I head off to New Zealand.. a short stop over in Sydney for the night then I'm off to Auckland and the Rotarua in the North Island of New Zealand.
When you travel with a large group (all of Team USA), you are bound to run into to familiar faces in other parts of your trip. So, I am purposely meeting up with Judy G. from my team and her "Hunny Bunny" Paul at the Sydney Airport tomorrow and we will explore the Rotarua together, before I head off to Queenstown.
Rosemary left us yesterday to head to New Zealand so I will also meet up with her and Julie there for a day also.
While here in Port Douglas, we ran into 5 others who traveled here with the Team.
So this morning I said "see you in 2 weeks", to Kris, Jenny, Rachel and Jocelyn as they boarded the shuttle to head of Karunda for the day. I'm headed to the beach for a bit, then I'm off to the airport.
Hoping that I'll be able to find some Internet places to keep everyone posted on my adventures on my own. :)
Cheers!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Blogapalooza!
Some of us (not all) are trying to catch up for days of fun with numerous posts. Some are going for quality. Hehe.
Anyway, check out the whole looooong list of posts by clicking on the month of September and working your way forward from the last post you read. Dates and order are meaningless here so go with the flow and stop being so linear.
Flat out mates!
Anyway, check out the whole looooong list of posts by clicking on the month of September and working your way forward from the last post you read. Dates and order are meaningless here so go with the flow and stop being so linear.
Flat out mates!
Watch out for Bully Lorakeets
This morning after not being able to get space on a tour of the rain Forest, we headed to the Rainforest Habitat for brekky with the birds.
The Habitat was so much fun! After we had a really nice breakfast buffet (for those reading from GCI, yes everything was labeled!), we walked around.
I was checking out close up some really cool colored Lorakeet (parakeet like birds), and it was chased away from it's food by two other lorakeets, little brightly colored bullies.... So, I felt bad for it, and put my had out to it and it proceeded to head right to my shoulder. I guess I looked like I would keep it safe?? So after it scared me a little, because I couldn't see where it was on my shoulder, it made it's way to my other shoulder and I could then see it. We chilled for a few minutes as I checked out a few other birds. Then it was off to the tree tops after saying good morning to Rosemary.
The Habitat was so much fun! After we had a really nice breakfast buffet (for those reading from GCI, yes everything was labeled!), we walked around.
I was checking out close up some really cool colored Lorakeet (parakeet like birds), and it was chased away from it's food by two other lorakeets, little brightly colored bullies.... So, I felt bad for it, and put my had out to it and it proceeded to head right to my shoulder. I guess I looked like I would keep it safe?? So after it scared me a little, because I couldn't see where it was on my shoulder, it made it's way to my other shoulder and I could then see it. We chilled for a few minutes as I checked out a few other birds. Then it was off to the tree tops after saying good morning to Rosemary.
Science - Round Two
We went to a rainforest habitat today and saw the great Cassowary. It was gigantic and scary. They can be at least 180 lbs and looks like a small emu. But scarier.
We also saw a bunch of kangaroos hopping around the site. I walked up to one and got into a boxing stance. It looked at me and hopped away. I tried it with a few wallabies too and they all hopped away. So for our second experiment, as requested by a comment, kangaroos are not so much about boxing.
We also saw a bunch of kangaroos hopping around the site. I walked up to one and got into a boxing stance. It looked at me and hopped away. I tried it with a few wallabies too and they all hopped away. So for our second experiment, as requested by a comment, kangaroos are not so much about boxing.
Rachel & Jojo the German tourists
So at the sunrise viewing at Uluru, I wanted to get a better shot of one of the cracks in the side of the mountain, so Rachel walked with me up the road a bit and we saw a side path, so we walked the path a short distance to a viewing area.
I made my way to the fence to take a picture, Rachel was right behind me, there was a group touring from Germany and they made comments that we had coffee(actually it was hot chocolate), so at the fence I took a couple shots, using the fence as a tripod.. Then the woman next to me taps me on the shoulder and tells me to turn around (in German) so I did, then I realized at the same time as Rachel that we were in a group photo, after two failed attempts to break away, and several pictures taken (apparently they either really waned us in the picture or thought we were with them), we escaped by me offering to take the picture so the person who had taken pictures could be in one...
It was a short comedy amongst a beautiful sunrise.
I made my way to the fence to take a picture, Rachel was right behind me, there was a group touring from Germany and they made comments that we had coffee(actually it was hot chocolate), so at the fence I took a couple shots, using the fence as a tripod.. Then the woman next to me taps me on the shoulder and tells me to turn around (in German) so I did, then I realized at the same time as Rachel that we were in a group photo, after two failed attempts to break away, and several pictures taken (apparently they either really waned us in the picture or thought we were with them), we escaped by me offering to take the picture so the person who had taken pictures could be in one...
It was a short comedy amongst a beautiful sunrise.
Koalas, Kangaroos, Cassowarys Oh my!!
This morning we went to a Rainforest Habitat reserve for Breakfast with the Birds!! Oh what fun---we had a lovely brunch with sorts of tropical fruits, eggs, bacon and pastries amidst an aviary of tropical birds. Parrots buzzed by our heads, and all sorts of other birds hopped onto tables and flew all around. What an incredible experience.
After our lovely brekkie. We explored the habitat and finally saw the evil Cassowary--an ostric sized bird with a massive horn and pointy claws that can rip you apart. They live in the rainforests--several were seen in the Daintree rainforest just north of us. They are now as seed carriers and they can hasten the germination of seed pods by passing them through their digestive systems.
The highlights of the day were surely the wonderful mix of tropical birds---the oh soooo cute koalas who sleep 20 hours a day and eat the other 4! Who knew???
We finally got to see kangaroos up close. A few a little too close--a male was "courting" a female--around here it seems to include some back scratching and mabe some leg rubbing and then well it is time for the more serious action to take place. Yes, we witnessed Kangaporn!--I admittedly took some pictures too :)--but so did everyone else --I don't think the small children that were present knew what was going on though--phew!
Rosemary got to pet and scratch a wallabie behind the ears--they like the ear scratching bit a lot. There was one that really wanted to visit the red tree kangaroos and paced back and forth between the two gates waiting for some silly human to accidentally let him in.
Oh boy what an animal filled morning!!
After our lovely brekkie. We explored the habitat and finally saw the evil Cassowary--an ostric sized bird with a massive horn and pointy claws that can rip you apart. They live in the rainforests--several were seen in the Daintree rainforest just north of us. They are now as seed carriers and they can hasten the germination of seed pods by passing them through their digestive systems.
The highlights of the day were surely the wonderful mix of tropical birds---the oh soooo cute koalas who sleep 20 hours a day and eat the other 4! Who knew???
We finally got to see kangaroos up close. A few a little too close--a male was "courting" a female--around here it seems to include some back scratching and mabe some leg rubbing and then well it is time for the more serious action to take place. Yes, we witnessed Kangaporn!--I admittedly took some pictures too :)--but so did everyone else --I don't think the small children that were present knew what was going on though--phew!
Rosemary got to pet and scratch a wallabie behind the ears--they like the ear scratching bit a lot. There was one that really wanted to visit the red tree kangaroos and paced back and forth between the two gates waiting for some silly human to accidentally let him in.
Oh boy what an animal filled morning!!
Lovely lovely morning
This morning Rosemary and I went for a run on 4 Mile Beach---such a lovely morning, even at 6 am there was already a crowd out there, lots of little dogs (small dingos as Rosemary says) and people of all ages enjoying the hard packed sand--walking, running and biking.
Truly a lovely morning.
Truly a lovely morning.
What's the deal with Word Heritage Sites?
I thought they were supposed to be amazing iconic places far and few between. So far on this trip we have visited 5 such sites - the Sydney Opera House, The Great Barrier Reef. Ayers Rock, Captain Cook Highway and the Daintree Rain Forest.
Was Australia part of the review board for the applications? Or is this part of the world really that fantastic?
Was Australia part of the review board for the applications? Or is this part of the world really that fantastic?
Captain Cook Highway
The inside of the airport in Cairns was built to look like you are underwater. Its a rather interesting turquoise color with lots of fish. Very different from the Outback. Our transport to Port Douglas was included with our lodging so we went to find our van. It was waiting for us with a seemilngy surly older man as the driver. We were all a little nervous because he kept asking where we were going and each time I told him, he asked again and looked confused.
Once the ride started though everything changed. Surly man turned into everybody's grandpa and gave us a driving tour of the Captain Cook highway and surrounding area. At one point we stopped at a lookout point to see the beach. It was night time and the moon was full so it was a pretty spectacular site. We think the driver just wanted a cigarette stop but it worked well for us.
Oh, and on the way, I saw a road sign that said "Wilderness Careers" with a phone number posted underneath it. Hmm...
Here's a shot I took of Jenny and the full moon as we wound our way from Cairns to Port Douglas.
Once the ride started though everything changed. Surly man turned into everybody's grandpa and gave us a driving tour of the Captain Cook highway and surrounding area. At one point we stopped at a lookout point to see the beach. It was night time and the moon was full so it was a pretty spectacular site. We think the driver just wanted a cigarette stop but it worked well for us.
