Around the World in 274 Days

'Around the World in 274 Days'... Doesn't have that certain ring to it, does it? But I was back at the Reform Club, oh no, sorry, home, last Friday 1st August. I had a wonderful welcoming committee at the airport - Emma made it to me for the first hug, having snuck under the barrier, but Katye and Alex soon joined in for a tearful, happy reunion.
Reflecting on my trip - I've beaten no records, covered no ground that hasn't already been covered by many others, but I have achieved personal satisfaction in a goal achieved. Nine months ago I was on the brink of my great adventure, wondering what it would be like to travel with fewer possessions than I usually take for a week away, with no one on hand to make my decisions, further away from family and friends than I have ever been. I'm sleeping better now than I did that last week in England before I set off! My trip has taken me to S.E.Asia, New Zealand, Australia and the USA. I've seen spectacular places; I've seen areas where people live their daily lives. I've made new friends; I've visited familiar ones. I've lingered in some places and sometimes moved on the next day. I can honestly say that I have found something interesting everywhere I've been and have never been bored for a moment. For someone whose life has been pretty ordered up to now, it has been challenging to set off in the morning not knowing where I would be sleeping that night. Life will never be the same again! I was encouraged to keep this blog by several people before I left. I had no idea what a link it would be with home. The feedback I've received from it has been amazing - incredibly, some of you are still out there, reading this! While I'm typing, I always feel close to you, and after blogging I always feel uplifted. So thank you to all of you - the faithful, read every line ones, and the 'dippers' who check up on me every so often to check I haven't fallen off the edge of the world. Without you all, I wouldn't have continued to blog, and it has served to focus my thoughts and make a lasting record for me to examine in years to come. Caution - travel is addictive - you may be subjected to more blogs of this nature when sufficient time has elapsed for funds to be topped up and memories of scary moments to have faded.... watch this space... you have been warned...

Last days in the USA

Making the most of the remaining time, I decided to retrace my steps to Philadelphia, having glimpsed it from a train the previous week. So, bidding a temporary farewell to John and Taylor in New York, I climbed aboard a bus in Chinatown and for the princely sum of $12 (about six pounds), travelled the two hours back into Pennsylvania. I had no idea where the bus would stop, so when I spotted a sign for the visitor center (sic), I leapt up in excitement and managed to disrupt the whole bus - try alighting gracefully while getting past your neighbour in the aisle seat, extracting your backpack from an overhead locker, picking up the bottles which have flown out of the sides of your rucksack and rolled down the aisle, as 50-odd mainly Chinese people look at you in amazement tinged with annoyance... Well, it livened up the end of the journey!
I found Philly to be a very pleasant and interesting city. Lots of squares with fountains in which to sit and either read or people-watch; many beautiful murals - being added to all the time - they are worth a visit in themselves; lots of historical sites. I was lucky enough to catch the last tour of the day to the Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and also the Constitution in 1787. I also avoided the queues for the Liberty Bell, by arriving just as it was about to close for the evening. The bell was made by British craftsmen, but actually cracked when it was being tested before installation. Hoorah for British workmanship! The penitentiary was fascinating too - built on the belief that solitary confinement would force a person to look inward and repent, so each cell was single with its own exercise yard. It was copied throughout Europe. Philadelphia was built on the principles of religious freedom - it was at one time the only place in the British Empire that a Catholic mass could be openly celebrated.
I also had my usual good fortune in catching a musical event down by the river one day; called "Fam Jam", it was a showcase of family bands in the vein of the Osmonds, Jacksons, Nolan Sisters... all youngsters and very enthusiastic. Live music and sunshine - can't beat it...
I treated myself to a couple of days in a hotel with an outside pool; the weather was hot, and dipping in and out in the early evening was like being on holiday! The lifeguard was good eye-candy too... But eventually I decided that I was cheating (and running out of cash!) as there was a hostel in Philadelphia - no excuse for not staying there - so I moved for the last couple of nights. It was perfectly adequate, but the largest female dorm that I've stayed in thus far - 28 beds in the one room. My earplugs and eye mask were resurrected for the occasion.
And so back for my final couple of days in New York. John, Taylor and I managed to dispose of some good vodka and set the world to rights - alcohol and good conversation are such a good mix; and I was privileged enough to be allowed to sit in on Taylor's practice session for her next gig this Friday in Boston, which sadly I shall miss. She is so talented - sitting in the apartment, eyes closed, listening to her play was the purest pleasure.
And so I have only one more journey left in this odyssey - and it is the most exciting of all - going home! Further musings to follow...

New York, New York ... Taylor's gig!

Throughout my travels I have carried my MP3 player, listening to a CD entitled 'Transatlantic Lammy', composed and performed, piano and voice, by my great American friend Taylor. Finally the moment had arrived - I was to see her perform live in concert in New York! The venue was a bar in Manhattan, called The Bitter End. It was a good setting - an intimate atmosphere, an air of expectancy. We were joined by some other friends, including Patricia and Jeff who were to accompany Taylor in places on respectively cello and saxophone (what a bonus for me - saxophone and piano are positively my favourite instruments!).
Well, what can I say? I had been looking forward to this event for months, and it well exceeded my already high expectations. Taylor has a beautiful voice, plays piano like an angel, and her lyrics say something to me, and I would guess to anyone listening. The highlights for me were 'Steel Up', which she dedicated to me and reduced me to tears; and of course 'Nearer than Closeness', for John. It was magical. Please do visit http://www.taylorgiacoma.com/ - and see what I'm talking about... (Apologies for the poor quality of my photo - you'll see much better on the website.)
I love New York! This is my third visit, apart from one night in 1982 when I was lucky enough to ascend to the top of one of the Twin Towers. Taylor and John live in a fabulous location overlooking the river. If you stroll out of the apartment you can immediately see the Statue of Liberty; you can easily walk to Battery Park and watch the queues of people waiting patiently for ferries to the statue and to Ellis Island, where the immigrants landed and were accepted or rejected. As I've visited most of the obvious tourist attractions before, I feel free to wander in a more casual fashion, and people-watch, which is always fascinating. Taylor can distinguish easily between New Yorkers and tourists from other states; I still think of 'tourists' as people from overseas; I guess the only tourists we get in Stockport tend to be non-Brits.
Yesterday I travelled under the river to Brooklyn and took in the Botanical Gardens - I must have seen a dozen or so on my travels; considering I can't tell one flower or tree from another, some people might find this a strange thing to do, but I just love wandering down grassy paths, beside streams, smelling the roses and watching pond-dipping children. This particular place has allotments for children - they all come one day in spring and plant or sow, and maintain their plot throughout the year. I think this is such a lovely idea... maybe if I'd had such an opportunity I would know a daisy from a daffodil?
Yesterday Taylor and I visited the Jewish Heritage Museum. As you will understand, this was a learning experience and a saddening one. The museum has three floors showing the history, the events of World War 2, and the present day. I need to return one day to complete the visit, as it was too much for me to take in at one go. One should really complete the tour, to end on an uplifting note.
We decided to lift ourselves with a cocktail and settled for a chinwag, cheesy chips and vodka at a table overlooking the river. This is the life! I could live here... We then collected John and headed off to a restaurant high in a skyscraper, where we topped up (considerably!) our alcohol levels - vodka, chocolate and Baileys all in one glass seems to work well... We were then treated to the most amazing storm I've ever witnessed - the sky was lit up almost continuously by brilliant flashes of lightning; just when you thought it was moving on, it flashed again, and again. Eventually the thunder arrived and with it torrential rain. Sitting so high up, watching this stunning display lighting up the misty New York skyline was truly humbling. We watched in awe and delight.
For some strange reason, I was late getting up this morning, and feeling not quite my usual sparky self. I had planned to backtrack today to Philadelphia, only seen thus far from the train. I may still make it; or I may go tomorrow. The joy of unbooked travelling at whim! I'll let you know what happens...

