Cast of characters

When I travel, I feel like I'm in the largest classroom in the world, and each person I meet is a teacher, of sorts, to me. Its not until I meet others, and find out the endless possibilities of professions, thoughts, traditions, approaches to life, that I am truly astounded at all the possibilities. Mark Twain put it most succently when he stated the awesome power of travel and how it educates. "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."
The greatest delight I've encountered on this jaunt has been the opportunity to meet and interact with people from, well,... everywhere. Its like I'm in the middle of my own novel with all these cast of characters, continuously being introduced. Let me introduce you to just a few of the strangers I met downUnder:
Andrew: the fair skinned, mild mannered hotel staff who took me out to dinner and he became my text message buddy. A patriotic, and passionate man when it comes to his country of Zimbabwa. Unfortunately he had to emigrate to Oz, because, as he said in his words ' its unsafe there as they are getting rid of the white people' - Tara: the red-headed, well-liked, Irish girl - one of 6 gals on my 10-day camping trip. Genuine and personable we always had a range of topics to discuss, (especially boys) as the other 4 gals were too jaded and cynical to contemplate that topic.- Paul: my pedestrian companion in Broome. He had one of the more interesting jobs of creating dirt rds in the isolation of the outback roads using large machinery. He recounted how they had to live off the land, (killing kangaroos,etc) and avoiding poisonous snakes, as this job meant that they were hundreds of km from civilization for weeks at a time. Paul was moving to Indonesian and wanted to make sure I knew the address of the 40ft yacht he'd be living on there, just in case I wanted to try my hand at sailing. - Deborah: the very amiable, soft-spoken girl I meet in Broome hostel. Her whole life was spent in Cannes, France. She described herself as having a 'charmed life' and this lenthy travel/work journey to Oz/Thailand was, for her, a way to find out 'how the rest of the world lived'. Her ability to adapt to the less, than, suitable arrangements (coming from a villa in France, to a 6 share small dorm room) was impressive. East Indian British guy (we'll call him Bob). He became a fast friend, whilst I was stuck in Ayers Rock airport for the day. His approach, though unconventional and forward, intrigued me. He introduced me to his wife and kids, and then proceeded to spend his time, addressing my 'life issues' on love, life etc. Formality was obviously not his strong suit. By the end of our day and subsequent flight together, his one son asked him 'so dad, whose your new best friend? Carolyn: the outgoing, generous and social post transplantee, I met online and was finally able to meet face to face. She also suffers from CF and is 12 yrs post transplant - the longest survivor I know personally. We spent a memorable evening together, eating, sharing our stories and socializing with her friends. It was a delight to meet an individual so content and full of life, knowing how much she had endure. Then there were the 4 guys I meet in Alice Springs at the hostel I was staying at. These 'Boyz of the UN' (pic)as I've dubbed them, made my stay in the sad city of Alice Spring actually enjoyable. More about them later .
Strangers are so easy to meet here,whether locals or from abroad. (you'll find a lot of Brits here) They will not only give you their time and attention, but sometimes offer even more. Like Sandra, my gregarious, friendly seat mate on the plane, who seemed to have the gift of setting people at ease and keeping them engaged. She was an accountant for a wine making co. - so I got a brief lesson in that topic. In the middle of our making dinner plans (when I return back to Melbourne) she suggested that when Gracie and I visit her in the Yarra Valley (the wine growing region of Melbourne) that we would be welcome to stay with her at her home. You gotta love the Australians for their ability to extend themselves, beyond the norm. Its almost like the caution of potential danger lurking around every corner, hasn't caught on as it has in the States and people are expected to be decent and kind. I hope this aspect of this country (and New Zealand) never changes.