Oh, and on the way, I saw a road sign that said "Wilderness Careers" with a phone number posted underneath it. Hmm...
Here's a shot I took of Jenny and the full moon as we wound our way from Cairns to Port Douglas.
Quotes
A few out of context quotes from our trip
"She did say Plastic Camel."
"We took the lamb chop for a walk."
"We've lost the hummus."
"I wanna scratch a wallaby behind the ears."
"She did say Plastic Camel."
"We took the lamb chop for a walk."
"We've lost the hummus."
"I wanna scratch a wallaby behind the ears."
Did I remember to turn off my Furby?
While on the Qantas Flight from Sydney to Melbourne, on our way to Ayers Rock, I was looking at the emergency information sheet in the back of the seat. They had a section with graphics saying no radio, TVs or anything else that transmits a signal could be turned on during the flight. One of the graphics was that of a furby. You know, those little toys from the early 90's that look like a cross between an Ewok and an Owl that could talk back to you? Dag! Australia must have been riding high on the furby craze for it to get special mention on a plane safety sheet.
Swimming with Nemo and Dori
Wow---this seems to be the only word that comes close to describing all the sights and experiences we have had in Australia so far--WOW WOW WOW. As Kris talked about in an earlier post, we went out on a sail boat yesterday with a total of 18 people, including us. We sailed out from Port Douglas, passing Crocodile Island (totally looks like the hippo from the Hungry Hippo game) and out further into the ocean.
We sailed for a glorious two hours, enjoying the sun, at one point we did question whether our sunscreen as going to be strong enough, thankfully it was! The crew fed us fruit, biscuits (cookies) and beverages and promised a lovely bbq at lunch. The Aussies do know how to eat!
We anchored at a place called Bats Tongue Reef--a part of te Great Barrier Reef. After a short intro to snorkeling we were ready to go. I was a wee bit nervous about snorkeling. The only time I have snorkeled before was in Eilat, Israel and I managed to inhale a whole lot of water. So, after getting instruction, I bravely put on my flippers, mask and snorkel and eased into the water.
I was so excited--I didn't take in any water and was just fine breathing through the tube. It is so hard to describe this experience, other then to say I had chills the entire time (ok the water was a bit chilly too) but you'd been swimming along and see the most incredibly beautiful fish--bright yellows, blues, greens and well you were in your own world so you couldn't really tell anyone else--they were all doing their own venturing.
Several times I saw a fish or an incredible piece of coral that made my heart skip a beat, soooo amazing and I kept saying to myself "I am snorkeling at the GREAT BARRIER REEF!!!" Oh my g-d!!!! This is sooooo incredible.
For my niece, Aiden Rose---I saw Nemo and his dad, who do indeed live in a sea anemone!! They were swimming around in it and I saw Dori--she swam by me a few times.
Along with the loveliness came some terrifying bits where the water was so shallow that the reef was literally a few feet away---so scary to feel like you might touch it and hurt it. The captain emphasized that it can take a full year for the reef to grow even an inch and with some flipper kick you could destroy 30-40 years of growth!!
Talk about pressure. Several times I had to furiously try to back up so as not to hit anything.
The other incredibly scary part was two huge black bat fish that were swimming around the ladder that you needed to get back into the boat. The crew had made the timing mistake of letting the passengers feed them prior to allowing us to go back out for a second snorkel so they were hanging out by the ladder.
When I was going out for my second trip they were nipping at my flippers as I tried to get them on, thinking they were food I guess? By the time I got back from snorkeling they were still circling the ladder. One of them came at me directly with his little white teeth showing---eeek!!! I couldn't get out of the water fast enough! They probably would have just nibbled but oh boy I started having flashes of the movie Jaws!! So irrational ;)
After snorkeling we just lounged around for another 2 hours for the trip back to Port Douglas---truly a lovely lovely day!!
We sailed for a glorious two hours, enjoying the sun, at one point we did question whether our sunscreen as going to be strong enough, thankfully it was! The crew fed us fruit, biscuits (cookies) and beverages and promised a lovely bbq at lunch. The Aussies do know how to eat!
We anchored at a place called Bats Tongue Reef--a part of te Great Barrier Reef. After a short intro to snorkeling we were ready to go. I was a wee bit nervous about snorkeling. The only time I have snorkeled before was in Eilat, Israel and I managed to inhale a whole lot of water. So, after getting instruction, I bravely put on my flippers, mask and snorkel and eased into the water.
I was so excited--I didn't take in any water and was just fine breathing through the tube. It is so hard to describe this experience, other then to say I had chills the entire time (ok the water was a bit chilly too) but you'd been swimming along and see the most incredibly beautiful fish--bright yellows, blues, greens and well you were in your own world so you couldn't really tell anyone else--they were all doing their own venturing.
Several times I saw a fish or an incredible piece of coral that made my heart skip a beat, soooo amazing and I kept saying to myself "I am snorkeling at the GREAT BARRIER REEF!!!" Oh my g-d!!!! This is sooooo incredible.
For my niece, Aiden Rose---I saw Nemo and his dad, who do indeed live in a sea anemone!! They were swimming around in it and I saw Dori--she swam by me a few times.
Along with the loveliness came some terrifying bits where the water was so shallow that the reef was literally a few feet away---so scary to feel like you might touch it and hurt it. The captain emphasized that it can take a full year for the reef to grow even an inch and with some flipper kick you could destroy 30-40 years of growth!!
Talk about pressure. Several times I had to furiously try to back up so as not to hit anything.
The other incredibly scary part was two huge black bat fish that were swimming around the ladder that you needed to get back into the boat. The crew had made the timing mistake of letting the passengers feed them prior to allowing us to go back out for a second snorkel so they were hanging out by the ladder.
When I was going out for my second trip they were nipping at my flippers as I tried to get them on, thinking they were food I guess? By the time I got back from snorkeling they were still circling the ladder. One of them came at me directly with his little white teeth showing---eeek!!! I couldn't get out of the water fast enough! They probably would have just nibbled but oh boy I started having flashes of the movie Jaws!! So irrational ;)
After snorkeling we just lounged around for another 2 hours for the trip back to Port Douglas---truly a lovely lovely day!!
Stepping outside my comfort zones..
Well, first if you've known me for awhile you know that when I was younger I was the bashful kid who would pretty much crawl into my gym locker in High School to change. .. And mingling with strangers or being overly daring.. um.. yeah right..I'll watch from a distance and learn.
So, when I turned 30 a couple years ago, my whole perspective on life began to become more adventurous. So....here I am in Australia....
Sharing hostel dorms with strangers who may or may not speak english, and using shared bathroom facilities, actually all the accommodations and facilities have been really clean.. We won't mention the scorpion in the bathroom sink in Uluru...
And yesterday...I went snorkeling and lived to tell about it... I'm glad I've been pushing myself to become a more confident swimmer, still not sure of myself, but getting better.
The original tour that we booked was canceled because the boat was not running. But our lovely hostel manager and his daughter found us another option.
The reef was beyond describable beautiful and amazing. We totally found Nemo playing, we also saw 3 large bat fish, did I mention they were large?? It was so surreal swimming over all these amazingly large and ornately colored fish . The coral was amazing, blues, green, reds and purples.
I'm really glad I experienced this while we were here. But I will admit I took a water noodle with me as my "security blanket". At moments when floating over the reef I was so close to it I was worried that I might hit with a fin. There were also moments when I was staring at fish that were staring back and you have that moment of awe, and you realize that you are in their home. Then there are those thoughts from watching too many shows where people get attacked, and I was slightly worried about something large and eel like shooting out of the coral and taking me back for dinner. But luckily those thoughts were short :)
The reef was awesome!
So, when I turned 30 a couple years ago, my whole perspective on life began to become more adventurous. So....here I am in Australia....
Sharing hostel dorms with strangers who may or may not speak english, and using shared bathroom facilities, actually all the accommodations and facilities have been really clean.. We won't mention the scorpion in the bathroom sink in Uluru...
And yesterday...I went snorkeling and lived to tell about it... I'm glad I've been pushing myself to become a more confident swimmer, still not sure of myself, but getting better.
The original tour that we booked was canceled because the boat was not running. But our lovely hostel manager and his daughter found us another option.
The reef was beyond describable beautiful and amazing. We totally found Nemo playing, we also saw 3 large bat fish, did I mention they were large?? It was so surreal swimming over all these amazingly large and ornately colored fish . The coral was amazing, blues, green, reds and purples.
I'm really glad I experienced this while we were here. But I will admit I took a water noodle with me as my "security blanket". At moments when floating over the reef I was so close to it I was worried that I might hit with a fin. There were also moments when I was staring at fish that were staring back and you have that moment of awe, and you realize that you are in their home. Then there are those thoughts from watching too many shows where people get attacked, and I was slightly worried about something large and eel like shooting out of the coral and taking me back for dinner. But luckily those thoughts were short :)
The reef was awesome!
