"HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR NEW BLACK PRESIDENT?"

Sitting in blazing Vanuatu, here's a quick run-down of my past week:

-Kristin and I went whitewater rafting in Fiji one day. The first 3 or 4 hours were more like river FLOATING, but it was nice. Then, however, the skies opened up and it absolutely POURED. Incredible storm full of thunder, lighting, hail (that's right), and broken bamboo trees flying through the air. The final hour wasn't so much fun. Our guide ("Joe 2") jumped up every time he saw the lightning......since he was sitting on an iron frame in the open-water at the back of the boat.

-Went hiking the day before rafting. The "full-day" hike ended up being a drive to the top of a beautiful peak, followed by a 45 minute walk down to a village where we sat and had lunch for a couple hours. Not so much hiking sadly. We DID get to try KAVA though, the national drink of Fiji (and Vanuatu I'd say).

-Read "The Great Gatsby" for the first time in probably 10 years. After repeatedly telling people it was my favorite book, I figured I should confirm if I still like it. I do. I'm not sure it's my #1 read (can anything really beat Christopher Moore's "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal"?), but you gotta love a novel with the lines:

-"I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known

and

-"And I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy."

-Answered some variation on the question "So did you see your election?" (see title of posting) about 2 dozen times from taxi and bus drivers.

-Took a sunset cruise here in Vanuatu

-Visited the local private hospital to have my infected foot looked at. Dr. Dermot prescribed some nice penicillin and ointment for me. Already feeling better. Turns out they don't accept Aetna here.

-Put Kristin on an airplane bound for Detroit via Auckland and LA.

-Visited overnight the island of Tanna where the active volcano Mt. Yasur sits. Honestly one of the most incredible things I've done so far on the overall trip. We reached right to the lip of the crater and watched terrifying eruptions for a couple hours. Hoping the pictures are decent.

-Took a day tour on Port Vila (Vanuatu) that visited the Mele-Maat Cascades (waterfalls). The tour included an Aussie family of 12 that made me want to jab pencil points into my ears.

-Whined and freaked out about still not having an ATM or AMEX card


OFF TO TAHITI IN THE A.M.!!