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Tubing Down the Shenandoah

I'm hard pushed to think of anything more relaxing than floating down a gently moving river on a hot day, within reach of a buoyant cooler filled with ice-cold cans! This was a trip organised by Ros's daughter Vicki for her church social group; she very kindly invited me along. Another 'first' for me, and for several of the 44 people who joined in, including Lily, aged 6 I believe, and Mary-Lou, who is over eighty. I enjoyed it so much that it was suggested as my new career that I should introduce tubing to the Thames - 'grey water rafting', someone suggested! We decided on the Thames rather than the Cam, as I felt that the punters might be a bit sniffy about a load of inner tubes encroaching on their space... It was a wonderful day out with lovely people, ending with drinks at Mary-Lou's house and a very American dinner out - most of us went for the breakfast menu (pancakes for me - mmmmmmmm!).
I had travelled up to Washington D.C. with Ros the previous day; we embarked rather foolishly on a city tour. The day was far too hot for this - walking was totally exhausting - we staggered from one patch of shade to the next without much relief from the steamy atmosphere, and when on the non-air-conditioned trolley we both nearly passed out... But I did get to see the sights of D.C. and learn a lot from the commentary, and got up close to the Lincoln Memorial, and all in excellent company, so I was content.
The next day I said a fond farewell to Ros and Vicki, promising myself that I shall not let 19 years go by before we meet again! I have 2 other daughters to renew acquaintance with, and 3 - soon to be 4 - grandchildren to meet, and of course I'm keen for Ros to see Katye and Alex again and meet my own granddaughter Emma.
So, on to my first train trip in the USA, from D.C. to New York. I was nicely settled in, backpack safely stowed, enjoying watching the scenery rush past ... wait, not rushing any more... ah, not actually moving any more... yes, the engine had broken down, taking the air conditioning with it. But hey, it got everyone in the carriage talking to each other, so all was not in vain. We were just outside Philadelphia, a city I've missed on my travels, so I wondered aloud whether I should hop off for a quick tour, and was told it was well worth a visit! Eventually, though, a 'rescue engine' chugged up and towed us into the station where we picked up our bags and walked.. to another train, and I finally arrived in the Big Apple only an hour or so later than planned; found my way via the subway with some advice from a friendly stranger, to the welcome sight of John's smiling face. Plenty of time to spare to get ready for the event to which I'd been looking forward with great excitement ever since I realised I would be able to attend - Taylor's gig. But that's another story - watch this space!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

End of the Road Trip

My road trip is over - I've said a sad farewell to my rental car, squashed my goods and chattels back into my backpack with great difficulty, and landed at Ros's house in Richmond, Virginia. My journey from San Francisco (3,000 miles according to the atlas) actually took me 5,031 miles. I knew I'd been lost a few times, but still...!
When I left you last, I was on my way to the river in Chattanooga. I enjoyed my lunch cruise very much; it was relaxing and informative; I was also singled out as the person who had travelled the furthest to be there. I was awarded 2 'moon pies' - a bit like Wagon Wheels, manufactured locally, but was told to pass one on to the Queen when next I run into her at a social occasion. Unfortunately it looked like it was going to melt before we could make contact, so I had to eat it... I was interested to see some Amish people on the boat - the men and older boys sporting long beards and trousers with braces; the women and girls in calico-type frocks and bonnets. I know that they do not embrace modern technology and wondered about the power driven boat; I didn't get a chance to question them, sadly.
The weather has been incredibly hot - tee-shirt clings damply to the back, fringe to forehead. It is very humid here, which tends to sap the energy a bit, but still wins over chilly English weather in my book! I have been through several thunderstorms, though - one of which forced drivers off the road, as visibility was practically nil.
From Chattanooga I've driven on a couple of stretches of the Blue Ridge Parkway, part of the Appalachian mountain range. This has been absolutely delightful, being almost completely forested with lovely streams running along beside the road. Such a contrast with the Rockies in the West. Both awe-inspiring landscapes, but totally different. The Parkway is a winding road with many stopping places, always with a view crying out for a photograph to be taken. It makes its way through several tunnels - all without lighting - only the car headlights, making this mildly claustrophobic wimp a bit fearful at times. I stopped at a town called Pigeon Forge, near Gatlinberg, which took me very much by surprise by being extremely commercialised - a bit like Blackpool, really! Lots of 'attractions' of the "Ripley's Believe It or Not" variety. I didn't stay long there, and headed for Asheville, in North Carolina. I loved this town - it had an obvious centre that I could negotiate, finding a parking place relatively easily; and a weekly samba-fest in the park on the Friday evening. I think the whole town must have been there, either playing some form of percussion instrument, or dancing. I thought it would be rude not to join in the festivities. Such fun! I want to live there...
I shall gloss over the next day; suffice it to say that not many people have the talent to drive 87 miles before realising it's completely the wrong direction. I thought I was heading East into Virginia; maybe the large sign saying "South Carolina" should have given me a clue. But in mitigation, I have to say that the highway directions are very confusing. One marked e.g. I26 EAST quite often heads off in a southerly direction. It is very confusing. REALLY. But hey, add another state to my total. So the next couple of days took me back through some lovely small towns to regain my route along the Parkway. My last night on the road, in Lexington, Virginia, was spend in a suite in a Days Inn motel - a coupon made it affordable, and the second television was very useful in settling my indecision over channel choice...
So that brought me safely to Ros, and my first period not on my own since I left Nick and Fenella in Sydney. It is lovely once again to be in good company and comfortable accommodation. Ros and I have had a lot of catching up to do, and the conversation has been flowing freely. I have explored the canal walk, the James River rapids (unusual in an urban setting), the Civil War museum; Richmond was the capital of the confederacy, and its fall to the Union troops signalled the tail end of the war. I had a very congenial evening with some of Ros's friends in a restaurant called Bottoms Up in an area called Shockoe Bottom - a place which was completely flooded in 2004 but is now restored and serving very tasty pizza. Ros took today off work and we wandered around the botanical gardens - very colourful and well laid out. I am enjoying being in one place for a few days, with local knowledge to guide me. Next stop Washington D.C., then on to New York!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Pardon me Boy...