The Big Red Rock
The first wonderful thing we noticed when we landed in Ayers Rock, was the warm dry heat---we all just stood on the tarmack after deplaning and absorbed the heat. After a week of cold and damp, then warm, then cold and damp in Sydney this was such a welcome change.
The second thing we noticed was all the red sand. We were in an incredibly beautiful desert. In the distance you could see the Olgas--a rock formation consisting of several "humps" of rocky outcroppings (mountain size) and off in another direction is Ayers Rock, the famous red rock seen in many pictures of Australia.
Incredible!! I love the desert.
The first day we did a lovely 7.4 km (4.5 miles or so) walk through the Valley of the Winds at the Olgas. It was incredible--scrambling up rock faces to see incredible views of valleys of scrub trees between the mountains and then looking out between them to wide open spaces. I really expected to see the sea at one point, but alas no--I was in the desert.
Truly a lovely hike, but I understand why they close it at 11 am most days because it gets really really hot there!! Over a hundred on most days.
Our time in Ayers Rock was really all about a series of sunsets and sunrises, getting the best shots of the rocks and amazing trees and looking and looking for the ever evasive kangaroo. Rosemary kept assuring us that she was "open" to seeing a kangaroo--we all were! but alas we didn't see any in the wild.
I am happy to say that my hiking shoes are covered in lovely red dust now--a memento of our time in the desert. While this was surely the most expensive part of our trip, it was soooo worth every cent!!
The second thing we noticed was all the red sand. We were in an incredibly beautiful desert. In the distance you could see the Olgas--a rock formation consisting of several "humps" of rocky outcroppings (mountain size) and off in another direction is Ayers Rock, the famous red rock seen in many pictures of Australia.
Incredible!! I love the desert.
The first day we did a lovely 7.4 km (4.5 miles or so) walk through the Valley of the Winds at the Olgas. It was incredible--scrambling up rock faces to see incredible views of valleys of scrub trees between the mountains and then looking out between them to wide open spaces. I really expected to see the sea at one point, but alas no--I was in the desert.
Truly a lovely hike, but I understand why they close it at 11 am most days because it gets really really hot there!! Over a hundred on most days.
Our time in Ayers Rock was really all about a series of sunsets and sunrises, getting the best shots of the rocks and amazing trees and looking and looking for the ever evasive kangaroo. Rosemary kept assuring us that she was "open" to seeing a kangaroo--we all were! but alas we didn't see any in the wild.
I am happy to say that my hiking shoes are covered in lovely red dust now--a memento of our time in the desert. While this was surely the most expensive part of our trip, it was soooo worth every cent!!
Stargazing
One of the things I really wanted to do while in the Outback was go on the Ayers Rock Observatory Night Sky Tour. The sky at Ayers Rock was huge. Ever been to Montanna and expereince the Big Sky State thing? Well think bigger, lots bigger. Just you and the stars.
The day of our planned tour was cloudy and we had a little rain (it rains all of 3 days a year in Ayers Rock) and as the day went on the clouds stayed so we found out that the tour was cnacelled. I was pretty bummed but decided to go to a lookout point at our camp resort to check out the night sky.
Jenny and I walked up to the lookout and it was friggin beautiful. There was an almost full moon and a strong breeze that had blown away a fair amount of the clouds and left a patch of clear sky. We saw the Southern Cross and countless other constellations that I'm not sure of. We were the only ones at the lookout. We were kinda suprised as it seemed like the perfect night to do some star exploring.
The day of our planned tour was cloudy and we had a little rain (it rains all of 3 days a year in Ayers Rock) and as the day went on the clouds stayed so we found out that the tour was cnacelled. I was pretty bummed but decided to go to a lookout point at our camp resort to check out the night sky.
Jenny and I walked up to the lookout and it was friggin beautiful. There was an almost full moon and a strong breeze that had blown away a fair amount of the clouds and left a patch of clear sky. We saw the Southern Cross and countless other constellations that I'm not sure of. We were the only ones at the lookout. We were kinda suprised as it seemed like the perfect night to do some star exploring.
I love Australian Airlines!!!
Unlike the US airlines who have all deemed food unnecessary on flights, Australians still understand that travelers are happiest when they are given food and beverages. Each of our domestic flights thus far even the shortest, 1.5 hours, have given us a meal and lots of beverages. Lovely sandwiches and fruit, muesli bars, cookies and all the Lift (lemony soda) you could want.
Yeah!!!
On our early morning flight from Sydney to Melbourne (enroute to Ayers Rock) we even had a choice of 4 different newspapers!!
Ah I love good airline hospitality.
Yeah!!!
On our early morning flight from Sydney to Melbourne (enroute to Ayers Rock) we even had a choice of 4 different newspapers!!
Ah I love good airline hospitality.
Full Moon in Australia
We are so lucky, we had a full moon in Uluru and another in Port Douglas. (Well, one had to be not quite full but I couldn't tell the difference.)
The one that happened while at Uluru was on the night we had booked a Sky Tour (shout out to Derek Pitt!) a tour of the night sky at the Uluru Observatory. We were worried the moon would make it hard to see the stars. It did and the clouds made it even harder. The official tour was cancelled.
The guide told us when he came to pick us up. I was really disappointed. I asked him to point out the Southern Cross. He was funny. He pointed straight down and said, "The north star is that way," and then pointed towards the sky saying, "The southern cross is that way." When I pressed him he showed us the cross and Jupiter and asked for the refund back. (hehe)
The night before we had watched the sun set from a lookout above the hotel. The moon was so bright and the wind was blowing the clouds so fast that Kris and I decided to go back and check out the sky from there. The path moves away from the lights of the lodge and I couldn't hear any cars or anything except the wind. The day had been so outdoorsey. We had slept in bunk beds, gotten up early for the sunrise, walked Kata Tjuta for three hours, gone to the Cultural Centre, seen the sunset over the Rock, taken showers in a group shower hut and now were outside looking at a movie set moon. It felt like camp. And I felt the same way I felt as a kid when I went camping with my family. There was even a guy playing acoustic guitar! As we walked up the path in the bright moonlight I turned to Kris and said, "We should be getting high." She laughed and said she was thinking the same thing. It just seemed like such an appropriate thing to do, notwithstanding the fact that I have never seen her do it and I haven't smoked since I was a teenager!
When we got to the top I was shocked to see that there was not a single young couple canoodling, no old folks getting high on weed or wine, in fact there was no one there but us! What is wrong with these campers?
We sat and watched the cloud race around, watch the light get stronger and weaker, tried to remember where the southern cross was, tried to remember if Alpha Centuri was the closest galaxy to the ours and other important things. Eventually we had to go to bed because the next day we were getting up early again to watch the sun rise on Uluru.
The full moon in Port Douglas was seen as we raced up a coastal road. More about that later.
The one that happened while at Uluru was on the night we had booked a Sky Tour (shout out to Derek Pitt!) a tour of the night sky at the Uluru Observatory. We were worried the moon would make it hard to see the stars. It did and the clouds made it even harder. The official tour was cancelled.
The guide told us when he came to pick us up. I was really disappointed. I asked him to point out the Southern Cross. He was funny. He pointed straight down and said, "The north star is that way," and then pointed towards the sky saying, "The southern cross is that way." When I pressed him he showed us the cross and Jupiter and asked for the refund back. (hehe)
The night before we had watched the sun set from a lookout above the hotel. The moon was so bright and the wind was blowing the clouds so fast that Kris and I decided to go back and check out the sky from there. The path moves away from the lights of the lodge and I couldn't hear any cars or anything except the wind. The day had been so outdoorsey. We had slept in bunk beds, gotten up early for the sunrise, walked Kata Tjuta for three hours, gone to the Cultural Centre, seen the sunset over the Rock, taken showers in a group shower hut and now were outside looking at a movie set moon. It felt like camp. And I felt the same way I felt as a kid when I went camping with my family. There was even a guy playing acoustic guitar! As we walked up the path in the bright moonlight I turned to Kris and said, "We should be getting high." She laughed and said she was thinking the same thing. It just seemed like such an appropriate thing to do, notwithstanding the fact that I have never seen her do it and I haven't smoked since I was a teenager!
When we got to the top I was shocked to see that there was not a single young couple canoodling, no old folks getting high on weed or wine, in fact there was no one there but us! What is wrong with these campers?
We sat and watched the cloud race around, watch the light get stronger and weaker, tried to remember where the southern cross was, tried to remember if Alpha Centuri was the closest galaxy to the ours and other important things. Eventually we had to go to bed because the next day we were getting up early again to watch the sun rise on Uluru.
The full moon in Port Douglas was seen as we raced up a coastal road. More about that later.
Talllarook
When we arrived at the ParrotFish Lodge in Port Douglas on Wednesday night we were planning to go snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef the next morning. We did a quick email check and saw that our trip had been cancelled. Umm.. it was now about 9pm and we wanted to get our snorkel on. Jason, the ever so helpful hostel owner said he would pull some favors for us and did his magic. He got us booked on the Tallarook, a 90ft sailing yacht. We weren't sure if this was a good or bad idea as there seem to be two choices of snorkeling boats - small or cruise ship huge.