Rest for the weary

What a wonderful change that first night in Broome was, compared, to the bed wrappings I had to endure the last 9 nites. My heart leaped for joy,when I arrived (classic case of adversity breeding appreciation) My room, at this big, hostel (think health club meets Motel 8), was a 6 person share, so there were 6 of us girls sharing a rather small space. It’s an interesting culture, this hostelling crowd. All ages, professions, nationalities coming together to co-exist under one roof, and the level of respect is still maintained. Most people even leave their valuables in the room, ..a very trusting nature for some, but of course, not for me. I come from the 'hood,' (ok, not 8-mile hood, but still was the hood) and my nature, isn't up for changing in this department. I had my camera, PDA, Ipod, and documents with me at all times - in the kitchen, tv room, toilet, shower,...
Broome, is the newest and most talked about travel destination in Australia. Its located at the tip of Western Oz, can get quiet hot in summer (40 cell) has a major pearl industry and one of the grandest stretch of beaches you will see anywhere. Unfortunately, the beach is wasted on me, as I neither swim in the ocean or tan - it was a wonderful place to have a cup of choc and read and write, however. I spent much of my time walking to/from the quaint town, they call China town, chatting with locals here/there, and just letting the days pass quietly. I met this delightful gal from Cannes, France and we spent a few hrs philosophizing about life (fav. pastime of mine) Isn’t it like life, to wait until the last moment. She, Deb, had been in my room since I arrived but with the comings/goings, we didn't finally converse until that last evening. That was a shame, as it would have been more enjoyable to have taken someone along to my cafe house trips.
I will say that all this travelling solo has done splendid things for my right and left brains. I now write often and have a greater interest in reading. TV is either inaccessible or with the 3 public and may I addlame channels they have here, it doesn't motivate me to watch, (unlike back home in the states). I'm also learning a foreign language called 'aussie outback'. A few words here for example are: (oz=americancano):fresh=cold, cozzie=bathing suite, dunnie=outhouse, icy-pole=popsicle, rellie=family relative, chewie=gum, 'yieaaa,nahhh,yieaaa' (fav.reply)
After 3 warm, refreshing days, I dusted the red earth off (and there was plenty of that, as the Western Oz outback is laden with iron ore rich red soil, their greatest export) and headed back to Perth, my 2nd fav. city (after Melbourne). This city has San Diego weather and an active enough city centre, not to induce boredom in this yank. I spent a few nights here, retracing old steps. I stayed at the Witch’s hat again, as I was aching to have my old quarters back, and settle in to a smaller, quainter hostel. For me, it seems far easier to meet others in these smaller spaces, than in the larger hostel. Then I was off to middle of Australia, the Red Center. the most isolating, driest place in Oz. I had 3 nites booked here and already I was wondering what on earth, I was going to do with all that time…