...is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo? YES, it is! Here I am, and what a great place! I came here on a whim - I had the choice when leaving Nashville either to revisit Louisville, where I worked in the early 80s, and go on to Charleston to see the setting of my current reading matter 'Scarlett'; or to go south. I chose the latter and haven't regretted it. After I left you last week, I headed for Fort Smith, in Arkansas, and had a pleasant day seeing the multiple gallows where outlaws were hanged, and the local whorehouse (from 'back in the day', not currently operational). Neither very uplifting experiences(!), but interesting; there was also a lovely riverside walk, which kept me happy. The weather has continued hot, hot, hot, with the occasional thunderstorm, but I've avoided the natural disasters not far off (fires in California, floods up north) thus far. I carried on to Broken Bow, near Beavers Bend National Park, hoping for a good hike; this didn't happen - it's more geared for families and camping, and the trails are not obvious enough for a spacially-challenged female such as I.
So, on to Hot Springs, just outside Little Rock. Bill Clinton was raised in Hot Springs, and they don't let you forget it! I found it to be a lovely spa town, though - on the lines of Buxton or Bath, with a lively history and pretty gardens in which to wander. I also managed a strenuous walk up to the Mountain Tower, then a climb by the staircase to the top for great view of the town and surroundings. I also went to an eve-of-4th-July party with sidestalls, country music (of course!) and fireworks. I felt a bit of an outsider as they celebrated getting rid of my ancestors - but everyone I spoke to was friendly, thankfully. One guy I spoke to says when he travels he pretends to be Canadian, as there's so much antipathy towards Americans at the moment.
I spent the 4th itself in Memphis. This has a lovely riverfront, and an island appropriately named Mud Island, which formed in the early twentieth century, but the focus is Beale Street, the Birthplace of the Blues. Lots of cafes, all with live music pouring out of the door. Also, being a holiday, there were bands and entertainers in the street. What better than to sit in the sunshine with an ice-cream, listening to blues/jazz? I have to admit here that I forewent (?) the required visit to Graceland - it was quite pricey, and I decided I didn't need to see where Elvis lived - hearing his music (everywhere!) was as good as a feast...
On then to Nashville - a place I had enjoyed back in December 1982. Either it has changed out of all recognition, or I'm thinking of somewhere else completely! More great music, though, so not a wasted journey.
So now I'm in Chattanooga, beneath Lookout Mountain, the southernmost peak of the Appalachians. It is quite commercialised, but I was happy yesterday to mingle with the vacationers wandering along rocky paths and enjoying the view at the top of seven states. I realised that I have visited 9 states so far - California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia (for about 6 hours yesterday). Not bad going...
I ended the day on the Incline Railway - VERY steep, having a chat with some members of a sorority convention. In other words, a girls' week-long party. Sounds good to me!
I then checked into a motel run by a couple from Bradford, so another good chinwag, before my nightly swim and read by the pool (still haven't mastered swimming 'properly' with my face in the water, John), before a trip to the family restaurant for my dinner which nearly always includes huge salad and fruit with chocolate sauce in the price...
The only downer is that my cellphone oops sorry, mobile phone - fell into the vernacular there - has no display now - the backlight has stopped working, so I can't read any texts, or access any information. So if I forget your birthday or don't call, please forgive me...
I'm off now to the river - hoping for a cruise on a paddle steamer in the sunshine. Such a tough life...
PS Sorry, no photos - struggling again to find internet access, and library doesn't allow downloads...

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

O-O-O-Oklahoma!

Yes, I'm halfway across the continent - the furthest I could be from the sea - laterally speaking. Here's a taste of the differing landscapes I'm encountering; the first picture shows that after 8 months of searching, I've discovered my true vocation, and can stop looking...

The second picture shows me at the (literally) dizzying heights of Pikes Peak - after a VERY scary 19 mile drive to the top, following a very slow winding route on both sealed and unsealed roads at the edge of precipitous drops (wonderful word, 'precipitous' - I remember Auntie Eileen teaching a toddling Katye to say it...). This is the mountain which inspired the writing of "America The Beautiful"; I can see why. I felt distinctly wobbly from the altitude, however, so quickly descended, noting the signs saying "Warning - hot brakes fail". Oooh-er.

The third picture (out of sequence, but beyond me to remedy in a short time) is in Oklahoma City - a lovely park in which I sat and watched families enjoying a Sunday stroll. I found the city very difficult to navigate, entering interstate highways by mistake; on escaping these I stumbled across residential areas, then wide roads with nothing but car sales ... When I DID find the centre it was very pleasant ("Oklahoma City is oh so pretty") with a canal reminiscent of, but on a much smaller scale than, San Antonio's; lined with eateries and masses of flowers.

Fourth picture is Garden of the Gods, in Manitou Springs, Colorado. This was another of those places which make you gasp in wonder. I had lunch with a lady who moved to the area 40 years ago and visits the park every day - she entertained me for a couple of hours with stories of her upbringing on her daddy's farm, and tales of the wildlife she encounters daily - including a mountain lion on one occasion. Such encounters are the essence of this trip... (with the lady, not the cougar!).

The final picture shows the skiing slopes of the Rockies, seen from a mountain pass while driving through. In between marvelling at and exploring the ever-changing scenery, I'm enjoying the road trip. At times the road stretches out ahead and behind, and either side there are flat fields to the horizon, miles away; I'm not tired of this - the cruise control is set so that I don't inadvertently stray over the speed limit, and the radio can generally pick up a local station ("You Look Good in My Shirt" is the current favourite; I'll sing it to you on my return if you're really unlucky). If I'm out of range, I fall back on my 2 charity shop CDs: live performances of tunes such as "Sweet Home Alabama"; or the soundtrack of "West Side Story" - I have tissues handy so as not to blur my vision...

