Woke up at quarter past 12 since my damn alarm didn't go off.
This was annoying since I was supposed to meet Ellen & Bethan (the English girls I met in Cairns, we were evacuated together) for lunch at 12.30 at Time Out.
So I quickly updated my blog, since I did everything last night but then the internet wouldn't connect to post it and then ran out the door.
I got there at 1 and they'd just ordered, which was awesome.
We had lunch then they talked me into taking the old, original tram ride around the city. It's free and totally lame. They occasionally mention things about Melbourne, but mostly it as just a tram ride.
We got back to Flinder's Street then walked down to Degraves to get a coffee and some ice cream. But mostly the ice cream.
Walked around looking in stores and doing nothing much then made our way all the way across the city to go to the library, since it's close-ish to their hostel, Ellen wanted free internet and libraries always have bathrooms.
Let me tell you, Australia is not a land of bathrooms.
We parted ways there, since I'd forgotten my map I looked at theirs before I left and still got lost on the way back. Eventually found it.
Walked down to Southern Cross Station and booked my ticket to Sydney. Overnight bus leaving tomorrow night and getting in at 7 AM on Wednesday/the second of March.
My little camera's battery died the second I turned it on at lunch today and I didn't have my 7D with me, so I don't have a single photo. Which is really a shame. Ellen took a few but I, obviously, don't have them.
I'm really glad I saw them though, it was delightful.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
From Alice to Melbourne. Days 35 - 38 (I think.)
February 24th & 25th, my time on the Ghan.
---
11.30 AM
I'm now waiting to get on the Ghan to go down to Adelaide. It leaves Alice at 12.45 and gets into Adelaide at 12.30 tomorrow, 11 hours and 45 minutes on the train.
I better see a kangaroo, I really better.
I am pretty sure I hear someone get shot last night though.
I was just in my room minding my own business and then I heard all this yelling in english and whatever language the aboriginals speak in Alice and then I hear a gunshot and a fuckton of screaming. So someone definitely shot a gun, I don't know if it hit anyone. It was terrifying and just made me want to leave so much more.
I went to breakfast this morning at my favourite cafe, ate one last omelette and drank one last soy flat white.
Popped over to the Rock Tour office to write nice things about Scott & Rock Tours in the comments book. Also used the free internet they gave me for taking the tour.
Posted all the postcards I wrote the other day too.
All that and I still managed to be at the station at 10.15 to be a nice easy 2 hours early for my train.
----
3.15 PM
Been on the train since 12.30, it was delightfully prompt at leaving too, we were pulling out at 12.45 on the dot.
At first I was sitting next to Kathy, a retiree lady who grew up in Adelaide but now lives in Darwin and takes the Ghan back and forth every few months to see 'rellies and friends'
But then I moved so I could have two seats to myself & also be by the winnow. Win win.
Listened to some music while watching the landscape go by & watched two episodes of Psych. That show has me so hooked man.
I'm about to finish season 1 and I think season 6 or 7 is currently airing, so yay for my new addiction.
Only 20 hours and 15 minutes left now!
----
7.15 PM
We crossed into Southern Australia and lost an hour, since Northern Territories doesn't have Daylight Savings.
I managed to nap for a bit and and then spent a good hour and a half just looking out the window. Still no mythical 'kangaroos'. Little buggers. Just cows.
I ate some, surprisingly delicious, pasta bake stuff. Now I shall return to looking out the window.
I wonder what time sunset is? I think around 8.30, hm.
Sunrise will be on my side of the train I think, it depends where we are because we actually go both east & slightly back north at some points... so I'm sure it'll be then so my photos are ruined.
I don't really know what I'm doing, but I think I'm going to get into Adelaide at around noon tomorrow, hang about until 8 and then catch an overnight bus to Melbourne, arriving on Saturday.
----
10.45 PM
I pretty much looked out the window from 7.15 until now and nothing. No kangaroos, no camels, no emus, no nothing.
I wrote a letter to Maddy as well actually, I'm sure we passed everything good during the 15 minutes it took me to do that.
---
7.15 AM
We're currently stopped in Port Augusta to let people off and I'm making use of our lack of shakiness to write.
I slept so so badly, I pretty much woke up every hour.
I'll live, I assume.
the sunrise was nothing to write home about (or blog about really) since it totally during the brief period we were going due eat. So fuck that.
The couple across the aisle from me may or may not be modeling themselves after Ronnie & Sam from Jersey Shore.
I mean really, she has a tribal tramp stamp. Oi vey.
----
10.10 AM
I went and ate some toast. Just as I'd finished and was about to get up this Dutch girl came and asked if she could sit down. And boy do I wish I'd said "Yes, I was just getting up actually"
But instead I stayed and was forced to begin hating her.
Firstly, she ate scrambled eggs with her mouth open. The most vile, disgusting thing on the planet. And secondly, she was a One Upper. Everything I'd done she'd done better or first or before it was cool. Sweet jesus. I finally escaped by saying I waited coffee and then just scuttling back to my seat.
Talked to my buddy from North Carolina again, who I haven't mentioned.
He's probably about 40 and is doing some traveling for 'tha ex-peer-i-anze'.
He asked me to take his photo in front of the train, which i why we were speaking.
Nice guy, bit bland but nice all the same.
And he's not clingy. Which is key.
So many people who're also travelling alone think we should be together, like we're some kind of pack.
If I'd wanted company all the time I'd have traveled with a friend, no?
Steward guy just came on the speaker thingy and said we'd just gotten on the Adelaide Plain and we'll be arriving in 2 hours.
----
I'm in Adelaide!
Walked around for ever and ever looking for a hostel. Finally ended up at the YHA, where I'm paying a painful $29 for one night. Sweet jesus.
I bought my ticket to Melbourne for tomorrow night, I'll be arriving on sunday at 6 AM.
I took a super amazing shower, the water pressure is to die for.
I can't remember if I mentioned it but at the YHA in Alice it was like trying to shower in the rain. Ugh.
Then I decided I was going to take myself out for a nice dinner, used my guidebook to find some place called Mesa Lunga that serves tapas on Fridays. I felt so good after my shower and so excited to be back in a city I went all out and wore my high waisted dress pants and a cute belt. I even tucked in my shirt, I was in all out fancy mode.
Walked out the door, walked two blocks and got whistled at in a super creepy, like the have in the movies way. Where the girl is walked and the guy kind of turns to look at her butt and wolf whistles and she kind of looks annoyed but is secretly really pleased. Except it was me so I was just really annoyed, straight up.
Eventually got there (I say eventually, it's about 4 blocks. But I briefly got lost so I felt good arriving at all) and all they had for walk ins was the bar. So I sat down, ordered something that I thought was a fruit cocktail but I'm about 80% sure had vodka in it. I said to the bartender "this doesn't have alcohol does it?" and he may have though I wanted it too. I dunno. He didn't ID me so maybe I'm just crazy.
I also ordered some bread and olive stuff & a mini spicy hamburger thing.
I was sitting between two couples and the couple on my right was doing good for a bit, they drank like three bottles of champagne and having a good laugh. At least until she dropped the "I'm a devout Christian and am waiting until marriage blah blah blah". He nearly had a heart attack and I almost died from the beauty.
They left pretty fast, he didn't want to buy more wine.
Then couple two was a guy and his, super fit yet not that pretty, personal trainer date. He thought it was a date, she thought it was a 'get to know you' dinner.
She started texting an dropping hints about exes and the whole shabang.
