That’s right, after a tip off from a cameraman of the TV series “Lost” who was staying in our hostel, we had plans for the final adventure of our trip. He lent us his car for two days and drew us a map on a napkin. That was all we needed, apparently, as it was ‘dead easy, you can’t miss it, just look for the padlocked gate’.
We were off to find ‘Lost’, after posing with a tin man in downtown Honolulu, obviously!
Last nights episode did teach me even more respect for the sea than I already had. I had learnt my lesson, but it wasn’t going to stop me from making the most of my trip – despite the fact even the ambulance crew were surprised I wasn’t rushed to A&E.
After a quick morning surf (once the jellyfish warning had been lifted and everyone hopped on their boards) we were then evacuated due to a shark scare. We took the hint and figured it was time to do some land-based sight seeing before we hit up another beach.
This was all because I didn’t check the ‘Jellyfish Timetable‘- Box Jellyfish arrive in Waikiki and other parts of the Hawaiian Islands based on the lunar cycle- they come to shore 8 to 10 days after each full moon and are particularly abundant in the early hours. There was also a noticeable lack of warning signs. I guess this was why the flights were so cheap!
I could have gone somewhere local, yes, but I wasn’t thinking straight, and a $250 round trip to Hawai’i via Vegas was too much of a good opportunity to miss! I guess this is what happens when you come up with ‘good ideas’ without thinking them through first or checking various reports like ‘Jellyfish Reports’…jellyfish reports, seriously? Yes, and yes you should check them, as I learnt the hard way!
Having studied about this remarkable place in my Native Philosophy class at UNM I couldn’t wait to get out and see it for real. How it sounded on paper and in the documentary ‘The Mystery of Chaco Canyon’ narrated by Robert Redford was pretty magical, but nothing could prepare me for actually seeing it first hand.
Having seen how these crazy Americans do their own Guy-Fawkes-esque celebrations at Zozobra festival (even tho, obviously, it’s nothing to do with Guy Fawkes) it was now time to see how to throw the ultimate Hallowe’en party, American-stylie.
The shooting bug had really hit me (pardon the pun) and despite other various entertaining activities, including attending the International Balloon Fiesta, I wanted to go shoot stuff, again.
Off to the whitest desert we went, to camp, eat cactus and shoot at brown bottles and old tin cans! The group consisted of a bunch of Americans, one crazy Brit (me), a couple of guns and some tents. Great fun was had, despite the mosquitoes.
Clear blue skies, rugged landscape, stunning sunsets and sunrises…what more could you wish for? BALLOONS!!! Obviously, and lots of them!
Everyone the world over knows how much Americans love their guns! From Western movies, to police and sherifs, even your average Joe, you’re never really far away from a gun. Even driving down the highway you’ll realise gun shops and shooting ranges are plentiful.
So it was only normal that one weekend in early October that I would trek out with my American comrades to shoot bits of metal at paper and balsa wood cut out shapes at Calibers Shooting Range, on Cutler Avenue ABQ.
New Mexico really is a one-of-a-kind state. There aren’t any other states where you get quite such a potent mix of Mexican, Native American, Afro American and Old World American culture, all in the same state. Zozobra is one of those fine examples of historical and cultural superstition mixed in with the American avant-garde arts scene. Think Burning Man, just on a much smaller scale.
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The Adventures of Elle Coco 