Caught in the middle

Back to civilasation....Happy Happy

Well, I just finished a 10-day/9-night camping trip,.....er Adventure. Yes, this uber-urbanite paid $$ to sleep in a tent w/o ensuite. It was an exceptional experience, however, I'm certain I won't be repeating it in this lifetime.
I, a driver/guide, cook and 8 other tourist sardined ourselves in an luxury, 34-passenger, coach bus and took to the wide open spaces that is Western Australia. We departed Perth, WA and 3600 km later, arrived at the beachside, perling town of Broome. I was mercifully dropped off while the others continue on their 18-day trip.
Had the weather cooperated, I'm certain my lamentings would be few. The first 8-days were cold and windy (17 Celsius at most) and nights were even colder, oftentimes just above freezing. (1 Celsius for 2 nites). We shivered eating breakfast, shivered at dinner time, and thereafter, waiting to retire.(sundown was 530pm/dinner 630pm) The only escape seemed to be the bus or the 2 sleeping bags I was under. There were NO campfires to be had, as we were not allowed fires in national Parks. Bedtime was obvious early, 900pm as 700am was our morning breakfast and well, with the sun setting so early and the dark bringing on such cold temps, there wasn't anything else to do. More than a few locals let me know that 'this was the coldest it would get' or ' we come here all the time and this is the coldest we've ever experienced it'. Lucky, lucky me! Even though this past June was the driest month on record in WA and the whole country is experiencing a terrible drought, we were fortunate to experience rain, each night for the first 5 nights, and slept in canvas tents. (the previous lessons I learned about not touching the tent after rain, served me well but our tent sprung a leak anyway) My attitude was beginning to match the temperature gauge, plummeting as the days passed.
It was obvious, from what clothes I packed, that I was hopeful things would surely gain in temperature, esp. after crossing the tropic of Capricorn......It didn't , so I was left repeating my outfits on many occasions and since I didn't bring any winter gear, it was pantyhose to bed and sox on my hands (ideas girl!) At the Karajini Nat'l Park it was 'bush' camping (Ozzie term for roughing it - no electricity/H2O) for 2-nites.
One of the highlights was the National Park where we climbed into Gorges, with the jagged, iron ore rich earth, creating a stark contrast from the rivers running thru them. The star's brightness each night were spectacular. Not only did I see the Southern Cross, but a few black holes and Milky Way were almost at an arms length - each night. When bush camping, it was easier to just walk a few yards past the campsite, for the nightly pee run, but a few nights the mid-night sky was so bright it wasn't possible to be hidden by the darkness, ..so an anxious walk by flashlite , to the outhouse it was. One night a few of the girls and I went on a Dingo expedition and found several near our site....the night time howling woke a few of them up.
Another highlight was seeing Kangaroos, emus, running about in the wild. At Monkey Mia, a marine park, I finally witnessed the wild dolphins coming up on shore to interact with humans....a rare occurrence indeed.
I had never taken a guide trip before and wasn't used to constantly being with a group of people all day and all night.. It was a UN of passengers, and because of the temperatures, most of them just tried to focus on staying warm and didn't really open up until the last few nights, when the temps rose as did the drinking. My roommate, Kylie, was from Adelaide and terrific at showing me how to put up the canvas tent, sometimes taking over b/c I was simply 'too slow' for her. There were 2 brothers from Austria, who spoke just like Arnold Swartz and laughed in unison. A philosophical Englishman and his wife. The trip wasn't w/o its drama of course. There was our cute,blue-eyed tour guide which attracted the attention of a few of the girls. It became interesting on the last evening but lets just say, he picked the prettiest and nicest girl there.

I was, glad, however, to get to civilisation and be in a somewhat urban setting with cafes and stores closeby. After 10-days, I am ready to be a drifter and spend some alone time contemplating the universe again (evern though I'm sharing a room with 5 other girls at the Broome hostel) The skys are clear, the beach is nearby and I have a room stratigically situated close to the toilets. My 'living on the edge' experience has passed, I survived the challenge and now there's a big smile on my face because I have warmth surrounding me. Ok, now I have some TV to catch up on... :-)
Trip itinerary: http://www.connectionsadventures.com/content.asp?document_id=16961

The Western Australia Outback

The sun has found me...

After suffering through 2 weeks of crap weather, the sun has finally found me. I arriveD in Perth, located on the western coast of Oz, on the 4th of July and stayed for 4-nights. Its a striking city, set on a large hill overlooking Swan river. It has everything Lizy likes in a city, loads of people traffic, terrific selection of restaurants, entertainment and of course, cafes. PLUS its weather is always warmer and sunnier than Adelaide or Melbourne.
My accomodations here would be my first hostel experience in well......ages. I was doubtful I'd really like it, because I knew I'd have to walk a distance to the toilet, but didnt want to be isolated in a hotel room and I couldn't well afford hotels for 6 weeks worth of travel. The Witch's Hat hostel had all the charachter, amentities I expected, in addition to having an attractive, blue-eyed Aussie manager -). The only set back was that there was NO heat - anywhere (except the shower of course). I had my own room (minus toilet) and at 55 degrees I was certain I wouldn't last long. Surprisingly, I ended up, growing a 2nd skin and getting used to the coldness - who would have thunk? I guess in a way I'm forced to. Many people don't have central heat here, the shops all leave their doors open and people just tolerate it, w/o the winter works (gloves, hat, muffs).
My days here were spent discovering the nooks and crannies of the big city and just kicking back. It seems like everyone here is either new immigrant or 1st generation. I hear very few American accents around me. I would love to introduce my clients to this city, but the extra 5-hr flt from the popular east coast isn't attractive to most.
One the weekend, I had to leave 1/2 of my luggage and ready for my 'true adventure'. 10-days of camping, under the stars, whilst traveling up the coast from Perth to Broome. I, along with several strangers, would break bread together, sleep in canvas tents and share a bus together. This would be my first coach/camping tour and as those that know me, know this is well beyond what I would consider my 'confort zone'. Would my attitude and self survive the challenge??? Stay tuned to find out....

