Samoa Fatigue

So I went to the Chinese embassy today and spoke to an official about my trip. She explained that I’d probably only get a visa good for three months and two entries at most. Because I don’t know the exact date of when I’ll be entring China, I will just get the visa when I’m …

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Every Time I Try To Get Away, They Keep Pulling Me Back In

It is as if I can’t escape Samoa. I’m now stuck here till Saturday because of flights to Fiji. I will have spent more time in Samoa than New Zealand. That doesn’t seem right. Travling in the Pacific is really slow. I’m going to need to pick up the pace and maybe cut down the …

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Back To Work…

I haven’t updated much this week because there hasn’t been anything to update about. I’ve done nothing. I do mean nothing. …unless watching sores heal counts as something, I basically holed up in my hotel room all week. Thanks to my amazing immune system (seriously, I seldom get sick), most of the gross stuff on …

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Living on Tonga Time

I’m alive in Nuku’alofa, Tonga! My initial thoughts in the drive in from the airport: Like most pacific countries, it seems like there was a burst of building activities in 50s and 60s. My “hotel” tonight looks like something you’d have made on a road trip in the Kennedy administration. There were fields with crops …

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Raro Winding Down

My time in Rarotonga is winding down. I’m ready to move on. I did two more dives today (Monday) and will do one more tomorrow to finish my advanced certification. Thanks to all the advice I’ve gotten from everyone about New Zealand. I think I have a base plan of attack for NZ. I’ll have …

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So Much For Tokelau

Well, my Tokelau dreams have been shattered. The boat isn’t leaving until Saturday now. That would mean sitting around Samoa for most of this week still and then waiting another week for the plane to Tonga when I get back. I want to visit Tokelau, but not that bad. I’ll have to put that off …

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Change of plans

I think I’m going to go to New Zealand next. I think that Fiji is turning out the be the real hub of the Pacific and most of the places I want to go to in the Pacific seem to fly in and out of Fiji. However, to get from Rarotonga to Fiji, I have …

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Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance in Pascual

Oh man, today has been a winner. 1) As stated before, the one ATM on the island doesnt take my ATM card. 2) VERY few places here take credit cards. 3) I can´t convert any of my Pacific Francs (XPF) anywhere on the island. Most of my cash was in that form. You can see, …

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Samoa Joe

Just a quick update before I leave Fiji tonight. I will traveling a day into the past. I have 24 hours to undo everything I’ve done today. I will be issuing updates every hour in video format. I’m calling it “24”. I think the idea will fly. I have some great stuff from Fiji and …

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