We went to the Marina the next morning and here is the scene - a beautiful yacht with a crew of 5, jack Johnson music playing on board and the crew telling us that there will only be about 20 people for the trip. Fantastic. Small boat definitely the way to go.
It took about two hours to get out to Tongue Reef. The water was a collection of brilliant blue and green hues and we motored/sailed past the highest peak in Queensland.
We all lounged on the boat and got our snorkel briefing. The snorkeling was amazing. Fantastic bright colors, tons of fish. We found Nemo, Dory and the whole gang. At points we were only about 1 meter from the reef and I had a bit of panic that a flipper would hit part of the reef and destroy countless years of growth.
This was an amazing experience. We went out for about 2 hours of snorkeling. On the first round, the crew worked on lunch and we were treated to a major food spread.
The second round of snorkeling was completely different. The current was strong, the colors seemed less vibrant but still amazing. What I did notice on the second time was the sun breaking through the water and seeing the individual rays cutting through the water and hitting the ocean floor. So cool.
For our first snorkeling trip I went off the area at the back of the boat pretty much even with the water and kind of eased my way in. On the second trip. I jumped off the deck of the boat. About 15 feet to the water with my flippers on and mask in hand.
I gotta confess, when I was a little kid I used to play "Jacques Costeu" in our backyard pool by flipping off an inner tube and pretending to explore the ocean. No more pretending, this was the real thing!
We went to the Marina the next morning and here is the scene - a beautiful yacht with a crew of 5, jack Johnson music playing on board and the crew telling us that there will only be about 20 people for the trip. Fantastic. Small boat definitely the way to go.
It took about two hours to get out to Tongue Reef. The water was a collection of brilliant blue and green hues and we motored/sailed past the highest peak in Queensland.
We all lounged on the boat and got our snorkel briefing. The snorkeling was amazing. Fantastic bright colors, tons of fish. We found Nemo, Dory and the whole gang. At points we were only about 1 meter from the reef and I had a bit of panic that a flipper would hit part of the reef and destroy countless years of growth.
This was an amazing experience. We went out for about 2 hours of snorkeling. On the first round, the crew worked on lunch and we were treated to a major food spread.
The second round of snorkeling was completely different. The current was strong, the colors seemed less vibrant but still amazing. What I did notice on the second time was the sun breaking through the water and seeing the individual rays cutting through the water and hitting the ocean floor. So cool.
For our first snorkeling trip I went off the area at the back of the boat pretty much even with the water and kind of eased my way in. On the second trip. I jumped off the deck of the boat. About 15 feet to the water with my flippers on and mask in hand.
I gotta confess, when I was a little kid I used to play "Jacques Costeu" in our backyard pool by flipping off an inner tube and pretending to explore the ocean. No more pretending, this was the real thing!
So much to blog
So much to blog, so much to blog.
Get ready for marathon blog updates from all of us. We found cheap internet in Port Douglas. Still working on the pictures too.
Get ready for marathon blog updates from all of us. We found cheap internet in Port Douglas. Still working on the pictures too.
Raised by a military policeman
Sooooo imagine it is about a week ago----dragon boat races are done, we have packed our bags in preparation for leaving Sydney, the alarm goes off at 3:45 am so we can be ready for our 4:30 am transfer to the Sydney airport, thus beginning the next leg of our adventure--travelling to Ayers Rock.
Our group of six (Rosemary, Jenny, Joann, Jocelyn, Kris and I) travelled with 4 other people to the Sydney airport. As you can imagine we were still half asleep as our drive pulled up in a mini van with a trailer behind for the luggage. We loaded it all up quickly and hopped in ready to go---then it began.
He started fiddling with the spark plugs--apparently the one that controlled the rear brake lights on the trailer had blown and he was trying to fix it. Asking us for various tools, borrowing some from the hotel but to no avail. Finally after we have been anxiously looking at our watches and realizing that our 4:30 departure was creeping ever faster towards 4:45 am --he shut the door on the van and off we went.
From the first block we knew something was up--he raced through one traffic light, braked hard for another and was swerving around a bit. A few people chuckled and made quiet comments which infuriated the driver and he started into a brief tirade of how it wasn't nice to laugh at him, he had already had one heck of a morning--was sent to the wrong hotel to get us and had been stopped by police TWICE!! before getting us!! Oi vey!!
At this point, he told us about the rear lights being out and said if he got stopped by the cops again we wouldn't be able to continue to the airport and he might lose his license. Hmmmmmm
Then the real fun began--just as I thought we were going to get on the highway to continue to the airport--he veered off and began a twisty turvy mad dash through a variety of neighborhoods. Jocelyn innocently said "I don't remember going this way when we arrived." Unable to withhold my annoyance with the driver I sarcastically replied "That is because we are SUPPOSED to be on the highway!!"
The driver was attempting to avoid the cops at all costs. This is where my upbringing really came into play. I watched every sign post, made note of all neighborhood related signage and tried to maintain some sense of direction as we went careening through sleeping neighborhoods. All in an attempt to be able to tell the authorities in case we were dropped off in some dark abandoned warehouse or some other scary place. All sorts of things were running through my brain.
Dad--you would have been so proud of me!!
I was also trying to figure out at what point, I should just yell--pull the van over, we are getting out!! Thankfully, we finally saw a sign for the airport and he indeed had taken us where we wanted to go and we still had 45 minuts before our flight left. Unfortunately, he had taken us to the international terminal and the domestic terminal was a good 5 minutes away.
As you can guess, we made it to our flight in time and got to Ayers Rock ok!
Phew what an adventure in transport!!!
Our group of six (Rosemary, Jenny, Joann, Jocelyn, Kris and I) travelled with 4 other people to the Sydney airport. As you can imagine we were still half asleep as our drive pulled up in a mini van with a trailer behind for the luggage. We loaded it all up quickly and hopped in ready to go---then it began.
He started fiddling with the spark plugs--apparently the one that controlled the rear brake lights on the trailer had blown and he was trying to fix it. Asking us for various tools, borrowing some from the hotel but to no avail. Finally after we have been anxiously looking at our watches and realizing that our 4:30 departure was creeping ever faster towards 4:45 am --he shut the door on the van and off we went.
From the first block we knew something was up--he raced through one traffic light, braked hard for another and was swerving around a bit. A few people chuckled and made quiet comments which infuriated the driver and he started into a brief tirade of how it wasn't nice to laugh at him, he had already had one heck of a morning--was sent to the wrong hotel to get us and had been stopped by police TWICE!! before getting us!! Oi vey!!
At this point, he told us about the rear lights being out and said if he got stopped by the cops again we wouldn't be able to continue to the airport and he might lose his license. Hmmmmmm
Then the real fun began--just as I thought we were going to get on the highway to continue to the airport--he veered off and began a twisty turvy mad dash through a variety of neighborhoods. Jocelyn innocently said "I don't remember going this way when we arrived." Unable to withhold my annoyance with the driver I sarcastically replied "That is because we are SUPPOSED to be on the highway!!"
The driver was attempting to avoid the cops at all costs. This is where my upbringing really came into play. I watched every sign post, made note of all neighborhood related signage and tried to maintain some sense of direction as we went careening through sleeping neighborhoods. All in an attempt to be able to tell the authorities in case we were dropped off in some dark abandoned warehouse or some other scary place. All sorts of things were running through my brain.
Dad--you would have been so proud of me!!
I was also trying to figure out at what point, I should just yell--pull the van over, we are getting out!! Thankfully, we finally saw a sign for the airport and he indeed had taken us where we wanted to go and we still had 45 minuts before our flight left. Unfortunately, he had taken us to the international terminal and the domestic terminal was a good 5 minutes away.
As you can guess, we made it to our flight in time and got to Ayers Rock ok!
Phew what an adventure in transport!!!
Blogging Challenges
G'day to all of our fans,
We apologize for the spotty blogging over the last few days. We have had a variety of blogging issues to contend with from really expensive internet access to well our most interesting challenge--Blogspot in Japanese! The computers at our hostel in Port Douglas translated everything into Japanese and it took a few days and the brilliance of travelling Librarian (Jenny) to figure out how to change it back into English.
Fortunately for you a few of our attempted posts in Japanese disappeared into cyberspace, who knows what sort of things we might have said!!!
Soooooooo, some of our posts are going to be a bit back dated as we attempt to catch you up on our adventures!!
We apologize for the spotty blogging over the last few days. We have had a variety of blogging issues to contend with from really expensive internet access to well our most interesting challenge--Blogspot in Japanese! The computers at our hostel in Port Douglas translated everything into Japanese and it took a few days and the brilliance of travelling Librarian (Jenny) to figure out how to change it back into English.
Fortunately for you a few of our attempted posts in Japanese disappeared into cyberspace, who knows what sort of things we might have said!!!
Soooooooo, some of our posts are going to be a bit back dated as we attempt to catch you up on our adventures!!
Two Strange Mornings...
