Twenty-six Miles Across the Sea...

Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me... at least that's how the song goes. It's actually like 21 miles, but whatever, the song is catchy!

We've been here on Catalina Island for nearly 2 months now, and my, what a roller coaster it's been. Less than a week after we got settled in, there was a huge fire that made national news. All told, it burned 4700 acres or so, one house, a couple of warehouses, and came close to town - too close for our comfort. It was scary. There was ash, flames, and smoke in the air, emotions ran high, and we wondered if we would be forming a back-up plan for the summer (well, we have always wanted to work for a rafting company...). Where in the past we had gone to New Orleans to assist the evacuees, here we had become the evacuees ourselves. Luckily, we didn't end up at the Red Cross shelters or having to drink any more FEMA water. We spent 2 nights at a co-worker's house in Long Beach, with her two energetic and friendly Irish Setters, and her three even more energetic teenagers. We returned to the island and our jobs - shaken, but not deterred from having a great summer on the beach (even if the "beach" is a slab of concrete with trucked-in sand and lots of pebbles).

So far this summer, we've visited bison in the interior of the island, said hello to some Catalina Gray Foxes, saw a Catalina eagle and thought of his Alaskan cousins, been in a semi-submersible and seen fish all around us, learned what a Garibaldi is (Google it), sailed with the flying fish (Google them too), seen a Giant Sea Bass, sang pirate songs with an organ-playing buccaneer at the opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" (what better place to watch a pirate movie than an island?), been accosted by sea gulls and pigeons on a daily basis, watched orcas soar in sunny San Diego, met Captain America in Hollywood, got spooked by ghosts on the Queen Mary, camped in Two Harbors - truly an island paradise, eaten more ice cream than we care to admit, did a taste of Avalon and tried swordfish, calamari, and day old spaghetti (much better than it sounds), and dodged golf carts at every turn. We've seen a Bird Park with no birds, a Casino with no gambling, a 3rd Street without a 1st or 2nd, seen fish that fly and birds that swim, and we have experienced May Gray and June Gloom. We've seen Gwyneth Paltrow filming a movie on the streets of Long Beach, had Nicholas Cage blow smoke from his cigar at a co-worker, celebrated a 70th birthday with another co-worker who used to date John Wayne, and, most exciting of all, dined with Shamu. We've met fun and interesting people from around the world, and at the company softball game, Begee earned the nickname "Big Papi" for good reason, as he helped the Sightseeing team defeat the Hotels team!

This summer may not have started out the way we had hoped, but we're starting to settle in nicely now. The fire damage is visible in the interior, but it's interesting to see the bison eat the cactus, now free of their spikes - nature at its best. We're not sure what effect the fire will have on tourists, but we hope they're not scared to come to this romantic and magical place. Catalina is the third island we've lived on, and so far is our favorite. We never get tired of smelling the salt in the air and watching the palm trees dance in the ocean breezes, and there's so many colorful flowers everywhere you look - from bougainvillea to bromeliads, from hibiscus to birds of paradise, from prickly pears to California tree poppies. They're not the lupine and fireweed of Alaska, but they still add color to our lives.

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, and we're still not used to the sun setting at 8:30 on the longest day of the year, but hearing crickets at night somehow make up for that. At least for Erin. Coming to Catalina for the summer, we hoped to not replace our Alaskan adventures, but to experience life on island time once again. We still both miss Alaska and know we'll return again, but every time we wiggle our toes in the sand or jump in the Pacific, we start singing "Twenty-six miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me..." Told ya it was catchy!

First 2007 King

Hello to all!

I hope this finds everyone doing well and enjoying their summer. Things are moving right along up here in the metropolis of Copper Center, AK. It seems that summer has finally arrived. The grass is lush and green and the flowers are blooming everywhere. I'm looking forward to getting out and enjoying everything that the area has to offer.

