Skirted with disaster out on The Pacific Ocean!

Mom and Susan, I am 100% OK

May 25-27th

There were 14 of us on board a 56 foot sailboat scheduled to sail for three days around the Whitsunday Islands off the coast of Airlie Beach, Australia.   On or second night, trouble hit.   It was 3am when we woke to a thunderous crack!  In an instant, people and possessions were pin balling all over the boat!  Our captain just started screaming F*ck over and over again.  Nobody had any idea what was going on.  My fellow passengers were from all over the world but none of us had trouble understanding the captain's language.  There was no doubt that we were in some kind of real trouble.  Earlier that evening, we had anchored in a quiet cove within swimming distance from one of the islands we were to snorkel around the next day.  We now found ourselves out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean getting tossed around in 6-10 foot swells and we were hitting something!  And hitting it hard!  From my bunk below the bow, I watched out my window as the first mate jumped into the lifeboat with a flashlight cutting through the night sky right into my eyes.  At this point, I was living out a horror movie.  Not having a clue how to sail, I really didn't know what to do.  It was pitch black out.  We were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and slamming into god only knows what.  Our Captain had 30 years experience on the water and he was panicking.  Not the most comfortable sign.  There were a few of us that scrambled up to the deck to ask the captain and first mate if there was anything we could do.  We got a look from the Captain and it didn't take a genius to know what it meant.  "Get the ____ down below and let us handle it.  

Up until this point on my travels, running into baboons while hiking Mount Rochelle in South Africa was the most scared I had been in a long while.  That pales in comparison to living out this situation where I truly thought we were on a sinking boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  Somehow, our anchor failed us during the night and we had drifted several miles out into the unforgiving Pacific. We had crashed into a reef of some sorts.  The anchor was tangled and we just kept slamming into the reef over and over again.  The steering mechanism on the boat was also jammed.  It seemed like chaos ensued for about 10 hours.  My best guess was that it was probably 30 minutes.  30 minutes I never want to live again.  Thank goodness for the quick thinking and experience of our captain and first mate.  They managed to get us away from the reef and sailed us back to calmer waters.

I set sail the other day thinking I'd have an unforgettable experience sailing/snorkeling around the Pacific.  Well, I had an unforgettable experience all right.  There were 11 of us on board as passengers of The Habbabi.  I no doubt have 11 friends for life.  We experienced something that nobody should ever have to.  Yet another reminder that nothing is guaranteed in life and we need to make the most of every day that we are given.

To my mates aboard The Habbabi: Way to stay strong.  Love you guys.

Mark/Chops

PS. I am boarding another sailboat in a few days that is scheduled to sail around the outer Great Barrier Reef up off the coast of Cairns.  I'm not about to back down to The Pacific.  I came here to do something, and I am going to do it.  End of story.

Aboard The Habbibi.   Friends for life.

Yup, saw this thing.

C-L-E-M-S-O-N

Celebrating dry land and being alive with some great friends! I was pretty close to pounding a beer or ten.

Currently singing Under The Sea

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days  

En Route to The Great Barrier Reef...

May 20th-25th

Byron Bay to Fraser Island

Once again, it was time to hit the road.  I was heading north from Byron Bay to Hervey Bay which is located a bit North of Brisbane.  After a few hours on the Greyhound, our driver made the announcement that we were picking up some Passengers at Steve Irwin's " The Crocodile Hunter" Zoo.  It was dark and the zoo was closed, but I held a moment of silence for one of my fallen heroes.  

Once the bus got going again, that's when things got fantastic.  Our driver announced he was putting in a VHS and treating us to a movie!  Feel The Rhythm, Feel The Rhyme, It's Jamaican Bobsled Time!  Yup, It was incredible.  Ron our driver hit play and put Cool Runnings on the big (little) screen!  Incredible selection as far as I am concerned.  Oh, but there was more.  Because we had a million hours on the bus, we were treated to a double feature!! Anyone want to guess what the back end of the double header was??  " Now he is kissing her on the lips.  She's a Ho.  My dad has been captured by a Ho.  What am I going to do?"  I skipped the sappy quotes and went for the one that made me LOL and had everyone on the bus looking at me.  I had never seen Sleepless In Seattle in my life.  Loved it.  To answer the lingering question that is no doubt building up  in the minds of all you ladies out there… Yes, I'd be happy to bring the Sleepless VHS over and watch the film with you anytime.  Just say when.  Maybe if I have watch this flick about 20 times, some of Tom Hanks' and his sons' moves with the ladies will rub off on me.  I need all the help I can get.