She then went to the bathroom for about 8 years, which meant Andy decided he should try hitting on me. Sorry 'striking up a conversation' with me.
He was pretty bad at it though, he mostly talked about himself. And told me all about how he'd thought it was a date and now he didn't think she felt the same way etc etc. He then tried laying it on a little thicker and tried to buy me a drink and started asking about me.
At this point he was annoying me so much I decided it was time for some story telling, into which I managed to work in my fiancee, which is what finally made him leave me alone, eventually. My name was Anastasia, I lived in Nova Scotia (I had moved back home to be with my sister, who's autistic) but had gone to Sarah Lawrence College to do shoe design. I've been living in Melbourne for 5 months, working as a paid intern at a shoe company and was now traveling a bit before I went home. I was going back to school for cooking next year and when that was done my fiancee and I were getting married.
He still really was giving it his all though, that man was determined.
I finally went with "I have to wake up at 4 AM for a flight tomorrow, I really must go" at which point his 'date' finally came back just as he was offering me another drink, which solidly blew it with her. She hated me on sight, but oh well.
Walked back and now I'm trying to decide what to do tomorrow. I absolutely need to find a Coles and I also need to walk to the bus station so I know how to get there. Maybe I'll go relax on the beach in the morning and do all that in the afternoon...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 26th. In Adelaide.
Someone unplugged my laptop last night.
See, I left it open and plugged in so it'd keep downloading Psych episodes, so I'd have something to do on the bus tonight. But since they unplugged it I guess it just went all the way to the bottom of it' battery, which it hates doing.
Now it won't turn on.
Well, I think it won't.
I overslept this morning and woke up at 3 minutes to 10, which is check out time. So I raced downstairs and got checked out. I explained what happened and the lovely guy let me keep my room key so I could go get everything.
But anyway, my point, I didn't really have time to keep it plugged in. It really needs to work though, it cannot die on me now.
---
It's about 1 in the afternoon now, I'm now sitting on a bench in Victoria Square.
There are benches littering the place a yet, there's still a weird old man sitting next to me. Why lord, why me?
I'm going to walk to Woolworths and check out Rundle Street Mall. Then maybe go to the Botanical Gardens. Depends on how I feel I guess.
----
In the Botanical Gardens!
I walked to the Rundle Street mall, which like the Todd Mall in Alice or the Elizabeth Street Mall in Brisbane, is open air. I love those.
I watched this guy play some kind of drum & the didgeridoo for about an hour and a half, it was so awesome. I wanted to buy his CD but he was selling them for $25. And was kind of a dick when I said that was out of my budget. So too bad, he was a sweet musician though.
I found Woolworths and bought all the food I'll need for the rest of my life.
Came here, to this lovely spot beneath the trees and ate some lunch.
I'm now relaxing and listening to the birds & Florence + The Machine.
They go well together.
Every now and then I'll feel a raindrop or two, then it'll be fine. So I'll probably need to leave soon. Hm, Bill Bryson was right when he said it was a "lovely place" or whatever he said it was.
The other thing about Adelaide. They make such a big deal about the grid system of streets and how hard it is to get lost blah blah. But they seem to think that means theta don't need street signs. There are almost no road names... anywhere. You have to guess. And most of the street change name when they cross Victoria Square, which is fine if you're actually in Victoria Square but not so fine if you're threw blocks above it an suddenly seem to be on a different street that you were 30 seconds before. If there's a sign and you notice anyway.
----
Walking back I was accosted buy some ginger guy who asked if he could sing me a song that's apparently 'off his newest album' and it's 'for the fringe festival' etc etc.
Well. He sucked. Bag lyrics, bad voice bad way of presenting himself.
And then, get this, he asks me for a donation to his 'album fund'. And when I apologised but said I didn't really have enough to spare on that he just like, followed me down the street pretty much just asking for cash. Then he started singing again so I just gave him some change because I waited him to leave me alone. He got a little pissy about 'needing more' and I finally told him to fuck off.
Sweet jesus.
I went back to the YHA and just went and used the internet for a bit, then went over to the bus station at 7.
--------------
there's a god damn girl from Korea sitting next to me.
First she cried for a while about leaving her friends and now she's asleep, taking up at least a quarter, if not a third, of my seat.
God damn.
Been on the bus for like 3 and a half hours, only like 7 left. I'm going to try to get some sleep though, I want to not be dead when we get to Melbourne.
There's a real hippie bitch on here. When we stopped I bought a coffee and was eating these chips I bought the other day and since I'm nice I offered them to her and she's like "Um, I'm a vegan so I probably can't eat them and I have my own crackers" in a generally rude tone. I decided to be the better person and was just whatever about it. There was a pause and she goes "Vegan means I don't eat ANY animal products, in case you didn't know. it's so important to know nothing animals made for themselves is eaten by me." at which point I noticed she was eating "Honey Crunch Crackers", so I decided to stop being the better person and just annoy her. So I go "yes, I used to be a vegan. And then why are you eating honey crackers?" and she got all flustered and explained that "Vegans can eat honey blah blah the guy who created veganism ate it bah blah"
HA. She's so mad at me now. For the record, the guy who 'created' (coined the name) veganism most definitely did not eat honey, in fact he specifically said that true vegans did't eat it.
---
I seriously did not sleep for more than an hour all night.
Pare that with sleeping mostly not at all the past two nights and you have a very displeased Signe.
Korean girl slept so well, on both out seats mostly. I tossed and turned and tried this and that and just watched the hours tick by.
We stopped at 11PM & again at 3AM for half hour breaks.
Break one I got out and stretched my legs for a bit and took some photos of bugs, which were EVERYWHERE. There was bajillions of crickets in Adelaide, it's insane.
Stop two I ate a muffin and felt sorry for myself. Haha.
We finally arrived in Melbourne at 6 this morning and the only room they had was a 4 bed share, which is $34 for the night. I'm paying it tonight, but I might move because I can't afford that for three nights or whatever.
And to top off my fantastic morning these two girls from Taiwan who were also on my bus and who I'd talked to for a bit ay Rest Stop 1 came here too and they said to the receptionist "guess how old she is?" and then were like "only 17!"
I almost shot them.
Old man receptionist nearly kicked me out and only let me stay because of the notarised letter from mum and da and the spent the next 45 minutes talking about how I need to be careful and how it's actually illegal for them to let me stay and on and on and on. Finally his shift ended, but ugh. I was so not in the mood.
We're stuck in the lobby/hangout/kitchen area since check in time isn't until 10. So we can't go shower or nap for another hour and 45 minutes.
I feel like shit.
------
I showered, but refrained from napping. I am still dead but I'll just go to bed super early.
I'm going out to get a coffee or something, I need to take a walk.
----
Well I totally intended to actually go outside, but while I was coming back to my room after brushing my teeth I ran into Delano & his friend Will. So I decided to have a movie marathon with them instead. it pretty much went movie, smoke/talk break, movie, smoke/talk break and repeat. Many times.
We watched Forgetting Sarah Marshell, Undercover Brother, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and then a few other people showed up and put something called Fool's Gold (I think) on, which Matthew Mcconaughey and Kate Hudson.
It wasn't exactly mind blowing or even mildly confusing, but it was entertaining.
It's now now only quarter to 10, but I may die of exhaustion at any moment so I'm going to sleep. I figure sleep in tomorrow and then figure out my plans. I think I'm going to go to Sydney on Tuesday. Maybe.
Fuck, I don't know.
This is the only photo I took all day, but it's just terrifying enough to warrant being on here.
