{"id":2659,"date":"2015-12-20T21:38:31","date_gmt":"2015-12-20T12:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2015-12-20\/2659"},"modified":"2015-12-20T21:38:31","modified_gmt":"2015-12-20T12:38:31","slug":"superficial-thoughts-on-new-caledonia-after-a-weeks-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2015-12-20\/2659","title":{"rendered":"Superficial Thoughts on New Caledonia After a Week’s Visit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTypical Sunset<\/span>\nTwo stand-up paddle boarders (lower left) on calm waters\nNoum\u00e9a, New Caledonia\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

We had a family vacation to New Caledonia last week. When my wife suggested it, I had to<\/span> look it up because I had<\/span> no idea\nwhere it was. Here it is:<\/p>\n\n

\nNew Caledonia<\/span>\n\u30cb\u30e5\u30fc\u30ab\u30ec\u30c9\u30cb\u30a2\n<\/div>\n\n

The capital, Noum\u00e9a, at 22 degrees south latitude, was just starting to enter its summer.<\/p>\n\n

It's a bit more well known in Japan due to a well<\/span>-known travelogue,\n\u300c\u5929\u56fd<\/span>\u306b\u3044\u3061\u3070\u3093\u8fd1\u3044\u5cf6<\/a>\u300d (“<\/span>The Island Closest to Heaven<\/i>”<\/span>), published in 1966. The book was<\/span> also made into a movie.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Minimal research before I left told me it's a French<\/span> Republic with, like so many islands in the Pacific,\na marginalized<\/span> indigenous population.<\/p>\n\n

The language is of course French. (The indigenous population, where it still exists, have their own languages,\nbut I didn't<\/span> come across them on my trip.).<\/p>\n\n

I'm really bad at human languages. I can pick<\/span> up a new<\/span> computer language just by walking near a reference<\/span>\nbook, but my brain is not wired for human languages. I've formally studied English, Spanish, German,\nand French, but I can<\/span> speak only English and Japanese.<\/p>\n\n

The extent of my French study was a single<\/span> semester in college 30 years ago, but it served me incredibly well. My mastery<\/span> of\nthe most-important 0.000052% of the language actually proved useful in about half of my spoken and written encounters. At a minimum<\/span>, I could<\/span> apologize for not speaking French (“<\/span>Je suis d\u00e9sol\u00e9, je ne parle pas fran\u00e7ais.<\/i>”<\/span>), and let them know that I\nspoke<\/span> Japanese and English. Some English was always available in the touristy areas, but outside them I had<\/span> to fall back on my\nFrench, or just hand gestures and a smile.<\/span> I never<\/span> ran into anyone that spoke Japanese, except Japanese.<\/p>\n\n

I quickly learned that my American credit card was not the type they normally handled. It seems<\/span> that\nthey're set up for some kind of electronic chip that's read when the card is inserted an inch into a\nslot<\/span> on the cash register, rather than a magnetic<\/span> strip that must be swiped. But the hand<\/span> gesture for “<\/span>credit card swipe”<\/span>\nturned out to be universal, usually garnering a brief<\/span> look of surprise at the archaic technology,\nfollowed by a “<\/span>let me see whether I still<\/span> know how to do this”<\/span> attempt to make the transaction.<\/p>\n\n

The currency is the French Pacific Franc (XPF). There are about 110 XPF to the US dollar, but because it's such a minor<\/span>\ncurrency one must pay a huge<\/span> premium to convert (from dollars, yen, euro, etc.). About the best place to exchange money in Japan\nare the banks at the airport, and if you exchange, say, dollars for yen and then turn right around and exchange back, you'll end\nup with about 6% less... that's the cost of doing the exchange. In the case<\/span> of XPF, you'll end up with 30% less.<\/p>\n\n

Anyway, for rough practical purposes, I kept in<\/span> mind that one XPF is about one US cent.<\/p>\n\n