Recently, I had the task of auditing one of our tour operators. Gosh, the hardships...We went out on the Gulkana River, a clear running river about 30 minutes north of our Lodge. We boarded our jetboat and jetted down to the mouth where it converges with the Copper River. Within 5 minutes of my line being in the water, I had a fish on. It was a pretty short and easy fight, but fun nonetheless. We continued to fish for about an hour and a half. Each of us caught our limit. (For King Salmon, that's one per person). My fish was about 24 lbs. The others were about 35 and 20.

Overall, a great day of fishing, and we were home by 9:30 am.

Tracy Smith is the Rooms Division Manager for the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge located in Copper Center, Alaska. If you're still looking for a summer job in Alaska, visit www.princessjobs.com to learn more about working in that great place.

Welcome to India

I've always heard that nothing can prepare you for India and now I can safely say that is true. During my first few days in Hyderabad, I was staying with a friend, enjoying the comforts of his home and exploring this city of 6 million people while he was working. Each day I made the walk to the internet shop from his home. Though it took barely 10 minutes, it's amazing how much I would see and experience in just that time.

From his balcony that looked out on a serene courtyard, there was little hint of the chaos that lie just two blocks away. I would leave the house and pass the grinning lazy guards that sit in the shade and chat with drivers, patiently waiting to whisk their bosses into the city. Down a shaded road I continue, past drivers who dunk rags into soapy buckets and wash cars that will soon be consumed in the dust and smog of the city streets.

At the corner a large building is being constructed. Bamboo siding is roped together and hung between levels, their equivalent of our steel ladders, supports and wooden walkways. Workers here stand precariously upon bamboo and dangle a hundred feet or more above the ground, oblivious to any sign of danger. The workers buzz around the worksite like ants, each fulfilling a basic function of the large-scale construction project.

At the bottom level are the Untouchables who live upon the job site in squatters' tents, just A-frame shelters in the dust and mud, the sides and roof constructed of trash and debris. There are two families at the corner site, each with children barely old enough to walk. The lowest in the Hindu caste system, these people carry bricks and sand into the site, their heads wrapped in material to cushion and support the weight of stacked bricks or bags of sand. They live in squalor and filth yet dutifully sweep the road free of dust from the site. The hierarchy of the job site is a microcosm of the Indian caste system, for each worker seems to operate only within their level of participation, yet the sum of all parts completes the project.


It is when I reach the main road that my senses become overloaded. Horns are constantly blaring amidst a sea of traffic that never ceases. Buses barrel down the road like kings, seemingly oblivious to traffic, but still forced to swerve when they encounter the king of the road, the sacred cow. Below the buses are the automobiles, their numbers rapidly increasing and choking the crowded roadways while the auto rickshaws with their bright yellow paint battle for position in the space remaining. Then there are the motorcycles and they are found in any space they can fit, often with families of four sharing a single bike. And finally comes the pedestrians. Those who aren't hanging from overflowing buses or packed six deep in rickshaws are either on bicycle or foot. The bicyclists must have the nerve of kamikaze pilots for the dangers of riding a bike in this traffic make such a venture purely suicidal. At least those on foot have some maneuverability as they walk out into traffic.

As pedestrians, this truly is all you can do. Little can prepare you for such an action, yet life in India dictates that several times a day, one must risk life and limb to cross the road. Still there is a method. Facing a constant barrage of buses, cars, rickshaws and motorcycles that flow in both directions (though not necessarily in separate lanes), one must step out into the traffic and face the moving vehicles. The key is to move steadily or not at all. Drivers only naturally expect there to be obstacles in Indian roadways and spend their entire driving time avoiding them. So if one continues forward and moves at a steady speed, the driver will see and avoid them. The same goes for standing still. It's actually common to see a person standing in the middle of the road, sometimes even sleeping there.