When I arrived at my hostel in Hervey Bay, it was super late.  When I opened the door to my room, there was a 6ft Swedish model on the other side!  Miriam was her name.  Hatchy Matchy.  (2 days Later, I was walking out on a cliff over the ocean on Fraser Island and who showed up?? Miriam again! What are the chances? I think she likes me.)

After a few hours of listening to a crowd of Germans play techno beats until 4am, I grabbed a quick shower on no sleep and headed to the docks to catch my ferry to Fraser Island!  I decided to do a 3 day Safari of the only Sub Tropical Rain Forest on earth that is located on an island created completely out of sand!  Did you follow? This place is ridiculous!

Since being here, I have inadvertently swam with sharks!  no cage.  oops.  I have also trucked it through the rain forest, hiked across a desert, exfoliated my skin with the silica sand surrounding pristine fresh water lakes, and came nose to nose with a dingo.  Can someone please help me out and tell me where the following phrase came from?  " The Dingo Ate My Baby"  I have had this stuck in my head since arriving on island and have no clue what/where it is from.

If I was stuck on a tropical island and I could only have one thing with me, what would it be?  Not food.  Not water. I'd pick Elsa.  What's Elsa you ask?  Well, The Netherlands strikes again.  First in Costa Rica.  Now in Australia.  I have spent the last three days with another knockout from The Netherlands.  She came to nanny in Australia and is now stuck on an island with me.  Yes!  Lord knows she is probably complaining.  Lord knows I am not. 

During my final day on the island, I went for a few more hikes, explored a shipwreck from 1935, and sadly sad good bye to those that I did my exploring with.  I didn't want to leave.  Great times and great folks.

12 hours on the Greyhound later, I have arrived to Airlie Beach.  This is where I am scheduled to catch a catamaran of some sorts.  This skipper is going to live out at sea for the next few days.  I plan to tack and Jib?? (Frank/Butch/Broome etc) my way around the Whitsunday Islands.  Google this place.  It's amazing.  At least I know port, starboard, bow, and stern from my Clemson Crew days.  That should do the trick.  I am not worried.  All kidding aside, I'm fairly certain I will be fed to the sharks in no time.  I hope to at least scuba dive and snorkel a bit around the reefs before the Captain throws me overboard.

Time to hit you with some pictures.  Lets hope the internet that I am borrowing from the hostel I am NOT staying at, works.  

Cheers,

Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days.

Indian Head Lookout.  Fraser Island, Australia

Last Byron Bay Sunrise

Mrs. McInnes aka MAD DOG has a Surf Shop in Australia!  Hi Mrs. M!

This is a fresh water lake in the middle of a desert, in the middle of a rain forest, in the middle of an island off the coast of Australia.  Fraser Island!

Hot Sand.  Hot. Hot.  

Check out the three colors of the water!  So Cool.  I drank some.

Shipwreck on Fraser Island.  I forget the name of the boat but it was said to be the safest ship in the world until the Titanic.  Seems like this world needs better boat builders!

Trucking through the Rain Forest on Fraser Island

Holy Tree!

Fraser Island Sunset.

On Shark lookout 250 feet above the ocean!  The Frenchman who took my picture wouldn't get any closer to take the picture.  :( 

I was swimming here the day before.  Oops!  15 Feet from shore!

Looking for Anacondas. No Big Deal!

Good Evening,

Today, I did some big time exploring in and around Byron Bay.  Everywhere I looked, my breath was being taken from me.  This place is stunning.  Also, the people here are incredibly good looking.  Like, really,really, ridiculously good looking.  This may also have contributed to my loss of breath.