For no apparent reason, the main international airport is an inconvenient hour's drive through nothingness from the city. The one direct<\/span> flight\nfrom Osaka Kansai each week arrives late in the evening (10pm), so I prearranged<\/span> transportation for the five of us (Me, Anthony,\nFumie, and Fumie's folks). An email<\/span> exchange with Smith Voyage<\/a> and we were confirmed\nfor Manu to meet us. Manu was fantastic in all respects, and I highly<\/span> recommend him for your Noum\u00e9a travel needs.<\/p>\n\n

The cost for the shuttle for the five of us was about $100, on par with the cost of the shuttle that brought us from Kyoto to\nthe airport. New Caledonia<\/span> is said to be an expensive place, but that's only because it is<\/i> expensive, both for\nvisitors and for the locals. To visit<\/span> New Caledonia, you must be mentally prepared to hemorrhage money at all times.\nAlmost any manufactured product you encounter (cars, cups, shoes, nails, clothes, toiletries, windows, etc. etc. etc.) must\nbe brought from somewhere by boat or plane. One Japanese<\/span> resident I talked<\/span> to said that his car in New Caledonia cost\ntwice the price of the same car in Japan.<\/p>\n\n

New Caledonia has a land area about the same as the US state of New Jersey, and from what I could<\/span> tell, is mostly uninhabited\nmountains. The main city<\/span>, Noum\u00e9a, does not feel crowded.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFrom Our Hotel<\/span>\nlooking toward other tourist hotels\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFrom Our Hotel<\/span>\nlooking toward the back, away from the beach\nprobably a nicer part of town for the locals\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFrom Our Hotel<\/span>\nlooking out toward the ocean\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/1.7, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nIn Our Hotel<\/span>\nThe “<\/span>Living Room”<\/span> part, at the Hilton Noum\u00e9a\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Our hotel, the Hilton Noum\u00e9a, a contradiction<\/span> to my preconceived ideas of what to expect from a large<\/span> US hotel chain. On the plus<\/span> side, because it's a “<\/span>Residence”<\/span> category, it was spacious, with three separate bedrooms, a normal<\/span>-sized kitchen, a clothing<\/span>\nwashing machine, two sets of showers and toilets, a huge<\/span> living room, and a nice<\/span> veranda. On the minus<\/span> size, there were very few\nservices, such as a mini<\/span> shop near the lobby in which to buy late-night snacks. (And I suppose<\/span> the cockroach was a minus<\/span> as well,\nthough they allowed us to move rooms after the first night.)<\/p>\n\n

The hotel did not, however, contradict my idea that large US hotel chains are ridiculously expensive. Normally things work out\nmuch more smoothly with our travels if my wife makes the plans and I don't<\/span> see how much it costs (I'm a tightwad,<\/span> so if I see<\/span>\nthe cost, it's difficult for me to enjoy), but I unfortunately<\/span> got a glimpse<\/span> of the hotel bill. I tried<\/span> to block it out.<\/p>\n\n

But in the end, the space and convenience was worth it for our week-long stay. Four adults and one teenager made for a\ndynamically<\/span>-changing mix of activities and schedules, and so with three separate bedrooms and two sets of showers\/toilets, we\ndidn't always have to be in each other's hair. We could<\/span> retreat to a bedroom<\/span> for quiet relax time as needed. In retrospect, I have to<\/span> admit that had I made<\/span> cheaper plans, we would have been stressed the whole time, negating the whole purpose of the trip.<\/p>\n\n

Power in New Caledonia is 220v. All the electronics<\/span> we brought were for charging things (laptops, phones, cameras), and all\ncould handle 100v\u301c240v as is, so we didn't need any kind of power converters.<\/p>\n\n

In preparing for the trip I'd packed a 6-port USB charging hub<\/a>\nrecommended by a friend<\/span> (thanks Jason!) to handle things like our phones, and a normal<\/span> five-outlet extension cord\ninto which to plugin it in, as well as plugging in our computers and other chargers.<\/p>\n\n

New Caledonia uses “<\/span>type C”<\/span> plugs<\/a>, so we\nwould need a simple<\/span> converter to handle the plug shape. But I figured<\/span> that a high<\/span>-end international\nhotel chain like Hilton would have multi-type power outlets, or, at least, US\/Japan-style outlets. They didn't.<\/p>\n\n