Travelling here is very different from my travels 'Down Under'. There are few hostels, so I'm staying in motels mostly. It is great to have the privacy of my own bedroom and bathroom, but I do miss having other people around. I found a great hostel in Breckenridge, a ski resort, run by an English couple who facilitate socialising between guests by serving breakfast at a big table. I met some lovely people of all ages - all Americans, with their own story to tell. My life has been so different from theirs! It is fascinating particularly to meet people who were brought up on massive ranches. What a contrast from my London roots! It is emphasising the thought that after 30 years of sitting at a desk, I want to do something less structured on my return. This has been a sort of trial retirement for me and I'm really looking forward to that period when you're not ruled by the 9-5 clock...

Manitou Springs has a charming village feel. It was full of shops with floaty, hippy, but currently fashionable clothes. On my first evening there was a concert on the lawn in front of the library, with locals gathering on rugs, chatting and lying back, relaxing. The second afternoon there was the weekly craft fair and farmers'market, with a band playing. I saw an advertisement for the "Pie Baking Contest and Ice Cream Social". Wonderful! I want to live somewhere that does this kind of thing... Midsomer perhaps?! No, too dangerous!

I haven't done so much walking this week - I was warned not to hike in Garden of the Gods as it was 115 degrees in the lower places. So I'm driving on, trying not to fall into the trap of sticking to the interstate highways - they leave you in a kind of Limbo where there's nothing real - just motels and fast food outlets. Even if you drive off at an exit with a town's name, you sometimes find that this is just a gas station and wrecker's yard. I have been lucky this time and found an albeit rundown, town with a library and hopefully a mailbox - your latest postcard is on the dashboard, Emma.

Heading for another National Park on the South-East edge of Oklahoma - hopefully with walkable temperatures. Until then...

Awe-Inspiring and Stunningly Beautiful

That's Utah and Colorado... My decision to travel by car has been a good one - I'm enjoying the freedom to wander at will, and am finding the most wonderful places to visit. The first couple of days were uneventful - driving about 700 miles east, just revelling in the luxury of my upgraded car (the rental company had no economy jobs left at my pickup time; I had to wait an hour, so they compensated me with a Pontiac G6 at economy price, and gave me an extra 10% discount plus an energy bar!) and a radio, auto transmission and air con. My road trip was underway! My first real stop was in a small town just east of Las Vegas. I hadn't bothered to stop in Las Vegas as I'd been there before, and anyway I got lost (again), so decided to carry on. I stayed for the night in a small town called Mesquite, in Nevada. I found a hotel with a casino attached - or was it a casino with a hotel attached? They rent the rooms at a very cheap rate, hoping you'll spend lots at the tables and gaming machines. WRONG! I just took advantage of the cheap drinks, swam in the pool, and enjoyed a luxurious night. Then on the next day to Zion National Park in Utah. The temperature now was over 100 degrees, but I decided to do a hike in the park up the Emerald Pools trail - a rocky walk to three waterfalls at varying heights - I had a lovely paddle in the top one. I was really exhilarated - wanted to blog instantly as I walked, to share with you all the sheer excitement I was feeling. The scenery is breath-taking - sheer walls of rock-face, with the Virgin River meandering between. I felt so good - exercise, hot sunshine, truly awesome scenery plus ice-cream (eventually!). All this followed by a trip to the theatre (only just made it - had forgotten to adjust my watch for 'mountain time') to watch 3 guys playing cowboy songs. An experience, is all I'm saying about that!
I travelled on to Bryce Canyon (pic 1), still in Utah - very different, but equally inspiring - not really a canyon, more an amphitheatre filled with rock formations call 'hoodoos' - huge columns of rock. I did a hike labelled 'strenuous' - 'steep grades with multiple elevation changes' - i.e. lots of ups and downs, but done in zig-zags, so manageable. Very hot, though, and high elevation, so literally breath-taking. A photo opportunity around every corner. I could bore you all for DAYS with a slide-show! It was a perfect day, topped off by the news from home that #1 son (ok, only son) Alex is now a BSc(Hons) with a 2:1 in Professional Broadcasting Techniques. Congratulations Al - I'm a very proud mum, and had to tell someone, so told a complete stranger, who immediately hugged me!
The driving in Utah is wonderful - I chose the scenic route, and it certainly lives up to its name. My next stop was at Arches National Park (you guessed, pic 2) - more formations as described in the name. I did several small walks here rather than one 'biggie' - was feeling a bit tired and overheated, so decided to take the easy trails for once.
Having thought at Zion that I'd never want to leave Utah and the Canyonlands, I was now a bit 'canyoned out', and ready to move on. So I drove to Colorado, and the surroundings changed from the huge rocky mountains, past huge plains, to greener fields. At this point I was stuck in my first traffic jam - caused by a combination of roadworks and a spilled load. We were stationary for nearly an hour, with the temperature at 85. Unaccustomed as I am to such situations, I didn't know whether I should leave the engine running for the a/c, or just the ignition, or just sweat it out... But eventually we got going again and an array of snow-capped mountains appeared before me.
I drove into Crested Butte, a ski village in winter and a hiking and biking centre in summer; that's where I am now. The mountains remind me of Austria - they are really beautiful. I took a shuttle bus yesterday into a small village 3 miles further on, called Mt Crested Butte. There I jumped onto a chair lift and travelled up almost to the top of the mountain - 12,000ft elevation. It was chilly enough for me to don my 'hoodie' for a while as I walked gently down a ski slope (pic 3) - now a gravel path, pausing frequently to drink water, take photos, gasp at the view, chat to fellow hikers and avoid the bikes. This weekend is 'fat tire (sic) weekend' - the mountain was teeming with downhill mountain bike racers. They come past you with no warning - it's quite scary at times. They also have to go over some jumps - I saw some come a-cropper, but no serious injuries, fortunately. In my usual fashion I got lost at one point and had to retrace my steps uphill. This made me realise why I'd been advised to get the chairlift up and walk down - uphill was hard work in the altitude, and I eventually decided, discretion being the better part of valour, and as I was running short of water (4 bottles consumed), to take the easy way - and leapt onto a passing chairlift going down.
So, in the past week - has it really been only a week? - I have enjoyed wonderful driving, breath-taking views, great exercise and luxurious accommodation. Last night I decided, having done some sums, that I must revert to hostel lodgings. My luck held - the hostel here is very pleasant, and I had my 4-bed dorm to myself. A single for the price of a dorm, with the bonus of people to chat to in the lounge - I had breakfast with a couple of teachers from Kansas City; very interesting to compare lifestyles. They showed me the paintings she had done yesterday after visiting the mountains. Such a personal reminder, as compared with my photos which don't quite capture the majesty of it all...
So, if you ever come to the West Coast of the USA, I urge you not to miss southern Utah and Colorado. I have been amazed and delighted at everything - to think I only came here for the fast food, and I haven't even mentioned it! Hoorah for American breakfasts, bottomless drinks, iced water, clam chowder and salad with croutons and blue cheese dressing!
Heading east again tomorrow to Leadville - 2 miles high, I'm told - guess that's more snow and sunshine - sigh, how shall I cope?! Cheers for now!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Flowers in my hair?