During my 20 kilometer expedition of Byron Bay's coastline, I ran into two pretty Australian women in their early 20s.  Long story short,  after conversing for a bit, they told me that I reminded them of James Franco from 127 Hours.  It has now been brought to my attention by women in both South Africa and Australia that I remind them of Aron Ralston, the man that inspired Franco's character.  Ralston became trapped while canyoneering in Utah and had to cut his own arm off to escape/survive.   I am not exactly sure what to think of these comparisons, but I'd love to be half as tough as Ralston.

I was down at the beach tonight to read and take in the sunset.  Unfortunately, the clouds had a plan of their own.  Even with the overcast, the sky still turned out to be pretty cool.  Sunset here was like 4:50PM or something.  I keep forgetting it's almost winter here.

I plan to get a jump start on my day tomorrow.  I hope to kiss this hostel good bye around 4AM and hike the 10K back up the coastline to the Byron Lighthouse and take the sunrise in from there!  This is the eastern most point on the entire continent! (not sure how to phrase that)  Keep your fingers crossed that the weather cooperates.

That's all I have for now.  My feet need to go to bed.

Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

PS. Australia is expensive!  I had heard this many times before, but good gracious, it's outrageous!  I just sold a kidney to keep this dream alive. 

Byron's Bay, Australia

Desperately trying to keep the iPod dry!  I don't want to be on iPod #3.

Wollaston Beach, Quincy Massachusetts

Long Distance Tebow!

Eastern Most Point of Australia

Hiked up the cliffs of Byron's Bay!

This is about where I found the two Australian women

Byron Bay Lighthouse.  Hoping to catch the sunrise here tomorrow morning.

Surfer's Sunset

Up Close Tebow

Nature's reading lamp is running out!

Partly Cloudy

Australian Sunrises are not to be taken for granted

Hi!

I have spent the last few days in Arrawarra Beach, Australia which is located on the east coast between Sydney and Brisbane.  (This is like saying something is located between Boston and Miami.  I just don't know any other points of reference.  I have been living in a cargo shipping container!  Truth.   It was plunked down on the earth 50 yards from the ocean and a few beds were put in it.  It's so ridiculous.  It's awesome!  Here, I enrolled in the MOJO Surf Camp.  I'm fairly certain I could live here for the rest of my life with zero complaints.  The sunrises and sunsets have been amazing.  The water is warm.   There were dolphins riding the waves alongside me this morning while the sun was rising.  Unreal.  I tried to hang 10 all day today.  (This is when you walk out to the very front of your surfboard and hang your toes over the nose of the board while riding a wave.)  I wish I could say this went better than it did, but it was fun trying!  What more could I ask for in a day?  Not much.  I also knocked out about 200 pages of Angels & Demons.

I spent the last few mornings working on my golf swing on the beach while I waited for the sun to rise.  I had the place completely to myself.  It felt magical in a way. 

Since landing down under, I have had plenty of traveling time/time to think.  I found myself coming to terms with a few things.  First, is the FACT that I hold grudges against people and that this is a real problem of mine.  One of many I'm sure.  Life is too short and I need to let things go. Effective immediately, if possible, I intend to reach out to those that I have wronged or that I feel have wronged me, and put water under the bridge.  There are also a few long overdue apologies that I need to get to as well.  I have no doubt that addressing these issues will lead to a happier and healthier me, and I look forward to that.  Hopefully these actions can also bring a little sense of peace to those I have wronged as well.

Also,  I feel quite blessed to have been afforded an opportunity to do the things I have been doing over the last few months.  Nothing is a given in this world and even our surest bets from time to time don't turn out the way we wished or thought they would.  That said, I'm so thankful for today, and plan to make the most of tomorrow.

Anyways, enough of that.

I'm going to run.  Hoppin' a Greyhound up the coast to Byron's Bay.  It is supposed to have some of the nicest beaches in the world, great surf, and some extreme adventures.  Sounds pretty good to me.  

