorrow to start that part of my trip.

Cheers!

Casey

PS When I bumped into someone today, I said "Excuse me mate" without even thinking of it.

The Cost of a Cheap Ticket

Hello Everyone,
Casey here. Before I get into my long drawn out description of what it took to get where I am, I would like to start with a thank you. Prior to leaving the country, I had a great send off from all of you. From crepes, to ipods, to phone calls, and text messages, hugs,well-wishes, emails, and Corcoran visits, I truly felt that I would be missed. So thanks again for that.
All right. So today is the 19th of June, and I left on the 15th. I just arrived in Sydney not 2 hours ago. Things didn't go exactly as planned.
I left last wednesday morning and got to LA with no problem. Spent the day there waiting for my 10:40 flight and reading Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, which was good but not his best. The plane ended up being oversold and I had to call my Uncle Tom who lives in LA.
My Uncle Tom picked me up, housed me, fed me, and took me back the next day to try again. No luck. While asking around, I was told that standby passengers had a better chance of getting to Sydney from San Francisco because the weight restrictions on planes were different.
I heeded their advice and the next day after staying the night in a hotel (Thanks Uncle Tom!) I flew down to San Fran. Spent a day there and caught up on some more reading. The Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is hysterical so far.
I eventually got the last seat on the plane to Sydney and managed to survive the 15 hour flight.
So that brings me to now. Sorry if this entry lacks my usual hilarious quips and indispensible observations, but I am way too tired and smelly (same clothes! 3 days!) to concentrate on much else than finding a hostel and taking a shower.
Wish me luck and tune in next time to hear about my (mis)adventures in Cairns.
Thanks Again for all of your support!

Best Wishes,

Casey

Hey! 

This is my first test post.

Hey Everyone!
Just testing out this online journal. My sister said it would be a good way to let people know what I'm doing over the summer, and I think she was right.
I hope you like my travel stories.
Casey