---
11.30 AM
 |
| patiently waiting. |
I'm now waiting to get on the Ghan to go down to Adelaide. It leaves Alice at 12.45 and gets into Adelaide at 12.30 tomorrow, 11 hours and 45 minutes on the train.
I better see a kangaroo, I really better.
 |
| The Heart, The Soul, The Centre. |
 |
| ta da! |
I am pretty sure I hear someone get shot last night though.
I was just in my room minding my own business and then I heard all this yelling in english and whatever language the aboriginals speak in Alice and then I hear a gunshot and a fuckton of screaming. So someone definitely shot a gun, I don't know if it hit anyone. It was terrifying and just made me want to leave so much more.
I went to breakfast this morning at my favourite cafe, ate one last omelette and drank one last soy flat white.
 |
| Todd Mall centre. |
 |
| painted rubbish bin. |
Popped over to the Rock Tour office to write nice things about Scott & Rock Tours in the comments book. Also used the free internet they gave me for taking the tour.
Posted all the postcards I wrote the other day too.
All that and I still managed to be at the station at 10.15 to be a nice easy 2 hours early for my train.
----
3.15 PM
Been on the train since 12.30, it was delightfully prompt at leaving too, we were pulling out at 12.45 on the dot.
At first I was sitting next to Kathy, a retiree lady who grew up in Adelaide but now lives in Darwin and takes the Ghan back and forth every few months to see 'rellies and friends'
But then I moved so I could have two seats to myself & also be by the winnow. Win win.
 |
| my lovely home. |
Listened to some music while watching the landscape go by & watched two episodes of Psych. That show has me so hooked man.
I'm about to finish season 1 and I think season 6 or 7 is currently airing, so yay for my new addiction.
Only 20 hours and 15 minutes left now!
----
7.15 PM
We crossed into Southern Australia and lost an hour, since Northern Territories doesn't have Daylight Savings.
I managed to nap for a bit and and then spent a good hour and a half just looking out the window. Still no mythical 'kangaroos'. Little buggers. Just cows.
 |
| things that are definitely not kangaroos. |
I ate some, surprisingly delicious, pasta bake stuff. Now I shall return to looking out the window.
I wonder what time sunset is? I think around 8.30, hm.
Sunrise will be on my side of the train I think, it depends where we are because we actually go both east & slightly back north at some points... so I'm sure it'll be then so my photos are ruined.
I don't really know what I'm doing, but I think I'm going to get into Adelaide at around noon tomorrow, hang about until 8 and then catch an overnight bus to Melbourne, arriving on Saturday.
----
10.45 PM
I pretty much looked out the window from 7.15 until now and nothing. No kangaroos, no camels, no emus, no nothing.
I wrote a letter to Maddy as well actually, I'm sure we passed everything good during the 15 minutes it took me to do that.
---
7.15 AM
We're currently stopped in Port Augusta to let people off and I'm making use of our lack of shakiness to write.
I slept so so badly, I pretty much woke up every hour.
I'll live, I assume.
the sunrise was nothing to write home about (or blog about really) since it totally during the brief period we were going due eat. So fuck that.
The couple across the aisle from me may or may not be modeling themselves after Ronnie & Sam from Jersey Shore.
I mean really, she has a tribal tramp stamp. Oi vey.
----
10.10 AM
I went and ate some toast. Just as I'd finished and was about to get up this Dutch girl came and asked if she could sit down. And boy do I wish I'd said "Yes, I was just getting up actually"
But instead I stayed and was forced to begin hating her.
Firstly, she ate scrambled eggs with her mouth open. The most vile, disgusting thing on the planet. And secondly, she was a One Upper. Everything I'd done she'd done better or first or before it was cool. Sweet jesus. I finally escaped by saying I waited coffee and then just scuttling back to my seat.
Talked to my buddy from North Carolina again, who I haven't mentioned.
He's probably about 40 and is doing some traveling for 'tha ex-peer-i-anze'.
He asked me to take his photo in front of the train, which i why we were speaking.
Nice guy, bit bland but nice all the same.
And he's not clingy. Which is key.
So many people who're also travelling alone think we should be together, like we're some kind of pack.
If I'd wanted company all the time I'd have traveled with a friend, no?
 |
| we passed the Indian Pacific on it's way to Perth. |
Steward guy just came on the speaker thingy and said we'd just gotten on the Adelaide Plain and we'll be arriving in 2 hours.
----
I'm in Adelaide!
Walked around for ever and ever looking for a hostel. Finally ended up at the YHA, where I'm paying a painful $29 for one night. Sweet jesus.
I bought my ticket to Melbourne for tomorrow night, I'll be arriving on sunday at 6 AM.
I took a super amazing shower, the water pressure is to die for.
I can't remember if I mentioned it but at the YHA in Alice it was like trying to shower in the rain. Ugh.
Then I decided I was going to take myself out for a nice dinner, used my guidebook to find some place called Mesa Lunga that serves tapas on Fridays. I felt so good after my shower and so excited to be back in a city I went all out and wore my high waisted dress pants and a cute belt. I even tucked in my shirt, I was in all out fancy mode.
Walked out the door, walked two blocks and got whistled at in a super creepy, like the have in the movies way. Where the girl is walked and the guy kind of turns to look at her butt and wolf whistles and she kind of looks annoyed but is secretly really pleased. Except it was me so I was just really annoyed, straight up.
Eventually got there (I say eventually, it's about 4 blocks. But I briefly got lost so I felt good arriving at all) and all they had for walk ins was the bar. So I sat down, ordered something that I thought was a fruit cocktail but I'm about 80% sure had vodka in it. I said to the bartender "this doesn't have alcohol does it?" and he may have though I wanted it too. I dunno. He didn't ID me so maybe I'm just crazy.
I also ordered some bread and olive stuff & a mini spicy hamburger thing.
I was sitting between two couples and the couple on my right was doing good for a bit, they drank like three bottles of champagne and having a good laugh. At least until she dropped the "I'm a devout Christian and am waiting until marriage blah blah blah". He nearly had a heart attack and I almost died from the beauty.
They left pretty fast, he didn't want to buy more wine.
Then couple two was a guy and his, super fit yet not that pretty, personal trainer date. He thought it was a date, she thought it was a 'get to know you' dinner.
She started texting an dropping hints about exes and the whole shabang.
She then went to the bathroom for about 8 years, which meant Andy decided he should try hitting on me. Sorry 'striking up a conversation' with me.
He was pretty bad at it though, he mostly talked about himself. And told me all about how he'd thought it was a date and now he didn't think she felt the same way etc etc. He then tried laying it on a little thicker and tried to buy me a drink and started asking about me.
At this point he was annoying me so much I decided it was time for some story telling, into which I managed to work in my fiancee, which is what finally made him leave me alone, eventually. My name was Anastasia, I lived in Nova Scotia (I had moved back home to be with my sister, who's autistic) but had gone to Sarah Lawrence College to do shoe design. I've been living in Melbourne for 5 months, working as a paid intern at a shoe company and was now traveling a bit before I went home. I was going back to school for cooking next year and when that was done my fiancee and I were getting married.
He still really was giving it his all though, that man was determined.
I finally went with "I have to wake up at 4 AM for a flight tomorrow, I really must go" at which point his 'date' finally came back just as he was offering me another drink, which solidly blew it with her. She hated me on sight, but oh well.
Walked back and now I'm trying to decide what to do tomorrow. I absolutely need to find a Coles and I also need to walk to the bus station so I know how to get there. Maybe I'll go relax on the beach in the morning and do all that in the afternoon...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 26th. In Adelaide.