Hop, hop, hop,..

Waking up the next morning I felt a bit lonely. Fortunately, I had plans to attend a Polish SDA Church in Adelaide. I was looking forward to hearing the service/songs in Polish – wondering exactly how much of it I would understand. I soon realized that I didn’t have to struggle with the ‘big’ words as the sermon was translated into English as well. I hoped that after service I would be invited for lunch somewhere – as back home, almost all my Saturdays are spent amongst friends - so spending it alone was not appealing to me. My prayer was answered, when a lovely, welcoming lady, Ruth, Brezniak sat next to me and invited me over for lunch. We had such a pleasant and amusing that the thought of leaving had me disheartened. Our exchange was so effortless that it was as if we had been friends our whole lives.
Upon leaving Ruth & George’s home, I was chatting away with Ruth and instinctively slide myself into the ‘passengers’ seat, fully expecting to drive. As I sat there, Ruth, in a serious tone, asked me ‘if I was ok’, as I didn’t even realize the steering wasn’t there J. The hrs drive north to drop off the car at Stan & Deb’s Szalbot’s place was an adventure. For some reason, only known to these southern hemisphere inhabitants, street signs are rare and after making it ^6th/7th of the way there (in the dark mind you), I had to do the unthinkable and ‘call for help’. It was more than a little crushing (for my personality of course) to have to be rescued.
I’m so very pleased to have meet these two, terrific families whose kindness and friendship made my trip to Adelaide truly memorable.
Next on the menu was my long anticipated trip to Kangaroo Island. KI is a unique pl. in Australia (3^rd largest island) as its teeming with wildlife as it has no predators (they even have to start culling the Koala now b/c of their over abundance). After two full, intense days spent krisskrossing the island, I got to sight Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koalas, Fur seals, up close and in the wild. For those gals out there, this was a real ‘ahhhhh’ moment’. As Rick can attest too, one can be in Australia for months and never see a wild Kangaroo or Koala. What a treat!
Next, I’ll be travelling to one of the most isolated cities in the World in search of sunshine and warmth….

One cup of Adelaide RnR coming rite up...

Finally, I am seeing quaint, tranquil, Brittany feel, Adelaide with my cousin, Gracie. Our first vacation together – a sort of ‘test run’ for our 2007 trip to middle Europe. Our 4.5 star swanky dig was a pleasure to sleep & bath in, considering my upcoming choice of accommodations will be less then comparable (can you say H-O-S-T-E-L) We spent much time, walking, discovering and of course, (my fav) eating!
The first evening had me witnessing an overdue reunion between Gracie and her friend of 30 + yrs which she hadn’t seen in over 15 yrs. The Szalbot family welcomed us, feed us and then returned us to our hotel. Eventually, on day 3, we would meet up again over a satisfying Thai meal and have our ‘loan Mercedes’ delivered to us with a smile. Here I am, not only a few hrs in their presence and they willing loan us/me their blood red Mercedes for the next 4 days. (Hmm, perhaps they weren’t listening when I told them Ithe front headlight story). Their generosity both overwhelmed and impressed me and in turn was a wonderful introduction to this foreign country. On Wed, we drove ourselves to Barossa Valley, the largest wine-producing region in Australia. The vine-covered plains and rolling hills surround these charming German heritage townships. Here is where the urbanites come to escape....and of course, 'refuel'. After a chilly 2 days of scenic drives, fireside DVD rentals and a good dose of Internet access at the local library (feeding the addiction) we meandered back to Adelaide to drop off Gracie at the airport. Just when we were acclimating to each other's 'travelling styles', I had to part with her....who was I going to thermostat battle with now??. I was now on my own, which left me both thrilled and anxious to what lay ahead. I took to the streets, practising being ‘by my myself’ of which I had apprx 6 weeks to look forward to being. I meet up with the Andrew - a local, transplanted (Zimbabwe) Aussie, I meet from the hotel for tea. He took me to the Adelaide Central Mkt, a thrilling spot for all the senses and a wonderful start to the weekend...