Ok, so when we left the hotel in Parramatta, we took a back road tour on the shuttle, since our driver had already been stopped 2 times by the police because his tail-light on the luggage tralior was burned out... So he picked us up 15 minutes late, then spent another 15 minutes trying to see if he could fix the tail-light. Then we were off with tail-light not functioning.
He took us through all these neighborhoods with circles and spped bumps... Then Sissy laughed and we were told it wasn't a laughing matter... All this before 5 AM...
Finally at the airport.. but it's the wrong one, we were in the international terminal.. hummm..Finally over to the domestic terminal and phew we made the plane.
Second strange morning in Uluru... Jenny mentioned earlier that we were sharing the room with an Asian couple. We asked the night before if they were leaving early also, since we were going on a sunrise tour. They said, yes, so I, being the light sleeper that I am, heard them get up at 2:40 am... and they came back about an hour later.. Hummm.. late night snuggle i n the desert??
Then our alarm went off at 4:20 am, and the couple were still sleeping, luckily the rest of the group had a room to theirselves, and all my stuff was packed, Jenny and I by the light of an indiglo clock evacuted the room quickly and as quietly as possible.. I kind of felt like I was doing a covert operation.
Then we were off to the Kata Tjuta for sunrise. Which was Awesome, then out 2 plus hour hike through the Valley of the Winds!!
He took us through all these neighborhoods with circles and spped bumps... Then Sissy laughed and we were told it wasn't a laughing matter... All this before 5 AM...
Finally at the airport.. but it's the wrong one, we were in the international terminal.. hummm..Finally over to the domestic terminal and phew we made the plane.
Second strange morning in Uluru... Jenny mentioned earlier that we were sharing the room with an Asian couple. We asked the night before if they were leaving early also, since we were going on a sunrise tour. They said, yes, so I, being the light sleeper that I am, heard them get up at 2:40 am... and they came back about an hour later.. Hummm.. late night snuggle i n the desert??
Then our alarm went off at 4:20 am, and the couple were still sleeping, luckily the rest of the group had a room to theirselves, and all my stuff was packed, Jenny and I by the light of an indiglo clock evacuted the room quickly and as quietly as possible.. I kind of felt like I was doing a covert operation.
Then we were off to the Kata Tjuta for sunrise. Which was Awesome, then out 2 plus hour hike through the Valley of the Winds!!
Where's Jojo??
Okay.. so do to lack of access for me to get to the Internet I've not blogged a lot! But I'm here, And wow what an amazing time!
So I'll be catching up on my blogging(hopefully) over the next few days. Especially now that Jenny showed me/us how to convert the text out of Asian characters.... Again I really need to catch up on my Mandarin :)
So I'll be catching up on my blogging(hopefully) over the next few days. Especially now that Jenny showed me/us how to convert the text out of Asian characters.... Again I really need to catch up on my Mandarin :)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
jocelyn/sissy
ok!!!!!Today I did one of those things to do before you move on in this universe, I SNORKLED THE GREAT BARRIOR REEF!!! OH MY GOD, I KNOW WHY ITS KNOWN AS THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD. It has been a great trip. did anybody know that the Syndey Opera House is made out of ceramic tiles. PARROTS AND BATS EVERYWHERE. So, indeed I am alive and more than well! LOVE TO ALL OF MY FANS. This posted by Jocelyn on jbp email.
Ayer's Rock (Uluru)
We left Sydney at 6:00 in the morning and arrived at the Yalara Airport at 12. You walk off the plane onto the tarmac instead of using a walkway. It is a little tiny airport.
We checked into our rooms, this was the first time for the hostel/camp like experience. Jocelyn, Kris, Rachel and Rosemary were in one room with two sets of bunk beds. Joann and I were in another, sharing with an Asian couple that we slept with but saw awake for a total of 25 minutes.
Yulara is a resort and it is the only thing out there except for a tiny local village and the aboriginal people (now called Traditional Owners). I felt the isolation.
Once checked in we took a shuttle over to the resorts shopping centre. We got some food at the market, and booked the tours Kris talked about in her blog. Halfway through the process I thought I had lost my Swiss Army Document kit (shout out to Dave P!) and stopped being able to think of anything. In that case were my paper tickets home, my money, my credit card, license and passport.
I took off for the room hoping I had left it there instead of remembering to put it in my bag. The resort is set up in a circle with a largish center and there is a red dirt path from the shops to the place we were staying.
As I walked on the path I slowly stopped thinking about my problems and started looking around me. The plants were green and gray and there were fuzzy white blooms on some of them. The dirt was incredible red and the space between each of the plants meant that each one stood out on this red background. The sky was that clear hard bright blue that I have seen in Arizona and there wasn't a cloud anywhere. And it was so quiet.
By the time I got through the center I had accepted that if I lost the case I would survive and had already started to think about what to do next. Luckily the case was sitting on my bed, right where I left it.
We checked into our rooms, this was the first time for the hostel/camp like experience. Jocelyn, Kris, Rachel and Rosemary were in one room with two sets of bunk beds. Joann and I were in another, sharing with an Asian couple that we slept with but saw awake for a total of 25 minutes.
Yulara is a resort and it is the only thing out there except for a tiny local village and the aboriginal people (now called Traditional Owners). I felt the isolation.
Once checked in we took a shuttle over to the resorts shopping centre. We got some food at the market, and booked the tours Kris talked about in her blog. Halfway through the process I thought I had lost my Swiss Army Document kit (shout out to Dave P!) and stopped being able to think of anything. In that case were my paper tickets home, my money, my credit card, license and passport.
I took off for the room hoping I had left it there instead of remembering to put it in my bag. The resort is set up in a circle with a largish center and there is a red dirt path from the shops to the place we were staying.
As I walked on the path I slowly stopped thinking about my problems and started looking around me. The plants were green and gray and there were fuzzy white blooms on some of them. The dirt was incredible red and the space between each of the plants meant that each one stood out on this red background. The sky was that clear hard bright blue that I have seen in Arizona and there wasn't a cloud anywhere. And it was so quiet.
By the time I got through the center I had accepted that if I lost the case I would survive and had already started to think about what to do next. Luckily the case was sitting on my bed, right where I left it.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Ayers Rock
We are in the outback for a few dyas in Uluru for Ayers Rock. This place is amazing. We took a fantastic 6 mile hile/ scramble this morning, caught the sunrise and then wound our way through a series of rock formations called the Olgas. The rocks and soil are a brilliant red and the vegetation ranges from scrub bruch to huge eucalyptus trees.
This afternoon we have a sunset hike and then some Southern Hemisphere start watching at the observatory. It's kind of like camp!
We will post some pictures when we can. We leave tomorrow for the Great Barrier Reef.
This afternoon we have a sunset hike and then some Southern Hemisphere start watching at the observatory. It's kind of like camp!
We will post some pictures when we can. We leave tomorrow for the Great Barrier Reef.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Cripsy
In the US we have an Air Quality Index where forecasts are given daily. In Australia, they have a burn index. This is the time it takes for skin to burn as a result of the intense sun from the ozone hole centered above Sydney.
Today was the last day of racing and the best weather day we have had so far. Mid 70s and not a cloud in the sky. This equates to very hot and a very cripsy feeling Kris at days end.
For a quick race update, the US won the Nations Cup. First time ever. This is a very good thing. Basically this means the US finished with the most points, so the US finished consistently in the top three spots overall more times that any of the other 15 countries competing. More race updates later.
We head to the Outback tomorrow.
Today was the last day of racing and the best weather day we have had so far. Mid 70s and not a cloud in the sky. This equates to very hot and a very cripsy feeling Kris at days end.
For a quick race update, the US won the Nations Cup. First time ever. This is a very good thing. Basically this means the US finished with the most points, so the US finished consistently in the top three spots overall more times that any of the other 15 countries competing. More race updates later.
We head to the Outback tomorrow.
Australian Chickens
As requested in a comment, here is a discussion on Australian chickens. What I know so far is that a Cassowary is a wild Australian Chicken. And because it is Australian, that means it can kill you in some form. The skill of the cassowary lies it is feet. The frightening fowl has the ability to kick its opponent and then gut it with a talon like claw on it's foot. Nice right? We'll try to get a picture if we see one.
Hey Moo - got a picture from the Sydney Fish Market of Doyle's Family Fish Stand. Looking for a new Handmade business?
Hey Moo - got a picture from the Sydney Fish Market of Doyle's Family Fish Stand. Looking for a new Handmade business?
Running the bridge
Today I ran the Sydney Harbour Bridge Run, my first 9km race! I have done 5ks and 10ks but never a 9km, so needless to say I got a personal best! :) The weather was glorious, blue skies, barely a cloud and sunny! Lovely..... There were 4 races going on at roughly the same time, a half marathon, full marathon, the 9km and a family fun walk. There were so many walkers on the course that it ended up being more of an obstacle course then an all out run, which made it much more interesting.
I was in it more for the scenery and the wonder of running over the Sydney Harbour bridge. We ran through the Botannic gardens and ended at the Opera House---it was incredible to be stretching at the end looking out into the bay!! Really really amazing.
