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 :)
Friday, September 28, 2007
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)