Someone unplugged my laptop last night.
See, I left it open and plugged in so it'd keep downloading Psych episodes, so I'd have something to do on the bus tonight. But since they unplugged it I guess it just went all the way to the bottom of it' battery, which it hates doing.
Now it won't turn on.
Well, I think it won't.
I overslept this morning and woke up at 3 minutes to 10, which is check out time. So I raced downstairs and got checked out. I explained what happened and the lovely guy let me keep my room key so I could go get everything.
But anyway, my point, I didn't really have time to keep it plugged in. It really needs to work though, it cannot die on me now.
---
It's about 1 in the afternoon now, I'm now sitting on a bench in Victoria Square.
There are benches littering the place a yet, there's still a weird old man sitting next to me. Why lord, why me?
I'm going to walk to Woolworths and check out Rundle Street Mall. Then maybe go to the Botanical Gardens. Depends on how I feel I guess.
----
In the Botanical Gardens!
I walked to the Rundle Street mall, which like the Todd Mall in Alice or the Elizabeth Street Mall in Brisbane, is open air. I love those.
I watched this guy play some kind of drum & the didgeridoo for about an hour and a half, it was so awesome. I wanted to buy his CD but he was selling them for $25. And was kind of a dick when I said that was out of my budget. So too bad, he was a sweet musician though.
I found Woolworths and bought all the food I'll need for the rest of my life.
Came here, to this lovely spot beneath the trees and ate some lunch.
I'm now relaxing and listening to the birds & Florence + The Machine.
They go well together.
Every now and then I'll feel a raindrop or two, then it'll be fine. So I'll probably need to leave soon. Hm, Bill Bryson was right when he said it was a "lovely place" or whatever he said it was.
The other thing about Adelaide. They make such a big deal about the grid system of streets and how hard it is to get lost blah blah. But they seem to think that means theta don't need street signs. There are almost no road names... anywhere. You have to guess. And most of the street change name when they cross Victoria Square, which is fine if you're actually in Victoria Square but not so fine if you're threw blocks above it an suddenly seem to be on a different street that you were 30 seconds before. If there's a sign and you notice anyway.
----
Walking back I was accosted buy some ginger guy who asked if he could sing me a song that's apparently 'off his newest album' and it's 'for the fringe festival' etc etc.
Well. He sucked. Bag lyrics, bad voice bad way of presenting himself.
And then, get this, he asks me for a donation to his 'album fund'. And when I apologised but said I didn't really have enough to spare on that he just like, followed me down the street pretty much just asking for cash. Then he started singing again so I just gave him some change because I waited him to leave me alone. He got a little pissy about 'needing more' and I finally told him to fuck off.
Sweet jesus.
I went back to the YHA and just went and used the internet for a bit, then went over to the bus station at 7.
--------------
there's a god damn girl from Korea sitting next to me.
First she cried for a while about leaving her friends and now she's asleep, taking up at least a quarter, if not a third, of my seat.
God damn.
Been on the bus for like 3 and a half hours, only like 7 left. I'm going to try to get some sleep though, I want to not be dead when we get to Melbourne.
There's a real hippie bitch on here. When we stopped I bought a coffee and was eating these chips I bought the other day and since I'm nice I offered them to her and she's like "Um, I'm a vegan so I probably can't eat them and I have my own crackers" in a generally rude tone. I decided to be the better person and was just whatever about it. There was a pause and she goes "Vegan means I don't eat ANY animal products, in case you didn't know. it's so important to know nothing animals made for themselves is eaten by me." at which point I noticed she was eating "Honey Crunch Crackers", so I decided to stop being the better person and just annoy her. So I go "yes, I used to be a vegan. And then why are you eating honey crackers?" and she got all flustered and explained that "Vegans can eat honey blah blah the guy who created veganism ate it bah blah"
HA. She's so mad at me now. For the record, the guy who 'created' (coined the name) veganism most definitely did not eat honey, in fact he specifically said that true vegans did't eat it.
---
I seriously did not sleep for more than an hour all night.
Pare that with sleeping mostly not at all the past two nights and you have a very displeased Signe.
Korean girl slept so well, on both out seats mostly. I tossed and turned and tried this and that and just watched the hours tick by.
We stopped at 11PM & again at 3AM for half hour breaks.
Break one I got out and stretched my legs for a bit and took some photos of bugs, which were EVERYWHERE. There was bajillions of crickets in Adelaide, it's insane.
Stop two I ate a muffin and felt sorry for myself. Haha.
We finally arrived in Melbourne at 6 this morning and the only room they had was a 4 bed share, which is $34 for the night. I'm paying it tonight, but I might move because I can't afford that for three nights or whatever.
And to top off my fantastic morning these two girls from Taiwan who were also on my bus and who I'd talked to for a bit ay Rest Stop 1 came here too and they said to the receptionist "guess how old she is?" and then were like "only 17!"
I almost shot them.
Old man receptionist nearly kicked me out and only let me stay because of the notarised letter from mum and da and the spent the next 45 minutes talking about how I need to be careful and how it's actually illegal for them to let me stay and on and on and on. Finally his shift ended, but ugh. I was so not in the mood.
We're stuck in the lobby/hangout/kitchen area since check in time isn't until 10. So we can't go shower or nap for another hour and 45 minutes.
I feel like shit.
------
I showered, but refrained from napping. I am still dead but I'll just go to bed super early.
I'm going out to get a coffee or something, I need to take a walk.
----
Well I totally intended to actually go outside, but while I was coming back to my room after brushing my teeth I ran into Delano & his friend Will. So I decided to have a movie marathon with them instead. it pretty much went movie, smoke/talk break, movie, smoke/talk break and repeat. Many times.
We watched Forgetting Sarah Marshell, Undercover Brother, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and then a few other people showed up and put something called Fool's Gold (I think) on, which Matthew Mcconaughey and Kate Hudson.
It wasn't exactly mind blowing or even mildly confusing, but it was entertaining.
It's now now only quarter to 10, but I may die of exhaustion at any moment so I'm going to sleep. I figure sleep in tomorrow and then figure out my plans. I think I'm going to go to Sydney on Tuesday. Maybe.
Fuck, I don't know.
This is the only photo I took all day, but it's just terrifying enough to warrant being on here.
 |
| let me look deep into your soul. |
Friday, February 25, 2011
she's alive.
OK, so the past few days have been hectic and it's going to take me a while to get all the stuff I've written down typed up and made sense of.
Basically, I lived through the 24 hour train ride and am now in Adelaide.
My plan had been to not stay here at all and just go to Melbourne, but on the bus to the train station I changed my mind and decided to stay tonight. I'm leaving tomorrow night at 8 PM & getting into Melbourne at 6 AM on the 27th.
I'm going to get everything from the time until I left Alice until now typed up and posted before I leave for Melbourne. I just wanted to post this so you'd all know I'd, you know, lived.
And here's a bonus photo that Carlo posted on facebook of me, himself & Janine in our swags camping out by Uluru a few nights ago. From the night we stayed up really late and got scared by things in bushes.
just proof I've really done it. ha.
Basically, I lived through the 24 hour train ride and am now in Adelaide.
My plan had been to not stay here at all and just go to Melbourne, but on the bus to the train station I changed my mind and decided to stay tonight. I'm leaving tomorrow night at 8 PM & getting into Melbourne at 6 AM on the 27th.
I'm going to get everything from the time until I left Alice until now typed up and posted before I leave for Melbourne. I just wanted to post this so you'd all know I'd, you know, lived.