So, I'm glad that on a just-in-case whim, I bought<\/span> a plug<\/span>-shape converter at the airport in Osaka just before jumping\nonto the plane. Six dollars<\/span> well spent.<\/p>\n\n

(It turns out that you could get a plug<\/span>-shape converter from the hotel's front desk if you asked, but seeing how they\njust rummaged around in a box<\/span> for one, I don't<\/span> think it's something I would<\/span> rely on.)<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWater Taxi<\/span>\nheading out to one of the islands\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Food is expensive, whether cooking it yourself or going to a restaurant.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Baguettes are a basic staple, and it's common to see people walking down the street\nwith one tucked under their arm, one in their hand being eaten, and a drink<\/span> in the other hand.<\/p>\n\n

Toward the end of the trip I realized that I didn't<\/span> have a photo<\/span> of this quaint “<\/span>baguette culture”<\/span>, so I\nmade<\/span> a quick<\/span> snapshot as I was<\/span> walking by someone getting back into their car at the market.\nIt didn't come out well, but perhaps illustrates the point anyway:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGive Us This Day Our Daily Baguettes<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\niPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f\/2.2 at an effective 29mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 32 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDelivery Truck<\/span>\noutside a small market near the hotel\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nModern Supermarket<\/span>\nCasino Johnston Supermarket\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

We visited a couple of supermarkets, including a big<\/span> modern one far away from the tourist areas,\nwhere one needed French (and hand signals) to get by. They were just as big and nice as one would\nfind in Japan or The States, but as I said<\/span> before, the prices were very high.<\/p>\n\n

Other than restaurants, most businesses closed by 7:30, including supermarkets and convenience-store-like markets.\nVending machines are also essentially non-existent (I noticed<\/span> only two during the entire trip, one at the airport and one\nat the hotel), so one must plan their food well or be caught without anything to eat. We first<\/span> arrived at our hotel around\nmidnight and were sort of stuck for food and drink except for the pathetic little vending machine in the lobby.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>4000 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMorning Walk<\/span>\nthat's a person near center frame, at mid-tide\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Many businesses are closed for an extended lunch (e.g. noon to 1:30 or 2:00).\nWalking around on the first day to visit car-rental and bicycle-rental shops, having left\nthe hotel around noon, I found<\/span> them all closed.<\/p>\n\n

Making the same rounds again later in the afternoon, I ended<\/span> up renting a car<\/span> from the Budget office not far from the Hilton. I got a<\/span> car that could fit five easily for about US$80\/day, which seemed to me to be one of the only reasonable prices that I ran<\/span>\ninto all trip. As a bonus<\/span>, the car I was<\/span> given was brand new; I was<\/span> its first renter.<\/p>\n\n

Almost all cars in New Caledonia are standard (manual) transmission. I don't<\/span> know why. A Japanese<\/span> resident I talked<\/span> to seemed\nconfident in his understanding that European car makers simply didn't have good automatic-transmission technology, so it had never\ntaken off here. That seems ridiculous to me, but I don't<\/span> know.<\/p>\n\n

In any case, the car I rented was a manual<\/span> transmission. My parents<\/span> made sure I learned<\/span> to drive with a manual<\/span> because\nit's a good<\/span> skill to have (thanks Mom and Dad), and for this I was<\/span> thankful when settling in behind the wheel at the car-rental\nplace.<\/p>\n\n

As I slowly pulled out from the parking space and down a steep<\/span> bank to the narrow exit onto the street, a truck<\/span> started to pull in. And so I<\/span> found myself driving a manual<\/span> transmission for the first time in a decade,<\/span> facing down but needing to back up,\nwith little margin for movement or error. Baptism by fire. It was the<\/span> comical scene you might be imagining, replete\nwith stalls and revving engines, haphazard clutch work, and much embarrassment.<\/p>\n\n

To top it off, after I could finally get to the exit, I turned<\/span> on my wipers instead of the turn signal.<\/p>\n\n