Wow, I'd forgotten what a fab city San Francisco is! So much to do, so many lovely places to visit. This is the place to get fit - the movies don't lie - the streets are all ups and downs, and I think I've walked most of them in the last 4 days!
My heart sank when I arrived, as my hostel is not the best, despite a 90% rating on the net. They must have paid people to write good reviews! On the first night, the ceiling in the lounge collapsed, narrowly missing my Aussie 'roomy' Carol.I was the only one to enquire whether she was ok. Maybe if the staff showed concern they would be admitting liability? Then Carol's transformer melted in the wall socket. This will be checked 'in a few days'. We have contingency plans in place in case we catch fire in the night... Ah, the joys of travelling! The up-side of all this was the friendship with Carol - we teamed up with Canadian Sophia and hit the town one evening, going to the famous Starlight bar. We felt rather conspicuous in our scruffs, but the staff were as courteous to us as to those dripping with expensive jewelry! Last night we went to the theatre to see 'Tis Pity She's a Whore' by John Ford. Very bloody at the end - luckily I was up in the gods, but still had to look away...
The first picture is Crookedest Street- very pretty, but quite a climb to get up to it (unless unlike me you are sensible enough to take a bus/streetcar). The second, of course is the famous cable car. The guy behind me in the queue wanted to pay for my ticket... Earlier that day, I had gone up to hippy paradise Haight-Ashbury. On the bus, a guy started to advise me about which shops I should go in. He then told me not to buy drugs on the street, as they are poor quality. He patted his pocket, and asked me what drugs I would like. I told him I got my highs without the aid of drugs... he and another guy then proceeded to tell me how to avoid paying on the buses and cable cars. I know I'm not looking very smart (understatement) at the moment - but do I really look that destitute?
My favourite food so far (I love American food) has been clam chowder, served in a huge round sourdough bread bowl. You drink the soup, then eat the bowl and the lid. Yummy!
The weather has been typical San Francisco - a heatwave for the first couple of days, then chilly enough to warrant buying a new 'hoodie'. Today I had both climates - I rented a bike and cycled over the mist-shrouded Golden Gate bridge, battling against the wind - at one point I thought I might start going backwards - but when I reached Sausalito it was really hot, and I sat in t-shirt and shorts enjoying a sandwich and 'chips' at a sidewalk cafe, overlooking the sea. I ended up cycling 16 miles; not much for you regular cyclists, but a good distance for an amateur such as myself. I then took the ferry back and walked up millions (ok, hundreds) of steps to the Coit Tower - the patroness apparently liked firemen (can't think why...!) so the tower is a tall column looking like a fireman's hose. You get a very good view from the top, anyway.
While I was here in San Francisco I took the opportunity to look up my late friend Martha's family, who live in Berkeley - only 30 minutes on the train. Martha's mother met me from the train and took me to their house, where I had a lovely day with her and with her sister, who is a very lively 91-year-old. I very much enjoyed meeting them and seeing Martha's roots - they are very artistic, and have a house full of beautiful things, mostly made by members of the family. Quite apart from their relationship with Martha, making it a poignant occasion, it was also interesting to meet a real Californian family, and get their viewpoint on various issues, including US politics!
I haven't seen everything in San Francisco by a long way, and this is my third visit here, but I'm leaving enough to make a return visit sometime worthwhile.
I'm setting off tomorrow on my road trip, having investigated and rejected the Greyhound bus and the Amtrak train. Sarah (my sister-out-law) and Randy have pinpointed some places I should visit on my way, and hopefully will join me at some point. I'm aiming for Richmond, Va, to visit my friend Ros, from Louisville days; that's 3000 miles from here, were I to go without detour. Then on to New York.
So tomorrow I head East. Haven't quite worked out the finer details yet, but I guess if I point the car in the right direction, and remember to stick to the right hand side of the road, all should be well.

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

G'bye Australia

I couldn't leave without updating you on my last few days here, which have included some real highlights of the trip. I've been pleasantly surprised at how much I've enjoyed the Oz part of my journey - I wasn't sure about it beforehand, as regular readers will know. The friendly nature of the Aussies has been a feature - I only have to open a map and pause for a moment, and someone is there offering advice. In the main, shop assistants and cafe staff have been helpful and chatty - one even invited me to her home - unfortunately my onward travel was already booked, so I couldn't take her up on it. The different landscapes have been truly 'awesome' in places; pretty sometimes; always interesting - even long stretches of road with seemingly endless fields of sugar cane are interesting to an English city girl accustomed to traffic and houses all the way...
Coffs Harbour, my last stop on the journey down the east coast to Sydney, was a lovely place. I arrived in the rain, to find one of the best hostels awaiting me. Maybe because there were not many people; but it was very well appointed - lots of space, friendly staff, and clean bathrooms and kitchens. Makes a difference to a long-term traveller! I ventured out, forgetting to change out of my jeans - mistake! I generally wear them when travelling, as they are lighter to wear than carry. But walking in them in the rain is a no-no. It takes SO long to dry out denim! Never mind, it was worth it, as I walked along the jetty and sampled the local ice-cream. Next morning I sensibly wore my other trousers. This time though, it was sunny and dry. I walked along the beach, looking out at nearby islands and the sun rippling on the waves - bliss. I then wandered along the jetty by the harbour towards Muttonbird Island, laughing merrily at a sign which said to beware of waves breaking over the rocks. Yes, you guessed, I was hit by a freak wave which completely soaked me - I was dripping from hair to trainers... so back to the hostel for a shower and unpack and change before getting on the Greyhound bus, carrying an extra plastic bag full of very heavy wet clothes... So goodbye to Coffs Harbour, but I'd like to think I might return some day.
And so to Sydney again. Saturday was an unexpectedly sunny day, so Fenella and I mooched around some lovely crafty shops and enjoyed a hot drink in a cafe, before going to the cinema to see 'Sex and the City'. It was a treat on three counts - one, the film was great; two, I had company; three, we both enjoyed it equally - it was lovely to be on a 'girly' outing again!
Yesterday I got up to pouring rain again - this on the day Nick and I were booked to go to the Blue Mountains with his bush-walking group. Undaunted we set out, driving for a couple of hours to a lovely place called Wentworth Falls. This was one of the wettest walks I've ever done! Through oceans of mud, up and down steep rocky steps. This walk alone justified the burdensome carrying of my walking boots around the world! I was very smug to be one of the few people with warm dry feet right to the end. BUT it was the most beautiful place to visit. I can't begin to describe the waterfalls we walked alongside, they were spectacular; the sheer force of the water was breathtaking - some very high sheer drops; some gentle slopes with the water rushing over the rocks. All in a fine mist, which although it masked some of the views, actually added an air of mystery to the surroundings. A walk that I shall always remember with pleasure.
Today is the queen's birthday - I'm sure you knew that? At least, today is the day the Aussies give themselves a day off work in her honour! Sounds a good idea to me... so Happy Bithday, Ma'am - I'll think of you as I pack for my onward flights tomorrow. Thanks, Oz, it's been great - look out USA, here I come...