And here's a bonus photo that Carlo posted on facebook of me, himself & Janine in our swags camping out by Uluru a few nights ago. From the night we stayed up really late and got scared by things in bushes.
just proof I've really done it. ha.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Uluru, Kata Tjuta, King's Canyon and everything in between. (Days 31 - 34)
Uluru = Ayer's Rock
Kata Tjuta = The Olga's
1 litre = 4 cups or 2 pints.
We had to carry 1 litre for every hour we were going to be walking, so at Kata Tjuta and King's Canyon I was carrying & drinking 4 litres.
----
February 19th
I've actually already posted on my blog for today, or three day ago when you read this. But anyway, I felt like I needed to clarify that I wasn't as sick as I said I was. I mean, I felt it at the time but feel considerably better now. My headache is 99% gone and I don't really feel sick to my stomach either.
After I posted I talked to this girl from Holland who's really awesome. I'm actually a little bummed that I won't get to really get to know her. Her names Thara, with is pronounced Sarah. Yes, I am not messing with you. Whatever, she's Dutch so she can do whatever she wants.
Also talked briefly to this German girl, who was very... furtive. She's hiding something man, I can tell.
I will be writing as much as I can every day, so there should be quite a bit on my return. And I promise I'll really start taking photos. I dunno what it is about Alice, but I just feel suer weird using my camera here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 20th
Woke up at 5.15 when Thera's alarm went off. Got up, saw that reception was still closed which was weird since in theory they opened at 5, brushed my teeth and triple checked I had everything, checked again and reception was still close even though it was 5.45, Thera and I had some breakfast and at 6 it still wasn't open.
Started freaking out a little since I needed to leave my bag there to go on the trip and they were lending me a sleeping bag.
At 6.10 the bus came to pick me up, still no sign of anyone. Explained what happened and he let me and the three other people staying there just bring our stuff. We went and picked everyone else up and then drove back past to see if they were open. It was around 7 and there was still no sign of anyone. GAH.
We drove for about 2 hours, during which we saw Wedge Tailed Eagles. Two of them, which is pretty rare and super awesome. We stopped and got fuel & snacks then drove another 2 hours, stopped for some lunch, picked up a few people from the Uluru Airport, then drove another 2 hours to get to Uluru. On the way we passed Mt. Connor, which is a huge flat topped mountain. We also some wild emus, which is insanely unusual. We saw a lot of stuff that was 'insanely unusual', which was fantastic.
We looked about the Culture Centre for an hour or so, looked at some art, read the Sorry Book (a book of letters people have sent is apologising for climbing uluru or for taking rocks and stuff. A lot of them include all the bad shit that happened after they took a rock or what have you. it was terrifying), I watched the documentary on how to make a piti (wooden bowl used for everything. Water, food, children, anything else that might need carrying by a woman.) as well, which was super cool.
We drove to the actual base of Uluru and all did the Mala Walk, which is about 2 km easy walking. After that we either had the choice to do the full 6km Base Walk or half of it, I chose to do the full walk which means I've walked around 90% of Uluru. It was so beautiful, even though it ended up being my least favourite walk we did.
Before we started we decided that all the group photos would be taken with my camera, since it's fancy shamncy. Which means you, dear reader, get to see them before anyone else but me.
We went to the Sunset Lookout to see the famous sunset, which wasn't very impressive since there was a huge lightning storm between us and the sun.
Ate dinner and drank some beer that some Spanish man was handing out to anyone who'd take it.
We set up camp, we had a roof, but no walls. So we made some with tarps in an attempt to keep the coming rain out. Which mostly didn't work.
A bunch of us went up to a lookout about a 4 minute walk away to watch the lighting and we ended up staying there for over 2 hours taking a ton of long exposure photos with my camera, writing lots of stuff in the air and cloning with light and shit.
Since the damn YHA was lame I didn't have a sleeping bag, just the provided swag (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swag_(bedroll)).
Luckily I travel with two huge-ass sarongs, so I had sheet type things. I was a little chilly though. But hey, I lived.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 21st.
It took us for fucking ever to get ready this morning, so even though we woke up at 4.15 we didn't leave the camp until like 5. Lord knows what took so long.
We went to see the sunrise, which was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. We could see both Uluru and Kata Tjuta and the sun was just perfect. Outstanding.
We ate some breakfast there, I had ever delicious raisin toast, toasted on a bastardised toaster made from a piece of metal and some fire. Awesome.
Now, we we're off to get to Kata Tjuta and walk around!
---
The walk was breathtaking.
It took me (and everyone else who did the full 7 km walk) about 3 ½ hours. We even had to walk through a creek for a while, which is amazing in and of itself since it's the summer in the desert. There is normally never any water anywhere, but there's been so much rain in the past weeks that there was even a waterfall there that Scott (our guide/driver/doctor/all around nice guy) had never seen.
We walked to this awesome look out, took our day two group photo and just generally marvelled at the waterfall and view.
My camera says it low battery and I'm only about 50% sure that my second one is charged. If it's not I am going to be so upset. I don't understand how it's low right now, I think he heat is getting to it. Poor baby.
We stopped by some picnic area and had some lunch. Pasta salad and build your own sandwiches. I ate with Martina and Janine, two friends traveling from Switzerland.
We're currently 45 minutes into a 3 4 hours drive. We'll be stopping a few times (to collect firewood for instance) and when we eventually stop well be 90% of the way to King's Canyon.
----
We stopped by Mt. Connor and Scott told us as the story of how Central Australia was created. He can only tell us the child stories, since none of us are men or woman in the eyes of the aboriginals since none of us have proven ourself. So he only know the children's stories and we can only know them. They're still amazing though.
My camera says it low battery and I'm only about 50% sure that my second one is charged. If it's not I am going to be so upset. I don't understand how it's low right now, I think he heat is getting to it. Poor baby.
We stopped by some picnic area and had some lunch. Pasta salad and build your own sandwiches. I ate with Martina and Janine, two friends traveling from Switzerland.
We're currently 45 minutes into a 3 4 hours drive. We'll be stopping a few times (to collect firewood for instance) and when we eventually stop well be 90% of the way to King's Canyon.
----
Stopped a little farther on to collect firewood, all was well for a little bit. But then Mascha pulled this dead tree out of the ground and hit me in the forehead. A piece about 5 iced long stuck into my head, which was outstandingly painful. I pulled it out and immediately it started gushing blood. There was blood pouring down my face, my hands were covered in it and it was literally dripping on the ground. Bit exciting.
We walked back to the bus and I got myself patched up. I just used some tissues to staunch the blood, wiped it down with some sanitising stuff, but some anti-bacterial cream on it and put a band-aid on. It only look about 7 seconds and I was fine.
I did get a massive headache, which no one had painkillers for. That's the only bad part as of now.
Scott says he was impressed about how well I took it/dealt with is since a few weeks ago he had some guy have almost the same thing happen and he flipped shit and wanted to be air lifted out and shit.
I feel I should mention that Scott does have a first aid kit and would have done all that for me. He wasn't just like "oh, deal with that ok?"
I just wanted to deal with it myself.
The thing I'm the most annoyed about it I didn't get a photo of my face before I cleaned it up. :(
I was feeling a little nervous about infection or anything since all the wood out here is insanely high in iron but then I realised how much it bled, so there's so way anything could still be in there. Which is awesome.
---
Well, I now have an awesome bump on my forehead which is painful to touch. But the 'wound' itself has already scabbed and pretty much looks like a pimple. If it scars it's going to look lovely with my chicken pox scar that's right below it.