What a beautiful place this is! A few days ago I went for my first bushwalk! A hike in English terms. the weather was again beautiful and we bushwaled from Spit Bridge to Manly beach --sparkling blue/green water, soft sand, rocky cliffs, aboriginal etchings and great company, I seriously couldn't ask for anything more!!
Tomorrow we leave bright and early 4:10 am shuttle for the airport where the next leg of our adventure will begin. We are heading to the Outback, up north to Ayers Rock. If you have ever seen a picture of a big red rock in Australia--that is Ayers rock. So, our blogging might stop for a few days depending on computer access.
Jocelyn asked me to say hi to all of her fans as she isn't engaging in computer time. She is alive and well and having a fabulous time.
Thanks to everyone for their comments, they are great and make us laugh!!
We will also try to post pictures soon.
I was in it more for the scenery and the wonder of running over the Sydney Harbour bridge. We ran through the Botannic gardens and ended at the Opera House---it was incredible to be stretching at the end looking out into the bay!! Really really amazing.
What a beautiful place this is! A few days ago I went for my first bushwalk! A hike in English terms. the weather was again beautiful and we bushwaled from Spit Bridge to Manly beach --sparkling blue/green water, soft sand, rocky cliffs, aboriginal etchings and great company, I seriously couldn't ask for anything more!!
Tomorrow we leave bright and early 4:10 am shuttle for the airport where the next leg of our adventure will begin. We are heading to the Outback, up north to Ayers Rock. If you have ever seen a picture of a big red rock in Australia--that is Ayers rock. So, our blogging might stop for a few days depending on computer access.
Jocelyn asked me to say hi to all of her fans as she isn't engaging in computer time. She is alive and well and having a fabulous time.
Thanks to everyone for their comments, they are great and make us laugh!!
We will also try to post pictures soon.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Exploring
Yesterday was the first chance Joann, Jenny and I had to go explore Sydney. We wanted to do a packed in version and hit the main areas so we hoped on a bus tour that was one of those multi stop buses where you could get off and back on again throughout the day.
We started by taking the ferry into Sydney from Parammatta where we are staying. The ferries were created for the Olympics and are all names after Australian athletes. We were on the Betty Cuthbert. Such a formal name for a ferry. We docked in Syndey harbour along side the opera house. What a site. The Harbour Bridge on one side, the opera house on the other, boats of all kinds sailing around and clear blue sky.
Next onto the bus. We went to the Opera House, Harry's famous Meat Pie truck in Wolloomoolo(picture will be posted later), China Town, the Sydney Fish Market (largest working fish market in the southern hemisphere), Paddy's Market, a very interesting farmers market/ flea market that is described as East meets West, an are called the Rocks and a few other places in between.
At one point in the trip, I managed to fall over and skin my knee. I look like a six year old now with a big brush burn. But as the Australian's say - "No Worries." Rosemary got a picture -
The architecture in Sydney is fantastic, a mix of big stone houses and ornate government buildings, mixed with houses with tile roofs that look like southern Florida.
More racing on the schedule for today.
We started by taking the ferry into Sydney from Parammatta where we are staying. The ferries were created for the Olympics and are all names after Australian athletes. We were on the Betty Cuthbert. Such a formal name for a ferry. We docked in Syndey harbour along side the opera house. What a site. The Harbour Bridge on one side, the opera house on the other, boats of all kinds sailing around and clear blue sky.
Next onto the bus. We went to the Opera House, Harry's famous Meat Pie truck in Wolloomoolo(picture will be posted later), China Town, the Sydney Fish Market (largest working fish market in the southern hemisphere), Paddy's Market, a very interesting farmers market/ flea market that is described as East meets West, an are called the Rocks and a few other places in between.
At one point in the trip, I managed to fall over and skin my knee. I look like a six year old now with a big brush burn. But as the Australian's say - "No Worries." Rosemary got a picture -
The architecture in Sydney is fantastic, a mix of big stone houses and ornate government buildings, mixed with houses with tile roofs that look like southern Florida.
More racing on the schedule for today.
Friday, September 21, 2007
I am no longer a tourist!!!
This is so exciting, it warranted a separate posting---
Yesterday, at the train station an Aussie asked me for directions and I was able to give him correct directions!!!! Yup, I am no longer a tourist!!!
Yippee!!!!
Yesterday, at the train station an Aussie asked me for directions and I was able to give him correct directions!!!! Yup, I am no longer a tourist!!!
Yippee!!!!
Rugby update
Yesterday Rachel, Sis, Linda Brach, JW and I took the shuttle from the race site to Penrith train station. The shuttle was driven by this wild woman who kept stripping the gears and talking a mile a minute. I was dressed entirely in my uniform and carrying a paddle so it was obvious that I wasn't a local. I was sitting between two men from New Zealand. They were happy to tell me (between comments about how this woman was going to kill us all) that the USA Rugby team was doing well.
There was a detailed discussion about how lost I had gotten while trying to get to Chinatown. We didn't have a good map and didn't know what we were doing but on Tuesday night we took the train into Central station and wandered around looking for a China gate or a line of Chinese stores or anything to make it clear that this was Chinatown. We found nothing and ended up at a Thai joint that had curry which cleaned out both Jen L and me (to be somewhat discrete.)
Anyway, I was telling this story (not the curry part) to the man next to me and the bus driver shouts back, "But it easy to find Chinatown!" To which I respond, "Not if you're me." She then proceeds to tell me exactly how to get there.
She dropped us off at Penrith station to take the train back to Parramatta. The trains here are nice. Each platform has a monitor that shows when the next train is coming (8 minutes out or 2 minutes out, etc.) shows the last stop in bold and then has a rolling list of every station on that line. It makes it easy to count how many stations 'til your stop and make sure you are on the right train.
The trains themselves are very large and multi-leveled. You enter on the middle and you can turn left or right and go up to a viewing level or down to a below platform level. The lower level lets you check out people's shoes.
The one bad part about the trains is the distance between the train car and the station platform. You know how in Britain the famous line is "Mind the Gap?" Here is should be "Mind the Really Big Gap and that First Step" because not only do you have to jump over but you have to jump up or down.
There was a detailed discussion about how lost I had gotten while trying to get to Chinatown. We didn't have a good map and didn't know what we were doing but on Tuesday night we took the train into Central station and wandered around looking for a China gate or a line of Chinese stores or anything to make it clear that this was Chinatown. We found nothing and ended up at a Thai joint that had curry which cleaned out both Jen L and me (to be somewhat discrete.)
Anyway, I was telling this story (not the curry part) to the man next to me and the bus driver shouts back, "But it easy to find Chinatown!" To which I respond, "Not if you're me." She then proceeds to tell me exactly how to get there.
She dropped us off at Penrith station to take the train back to Parramatta. The trains here are nice. Each platform has a monitor that shows when the next train is coming (8 minutes out or 2 minutes out, etc.) shows the last stop in bold and then has a rolling list of every station on that line. It makes it easy to count how many stations 'til your stop and make sure you are on the right train.
The trains themselves are very large and multi-leveled. You enter on the middle and you can turn left or right and go up to a viewing level or down to a below platform level. The lower level lets you check out people's shoes.
The one bad part about the trains is the distance between the train car and the station platform. You know how in Britain the famous line is "Mind the Gap?" Here is should be "Mind the Really Big Gap and that First Step" because not only do you have to jump over but you have to jump up or down.
Little creatures
I find that you can learn a lot about a new culture from their advertisements and TV shows. So far I have learned:
1. Australians embrace the fact that nearly 90+% of the worlds deadliest flora and fauna are in their country by creating more scary creatures in their ads. Cereal commercials for Cocoa Puffs have little brown buggy looking creatures, one wearing a beret---disease related commercials have more little blue and red guys and it goes on and on--so if you don't bite it from the 90+% you have plenty of other opportunties. eek
2. Their advertisements are also somewhat macabre. There is a transit safety poster in practically every train station featuring a double amputee (arm and leg) warning you not to step in front of trains or you could end up like him! We saw a mouth cancer commercial that wow I can't even begin to explain here.
3. On a more pleasant note, yesterday I saw Australian wildlife---3 mini goats with horns---very cute and right next to the fire museum--could have been wild, I am not sure but oh so exciting. There are also lots of really interesting birds everywhere. No sign of roos or koalas yet, but maybe when we head to the outback the beginning of next week.
Ahh the creatures of Australia
1. Australians embrace the fact that nearly 90+% of the worlds deadliest flora and fauna are in their country by creating more scary creatures in their ads. Cereal commercials for Cocoa Puffs have little brown buggy looking creatures, one wearing a beret---disease related commercials have more little blue and red guys and it goes on and on--so if you don't bite it from the 90+% you have plenty of other opportunties. eek
2. Their advertisements are also somewhat macabre. There is a transit safety poster in practically every train station featuring a double amputee (arm and leg) warning you not to step in front of trains or you could end up like him! We saw a mouth cancer commercial that wow I can't even begin to explain here.
