Living Gluten Free On The Beach

If you look closely, you can see my friend Will clinging to the trunk of the coconut tree.  Using a simple rope and skills he acquired through months of practice, Will cut down a cluster of coconuts for us to eat with our lunch. The coconuts were ripe and full of milk.  Delicious! Coconuts are a bit challenging to get into, but with a sharp hatchet and a little patience, the procedure gets easier and easier.

We met Will and his partner Sheila (who also has celiac disease) at the Cairns Skatepark.  They are both from Arizona and have been traveling around eastern Australia in a mini bus for nearly six months.  They plan on staying another six months before returning to the states.  Although theirs is a no-frills experience, I understand the allure of what they are doing.  

Traveling around and sleeping on beaches is fun, but is also a bit challenging for  us with gluten sensitivities.  

What I've been sustaining on is a mixture of fruit, nuts, protein bars, and whatever we cook over the fire. In addition I carry around rice/corn cakes and 

one jar each of jam, Nutella, and peanut butter.  Will and Sheila made burgers with cheddar cheese and fresh avacado one night.  I used my skateboard and a sheet of aluminum foil as my "skateplate" and sat on the beach under a nearly full moon.  It was pretty amazing! 

Right now I am at the Cape Tribulation Beach House.  We had to cross a river ferry to get here, and I'm not kidding you, it was like going into Jurassic Park!  Just this morning I watched a four foot Goana (Monitor Lizard) ramble by me as I was eating my morning meal of rice porridge and Nutella covered rice cakes.  It moved too quick to get a pic, but it was cool nonetheless!  Last night a few friends and I were treated to a fancy meal at one of the local cafes, and the whole time we were there, we watched "flying foxes" flying overhead, and listened to their loud screeches.  It was pretty wild!  Flying foxes are like dogs with wings, no joking.  They only eat fruit, but are still intimidating to me.  Flying foxes are everywhere up here.  You can find them hanging upside down in the trees during the day, chatting away and bombing unsuspecting tourists with guano:)