Wednesday, Feb 20, 5am.
It is actually day 4 but I was unable to write yesterday and, being unable to sleep today, I felt I should catch up on my journal whilst I am able.
Yesterday, we finally journeyed out of Sydney. Along with 57 fellow travelers and our local guide, Lou, we ventured forth into the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are so named because the oil exuded from the eucalyptus tree refracts the sunlight towards the indigo end of the spectrum. (Oddly enough, as we gazed back upon Sydney, it also took on a bluish hue.)
One of our stops was to observe three towering sandstone monoliths named the Three Sisters. Here I relate to you the legend of the Three Sisters as told to us by our trusty guide, Lou, and as best I can recollect names and events.
Once there lived a great shaman. We will call him the Nevil man. He possessed three beautiful daughters that he treasured above all of the kangaroo scrotum pouches in the land. Now, the Nevil man was want to travel to various valleys in search of food. On one such trip, his beautiful daughters accompanied him. There dwelt in this valley a monster we will call the Aaron. To me, this seemed fraught with danger to take his daughters to such a place.
However, the Arron was nocturnal and the Nevil man thought he could get in and out quickly. As fate would have it, they overstayed their time and, soon, the Aaron was in hot pursuit. Loving his beautiful daughters dearly, he decided that the only way to save them was to turn them to stone. Thus he waved his magic bone and turned them to stone. To save himself, he turned himself into a bird, fully planning to return at daylight and resurrect his beautiful daughters. Here is where I question the wisdom of this particular shaman. For it immediately became evident that a bird, possessing no hands, is unable to grasp a bone! Duhh! To this day, the Nevil man, in the form of a bird, continues to search for the bone and to bring his beautiful daughters back to life.
While the fate of the Nevil man's daughters is one of great sorrow, they being so young and beautiful, it afforded me the opportunity to engrave their image in silicon more times than I can count.
As we left the Blue Mountains and returned once again to flat land (and straight roads), Lou took us on a safari of Australian wildlife. Here we saw roos, koala, goanna, kookaburras, Tasmanian devils, crocks and tropical birds beyond count and of unerring beauty. I saw dingoes and was struck at how much they resembled my dear Dusty.
We were able to approach the roos close enough to touch and, after a delightful ceremony called "Billie tea", we were allowed to approach the souvenirs close enough to purchase!
Our final sight was that of the Sydney Olympics Park as it streamed by at 90kph. Lou, ever the faithful guide, urged us to contact his employers to see it up close.
Thus concluded Day 3 in Oz. We ate nothing stranger than macadamia nuts.
Today I take leave of this beautiful city. We travel across the Snowy Mountains where we shall stop at Mt. Ainsle to gaze upon the capital city of Canberra. We will spend some time there before proceeding on to Melbourne. Thus I will discover if this entire continent is possessed of barking toilets and extravagant prices!
Before ending, let me relate a most curious phenomenon. We left LA on Fri Feb 15 and arrived in Sydney on Sun Feb 17. Now, this journey took 14.5hrs and yet I did not experience Sat Feb 16. Perhaps this phenomenon was caused by our simultaneous crossing of the
International dateline and the equator. All I know is I did not experience 2/16/2002 and it shall not come around again until the ending of this universal cycle and well into the next. It is unlikely that I will live that long. I only hope that, in the counting of my days, I am given credit for this one missed. And do not say that I will get the day back on the return trip. To do so, I would have to leave on Sat and arrive on Fri and that is not to happen. (I wonder if those that work on this route are actually many years older than they look and are kept young by flying back and forth. Surely, this is too high a price to pay for immortality!)
Amy dearest, I look forward to your joining me in Alice Springs.
Glenda, give my regards to Dusty and Bandit and assure them that I will return safe and sound.
Loretta, tell dear Stephanie that her labors were not for naught and that I appreciate all of her works. Better yet, forward this to her as I do not have her email address.
Bill, I fired off another 96 shots yesterday. I fear that if I do not pace myself, I will find myself wanting before this trek is ended.
I must go, Canberra and Melbourne by the sea await me.
Until our next opportunity, I remain your humble traveler.