3. On a more pleasant note, yesterday I saw Australian wildlife---3 mini goats with horns---very cute and right next to the fire museum--could have been wild, I am not sure but oh so exciting. There are also lots of really interesting birds everywhere. No sign of roos or koalas yet, but maybe when we head to the outback the beginning of next week.
Ahh the creatures of Australia
Race update
Thursday was 1000 meter race day. The US did well.
My team the Premiere Women, made the Grand Final in our first heat. We had an awesome race, the boat felt tight, and we were nice and relaxed and strong right to the finish.
On to the Grand Final... it had rained for most of the afternoon and then the winds picked up, as we are at the foot of the Blue Mountains. We took our place on the line; the starter called "are you ready" and all the boats were pushed off course by the cross winds, so we backed up, and approached the start again. The winds were still pushing us a bit sideways, we were in the start, the starter called "are you ready" and again we were crooked, our drummer put her hand up to signal we were not aligned but the starter called, "attention", "go", right away so we were off, we straightened fairly quickly and stayed with the pack of boats, there were 6 boats in the grand final. We kept with the pack and the finish was really close between, Canada, Great Britain and China, US Premiere Women took fourth. But all in all a good tight race. We have a solid chance to medal in the 500m on Saturday and the 200m on Sunday.
The US premiere men took the Gold, in their 1000m event, which was awesome, and the Masters men took Bronze in their race.
US Master's women went on to the minor final, and both the A & B boat had a nice race. Maybe Jenny will give her perspective on those races??
My team the Premiere Women, made the Grand Final in our first heat. We had an awesome race, the boat felt tight, and we were nice and relaxed and strong right to the finish.
On to the Grand Final... it had rained for most of the afternoon and then the winds picked up, as we are at the foot of the Blue Mountains. We took our place on the line; the starter called "are you ready" and all the boats were pushed off course by the cross winds, so we backed up, and approached the start again. The winds were still pushing us a bit sideways, we were in the start, the starter called "are you ready" and again we were crooked, our drummer put her hand up to signal we were not aligned but the starter called, "attention", "go", right away so we were off, we straightened fairly quickly and stayed with the pack of boats, there were 6 boats in the grand final. We kept with the pack and the finish was really close between, Canada, Great Britain and China, US Premiere Women took fourth. But all in all a good tight race. We have a solid chance to medal in the 500m on Saturday and the 200m on Sunday.
The US premiere men took the Gold, in their 1000m event, which was awesome, and the Masters men took Bronze in their race.
US Master's women went on to the minor final, and both the A & B boat had a nice race. Maybe Jenny will give her perspective on those races??
Signs
When I travel to other countries I like to look at their advertising, it's always a bit more adventurous that what we are used to. One the way to the race site we pass the Museum of Fire (which brings to mind a new twist on Johnny Cash) and the sign out front says "Flaming Marvelous Fun for the Whole Family." Makes me want to check it out.
We have also seen a lot of adds for Fish Oil with the tag line "Omega-3 Fish Oil with a taste kids love." Really?
We have also seen a lot of adds for Fish Oil with the tag line "Omega-3 Fish Oil with a taste kids love." Really?
You can find good mexican food in Australia
Last night after a long day of racing, we went to a Mexican place in Kings Cross. Tomatillo (thanks for the connection Mirs). The food was awesome, the owner Bill was happy to see some Darlings from the US, as well he confessed his secret for the ability to have the great Mexican taste. He imports most of his items from San Diego.
Today we are off to be tourists since I have yet to really see much of Sydney. Looking forward to a day of exploring.
Today we are off to be tourists since I have yet to really see much of Sydney. Looking forward to a day of exploring.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday's Lessons
1. I am a total nerd. (Ok so really not a new lesson)
I love public transit. My goal is to ride at least one form of public transit everywhere I go. Two days ago I bought a weekly transit pass for Sydney--yup that means I can take, trains, busses and ferries as much as I want!!!! OOOOOOH boy this is fun!!
Yesterday, I took trains and ferries!!! OOOOH what fun.
Side story:We took the ferry into Sydney from the suburb where we are staying. I got chills going under the Sydney Harbor bridge and as we docked right next to the Opera House, I couldn't help but turn to my friend Jocelyn and with a huge smile on my face and say "It is Wednesday and we are in SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA!!!" OH MY GOSH!!!!!!
2. Did you know that the Opera House is actually 3 separate buildings? I had no idea until I saw it from a landside perspective. Such an amazingly cool building. It was $10 million over budget and the architect had long abandoned the project when it was finally finished. He never got to see the completed structure. Apparently, this happens a lot in Oz.
3. I am a nerd! Oh wait I already said that. I met up with a friend I knew in Israel who took me to Bondi Beach (famous surfing beach) where we went to pay homage to the Crumpler bag store! I love Crumpler bags and well they are from Australia. Ahh what a lovely time it was looking at the bags. The store keeper gave us playing cards with pictures of the bags on the cards! I guess I am not the only Crumpler bag nerd in the world! Oh and Bondi Beach is quite beautiful!
4. You can't order a "cup of coffee." coffee here seems to all be some sort of take on espresso--so if I just want black coffee, I order a Long Black which is essentially a few shots of espresso, I think. Yesterday, I shocked the waitress at a cafe because I don't take milk in my coffee and she was stunned. All the other coffee options have some type of milk--froth, light froth, no froth--but all milk oriented. ahh well.....
5. You stand to the LEFT on escalators so people can pass on the right.
6. They are very very serious about traffic safety! $234 fine for the driver and passenger if the passenger is not wearing their seat belt plus 3 points on the drivers license. $1,800 fine for driving too quickly in a school zone plus your license gets suspended for 6 months!!
I love public transit. My goal is to ride at least one form of public transit everywhere I go. Two days ago I bought a weekly transit pass for Sydney--yup that means I can take, trains, busses and ferries as much as I want!!!! OOOOOOH boy this is fun!!
Yesterday, I took trains and ferries!!! OOOOH what fun.
Side story:We took the ferry into Sydney from the suburb where we are staying. I got chills going under the Sydney Harbor bridge and as we docked right next to the Opera House, I couldn't help but turn to my friend Jocelyn and with a huge smile on my face and say "It is Wednesday and we are in SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA!!!" OH MY GOSH!!!!!!
2. Did you know that the Opera House is actually 3 separate buildings? I had no idea until I saw it from a landside perspective. Such an amazingly cool building. It was $10 million over budget and the architect had long abandoned the project when it was finally finished. He never got to see the completed structure. Apparently, this happens a lot in Oz.
3. I am a nerd! Oh wait I already said that. I met up with a friend I knew in Israel who took me to Bondi Beach (famous surfing beach) where we went to pay homage to the Crumpler bag store! I love Crumpler bags and well they are from Australia. Ahh what a lovely time it was looking at the bags. The store keeper gave us playing cards with pictures of the bags on the cards! I guess I am not the only Crumpler bag nerd in the world! Oh and Bondi Beach is quite beautiful!
4. You can't order a "cup of coffee." coffee here seems to all be some sort of take on espresso--so if I just want black coffee, I order a Long Black which is essentially a few shots of espresso, I think. Yesterday, I shocked the waitress at a cafe because I don't take milk in my coffee and she was stunned. All the other coffee options have some type of milk--froth, light froth, no froth--but all milk oriented. ahh well.....
5. You stand to the LEFT on escalators so people can pass on the right.
6. They are very very serious about traffic safety! $234 fine for the driver and passenger if the passenger is not wearing their seat belt plus 3 points on the drivers license. $1,800 fine for driving too quickly in a school zone plus your license gets suspended for 6 months!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Rugby World Cup
While we are in Australia the Rugby World Cup is going on.
All Blacks, the New Zealand team, is the favorite to win. Australia's team is their arch enemy.
All Blacks, the New Zealand team, is the favorite to win. Australia's team is their arch enemy.
Woolworth's is a grocery store
Did Mr. Woolworth have a brother who emigrated to Australia? Because there are Woolworth's all over here and they are lovely enourmous grocery stores.
I love foreign groceries stores. In this one the names are all in english and the items are close to what I am used to but not quite right. It adds to the disorientation of travel. Today we bought the Kraft's "In a Biskit." It's chicken flavored like the chips Kris talked about and it's "ALive with Flavor!"tm.
This was only one of many "In a Biskit" flavors. Yum.
And whole wheat bread is wholemeal bread. Oh those wacky foreigners. ;-)
I love foreign groceries stores. In this one the names are all in english and the items are close to what I am used to but not quite right. It adds to the disorientation of travel. Today we bought the Kraft's "In a Biskit." It's chicken flavored like the chips Kris talked about and it's "ALive with Flavor!"tm.
This was only one of many "In a Biskit" flavors. Yum.
And whole wheat bread is wholemeal bread. Oh those wacky foreigners. ;-)
Science!