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Breezy Brizzy

Hello from rain-drenched Byron Bay. Big storms on the east coast this week and I've copped 'em. Never mind, I had a couple of dry-ish but windy days in Brisbane. Loved it! Lots of green areas, especially down by the river. It's a big city, with:- craft markets; walkways, some floating on the river itself; interesting art - modern and sculpture; the city cat (water taxi which doubles as a cruise for visitors). On Sunday I was wandering through the flower-wreathed arbour walkway (pic 1) when I caught the sound of a piano - a brilliant young player at a sponsored event in a covered but open-access arena. I sat and listened until sadly he was replaced by a screeching soprano and I beat a hasty retreat. I bumped into lots of Aussies in gold and green shirts - I thought I was back in Bangkok on the King's birthday; but no, it was the World Cup qualifier against Iraq. Luckily the 'Socceroos' won, so there was a happy atmosphere in the city that evening. I stopped in a bar and had a Sunday dinner - including bread and butter pudding and custard. Yum! Then I went to the cinema (film 16 of my trip, I think!). Very rash of me to go on a Sunday - had to pay full price. Should have waited for 'tight-arse' (can I say that?) Tuesday when it's much cheaper - that seems to apply nationwide. Saw 'The Painted Veil' - very good, but I came out crying...
So I'm making my way south - had a lovely couple of days in the Whitsundays, island hopping, then down through Rockhampton, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn again; Maryborough (off the backpacker trail with really nice 'heritage' area by the river); Brisbane (Brizzy to us in the know); and now Byron Bay. I've just walked to the most easterly part of Oz, (pic 2) and got soaked in the process. I'm in a nice hostel, though, so will have a cosy evening drinking hot choc and reading in the lounge. On tomorrow to Coffs Harbour. I guess that will be another water-sporty place, but hopefully it'll dry up enough for me to have a wander by the beach. Then Sydney, and the enticing prospect of a few days of good company and comfort back with Nick and Fenella. Hoorah!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Creature from the Deep

Well, not very deep, actually! This is me togged up ready to go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Yes, I've reached the Eastern coast of Australia; I'm in Cairns. This is tourist city - reminiscent of Queenstown in New Zealand, in that every other shop is an activity centre, exhorting you to go on this trip or that... I've spent three days on organised tours - the first being in three parts: a 7km cable-car ride skimming tropical rainforest to a village nestling in the trees, with a VERY tempting zoo (2nd pic) which I managed to resist(!); a visit to an aboriginal cultural park - both interesting and fun, I now know about their 'Dreamtime' stories, how to make naturally toxic fruit edible (don't try this at home), how to make and play a didgeridoo, and, despite detailed instructions, am rubbish at throwing a boomerang - it nosedives into the ground every time; and back on a scenic train ride. The next day I set sail on a catamaran with 84 others, comprising mainly blonde skinny twenty-year-olds (hate 'em!). The experience of snorkeling on the Reef was quite amazing as you might imagine - the colours of the coral and the close proximity of the fish were out of this world. I loved the sights, but not the snorkel - not my 'thing', I'm afraid. So I've ticked that off my list, and don't need to do it again! After a day 'off', mooching around Cairns, I embarked on a 4WD trip north to Cape Tribulation. This included another boat cruise looking for crocodiles. Our guide on this occasion kindly manoeuvred the boat close to the bank to point out a 'lovely, big' tree snake. He told us that he would bring it aboard so that we could all drape it around ourselves. I was preparing to abandon ship in favour of swimming with the crocs when he laughed at his little joke. What a wheeze, I was very amused...
Today I've taken a bus trip a few kms north of Cairns to a beach resort called Trinity Beach (pictured). This is a bit upmarket, so I met some people my age for a change, and enjoyed some lovely chats. There is no swimming in the sea at the moment, because of the 'stingers' - jellyfish who can inflict such damage that you are either in agony for 12 days, or you die, apparently. There are containers of vinegar on the beaches as a first aid measure, although the recommended first treatment is to get a friend to pee on you. Guess I'm in trouble there! So they have an area in the sea enclosed by nets, within which you can safely bathe. It was a lovely hot day, so I strolled on the sand, out of reach of poisonous tentacles, sunbathed a bit and swam. It felt like I was on holiday!! It seems strange that people can only swim in the sea in winter here. Summer = bad (too hot and humid, too many crocs and stingers); winter = good. Very odd.
I'm meeting more Aussies here - people come up from Sydney and Melbourne to get away from the cold weather. Their speech reminds me curiously of the Guernsey lingo - they end every sentence with 'eh' for emphasis. Also a bit like the Irish 'so you will' or 'so it is' e.g. "you'll need a ticket, eh (so you will)" or "it's a lovely day, eh". Please excuse my muddled uses of ' and " - my brain's taking a break...
So I've enjoyed Cairns, but it's time to move on. I'm hoping it will stay warm for my next few days, but as I head towards Sydney the thermometer will drop. But looking on the bright side, this will make my departure from Oz less sad as I head for the sunny skies of the USA in June... Cheers for now!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Gone troppo in the Top End