All of this traffic moves together at a steady pace, never stopping and vehicles constantly jostle for position with their horns blaring and mufflers pouring fumes. Lanes mean nothing and the direction you're expected to travel is only the way you want to go. U-turns happen in the middle of crowded traffic and cars stop wherever they want. If a stop light even exists at an intersection, it?s merely a suggestion. Roadways in India are a river of constant motion and where rivers cross they merely collide and continue. And amidst it all, it's not uncommon to see a man riding a horse, an ox pulling a cart, or a legless beggar pulling himself across the road with sandals on his bruised and bleeding hands. People just drive around it.


I walk along the road for several blocks, the only white person to be seen, and truly feel as if I'm in another world. That which once was appalling is now commonplace. Poverty stares back at me from young hopeful eyes while trash heaps burning fill the air with putrid smoke. People relieve themselves on the roadside, as if thousands of vehicles and pedestrians weren't just feet away. Muslim women whisk through traffic, the hands that hold one another the only skin showing but their eyes. A man stumbles past, his face covered in blood, while onlookers taunt the unlucky bloke. Several toddlers dressed in rags cling merrily to the back of a bus that rumbles past, only slowing down at bus stops so passengers can jump on and off without the bus even stopping.

Now this is India.

3 weeks in Europe - surprise for others

We were in Costa Rica and "officially" we were about to travel towards South America by searching a sailboat which would bring us from Panama to Colombia or any other South American country. Crossing by land through the Darien Gap was a bit risky, thus we did not consider it as an option (only in our bravest dreams).

But... Let's go back to March 2007. We were staying in Panama City and received an email from Augustas step-father Robert asking us, if we would be interested in coming to Europe, and being the main surprise of the 50th birthday of Augustas mother Audrone. We stopped breathing for a while. Was it true? We were invited to be the main surprise during Audrone's birthday? Yes, it was true.

We realized that this way we could not only surprise Augustas' mom, but also our friends, and of course my family back in Germany. I remember imagining surprises for all of them, which made our hearts beat faster, butterflies appear in our stomachs, and tears cover our eyes. What great moments would they be to appear right out of nothing? We could fulfil our big dreams of being with our loved ones again, and also fill their hearts with pure joy, as the questions of "when do you come back?" increased meanwhile to five times since the beginning of our trip. Moreover, the trip would mean a perfect solution for transiting from Central to South America. A great way to pass the Darien Gap with such emotional detour.

No doubt, we will go. We kept quiet, letting everybody believe we are heading towards South America, and instead boarding a plane in Costa Rica on 11th of May, 2007. We still could not believe we are on the plane towards home. Finally. arriving at Berlin airport made us understand we are really back.

We went straight to Leipzig for our first surprise, directly to the school where my mother works. Soon after we entered the school, we heard her voice. She was talking to a colleague, while coming down the stairway. We prepared. Me in front, Augustas with the camera a bit in the back. Then she appeared and I said with an innocent voice, "Hallo!" My mom responded lax and lighty, "Hallo!" Still talking to her colleague, she was watching us for a while. Augustas started taking photos and I just stood smiling at her. Slowly her mind began working and all of a sudden she said, "I cannot believe it. You are impossible!" I started to laugh emotionally, finally taking my mom into my arms, and tears were rolling down my cheeks. I was so happy and I deeply felt that also for her a big dream came true. Later she told us what her thoughts were when we appeared: 'Strange, these parents I have never seen before.', followed by: 'Oh my God! Journalists! Damn, how can I get rid of them now?' (when Augustas was busy taking photos). We laughed resounding when listening to her explanations, and could fit every single photo taken of her exactly to these thoughts. Oh mom, you are awesome! During our visit in Leipzig we also surprised my two younger sisters and their children, my oldest brother, and my aunt.

After few days we headed for Berlin. Here we stayed with my friend Dorit. Dorit made our stay really happy and comfortable. Together with her I actually surprised my friend Christian, who is working in McDonald's. Christians' first words were, "Ms. Lachmann, what are you doing here?" His face was drawing an uncountable amount of question marks, so that I could not help but laugh out loud.