But it's a bit like riding a bike, and I quickly<\/span> got the hang of it again. Driving in New Caledonia is mostly a pleasure,<\/span> and\ndriving a manual<\/span>-transmission car with a beefy<\/span> engine is its own pleasure as well.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTiny Traffic Circle<\/span>\nthough I prefer the Australian parlance, “<\/span>roundabout”<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

There are relatively few traffic lights, with intersections usually controlled by traffic circles or “<\/span>yield”<\/span> signs instead of\n“<\/span>stop”<\/span> signs. Traffic circles are much<\/i> more efficient; if traffic is light, you almost never have to stop. And even when<\/span>\ntraffic was rush-hour heavy, or when I was<\/span> on a bicycle,<\/span> I never<\/span> ran into issues where I felt<\/span> traffic was rude or dangerous. It was wonderful<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

Basically, it works the way it's supposed to work. It would<\/span> never work in Kyoto because Kyoto drivers\nare much too selfish... it's common to see Kyoto city buses run red lights! Sigh.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 38mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“<\/span>YOU DO NOT HAVE PRIORITY”<\/span><\/span>\nNo comment about who does, except that we know for sure that it's absolutely not you\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I just love that sign. I'll write more about New Caledonia road signs in a different<\/span> post.<\/p>\n\n

Directional signage can be spotty at times. For example, you can drive right by the airport without\nnoticing if you don't notice the one sign that tells you where to turn (a normal<\/span> traffic-circle sign,\nwith one of the minor arrows leading off to the side marked “<\/span>airport”<\/span>).<\/p>\n\n

To find my way around, whether by car, bicycle, or foot, I relied<\/span> on\nGalileo Offline Maps<\/strike> (Name changed Feb 2019 to Guru Maps<\/a>)\non my phone. Prior to the trip I downloaded<\/span>\nthe vector map for New Caledonia, which turned out to be excellent. Since it's on the phone after the initial\ndownload, I could<\/span> use it while my phone was in airplane mode for the duration of the trip. I didn't<\/span> want to pay\nsteep data-roaming charges, and with this app didn't need to. It was absolutely<\/span> invaluable.<\/p>\n\n

I could also keep a track of our movements, then refer to the track later if I needed<\/span> to retrace the path,\nor use the trace as my path back home. I can't<\/span> overstate how useful this $4 app is.\n(I also<\/span> use it while cycling in Japan, where I'm often deep in the mountains with no cell coverage.)<\/p>\n\n

One non-pleasure part of driving in the rural parts of New Caledonia is that if you're unlucky, you get stuck\nbehind someone driving at half the safe\/legal speed limit, just because, and there's little you can do about it.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 37mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRare Straightaway<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

In some really mountain-curvy rural areas, I sometimes<\/span> found that the posted speed limit was well faster than I felt<\/span> safe to drive,\nbut mostly one could easily do the 110kph (70mph) speed limit common on the nicer rural roads. A long drive<\/span> like this could\nbe quite pleasant, but sometimes you'd come across someone doing half the posted speed limit and not giving the slightest care\nto the long line of cars piling up behind them. There were plenty of places to pull aside to let other traffic go, but few\nplaces to pass safely (especially at night where you couldn't see ahead in the pitch dark), so it was extremely frustrating. You were limited<\/span> both by the speed of the slowpoke causing the problem, and by how daring each person in front of you was\nin choosing when to try to pass.<\/p>\n\n

One day, stuck behind a big construction truck for the better part of an hour, I imagine<\/span> it was sport for the driver to watch\nthe car immediately behind jockeying for a good<\/span> view, hoping for a chance<\/span> to pass. If\/when they did, it started all over again\nwith the next person in line, nonstop, for their entire drive. I imagine<\/span> that for this selfish asshole, a good<\/span> head-on collision\nwould have made their day.<\/p>\n\n

I asked about it to a local New Caledonian who drives a lot.<\/span> He said that<\/span> that's how it is in New Caledonia... they don't care\nabout other drivers and would never pull over to let someone pass. I just can<\/span>'t comprehend this kind of selfishness.<\/p>\n\n