Halfway through writing that paragraph Scott slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the van and ran off behind us. When he got back he was holding a Thorny Devil, which he had somehow spotted while driving. The chances of being in the bush for that amount of time and seeing one is pretty much zero, so we're so lucky.
It was adorable, frankly.
We're now about an hour away for tonight's campground, maybe I can buy some painkillers at the service station there.
---
Well, no painkillers for me. But the headaches gone way down. I just have a sort of ache behind my eyes now that I can live with.
We got to camp fine, made a fire, laid out any swags that were still damp from last night next to it.
Sat around helping to make dinner and drinking goon (goon is aussie slang for cheap wine, mostly bought in 2 or 4 litre boxes) with the French family, Janine, Martina and Mascha.
It hit me a little hard, since I don't drink really ever and hadn't eaten in a while.
And everyone's more effected in the heat.
Two glasses in and everything was pretty hilarious to me.
We ate awesome chili and rice around the fire.
Now everyone (but me, since I'm anti-washing) is now showering and then I think we'll just relax for a while.
We're going to hike King's Canyon tomorrow, it should be awesomesauce.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 22nd
Well, Carlo, Janine, Martina and I ended up staying up until around 1 in the morning. I nearly had a heart attack because there was suddenly a lot of moving around in a bush about 5 feet from me. We never did find out what it was and honestly, I feel that's probably for the best.
I slept well until 3 when I woke up and was awake for about 45 minutes.
We all got up at 5 and ate more delicious toast.
We're now en route to King's Canyon.
---
Walked around King's Canyon!
The very first part of the walk was brutal. Uneven, steep, sometimes loose rock steps straight up for about 200 feet.
Once we'd made it to the top Scott allowed as to how it's referred to as 'Heart Attack Hill', legit, no?
But other than that part it was pretty easy going. I mean, not like the Base Walk. But like yesterday's. So nothing too bad.
Unfortunately I decided last night was a good night to drink (well, for me. haha), so I thought I was going to die about an hour in. But I drank about a litre of water and the headache and urge to die went away. Plus King's Canyon was my favourite walk so I was ok.
After we got to the top of said 'hill', we walked about halfway around the rim which was so gorgeous. The canyon is so beautiful.
We went down some stairs (you know how I feel about stairs, so this part made me more nervous than anything else we did the whole trip. Hell, I was more nervous on the stairs than I was scuba diving at night) into the bottom, to the Garden of Eden. Which really wasn't as lovely as I wanted it to be, but was still really beautiful. You did forget for a second that you were in the middle of the desert.
Went back up and completed the rim walk. This was definitely my favourite part. It was vast expanses of desert with these stone domes on one side and the canyon falling away to the other.
We went to a spot where you can see where a giant piece of the canyon's wall had fallen in 63 years ago. Which, when talking about something about 300 million years old, is about 30 second ago really.
We walked back down the mountain, on a much nicer trail than we cam came up on. Same uneven rock stairs, but at a much gentler angle.
It's now only 10 AM and we're back on the bus. Oh yes.
We're driving back to Alice, where we'll arrive at about 5 tonight.
We'll be stopping for lunch and to ride camels if we wish. Which I wish very much.
We're all (all of us that aren't being dropped off at the airport, which is Macha, Janine, Martina, Miao, Joachim and Sunny) are going to go out for dinner tonight at the Rock Bar, which I'm pretty excited about. I love these things.
---
I still have yet to see a kangaroo. I'm beginning to think they don't exist and it's a big joke at my expense. :(
We stopped at some service station, E something or other.
I got an ice cream bar even though I'll probably regret it later I really needed it.
it was just vanilla with chocolate coating stuff but I think it was the most delicious thing I've ever had. Ha.
As I write this we're back in the bus going toward the camel farm, which is an hour away. I'm going to eat some chips and look out for wildlife. And by wildlife I mean kangaroos.
---
We drove over the Palmer River (which was bone dry when we went over it on the first morning) and it was a freaking flowing river. It was huuuuge.
We stopped and everyone took a bunch of photos since it literally hasn't had water in it in years. There was another tour bus doing the same thing and the driver of tat one has been in Alice for like 15 years and he's seen it once or something insane like that. We also saw the first 'signe is now very afraid' spider of the trip (as in, my whole trip). A Golden Orb spider. I'm not looking it up because I don't want to know how poisonous it is, since I'm still in Australia for another 15 days.
He was going the other way and also said the Finke River (more towards the camel farm) is also giant and it's normally just a whole bunch of occasionally connected water holes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finke_River
---
We saw the Finke River. It it was fucking giant.
The banks were breaking away in both of them a bit, so they're just looking bigger and bigger. We didn't stop over it since we were running late, but I snapped these from the window.
---
We got to the camel farm. I forked out $6 for a camel ride. I mean, they were symbolic rides really. I think I was probably on it for about 6 minutes.
Basically each camel holds two people, they take two camels out at a time.
You walk for about 5 minutes and they they run back with you. It was pretty awesome actually.
The camels we were riding are racing camels and the camels from that farm almost always win the Camel Cup, which is held every year in Alice. They're pretty awesome and I think they're be a good edition to our farm. Hint hint mum and da.
http://www.camels-australia.com.au/
We also spent some time looking around at the emus, llamas, parakeets and other stuff they had about. Apparently they have kangaroos too, but guess who didn't see them? I officially no longer believe they're real. I mean, photoshopping can make those photos and stories and become urban legends to easily.
Drove back to Alice.
Dropped all the people who were leaving at the airport and started dropping everyone to their hostels.
Carlo, the Israeli couple and I all made a big fuss at the YHA about them being late and shit. They gave us each $20 back, which is something but not nearly enough. Ugh, I'm glad I'm leaving tomorrow and I would never stay here again.
Showered (!) and went all out and actually wore some eyeliner.
The Israeli couple decided not to come to dinner so Carlo and I walked down to the Rock Bar together, since we're not supposed to walk around by ourselves at night. Not that having two people would really stop anything, but hey, whatever.
We had a really nice dinner, I tried 'kangaroo'. Or so they say that's what it is.
I mean, I can serve some steak and say it's unicorn, but does that make it a mystical beast? Nope.
We walked back around 10 I think because we were so fucking tired.
Tomorrow I really want to talk to my family and tell them all about it!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 23rd.
Woke up at around 9.30 and discovered my adaptor was missing. I haven't seen it since I was in Alice before and I have no idea where it could possibly be.
So I went out and had breakfast at my favourite cafe, wrote a bunch of postcards while drinking my second soy flat white there, bought an adaptor and some pain killers since I felt I really needed them in my first aid kit.
Then I went and spent $80 on two Aboriginal paintings. Which is pocket change compared to the price of some. They're both about 2 feet by 2 feet.
They're being sent back to my house and I didn't have my camera this morning so I can't show the to you. I know that the lady is sending some information about the artists with them but I don't know if it'll say anything about these particular paintings.
Walked back, stopped and talked to Sylvie, Marine, Lorène and Côme for a little bit, they were having breakfast at the cafe next to my favourite one. Said goodbye to them again and came back here.
I caught my dear family on Skype, which I was super happy about.
talked to them for about an hour and now I need to get all my photos on my laptop and get this up since it's already 3.15 PM.
Then I need to go to the grocery store so I have food for tonight and tomorrow morning. And snacks for the train. I also need to mail the postcards.
That's the plan anyway!
