June 29, 2012

Journal notes:

• Farewell, Eric
• The bus stop beggar
• The bus ride (and subsequent hike) to the zoo
• Leaving New Caledonia

Pictures:

Peacock

Peacock

Peacock

White-throated pigeon

Barn owl

Pacific flying fox
It's a fruit bat, and thus has no echolocation

Parakeets and budgerigars (budgees)

Short-billed Corella

Eclectus parrot

Sulphur-crested cockatoo
They are quite common in northern Australia, and are terribly noisy when you're trying to sleep in a tent.

Wrinkled hornbill

Royal parrot

Galah
I thought this was something special until I drove through central Australia.
They are everywhere, and in huge flocks.

Rainbow lorikeet

Peregrine Falcon.
The fastest animal in the world, it divebombs its prey from above, reaching speeds in excess of 200mph

Kagu.  It is native to New Caledonia and is listed as an endangered species

Farm animals - goat and deer

A better shot of the deer

Spiders in the trees above the walkway

These protest signs were hung on the way back to the shipyard.  Although the island is no longer a French colony, I believe there may still be some discrimination against the native population.

I meet Eric at the breakfast table and we say our farewells.  He has found a ship to take him to Hong Kong, which should arrive tonight and leave some time tomorrow, or maybe the next day, so his plans for traveling around the world in 80 days without flying are still on.  I wish him luck as he leaves to finish packing.

As I am leaving, the seaman on gangway watch informs me that Harvey is already in town, having left early this morning.  I have my routes planned out today - the violet line should take me near the zoo.  If there is time, the green line will take me straight to the aquarium.  I am instructed by the chief officer to be back at the ship at noon for departure at 1400.

I am buying my ticket as the violet bus pulls away from the station, and it takes a good 15-20 minutes for another to arrive, during which time a beggar asks me for some change.  I try to evade by explaining that I don't speak French, but he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a 50f coin.  He holds up two fingers.  Reluctantly, I nod and reach into my pocket for the change, deciding that 100f was a small price for peace.  As I am digging for the coins, he wraps his arms around me in a hug, his scraggly beard brushing against my face.  It comes as quite a shock.  I hand him the coins and he leaves to find the next white man, a Frenchman, who works at the CD store in the shopping center, whom I had seen yesterday at La Table.  He is not so generous.

After I ride the bus to the end of its route, the driver stops to ask me where I'm headed.  "Do you speak English?" I ask, hopefully.  He frowns, shaking his head.  "Le zoo?" I ask, hoping it's close enough to French for him to understand.  He checks his route table, sighs, and starts the engine again.  I can't tell if he's altered his route or no, but we double back to an apartment complex we'd passed only a few minutes earlier, taking on new passengers.  On the back side of the place, he stops the bus and opens the door.  He turns to me, scowling, pointing to the top of the ridge with one hand.  "Up there?" I ask.  He nods.  "Merci beaucoup," I utter, cursing under my breath.  It's a two mile hike up a steep country road, with narrow shoulders and switchback curves.

It's 9:30 by the time I get to the entrance.  A sign behind the gate reads "Ferme - Closed."  Another one the fence says their hours are 10:15 - 17:45, closing at 17:00 from May 1 - August 1.  So much for seeing the aquarium.  The gate opens at 10:25, after a Noumea Explorer bus and a taxi have dropped off their passengers, who are waiting much less patiently than I am, though I have been here much longer, and I have far less time to visit.  Among them, I recognize an older Australian couple I'd seen in several different places yesterday.  I rush through the park, and most of my pictures suffer for it, but I get a few good shots and even a couple videos that turn out pretty well.  The park ranger tells me a shortcut to the nearest bus stop, which is still a good 15 minute walk(thankfully, all downhill), and I have to wait another 10-15 minutes for a bus.  It's 1225 when I board the ship.  I head straight for the mess, where I find the captain dining with the chief engineer, chief officer, and two gate agents.

As the ship leaves, I find myself on the bridge.  The pilot is a tall Frenchman.  At first, I am afraid he might be unfriendly, but he quickly warms up to the captain.  He remarks that after leading our vessel out, he he must bring in a fishing boat from Japan.  "That will be fun," he laughs.  "I do not speak Japanese, and they do not speak English."  "French, then," the captain jokes.  The pilot laughs and shakes his head.

The rest of the afternoon passes pretty much uneventfully.  I hang my hammock outside after my bridge visit and watch a boat meet us and carry the pilot to the fishing vessel, anchored at sea.  There is a curious sight here, huge waves breaking against... well, the surface of the sea, it would seem.  As we approach, I spot several small boats anchored there and people surfing.  It appears to be either a submerged landmass.  A reef seems unlikely, or else they would not allow people there, I would think.  It's too windy to stay in the hammock outside, so I head back to my cabin and take a long nap.

At dinner, Harvey tells me that he'd gotten out early, had breakfast at a local cafe, and did some shopping.  He made it back to the ship around 1030, just as Eric was leaving.  He said the chief officer had asked him if he had my number, telling him that they were considering leaving early, around noon. Alas, he did not; nor would it have mattered if he did, because I let my service expire while we were at sea.  I have not heard one word from the crew about this.