The Midwest (and some photos)

I am now in North Makato still in Minnesota. How have I ended up in such strange places on my trip? Aha, so this is what 'off the beaten track' looks like on the US backpacker trail.

I am staying with a mate, Chris, who I knew in my first year in Korea, having left behind Katie and Brent, who I knew in my second year in Korea yesterday. Chris took me out to show me the best of Mankato Monday nightlife. We drank beer, ate burgers and played pool- well, Chris played pool whereas my wild flailing around with the cue could hardly be described as such. We spoke Korean all night- again, Chris spoke Korean while I just said 'ye' a lot. It was fun though. Chris is at work now so I am making free with his computer- wonder if he has anything interesting on it??

I am hoping to make it to Chicago tomorrow to meet up with another mate, this time someone I knew in Dublin, though I haven't managed to get hold of her yet. I do try and give people some warning that I am coming but it still seems to end up with a phonecall the night before.

Since Chris has kindly let me use his computer today I thought that I would put some photos on here for you all- finally I hear you sigh

This is a waterfall in the rainforest just outside Suva in Fiji. Yes, I could have gone swimming there if I had remembered my swimsuit

This little fellow was my roommate for a night on the Coral Coast in Fiji. The reassuring noise of geckos eating mossies really helps me to sleep at night

this is Navala village in Fiji where all the houses are the traditional bures

It appears that these guys have the hard task of drinking kava with tourists all day

My tour guide asked me if I wanted to take a photo of the guys cutting sugar cane. I asked if they would be angry- he said that they would love it- you can see some of them smiling and waving so I guess that he was right. Just after this photo they all waved their machetes and posed but I was too busy laughing to get a photo- shame

tomatoes at Nadi market

My toy giraffe that has accompanied me all the way so far, surviving dog attacks on the way, has a well deserved break by the pool in Nadi Bay Hotel

Angela, Cath and Sam during our unscheduled stopover in Auckland. No one seems that bothered at the delay

The view from the hostel when we did finally make it to Rarotonga

Cook Island dollars! Most of the money used in the islands is NZ dollars but they have a few of their own coins and they are worth looking for!

Ah, the clear water of the Pacific as it laps the shore at Rarotonga

Here is Cath in the convertible that we hired on Rarotonga in order to going posing around the island

This is me and Chris last night, taken in a bar with baseball on the telly- nice!

Me and Katie at the weekend in a bar that made us all play Bingo (or Bargo) for free but we didn't win

Me, Snoopy and Katie in the Mall of America

Moorea Island just off Tahiti

Hibicus- common everywhere I went in the Pacific. In Fiji you wear one behind your left ear if you are single and right if you are taken. It is reversed in the Cook Islands and I have no idea what the deal with the flowers is in Tahiti as everyone was speaking French!

Right so, that gives you an idea of what I have been up to though it was tricky to get a collection of 560 photos down to just these few. I guess that I will do a best of the rest roundup when this journey is all finished in a couple of weeks.

Enjoy