Wow! Thanks guys for all your texts, facebook messages and ecards for my birthday - I'm quite overwhelmed... I feel as if I've been at a party with you all! I will get around to thanking y'all, but it may take a few days! I had wondered how it would be, so far away from home; as anyone who knows me will testify, I'm a kid where birthdays are concerned, they are SO EXCITING! So after having great chats with first my father and then (number one son) Alex I treated myself to an American-style breakfast of pancakes with bacon, berries, cream and maple syrup. Yum! Then after reading some of your messages I had a very steamy walk to Darwin museum. It was hot and humid and I ran out of water halfway - not good; but eventually I found a 'Ski Club' by the beach??? I guess water-skiing - and was allowed in as a visitor. As a private club, the drinks were cheap, hoorah! The museum was QI - quite interesting; lots of info on cyclone Tracy which destroyed Darwin on Christmas Day 1974 - I don't remember that? Was it too far away to be considered newsworthy, or was I too busy having a good time to watch the news? Also stuff about the city's bombing by the Japanese in WW2. I didn't know about that either. I felt humbled by my ignorance... But hey, not going to beat myself up about it - I hopped on a bus with a cheery driver and made my way to the nearest Baskin Robbins for an ice cream sundae. I cunningly 'let slip' that it was my birthday and the very friendly assistant piled extra ice cream (3 scoops - cookies n cream, hokey pokey and 'passion' - berries and white chocolate) on my bananas, under a mound of cream and chocolate sauce. First picture is of me halfway through it!! I rounded off my day by chatting with (number one daughter) Katye, then meeting up with some of the gang from my outback tours, and going to the 'deckchair cinema' with them. This was a unique experience - rows of deckchairs attached in rows before a huge screen in the open air. We sat in the front row with a stretch of grass between us and the screen. Halfway through the film we saw a creature running across in front of us - a possum or maybe a desert rat - we weren't sure. He came back a couple of times, and once I felt something brush over my feet... after this my attention was divided between George Clooney on the screen, and the ground in front of me - those slithery things were on my mind yet again. So a great day.
But when I last 'blogged' I was in Alice Springs, and I've had some great adventures since then. I rejoined my 14-day tour, with some of the same people and some new ones, and we progressed North to Darwin (the Top End), taking three days. This tour was mainly transit - we covered 1500kms in three days, stopping off in a few spots for sightseeing, stretching of legs and swimming. We crossed into the Tropic of Capricorn with great ceremony - there's a line drawn across the road that everyone had to photograph. We stopped one day at a lovely reservoir where some people swam, but I got chatting to some aboriginal 'Warramundi' ladies who told me they were on a "girls' day out". I was very pleased to have a conversation with them, as I must admit I'd felt a bit wary of approaching them in Alice, as they tended to group together, and I wasn't sure how welcoming they would be to tourists. We had a laugh together about them leaving their husbands in town working for the day while they had a fun-filled picnic. The last place before Darwin was Katherine Gorge, known in Aboriginal as Nitmiluk. Occurs to me that if we were in Oz we'd have to call Katye 'Nit' for short. Hmmmm.
After an overnight stop in Darwin (less than 12 hours there) we set off for the last 3 days of the tour. This took us to Litchfield National Park, where we went on a cruise to see the 'jumping crocodiles' - picture 2. I wasn't sure about this - it was great to see the crocs - they are salt-water ones, big and dangerous normally, but these ones appeared sleepy and over-fed - it seemed as though the crew were teasing them, as they didn't always let them have the meat, making them jump several times then withdrawing the meat. In the wet season which has just ended, the crocs get into all the waterholes, so it isn't safe to swim. Once the water subsides, rangers check the pools for safety. Fresh water crocs are ok, though - they don't attack humans, apparently. Not sure I want to meet one while bathing, though. As you can see, I got my bikini wet a couple of times - we went on to Kakadu (du du) National Park, which is vast - twice the size of the Netherlands. Here we saw examples of aboriginal rock art from different eras up to fairly recent times; scrambled up steep rocky cliffs to watch a magnificent sunset; bathed in pools between a series of waterfalls, ending in a sheer drop. It was a wonderful experience, so beautiful. Some of the wimpy youngsters thought the water was cold - they haven't swum off Herm in the Channel Islands!!
I'm very glad I did the tours - we saw places you certainly wouldn't get to on an expensive coach trip. But I'm also quite happy to be back in hostels. The trips were fun, but we did rough it a little - the camping was surprisingly chilly at times; the food was tasty, (we all helped prepare it, I've picked up some tips on mass-catering!), but it was advisable not to look too closely at the washing-up for 20+ people in one bowl of cold dirty greasy water and drying up with wet dirty cloths! Also most of the time (apart from the last day, thanks to our great driver/tour leader Kate) when on the bus our ears were assaulted by VERY loud music blasting over the sound system. I like loud music; I go to pubs expressly to listen to it at home - but this was excessive. No chance of hearing your own ipod. The amazing thing is that the people for whom it was played usually managed to sleep through it all! But that's a small gripe, and I met some lovely people and saw some wonderful sights.
This morning my alarm went off at 2am and I jumped on the airport shuttle for my flight to Cairns. When I got here - shock, horror, it's raining and only 26 degrees.. I want to go back to Darwin!! The forecast improves on Sunday, so I guess I'll stick around a bit, spend the next couple of days relaxing and catching up with emails, and maybe go snorkeling on Sunday. Or on a train to the rainforest. Ah, decisions! It's a tough life.
G'bye f'now!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Feral Tucker in the Outback