One kind of flip side of this is that they apparently don't feel too bad about tailgating. I was happy<\/span> to let folks go by\nif they wanted to go faster than I wanted,<\/span> but when I wasn't<\/span> able to find a place<\/span> to move over, I'd sometimes<\/span> be tailgated\nquite strongly.<\/p>\n\n

This was the only kind of inconsideration I ran<\/span> into on my trip. There was a lot<\/span> of graffiti everywhere, which illustrates that\nthere are a lot<\/span> of remarkably-selfish people (or a few<\/span> that are remarkably active), but in person, people were universally\nfriendly.<\/p>\n\n

Once you're out of the city, there are almost no services. Driving around in the south part of the island, we\nwent for hours without seeing a sign<\/span> of human civilization except for the road itself, and the occasional deserted\nnational-park type place. For hours<\/span> of driving, no houses, no farms, no stores, no businesses, no industry, no\nnothing.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nA Whole<\/span> Lot of Nothing<\/span>\nbeautiful, quiet, serene nothing\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

If you look carefully you can see a few<\/span> power-line towers, and the far ridgeline at right has some wind turbines,\nbut otherwise there's no indication of human presence. The same scene<\/span> in Japan would be festooned with\npower lines and dam construction and any number of other visual-noise elements.<\/p>\n\n

Sometimes, even, no bridges:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 62mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFord<\/span>\nnot a fjord, mind you\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 67mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nChute de la Madeleine<\/span>\nthis would translate as “<\/span>Madeleine Falls”<\/span>, I guess.<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The falls above were in a provincial park that seemed, other than us, devoid of humans.\nThere was a parking<\/span> lot and nicely-manicured trails, with signs and steps and information boards\n(in French that we could not read), but no people. We wandered<\/span> about the place freely.<\/p>\n\n

For tourists, though, New Caledonia<\/span> is known for its marine sports...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 54mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>5000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nKite Surfers Aplenty<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Some days the wind was dead calm, and other days it was briskly strong, and on those days the kite surfers\nwere out in force, with dozens visible at any one time.<\/p>\n\n

The water is very clear.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/13, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAnthony and I About<\/span> to Head Out for a Spin<\/span><\/span>\nat \u00celot Ma\u00eetre (\u30e1\u30c8\u30eb\u5cf6)\nphoto by Fumie Friedl<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The 1200cc jet ski was fun and responsive, and we were flying over the water at more than 60kph (40mph). The guide<\/span> said that it can go faster, so perhaps we were limited because it was a bit<\/span> choppy out where we could let loose.<\/p>\n\n

In Japan one needs a special license to drive these, but here you needed only money. I let Anthony<\/span> drive for a while,<\/span>\nand we had great fun.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>6400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFumie and Anthony<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPrivate Island<\/span>\nGreen Island\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

One day we took a tour to an uninhabited island to snorkel and explore the coral. When we asked how\npopular the tour was, the guide said that there are up to 90 people on the tour at one time, which I imagine<\/span>\nwould fill the small beach and the surf, destroying the whole “<\/span>deserted island”<\/span> ambiance that was the whole point\nin the first place.<\/p>\n\n

Our timing was good; on the day we went, we were the only five customers, so we had everything to ourselves. It was the<\/span>\nfollowing week that the huge influx would start, the guide said. We're glad Anthony's school got out for the New Year break a bit<\/span>\nearlier than most other schools.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 52mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nQuality Time<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I'm fairly sun-averse, with skin that sublimates from “<\/span>beached-whale white”<\/span> directly to “<\/span>the Colonel's Extra Crispy”<\/span>\nburnt, so I generally<\/span> keep covered up when I'm out. But with liberal<\/span> amounts\nof sunscreen I thought<\/span> I'd be safe from getting burnt.<\/p>\n\n

So, on this trip I learned the difference between “<\/span>SPF”<\/span> and “<\/span>how long does it last”<\/span>. I had super<\/span>-high SPF\nlotion, but I neglected<\/span> to reapply often enough. It seems<\/span> that regardless of\nthe SPF, the protective properties break down in the sun at the same pace, so regardless of the SPF, one must reapply every two\nhours or so. I ended<\/span> up with some mild sunburn on my back and shoulders. Doh! Lesson learned.<\/p>\n\n