Kata Tjuta = The Olga's
1 litre = 4 cups or 2 pints.
We had to carry 1 litre for every hour we were going to be walking, so at Kata Tjuta and King's Canyon I was carrying & drinking 4 litres.
----
February 19th
I've actually already posted on my blog for today, or three day ago when you read this. But anyway, I felt like I needed to clarify that I wasn't as sick as I said I was. I mean, I felt it at the time but feel considerably better now. My headache is 99% gone and I don't really feel sick to my stomach either.
After I posted I talked to this girl from Holland who's really awesome. I'm actually a little bummed that I won't get to really get to know her. Her names Thara, with is pronounced Sarah. Yes, I am not messing with you. Whatever, she's Dutch so she can do whatever she wants.
Also talked briefly to this German girl, who was very... furtive. She's hiding something man, I can tell.
I will be writing as much as I can every day, so there should be quite a bit on my return. And I promise I'll really start taking photos. I dunno what it is about Alice, but I just feel suer weird using my camera here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 20th
Woke up at 5.15 when Thera's alarm went off. Got up, saw that reception was still closed which was weird since in theory they opened at 5, brushed my teeth and triple checked I had everything, checked again and reception was still close even though it was 5.45, Thera and I had some breakfast and at 6 it still wasn't open.
Started freaking out a little since I needed to leave my bag there to go on the trip and they were lending me a sleeping bag.
At 6.10 the bus came to pick me up, still no sign of anyone. Explained what happened and he let me and the three other people staying there just bring our stuff. We went and picked everyone else up and then drove back past to see if they were open. It was around 7 and there was still no sign of anyone. GAH.
 |
| wedge tailed eagle |
We drove for about 2 hours, during which we saw Wedge Tailed Eagles. Two of them, which is pretty rare and super awesome. We stopped and got fuel & snacks then drove another 2 hours, stopped for some lunch, picked up a few people from the Uluru Airport, then drove another 2 hours to get to Uluru. On the way we passed Mt. Connor, which is a huge flat topped mountain. We also some wild emus, which is insanely unusual. We saw a lot of stuff that was 'insanely unusual', which was fantastic.
 |
| the first look at uluru |
We looked about the Culture Centre for an hour or so, looked at some art, read the Sorry Book (a book of letters people have sent is apologising for climbing uluru or for taking rocks and stuff. A lot of them include all the bad shit that happened after they took a rock or what have you. it was terrifying), I watched the documentary on how to make a piti (wooden bowl used for everything. Water, food, children, anything else that might need carrying by a woman.) as well, which was super cool.
We drove to the actual base of Uluru and all did the Mala Walk, which is about 2 km easy walking. After that we either had the choice to do the full 6km Base Walk or half of it, I chose to do the full walk which means I've walked around 90% of Uluru. It was so beautiful, even though it ended up being my least favourite walk we did.
Before we started we decided that all the group photos would be taken with my camera, since it's fancy shamncy. Which means you, dear reader, get to see them before anyone else but me.
 |
| ta da! |
 |
| bush plum. one of those little things has 7 times more vitamin C than than an orange. |
We went to the Sunset Lookout to see the famous sunset, which wasn't very impressive since there was a huge lightning storm between us and the sun.
Ate dinner and drank some beer that some Spanish man was handing out to anyone who'd take it.
We set up camp, we had a roof, but no walls. So we made some with tarps in an attempt to keep the coming rain out. Which mostly didn't work.
A bunch of us went up to a lookout about a 4 minute walk away to watch the lighting and we ended up staying there for over 2 hours taking a ton of long exposure photos with my camera, writing lots of stuff in the air and cloning with light and shit.
 |
| scott |
 |
| janine |
 |
| carlo |
Since the damn YHA was lame I didn't have a sleeping bag, just the provided swag (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swag_(bedroll)).
Luckily I travel with two huge-ass sarongs, so I had sheet type things. I was a little chilly though. But hey, I lived.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 21st.
It took us for fucking ever to get ready this morning, so even though we woke up at 4.15 we didn't leave the camp until like 5. Lord knows what took so long.
We went to see the sunrise, which was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. We could see both Uluru and Kata Tjuta and the sun was just perfect. Outstanding.
 |
| kata tjuta at sunrise |
 |
| uluru |
We ate some breakfast there, I had ever delicious raisin toast, toasted on a bastardised toaster made from a piece of metal and some fire. Awesome.
 |
| so pleased with sunrise they just started levitating. |
Now, we we're off to get to Kata Tjuta and walk around!
---
The walk was breathtaking.
It took me (and everyone else who did the full 7 km walk) about 3 ½ hours. We even had to walk through a creek for a while, which is amazing in and of itself since it's the summer in the desert. There is normally never any water anywhere, but there's been so much rain in the past weeks that there was even a waterfall there that Scott (our guide/driver/doctor/all around nice guy) had never seen.
 |
| explaining geography. |
We walked to this awesome look out, took our day two group photo and just generally marvelled at the waterfall and view.
We stopped by some picnic area and had some lunch. Pasta salad and build your own sandwiches. I ate with Martina and Janine, two friends traveling from Switzerland.
We're currently 45 minutes into a 3 4 hours drive. We'll be stopping a few times (to collect firewood for instance) and when we eventually stop well be 90% of the way to King's Canyon.
----
We stopped by Mt. Connor and Scott told us as the story of how Central Australia was created. He can only tell us the child stories, since none of us are men or woman in the eyes of the aboriginals since none of us have proven ourself. So he only know the children's stories and we can only know them. They're still amazing though.
 |
| mt connor |
 |
| my two loves. those boots and red sand. |
My camera says it low battery and I'm only about 50% sure that my second one is charged. If it's not I am going to be so upset. I don't understand how it's low right now, I think he heat is getting to it. Poor baby.
We stopped by some picnic area and had some lunch. Pasta salad and build your own sandwiches. I ate with Martina and Janine, two friends traveling from Switzerland.
We're currently 45 minutes into a 3 4 hours drive. We'll be stopping a few times (to collect firewood for instance) and when we eventually stop well be 90% of the way to King's Canyon.
----
Stopped a little farther on to collect firewood, all was well for a little bit. But then Mascha pulled this dead tree out of the ground and hit me in the forehead. A piece about 5 iced long stuck into my head, which was outstandingly painful. I pulled it out and immediately it started gushing blood. There was blood pouring down my face, my hands were covered in it and it was literally dripping on the ground. Bit exciting.
We walked back to the bus and I got myself patched up. I just used some tissues to staunch the blood, wiped it down with some sanitising stuff, but some anti-bacterial cream on it and put a band-aid on. It only look about 7 seconds and I was fine.
I did get a massive headache, which no one had painkillers for. That's the only bad part as of now.
Scott says he was impressed about how well I took it/dealt with is since a few weeks ago he had some guy have almost the same thing happen and he flipped shit and wanted to be air lifted out and shit.
I feel I should mention that Scott does have a first aid kit and would have done all that for me. He wasn't just like "oh, deal with that ok?"
I just wanted to deal with it myself.
The thing I'm the most annoyed about it I didn't get a photo of my face before I cleaned it up. :(
I was feeling a little nervous about infection or anything since all the wood out here is insanely high in iron but then I realised how much it bled, so there's so way anything could still be in there. Which is awesome.
---
Well, I now have an awesome bump on my forehead which is painful to touch. But the 'wound' itself has already scabbed and pretty much looks like a pimple. If it scars it's going to look lovely with my chicken pox scar that's right below it.