George
It is actually day 4 but I was unable to write yesterday and, being unable to sleep today, I felt I should catch up on my journal whilst I am able.
Yesterday, we finally journeyed out of Sydney. Along with 57 fellow travelers and our local guide, Lou, we ventured forth into the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are so named because the oil exuded from the eucalyptus tree refracts the sunlight towards the indigo end of the spectrum. (Oddly enough, as we gazed back upon Sydney, it also took on a bluish hue.)
One of our stops was to observe three towering sandstone monoliths named the Three Sisters. Here I relate to you the legend of the Three Sisters as told to us by our trusty guide, Lou, and as best I can recollect names and events.
Once there lived a great shaman. We will call him the Nevil man. He possessed three beautiful daughters that he treasured above all of the kangaroo scrotum pouches in the land. Now, the Nevil man was want to travel to various valleys in search of food. On one such trip, his beautiful daughters accompanied him. There dwelt in this valley a monster we will call the Aaron. To me, this seemed fraught with danger to take his daughters to such a place.
However, the Arron was nocturnal and the Nevil man thought he could get in and out quickly. As fate would have it, they overstayed their time and, soon, the Aaron was in hot pursuit. Loving his beautiful daughters dearly, he decided that the only way to save them was to turn them to stone. Thus he waved his magic bone and turned them to stone. To save himself, he turned himself into a bird, fully planning to return at daylight and resurrect his beautiful daughters. Here is where I question the wisdom of this particular shaman. For it immediately became evident that a bird, possessing no hands, is unable to grasp a bone! Duhh! To this day, the Nevil man, in the form of a bird, continues to search for the bone and to bring his beautiful daughters back to life.
While the fate of the Nevil man's daughters is one of great sorrow, they being so young and beautiful, it afforded me the opportunity to engrave their image in silicon more times than I can count.
As we left the Blue Mountains and returned once again to flat land (and straight roads), Lou took us on a safari of Australian wildlife. Here we saw roos, koala, goanna, kookaburras, Tasmanian devils, crocks and tropical birds beyond count and of unerring beauty. I saw dingoes and was struck at how much they resembled my dear Dusty.
We were able to approach the roos close enough to touch and, after a delightful ceremony called "Billie tea", we were allowed to approach the souvenirs close enough to purchase!
Our final sight was that of the Sydney Olympics Park as it streamed by at 90kph. Lou, ever the faithful guide, urged us to contact his employers to see it up close.
Thus concluded Day 3 in Oz. We ate nothing stranger than macadamia nuts.
Today I take leave of this beautiful city. We travel across the Snowy Mountains where we shall stop at Mt. Ainsle to gaze upon the capital city of Canberra. We will spend some time there before proceeding on to Melbourne. Thus I will discover if this entire continent is possessed of barking toilets and extravagant prices!
Before ending, let me relate a most curious phenomenon. We left LA on Fri Feb 15 and arrived in Sydney on Sun Feb 17. Now, this journey took 14.5hrs and yet I did not experience Sat Feb 16. Perhaps this phenomenon was caused by our simultaneous crossing of the
International dateline and the equator. All I know is I did not experience 2/16/2002 and it shall not come around again until the ending of this universal cycle and well into the next. It is unlikely that I will live that long. I only hope that, in the counting of my days, I am given credit for this one missed. And do not say that I will get the day back on the return trip. To do so, I would have to leave on Sat and arrive on Fri and that is not to happen. (I wonder if those that work on this route are actually many years older than they look and are kept young by flying back and forth. Surely, this is too high a price to pay for immortality!)
Amy dearest, I look forward to your joining me in Alice Springs.
Glenda, give my regards to Dusty and Bandit and assure them that I will return safe and sound.
Loretta, tell dear Stephanie that her labors were not for naught and that I appreciate all of her works. Better yet, forward this to her as I do not have her email address.
Bill, I fired off another 96 shots yesterday. I fear that if I do not pace myself, I will find myself wanting before this trek is ended.
I must go, Canberra and Melbourne by the sea await me.
Until our next opportunity, I remain your humble traveler.
George
To Day 6 in Oz