Being a bit sun-averse was one reason that I didn't<\/span> really explore the beach directly outside the\nhotel, until the last day. I really<\/span> regret that, because just a few<\/span> seconds\nout into the water and there were all kinds of thick puffy colorful starfish, sea cucumbers, and other assorted marine life that\nwas super fun to explore with just goggles. Had I known<\/span> I would<\/span> have gone out\nwith Anthony every day.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 37mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDedicated Bike Lane<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The country seems to be very cycling friendly, aside from the lack of places to get food and water away from the city. I'd see lots<\/span> of cyclists each day, from the early morning until dusk.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 43mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>3200 sec, f<\/span>\/16, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEarly-Morning View<\/span>\n6am on my one bike ride in New Caledonia\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Helmets are not compulsory, but it was quite rare to see someone without one. For\nmy one bike ride<\/a> I spent<\/span> $25 to rent a bicycle,<\/span>\nand another $10 to rent a helmet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHilly Noum\u00e9a<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Noum\u00e9a can be quite hilly, with many short but really steep (10% ~ 15%) slopes.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nA Less<\/span>-Affluent Area<\/span>\nstill hilly, still pleasant\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Because I didn't know the city at all, my sort of random cycling trip brought me through\nwhat turned out to be less affluent areas.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMaking Do With What He Has<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Regardless of where I went I never felt unsafe, or that a run<\/span>-down area was “<\/span>seedy”<\/span>, but I also<\/span> didn't feel comfortable leaving\nthe bicycle unattended, as I had<\/span> no lock. (Actually, the rental place gave me a lock<\/span> for it, but neglected\nto give me the key.) So in one particularly un-affluent area I was<\/span> happy to find a market<\/span> that was surrounded by a high<\/span>\nfence, almost like a prison.<\/span> I could<\/span> put the bicycle inside the fence by the door of the market and feel that it was\nrelatively safe while I bought<\/span> some water inside.<\/p>\n\n

While I was there, the little boy seen above took interest in my “<\/span>real cyclist”<\/span> look, and\nreturned to his bike with vigor. He tore around<\/span> the parking lot and streets at breakneck speed. He could<\/span> slow himself only Flintstones style, as his bike had no brakes and his feet no shoes. He was a<\/span> natural.<\/p>\n\n

As I prepared to leave, he stood aside and watched everything. Then as I started<\/span> to pull away, I bid him<\/span> an “<\/span>au revoir<\/i>”<\/span>, which he politely bid back. I regret<\/span> that I didn't<\/span> buy some candy\nor something for him.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nQuieter Part of the City<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBusier Part of the City<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

There's the thought that island cultures like this tend to take things more slowly, and this was evident in the stores being\nclosed for a couple<\/span> of hours mid day, or the occasional super slow person on the roads.<\/p>\n\n

It was also evident at the airport when we left. We arrived<\/span> almost three hours before our flight, but the line to check in\nwas already long and it moved very, very, very<\/i> slowly. Really, super duper slowly.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nStill Waiting<\/span>\nTontouta International Airport\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

At the pace it took us to get checked in, the folks still waiting in the photo (seen from a walkway<\/span> above as we passed from\nsecurity to the gate) would still need a couple<\/span> of hours to be checked in. There wasn't that long before the flight so I don't<\/span>\nknow how they did it, but we ended up reaching Japan on time, so in the end all was well.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We had a family vacation to New Caledonia last week. When my wife suggested it, I had to look it up because I had no idea where it was. Here it is:<\/p>

The capital, Noum\u00e9a, at 22 degrees south latitude, was just starting to enter its summer.<\/p>

It's a bit more well known in Japan due to a well-known travelogue, \u300c\u5929\u56fd\u306b\u3044\u3061\u3070\u3093\u8fd1\u3044\u5cf6\u300d (\"The Island Closest to Heaven\"), published in 1966. The book was also made into a movie.<\/p>

Minimal research before I left told me it's a French Republic with, like so many islands in the Pacific, a marginalized indigenous population.<\/p> [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,8,1,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2659"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2659\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}