Halfway through writing that paragraph Scott slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the van and ran off behind us. When he got back he was holding a Thorny Devil, which he had somehow spotted while driving. The chances of being in the bush for that amount of time and seeing one is pretty much zero, so we're so lucky.
It was adorable, frankly.
We're now about an hour away for tonight's campground, maybe I can buy some painkillers at the service station there.
 |
| thorny devil! |
---
Well, no painkillers for me. But the headaches gone way down. I just have a sort of ache behind my eyes now that I can live with.
We got to camp fine, made a fire, laid out any swags that were still damp from last night next to it.
Sat around helping to make dinner and drinking goon (goon is aussie slang for cheap wine, mostly bought in 2 or 4 litre boxes) with the French family, Janine, Martina and Mascha.
It hit me a little hard, since I don't drink really ever and hadn't eaten in a while.
And everyone's more effected in the heat.
Two glasses in and everything was pretty hilarious to me.
We ate awesome chili and rice around the fire.
Now everyone (but me, since I'm anti-washing) is now showering and then I think we'll just relax for a while.
We're going to hike King's Canyon tomorrow, it should be awesomesauce.
 |
| my super delicious dinner. |
 |
| martina is excited for the fire! |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 22nd
Well, Carlo, Janine, Martina and I ended up staying up until around 1 in the morning. I nearly had a heart attack because there was suddenly a lot of moving around in a bush about 5 feet from me. We never did find out what it was and honestly, I feel that's probably for the best.
I slept well until 3 when I woke up and was awake for about 45 minutes.
We all got up at 5 and ate more delicious toast.
We're now en route to King's Canyon.
---
Walked around King's Canyon!
The very first part of the walk was brutal. Uneven, steep, sometimes loose rock steps straight up for about 200 feet.
Once we'd made it to the top Scott allowed as to how it's referred to as 'Heart Attack Hill', legit, no?
But other than that part it was pretty easy going. I mean, not like the Base Walk. But like yesterday's. So nothing too bad.
Unfortunately I decided last night was a good night to drink (well, for me. haha), so I thought I was going to die about an hour in. But I drank about a litre of water and the headache and urge to die went away. Plus King's Canyon was my favourite walk so I was ok.
 |
| king's canyon. |
We went down some stairs (you know how I feel about stairs, so this part made me more nervous than anything else we did the whole trip. Hell, I was more nervous on the stairs than I was scuba diving at night) into the bottom, to the Garden of Eden. Which really wasn't as lovely as I wanted it to be, but was still really beautiful. You did forget for a second that you were in the middle of the desert.
 |
| garden of eden |
 |
| bush tobacco, which was disgusting. |
 |
| so... close... |
We went to a spot where you can see where a giant piece of the canyon's wall had fallen in 63 years ago. Which, when talking about something about 300 million years old, is about 30 second ago really.
We walked back down the mountain, on a much nicer trail than we cam came up on. Same uneven rock stairs, but at a much gentler angle.
 |
| the walk we did was the one with arrows. |
It's now only 10 AM and we're back on the bus. Oh yes.
We're driving back to Alice, where we'll arrive at about 5 tonight.
We'll be stopping for lunch and to ride camels if we wish. Which I wish very much.
We're all (all of us that aren't being dropped off at the airport, which is Macha, Janine, Martina, Miao, Joachim and Sunny) are going to go out for dinner tonight at the Rock Bar, which I'm pretty excited about. I love these things.
---
I still have yet to see a kangaroo. I'm beginning to think they don't exist and it's a big joke at my expense. :(
We stopped at some service station, E something or other.
I got an ice cream bar even though I'll probably regret it later I really needed it.
it was just vanilla with chocolate coating stuff but I think it was the most delicious thing I've ever had. Ha.
As I write this we're back in the bus going toward the camel farm, which is an hour away. I'm going to eat some chips and look out for wildlife. And by wildlife I mean kangaroos.
---
We drove over the Palmer River (which was bone dry when we went over it on the first morning) and it was a freaking flowing river. It was huuuuge.
We stopped and everyone took a bunch of photos since it literally hasn't had water in it in years. There was another tour bus doing the same thing and the driver of tat one has been in Alice for like 15 years and he's seen it once or something insane like that. We also saw the first 'signe is now very afraid' spider of the trip (as in, my whole trip). A Golden Orb spider. I'm not looking it up because I don't want to know how poisonous it is, since I'm still in Australia for another 15 days.
He was going the other way and also said the Finke River (more towards the camel farm) is also giant and it's normally just a whole bunch of occasionally connected water holes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finke_River
 |
| so much water! |
---
We saw the Finke River. It it was fucking giant.
The banks were breaking away in both of them a bit, so they're just looking bigger and bigger. We didn't stop over it since we were running late, but I snapped these from the window.
---
We got to the camel farm. I forked out $6 for a camel ride. I mean, they were symbolic rides really. I think I was probably on it for about 6 minutes.
Basically each camel holds two people, they take two camels out at a time.
You walk for about 5 minutes and they they run back with you. It was pretty awesome actually.
 |
| so it's not a good photo, but it's definite proof I rode a camel. |
The camels we were riding are racing camels and the camels from that farm almost always win the Camel Cup, which is held every year in Alice. They're pretty awesome and I think they're be a good edition to our farm. Hint hint mum and da.
http://www.camels-australia.com.au/
We also spent some time looking around at the emus, llamas, parakeets and other stuff they had about. Apparently they have kangaroos too, but guess who didn't see them? I officially no longer believe they're real. I mean, photoshopping can make those photos and stories and become urban legends to easily.
 |
| cleaning up our window art. |
Dropped all the people who were leaving at the airport and started dropping everyone to their hostels.
Carlo, the Israeli couple and I all made a big fuss at the YHA about them being late and shit. They gave us each $20 back, which is something but not nearly enough. Ugh, I'm glad I'm leaving tomorrow and I would never stay here again.
Showered (!) and went all out and actually wore some eyeliner.
The Israeli couple decided not to come to dinner so Carlo and I walked down to the Rock Bar together, since we're not supposed to walk around by ourselves at night. Not that having two people would really stop anything, but hey, whatever.
We had a really nice dinner, I tried 'kangaroo'. Or so they say that's what it is.
I mean, I can serve some steak and say it's unicorn, but does that make it a mystical beast? Nope.
We walked back around 10 I think because we were so fucking tired.
Tomorrow I really want to talk to my family and tell them all about it!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 23rd.
Woke up at around 9.30 and discovered my adaptor was missing. I haven't seen it since I was in Alice before and I have no idea where it could possibly be.
So I went out and had breakfast at my favourite cafe, wrote a bunch of postcards while drinking my second soy flat white there, bought an adaptor and some pain killers since I felt I really needed them in my first aid kit.
Then I went and spent $80 on two Aboriginal paintings. Which is pocket change compared to the price of some. They're both about 2 feet by 2 feet.
They're being sent back to my house and I didn't have my camera this morning so I can't show the to you. I know that the lady is sending some information about the artists with them but I don't know if it'll say anything about these particular paintings.
Walked back, stopped and talked to Sylvie, Marine, Lorène and Côme for a little bit, they were having breakfast at the cafe next to my favourite one. Said goodbye to them again and came back here.
I caught my dear family on Skype, which I was super happy about.
talked to them for about an hour and now I need to get all my photos on my laptop and get this up since it's already 3.15 PM.
Then I need to go to the grocery store so I have food for tonight and tomorrow morning. And snacks for the train. I also need to mail the postcards.
That's the plan anyway!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)