Monday, October 24, 2011

Catching Up to Cairns
Hello all! So, I'm sitting outside a "Macca's" (aka McDonald's and the only free internet place around) in Cairns (the Great Barrier Reef region) trying to post blogs and photos for my adoring fans but the darn thing is so slow. I've been here 45 minutes and just got this page to open. That said, as much as I'd love to separate these blogs and keep them nice and neat and shorter for you....you're getting the condensed, mass blog edition today in hopes that I can have more regular access to internet and post more frequently in the future. So, for those of you at home, grab a tea and get comfy for a long read and for those of you at work--you're welcome for the lengthy read to make your day go by quicker! : ) As always, much love! : ) Dani WEDNESDAY, October 19, 2011 I went on my tour today and it was fantastic! The guide, Mark Sutton, "Sutto" picked me up at the house at 830am and we drove an hour to Mutawintji Nstional Park which was the first park to be handed back to the aboriginals. Gene and her grandson, David, joined me on the tour and were lovely folks from Melbourne. On the tour, we visited the cultural center to learn about the "Dream Time" history of the aboriginal creation story (see comments on photos for details) and saw 2 sites, only accessible via tour guide, where young boys and girls went for their right of passages into adulthood and painted hands on caves after each one to indicate their advancement. We also had morning tea and lunch out by the river bed/campgrounds (impressed by all the solar/green set ups). On the way back, we drove past working sheep farms and stopped at a stop in the middle of nowhere for an ice cream. The guy had lots of really interesting signs up around the bar, expressing his sense of humor (again, see photos). By the time I got home, I was beat but turned joined Liz for a presentation from an English Dr. on mental health. It was an interesting presentation and I'm glad I went. THURSDAY I was so beat from the day before that I stayed close to home and didn't do much except BE! I caught up on some reading, blogging, picture posting, etc. Then Hannah, Meg, and I decided to have "fat night" so we went to an old 1950's Milk Bar and got malt shakes (YUM!), then rented movies and ate popcorn and maltesas (sp?)-an Australian chocolate malt candy. After all that, we had pizzas too! It was a successful "fat night!" : ) FRIDAY Hannah and I went to school of the air in the morning which was awesome! We got to see a live assembly to all of the school children in the outback that "attend" school online via the school. I am SO impressed with the system. Every child is given a computer, all lessons, and they really foster a sense of community still with weekly (internet)assemblies to present birthdays, great work, star students, etc. Additionally, they have mini schools, camps, home visits, excursions, sports days, etc. where all kids participate. They sure have their system working well for them! The school only goes until grade 5 or 6 and then kids must come to town to a boarding school for secondary school. Also found out that every student gets a laptop or ipad…see what can happen when the government actually puts money into education?! After the school, Hannah and I drove about an hour out to Menindee lakes and toured around an old sheeping station, the lakes and river drive, had lunch in the TINY town, and made the trek back (NOTHING but desert views along the way!) She was a great tour guide for the day! My train left at 6:30 that evening so I had just enough time to pack and head out once we got back. TRAIN to SYDNEY My train ride back to Sydney ended up being an unexpected adventure (the good kind). My adapter broke (again—that's number 3 -argh!) so when I got on the train, I asked the first person I saw if he had a spare. Turns out I picked a great guy to chat with! It was my new buddy, Merv, and he was a great travel buddy for the next 14 hours or so! We ended up chatting most of the night and he had an extra bunk in his sleeper room so I got a free upgrade to a BED! He was moving back to Sydney from Perth so his car was on the train and we arrived, he drove me out to his parents for YUMMY home-made Filipino food from his mom and then his sister, Rhea (just as awesome!) went to the Featherdale Wildlife Park where we cuddled a koala and hugged kangaroos (they were just walking about!) Afterwards, Rhea knew just what a traveler needs and offered a shower, snacks, and sanity! : ) That night plans changed and instead of going downtown, we stayed local and just walked to a local pub, Small Bar, and then to The Crowie. Our night of "1 drink" turned into a bit more but it was fun and worth it. Met some new faces which is always fun. SUNDAY Today was my Sydney touring day with Rach. We went to Paddy's markets and saw the cute clothes and trinkets there. I was tempted to spend too much money, but luckily, nothing fit so my wallet was spared. I did, however, spend $6 for the richest chocolate gelato I've ever tasted! We saw Darling Harbor which is essentially the Inner Harbor of Sydney. There, I tried my hand (or foot) at kicking a rugby ball in order to win a free toy for my niece and nephew (look for it in the mail soon)! We also walked to see the Opera House and Bridge views and to see the Opera Bar—thanks for the recommendation, Merv..it IS a great spot! Didn't go in, but it was cool to see. That night, the girls (Rach, Nat, and I) ordered pizza in and called it an early night. MONDAY, October 24, 2011 That brings me to today! I had a 6am flight to Cairns today so had to catch the train at 4 am (THANKS, Rach for driving me to the stop!) Barely made it to my flight (they were calling last call while I was in security) so I panicked and made my way quickly….only for them to announced that it was delayed! Of course! : ) Worked out fine though and the flight was not full so I was able to move seats and lay down to sleep most of the way. Landed in Cairns and had my first "in your faceness" of it sucking to travel alone. I was charged more for the shuttle bus that everyone else was taking too because I was traveling alone. Because that's totally fair. Oh well, life's still good! The hostel here, Corona Hostel, is AWESOME! The front desk guy, Angello, hooked me up because he's a fellow Italian and our mom's have the same maiden name! The staff here is SO friendly, it's clean, really convenient, and for $15 I get a room (with a fridge in room and full kitchen downstairs) and FREE dinner at a local pub! I'm staying in an all girl's dorm and all the girls I've met are really nice. I had dinner tonight with 3 girls from Sweden: Anja, Emma, and Eileen, a girl from South Korea-Genie, and a guy from Holland-Bert (he's at our hostel, not in our girls room). There are also 2 German girls in the room with us. I LOVE being amongst such an international vibe! I spent the day doing what I do best….buying and eating food! I spent $50 on groceries which seems excessive until I calculate that that's to cover ALL meals for 8 days which adds up to about nothing a day. Plus, I splurged on veggies and extra protein. The rest of the day, I walked around town, read a bit by the public lagoon (first time in my travels I felt a bit lonely as I saw everyone else teamed up) which is a big pool overlooking the beach (that you can't swim in), and asked around about tours for the rest of the week. The 3 blondies (Swedish girls) and I plan to ask around tomorrow about renting a car/seeing sites together this week so I won't be traveling alone after all! Off to bed for 6:30am yoga and running at the lagoon tomorrow! : )