Lost? A Guide to Sea Transports

I remembered when I first came to Neopia, I got lost.

It was as clear as if it were yesterday; one moment I was in Pet Central, and suddenly, after traveling and exploring around a bit with my pet, we suddenly realized what lay ahead was a deep dark forest, unfamiliar roads, and most frightening of all... we were out of omelettes.

Rest assured we finally managed to get out of the place which we now know as the Haunted Woods, and yes, we did get lost... a few more times, and it was at times like these I would look at Naalaro, my pet, and I would say: “One day we’re going to create a travel guide for people new to this place. Like us.”

And here I am.

So let's get started, but first, I am going to assume that all you adventurers want to head back to Neopia Central, and if not, I definitely advice that you do! After all, it is the central hub for all things Neopian. Find Neopia Central, and you’ll find the route home (assuming you'd don’t already live there yourself!).

In this issue I will be telling you how to reach Neopia Central by one of the easiest and perhaps most reliable forms of transport: A ship. So let's get started, hmm?

If you get lost in:

Shenkuu

Shenkuu is in one of the most inaccessible places in Neopia, so don’t think of ever navigating all those dangerous mountain passes and rivers by yourself unless you are confident of your strength. Incidentally, there are two things you can do.

My first advice is to wait for a passage on the Cyodrake’s Gaze, as it travels to Mystery Island or Krawk Island at times, and once you know when it departs, go for it. What’s more, it's fast! It is a flying ship after all, so expect arrival before the day is out. From Mystery Island or Krawk Island, you can take a ship to Neopia Central.

If you find that you really cannot get on, or are adamant on traveling on foot, then do not go eastward into the mountains. Head directly northward. There may be some small rivers or valleys to cross, but nothing too inaccessible or dangerous. A day's walk on, and you would see the peaks of Terror Mountain looming in the distance, with the ocean just ahead. This is a shortcut pass to the other side of the globe, and ships coming from Neopia Central use it as a quicker alternative at times. If you see a passing ship, hail it and try to get passage. Remember to bring along some fur coats; the Pass is notorious for its freezing temperatures.

Altador

This should be easy. If you live in Altador, chances are you will be well aware of its huge shipping industry, with all kinds of ships from around Neopia making dock. All you need to do is to find a direct ship departing to Neopia Central, and get on it. Perhaps you may want to work as a deckhand if you don’t have the money. I don’t suggest stowing yourself away due to the long journey.

Lutari Island

This may be tricky since your island floats around most of the time, and all that fog makes it really difficult to pinpoint your nautical position, so the best thing to do is to get native help from the Lutaris themselves. I mean, they personally used simple canoes to get all the way to Neopia Central in the first place! Don't forget how good they are at sea and in water, so chances are you stand a rather good chance of getting to Neopia Central if you simply ask the natives... although how you go about it is your problem. *hides*

Mystery Island

Simple, really. Mystery Island is virtually a tourist magnet, so you get many ships docking at the Harbour (in case you don’t know where it is, it's at the southeast position of the Island). Again, simply find a ship departing to Neopia Central and get on board - which is surprisingly easy. Just squeeze your way into the crowd of homeward bound tourists and you’ll be fine... I think.

Krawk Island

Now this may be difficult. This place doesn’t get too many selfrespecting tourists from huge cities like Neopia Central, nor does it have much of a shipping industry either, since all the shipping companies are too afraid of getting robbed over there. So you won’t find much of a direct passage to Neopia Central. Your best bet is trying to get to Mystery Island, and then go to Neopia Central. If you have your own pirate ship, that makes thing easy, but try not to go to Neopia Central directly unless you’re really confident about fending off attacks from the Defenders of Neopia.

If you don’t have a ship, then you have to get on one - maybe bribe that pirate captain into taking you to Mystery Island. If you can’t bribe him (or her), then perhaps you can only cross your fingers. Pirate ships do come close to Mystery Island’s waters some times, and may even make dock. So spend your time on the pirate ship working and keep a lookout for Mystery Island. I am afraid I cannot give you any other good advice aside from this, so good luck!

Oh, you may see the Black Pawkeet make dock over at Krawk Island. If there’s any Captain who may listen to your plight, it's Garin of the Black Pawkeet, so try to get a hold of him. He may not risk going all the way inland to Neopia Central, but he might drop you off at Maraqua, and it would be much simpler to get to Neopia Central from there.

Maraqua

While I would assume that living in Maraqua would certainly mean you are a swimmer to some degree, just in case you feel you are not strong enough to swim all the way to Neopia Central, here are a few things you can do.

1) Try to get an audition with the King Kelpbeard, and ask him for help. If knowledge serves me well, he is not one to turn away the urgent plights of others - especially one as urgent and important as this! He would most probably send you to Neopia Central with an escort of some kind, which should help you greatly. Don’t forget to bow and say thank you.

2) Get passing tourists or ships to send you there. The amount of trade Maraqua has with the surface world is astonishing. Ships from all around Neopia are forever trading from the surface. Chances are you’ll be able to find a ship departing to Neopia Central admits all the hustle and bustle.

3) Seek help from the fishermen at the underwater fishing cave... these fishermen had to get here first, and they probably all have ships anchored somewhere. Ask around for anyone willing to send you back to Neopia Central.

4) Lastly, you may choose to ask Isca for help. She is of a kind, virtuous soul, and may be willing to help you out, perhaps even escort you all the way there.

So that’s that for this edition of emergency traveling. I will go back to my books and maps, and continue this edition on overland transports. I will publish it when I am done. Hope you found my article useful, and lastly, do not be scared. That is the last thing you want to do in such a situation.