Last night Jenny and I tried an experiment. We wanted to see if the whole countercloskwise draining in Australia was true or not. So we flushed the toilet and watched. It just looked like a lot of water. Next, we filled up the bathroom sink and watched. Hmm.. clear water...white sink... we needed contrast. So we got a tea bag, filled up the sink and put a few drops of tea in to follow the journey from sink to drain. We tried it a few times and determined a couple clockwise and a couple counterclockwise. Sadly, our results are inconclusive. We can confirm that things do drain in Australia, however, we have no idea which way. We will try again.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
From a practice perspective since I'm still in a travel fog
We're here!! The flights, other than being incredibly long, and a short stop at Midway that was not on our agenda but apparently it was for the flight's agenda.... we are here :)
Once we arrived at the hotel and checked in we had to rush to change and off to practice. We took the train to Penrith where the races are, the local folks that we've met so far have been nice and very supportive.
From the train station we took cabs to the race site and folks have found a some comedy in the fact that our "English" and their "English" is different(see Kris' top five post).
Practice was interesting.... let's stick 20 half asleep people in a boat, add wind and some rough water and see what happens... we'll we did ok, the first few minutes were a quick introduction to our gals joining us from California, Portland and Iowa. After we all meshed, the boat felt great, we have some very strong women in our boat. It's chilly and did I mention windy?? at the foot of the mountains. So I was completely soaked in less than in minute out there and burrrr!!
We have practice again today, hoping it's less windy, and wee bit warmer.
More soon!
Once we arrived at the hotel and checked in we had to rush to change and off to practice. We took the train to Penrith where the races are, the local folks that we've met so far have been nice and very supportive.
From the train station we took cabs to the race site and folks have found a some comedy in the fact that our "English" and their "English" is different(see Kris' top five post).
Practice was interesting.... let's stick 20 half asleep people in a boat, add wind and some rough water and see what happens... we'll we did ok, the first few minutes were a quick introduction to our gals joining us from California, Portland and Iowa. After we all meshed, the boat felt great, we have some very strong women in our boat. It's chilly and did I mention windy?? at the foot of the mountains. So I was completely soaked in less than in minute out there and burrrr!!
We have practice again today, hoping it's less windy, and wee bit warmer.
More soon!
Five things I've learned so far...
1. When you ask a taxi driver to "Pop the Trunk" he thinks you want much more that to store something in the car.
2. Australians like Meat Pie, it's kind of like their version of TastyKake
3. It's very difficult to shop for food when you are working off a 20 hour flight, extreme hunger and a very frantic practice.
4. The grocery store is very, very fun. In the potato chip aisle, they had at least 10 different varieties of chicken flavored potato chips. Roasted, Spicy, thin cut, the list goes on. We tried the basic Chicken Chip and I am a little disappointed, it tasted like sour cream and onion. Not sure what my expectations were but at least something more than sour cream and onion.
5. On the way from the airport to the hotel our bus driver told us that we were going to be staying in a good hotel and to not worry that the hotel rents rooms by the half hour.
2. Australians like Meat Pie, it's kind of like their version of TastyKake
3. It's very difficult to shop for food when you are working off a 20 hour flight, extreme hunger and a very frantic practice.
4. The grocery store is very, very fun. In the potato chip aisle, they had at least 10 different varieties of chicken flavored potato chips. Roasted, Spicy, thin cut, the list goes on. We tried the basic Chicken Chip and I am a little disappointed, it tasted like sour cream and onion. Not sure what my expectations were but at least something more than sour cream and onion.
5. On the way from the airport to the hotel our bus driver told us that we were going to be staying in a good hotel and to not worry that the hotel rents rooms by the half hour.
The adventures began in Philly!
Ahh how naive I was to think that our adventures would begin once we got to Australia---nope they started with our very first flight, in Philly. I was standing in line for our Southwest flight, which was supposed to go straight to LA, when the two ladies in front and behind me started talking about making their connections to Reno when we landed in Chicago. CHICAGO???? uhhh we had bought, or so we thought we had, a direct flight to LA--there was no stop in Chicago!! Unless these ladies were going to parachute, we were not supposed to stop in Chicago!
After comparing tickets and finding we were indeed on the same flight, a bit of panic set in. At some point between the time we bought the tickets and that day Southwest added a stopover in Chicago! Thus the fun began!!
We did finally get to LA with plenty of time to spare. Got our bags and went to check in for the 3rd flight of our oh sooooo long trip to Sydney.
The bonus flight to Chicago, now puts our total flights for this trip up to 17!
After comparing tickets and finding we were indeed on the same flight, a bit of panic set in. At some point between the time we bought the tickets and that day Southwest added a stopover in Chicago! Thus the fun began!!
We did finally get to LA with plenty of time to spare. Got our bags and went to check in for the 3rd flight of our oh sooooo long trip to Sydney.
The bonus flight to Chicago, now puts our total flights for this trip up to 17!
I won!
Everyone was so tired so night. We were told to stay up as late as possible, all the way to 9:00 if possible.
What do you do when you want to stay up late? You watch TV. And tv in Australia is great on Monday night, channel 7.
First we watched "Border Patrol Australia: First Line of Defense." That told the gripping story of the intrepid Australian Customs officers who keep the land safe from drug smugglers and those who would bring in undeclared fruits and vegetables.
The four stories we watched last night were the charter cargo ship with a lot of possible hiding spaces; the transit traveller with undeclared traditional medicine; the Vietnamese man with no money and conflicting stories and the Iraqi who thought he had been poisoned. Each story followed a custom official as they explained what was going on, what they were doing and just how tough it was to keep this land safe.
The Iraqi had food poisoning-not a busted internal package of coke; the Vietnamese may did have an internal package of coke; the man with traditional medicines had to pay a fine and the charter cargo ship was not a hotbed of smuggling.
This was followed by "The Force: Behind the Line," the story of Australia's police. (Are you seeing a trend here?) This told four stories, a woman accused of identity theft, a convenience store robber, a fool hardy man who tried to clever with the cops at a traffic stop and a guy whose car was falling apart, literally bits were falling off.
This got us to 9pm. But Joann had fallen out before then, closely followed Rachel. It was fun watching them all fall asleep then wake themselves up. Joann tried to sit in this crazy uncomfortable position but it didn't work. Kris and Sis held on for a little longer but then Sis fell asleep with her face on the armrest of the chair. Kris just stood up and said she was going to bed. I woke Sis and she went off and I managed to stay awake long enough to brush my teeth.
I win!
What do you do when you want to stay up late? You watch TV. And tv in Australia is great on Monday night, channel 7.
First we watched "Border Patrol Australia: First Line of Defense." That told the gripping story of the intrepid Australian Customs officers who keep the land safe from drug smugglers and those who would bring in undeclared fruits and vegetables.
The four stories we watched last night were the charter cargo ship with a lot of possible hiding spaces; the transit traveller with undeclared traditional medicine; the Vietnamese man with no money and conflicting stories and the Iraqi who thought he had been poisoned. Each story followed a custom official as they explained what was going on, what they were doing and just how tough it was to keep this land safe.
The Iraqi had food poisoning-not a busted internal package of coke; the Vietnamese may did have an internal package of coke; the man with traditional medicines had to pay a fine and the charter cargo ship was not a hotbed of smuggling.
This was followed by "The Force: Behind the Line," the story of Australia's police. (Are you seeing a trend here?) This told four stories, a woman accused of identity theft, a convenience store robber, a fool hardy man who tried to clever with the cops at a traffic stop and a guy whose car was falling apart, literally bits were falling off.
This got us to 9pm. But Joann had fallen out before then, closely followed Rachel. It was fun watching them all fall asleep then wake themselves up. Joann tried to sit in this crazy uncomfortable position but it didn't work. Kris and Sis held on for a little longer but then Sis fell asleep with her face on the armrest of the chair. Kris just stood up and said she was going to bed. I woke Sis and she went off and I managed to stay awake long enough to brush my teeth.
I win!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Weather in Sydney?
Well, according to the those running the World Dragon Boat Championships it's Fine.
Today - Fine. Sunny.
Min: 12°C, Max: 21°C.
Tomorrow - Fine. Mostly sunny.
Min: 11°C, Max: 23°C.
I think I like that as a phrase for weather.
You can follow along with our races at Dragons Downunder. Racing starts on Thursday and goes through Sunday. Hopefully the weather will stay fine.
Today - Fine. Sunny.
Min: 12°C, Max: 21°C.
Tomorrow - Fine. Mostly sunny.
Min: 11°C, Max: 23°C.
I think I like that as a phrase for weather.
You can follow along with our races at Dragons Downunder. Racing starts on Thursday and goes through Sunday. Hopefully the weather will stay fine.
Stay Awake!
Jet lag. What to do?
Sydney is 14 hours ahead of us. This is a huge jump in time.
There is the Argonne diet and there is the schedule of melatonin and there is sunlight.
But one of my teammates gave me the most succinct solution, "Stay awake all night and sleep on the plane to LA."
I can't tell you the last time I pulled an "all-nighter."
This is gonna be interesting.
Sydney is 14 hours ahead of us. This is a huge jump in time.
There is the Argonne diet and there is the schedule of melatonin and there is sunlight.
But one of my teammates gave me the most succinct solution, "Stay awake all night and sleep on the plane to LA."
I can't tell you the last time I pulled an "all-nighter."
This is gonna be interesting.
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