Love,

Mark

PS.  Anyone know where I can buy a bar of soap and a razor?

PPS.  I know there are a few of you reading my blog that I owe an apology to.  I am sorry.  And whenever we cross paths/connect again, you will get one in person as well.  Thanks for your patience with me.

Arrawarra Beach, Australia

Waiting for the sunrise!  Hit it right down the middle :)

Flight to Australia from Africa: $$$$  Private Surf Lessons: $$$  Practicing my golf swing with a piece of driftwood at sunrise before surfing: PRICELESS

View from the Cargo Container!

Beat my Surf Coach to the beach by about 3 hours!

Let me know when I need to quit it with my Tebow'n

East Coast of Australia Sunrise! Check out those love handles!

Check out my home! Cargo Ship container on the beach!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

Good Evening!

I am currently sitting in the kitchen of some hostel called The Maze. This place has me thinking that I am in some B-rated action movie where hand to hand combat is about to break out and some guy is going to come crashing through a wall.  I am fairly certain someone in here is mastering the use of a crack pipe.  The internet made this place look a wee bit nicer than it is.  Techno music is coming from under a door at the end of the hall.  Loud enough to be heard in California.  Three women in their mid 20s just sat down at the dinner table next to me  and I am fairly certain they are all related to Tiger Woods' Ex Wife.  I'd bet a million dollars they are from Sweden.  Hold on,  I am going to ask…. Yup, verified.  Sweden it is.  I can't really take much credit.  It was a no brainer.  I think I am going to tell them I have a week to live and one of them needs to join me for dinner.  Hold on… I'll ask.  Just finished dinner.  With a middle aged guy…  There wasn't much English coming from Sweden.  I'm sure there was plenty of it before I sat down.

Today I spent 10 hours on foot hoofin it around my new location.  I tend to love cities if they are located on the water.  That said, I instantly found myself enjoying it here.

This is where I watched the sun come up after my flight landed this morning.  Not too shabby.  About 30 hours in the air and 8 time zones, but I made it.

G'day Mate! (Holla Maddy!)

Contemplating paying $150 Australian Dollars to see The Ballet.  Sorry, don't think so.

Sydney Skyline!

Sydney Harbor Bridge Sunset

I went to the box office to try and buy a ticket to whatever show they had playing tonight.  The Ballet was my only choice!  Yuck.  Even still, I was going to buy a ticket and go.  For the experience.  Then the guy told me $150 was the cheapest ticket.  I thought about it.  Then I left.  I think I'd have paid $29 MAX to go to The Ballet alone.  Not a penny more.  

I'm sucking it up to fight through an 8 hour time change since I left Cape Town.  I have not slept since Sunday night.  Tomorrow, I'm beginning my exploration up the east  coast in search of some kangaroos, something high to jump off, a perfect wave, and gosh knows what else.  I'm hoping my surf clinic last month in Costa Rica pays off here.  Otherwise, I could be cruisin' for a bruisin'.  Wish me luck!  Lets hope none of the Greats I saw in the water the other day in Africa show up here!

PS.  I met a few nice young ladies today down at the harbor.   Safe travels to NZ Laura and Claire. And, great tour Gregg!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

Greetings!

Where on earth does a blueberry muffin cost $10 but you can get the fastest internet on the planet for free?  Abu Dhabi!  Chances are slim that I could point this place out on a map.  All I know is that it was 95* when my flight landed at 6am.  Holy hot.  Still on the move...

I'm going to try to marry into royalty during my layover.  Wish me luck!

Probably the cleanest picture I got.  Getting good shots was next to impossible.  They didn't stop to smile for the camera.

Man Overboard!

Dari, Me, and Bear at Dari's 2nd 29th Birthday party!  Thanks so much for everything you two!

Lean Mean Shark Bait

First authentic diploma for this guy since preschool!

Cold Water!

In the cage with my mates!

That is me right in front of the sharks mouth!  He bit the cage inches from my face!

Marcelo from Chile and Me.  Beyond freezing but stoked!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days