It was time to travel towards Lithuania. After 7 hours (!) waiting for getting out of Berlin, our hitch-hiking started with a wonderful Polish couple. They brought us into Poland, and even invited for a delicious lunch. We continued without problems, and reached Vilnius (the capital of Lithuania) in the morning of May 19.

It was early afternoon when we headed for Augustas mother's house, which lays a bit outside of Vilnius. Staying on the last bus stop, from which we wanted to hitch-hike to the house, suddenly Augustas' sister Izabele passed by. Still driving, her head moved slowly backwards, trying to realize if she is dreaming or really seeing her brother alive right at the bus stop. She stopped the car, got out, and full of tears took Augustas in her arms. Oh, such tears are the most touching mean that exist. Also our eyes became wet, and we hold each other for a long time. Then we were brought near the house, where we could walk the last hundred meters to the house.

Robert (mother's husband) had seen us already from far and brought his wife to the window, pointing towards us. This was the moment to show the most important present of her birthday. There were not many guests yet, but those which were present looked at us with open mouths. Augustas' mom came downstairs, nearly screaming in shock, and full of tears. What a hearty scene, it was impossible to stand her emotions. Then she said, "I knew why this time I bought waterproof make-up, I felt I would need it!" And she was definitely right.

During the party more surprises followed. There were uncles, aunts, friends, nephews, other relatives, and Augustas' lovely grandparents. They nearly got a heart attack when seeing us. Augustas' grandfather immediately put his sun glasses for hiding his eyes. We were all so touched and happy. Augustas' grandmother later, said "We feel like in a fairy-tale...". Both of his grandparents always understood that we had to follow our feelings of seeing the world, but at the same time they were afraid, they will never see us again. We guess this worry disappeared now.

We spent nearly a week in Vilnius, enjoying to be together with Augustas' family and friends. Spending time with Izabele, Augustas' sister, made our love to her and her sons Tijus and Vakaris grow stronger. Tijus we have not seen before, as he was born while we were already travelling. We are so much in love with them that we had liked to take them with us.

Our 3 weeks holidays in Europe ended up in Dortmund. Here we had to surprise my brother Marco and his future wife Peggy. We rang the doorbell. Nothing happened. Was nobody at home? We rang again. Through the door-eye we saw the change of lights. We were sure somebody must be at home. We rang again. The door opened slowly, and half of Peggy's head appeared behind. "No... No!" Peggy's words expressed great disbelief in the fact that we were standing right in front of her door. Now she opened the door completely, still repeating, "No! No! That is not true, is it?" Then she started jumping and laughing, taking me into her arms, and we jumped together. We laughed, laughed more, and could not hold us from screaming happily around in her apartments hallway.

Now only my brother Marco was missing. He was still at university, and a sudden change of his plans made him calling home, asking Peggy to pick him up. While Peggy was gone, we hide our luggage, and made ourselves comfortable in their sleeping room. Peggy and Marco came back. Silent like mice we were waiting in the room, and listened every little noise in the apartment. A long time nothing happened, but all of a sudden the door widely opened. I startled, and at the same time my brother got terrified, holding his right hand onto his heart, his mouth stayed open. We could not hold anymore and burst out laughing. Still breathing in shock, I took my brother into my arms. "Geeeaaaaaaooooo...., what is this? How do you come here? My heart was about to stop beating!" Oh, this man! I love my brother, and I cannot help but laugh whenever he opens his funny mouth. Happiness all over, the last mission was completed successfully!

A couple of days later we had to turn our backs towards Europe to continue our trip, this time in Venezuela. It took us real strength to leave all our families and our friends behind, and continue where we stopped three weeks ago. Compared to the start of our trip, I felt so strong how much I will miss all of them. Augustas felt exactly the same when leaving from Lithuania. The worst for me was that I could not say good-bye to Peggy anymore, because we had to leave to the airport short before she arrived back home. I felt terrible, missing the last important hug from one of the most important persons in my life.

Life goes on. Besides missing the last hug, we back on our journey track happily and our hearts filled with pure love.