From Singapore to Santiago: The ancient Kiwi proverb says "when you throw with the fishes you get scales on your hands".

Currently we are in the middle of our longest stay in one city thus far: a week in Seattle. We are staying with Jess's old flatmate Megan and her husband Wil - it's so refreshing being in the company of good friends!

We've had a really great few days away camping in the woods near Mt Rainier. It was a true American camping experience! We made s'mores - which are far more delicious than we anticipated - and ate chilli dogs and sang God Bless America (...ok that last part isn't exactly true). But it was fun! Check out some photos at the bottom for relaxing times spent around the camp fire, good food and walking in the Mt Rainier snow!

This morning we all went to Pike Place Market, described by some as the quintessential Seattle experience. It's essentially a permanent craft and farmer's market, home of the original Starbucks store, and where a popular fish stand is. I found this out by being thrown in (or should I say thrown at) the deep end.

I don't really know what happened. One moment I was talking to the fishmonger about how much salmon we were going to need for dinner, the next moment the fishmonger was ushering me behind the counter, where 50 tourists and their cameras were suddenly pointed at me. You see, Pike Place Market is famous for having a fishery where workers throw their fish to each other. So while I was stationed behind the counter, about 10 metres to my right was a well-built fishmonger with an entire salmon. "One fish for the Kiwi!" he bellowed. The other five or so fishmongers bellowed back in unified agreement. Having no previous fish catching experience, I didn't really know what I should be doing. I decided to act like I was fielding in the slips, but it wasn't until a huge fish started spiralling through the air towards me that I realised how unlike cricket this situation was. The fishmonger had warned me to "catch it like a rugby ball", but unfortunately whilst clutching a high midfield bomb to your chest is normally great technique, it is not so recommended in the fish-catching business. I realised this too late. So halfway through attempting the chest-clutch, I tried to draw back and save my shirt, almost missing the fish entirely. As a result, my technique turned into this weird tail grabbing thing. But I still had it! The crowd went wild. If you would like to forever refer to me as the Stephen Fleming of the fisheries world, I won't complain.