G'day mates! Here I am in Alice Springs, in the Red Centre of Australia, in the middle of a BIG ADVENTURE! I had become a bit lazy, going from city to city, walking in botanical gardens, sitting in town squares, so it was time to shake myself up a bit, so I booked a 14-day 'adventure tour' from Adelaide (more or less in the middle of the south coast) up the centre to Darwin (more or less in the middle of the north coast). I have done the first six days, and they have been wonderful. I was pretty scared at first, bearing in mind my already much documented phobia about snakes, but I 'felt the fear and did it anyway'! I was in a group of 20 travellers, mostly very young, with an excellent driver/guide. I rode 'shotgun' with him a couple of times and he told me of his upbringing in the outback and as a jackaroo - really interesting to meet the 'real thing'. The group was very lively and engaging - I felt a real buzz being with them, apart from one morning at about 2am when I'd rather have slept than listened to them a-whoopin' and a-hollerin'!! We've driven about 3000 kms to include various places off the beaten track, getting up before dawn most mornings, maybe watching the sun come up somewhere, driving, walking, cooking over roadside BBQs. You don't have to be too finicky on these trips - washing up in filthy, cold water; drying the dishes on wet, filthy towels. Amazingly, we all resisted the bugs. Maybe we worry too much about cleanliness in everyday life? We stayed in a couple of hostels, one in a town with population 6; one underground in an opal mine, and camped out a couple of times. Most people slept in 'swags' - canvas bags containing a mattress and sleeping bag, out on the ground, looking up at the stars. I'm sorry to say I chickened out, not wanting to lie awake waiting for a slithery sound..., so I opted for a basic tent instead. So far, so good; 6 days down, no snakes yet... (no big spiders, either, in case you're wondering).
The highlights of the trip have been Uluru (Ayers Rock) at sunset and sunrise, of course; and Kings Canyon (second picture). The latter was even better than Uluru, I thought - the canyon is surrounded by a vast area of rocks shaped like igloos; there are (small) waterholes in the centre, and lush vegetation (the 'garden of Eden'). We did a 3+ hour walk over rocky terrain - not too difficult, but enough to stretch the legs a bit. We walked in the Olgas, which from a distance look like Homer Simpson lying down (really!).
We've seen a fair bit of wildlife - the kangaroos were actually eating out of our hands. There are also smaller 'roos called euros, and lots of emus. We've heard dingoes (wild dogs), howling at night and early morning, some quite close to the campsite, but haven't seen any yet in the wild. We've eaten Kangaroo steak (tastes a bit like liver); emu burgers and camel sausages. All very tasty.
Our driver had ways of keeping us amused on the long journeys of several hours at a time. We were given felt-tip pens to draw on the windows (brilliant, why didn't I think of that when the children were young?), so there were games of noughts and crosses, hangman, boxes, going on plus some maps of people's home countries and great artwork; we did quizzes, we passed cheesy rings up and down the bus using straws but no hands, Loads of fun. We waved at the 'grey nomads' - retired people who buy a campervan and travel - I know some at home?! We listened to 3 versions of 'Waltzing Matilda', and sang a jolly ditty entitled "G'day g'day" at ;least once a day. Loadsa fun.
We arrived in Alice last night - tired and very grubby. Everything is covered in red dust - the backpack is full of it, so washing clothes hasn't totally solved the problem. My convertible pants still have red stains after a run through the washer - a souvenir, I guess; proves I was there.
I have today and tomorrow here to sort my gear, relax a bit and contact y'all - thanks for all your messages once again, I love to hear what you're up to. Hope you all had a good Bank Holiday weekend, wherever you were. I told my new friends about Haddenham and Rochester morris weekends. They were pretty bemused, I think. I drew a picture of a morris dancer on the window of the bus, but they weren't impressed!!
So, I go on this Thursday to Darwin. More camping and cooking and exploring. I'm getting good at stamping my feet and singing loudly while walking through the bush. "they are more afraid of you..." I don't think so!!
Cheers, mates!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Koalas, kangaroos and medals

I've left the Victorians behind now - just couldn't get used to it when they referred to 'Victorian Police' or 'Victorian buildings'. I was looking for vintage items, forgetting I was in the state of Victoria. Now everything is marked 'SA' which in my head is South Africa, but of course is South Australia. Oh dear...
After another arresting experience - I went on a tour of the old gaol in Melbourne, where you are locked up and subjected to a taste of the old procedures - I hurriedly left and embarked (on St George's Day - I wore my 'Barmy Army' cap all day, of course!) on a 3-day trip along the Great Ocean Road towards Adelaide. This is a bit of a misnomer, as only about a third of the road is actually beside the ocean. It was a particularly calm day when we travelled the 'surf coast', so we had to imagine the waves and surfers! But the day was made by a trip into an area of eucalyptus trees, where we saw several koalas in the wild (confession - the 3rd photo is actually a cheat, taken in a koala park near Sydney). We were able to get up quite close, although the koalas stayed up in the trees. After a night in a pretty basic hostel in Apollo Bay, a quiet but pretty seaside town, we were picked up by another driver. He proved to be a stereotypical Aussie guy - racist, sexist - referring to his passengers as e.g. 'those Swedish sheilas' and making jokes about mean Scots etc, interspersed with political jibes. Or maybe I just don't share his sense of humour... Never mind, we decided to ignore him, and enjoyed the day, with a trip down to see the truly awesome twelve apostles - see second picture. They are crumbling as we speak, and are a wonderful sight, especially in the late afternoon sunshine. We then visited 'London Bridge' - a formation which partially collapsed a couple of years ago, leaving a couple stranded on the island formed from the broken arch. The story goes that they were reluctant to be interviewed by the eager tv crews when rescued - they were married, but not to each other...
We also caught sight of lots of kangaroos running about wild near the road - in fact we almost ran one over, they are so tame...
On next day to the Grampians, where the first picture was taken. We had a great walk up to the Pinnacles - huge rock formations. It was the sort of walk I really enjoy - lots of scrambling over rocks, and steep gradients. We were then picked up again by our day one driver, who proved to be very helpful - I had booked a hostel in Adelaide, but when we arrived he said to me 'It's very noisy - not your sort of place, I'd go to the YHA if I were you'. This turned out to be an excellent piece of advice - the original one has a bad reputation, and the YHA is the best hostel here so far - huge clean kitchen, plenty of places to sit and read quietly or watch tv, crisp clean cotton sheets like we had when I was a child - fresh from the laundry. Bliss.
My customary luck held when I arrived in Adelaide - I strolled down the road to get some milk and discovered a huge party in the street. Of course, Anzac Day! This is a huge event, commemorating the courage and staying power of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who landed in Gallipoli in the First World War. In every city they have a dawn service and a big parade. I had stumbled across the ensuing street party - live bands, beer tents, hot dog stands. Lots of people in uniform, young and old, all sporting their own medals on their left breast, their family medals (parents', grandparents') on their right. I chatted for a while to an ex-serviceman who told me all about it, and said that on this day (a public holiday) everyone is particularly friendly and courteous to strangers in the street - it's a great atmosphere. Interesting in the light of current discussions in the UK papers about whether enough respect is shown to people in service uniforms, irrespective of whether one approves of current overseas military actions. I felt honour bound to raise a can (yes, a can - strange) of Smirnoff Ice to them, and to bop along with the music. Rude not to, I thought...
Adelaide is known as the city of churches, but I haven't noticed their presence any more than ini any other city. It's not a place you think 'I must go to Adelaide and see the...', but nevertheless, it has enough interesting places to keep a traveller here for a few days. Today I've been a few kms out of the city to Brighton on the tram, walking from there through Hove to Glenelg. It was a bit like being in Sussex, really, a bit chilly with showers!
I have been feeling the lack of company my age recently - the 3-day tour was full of teens and twenty-somethings; so I was amused to see on entering the kitchen this morning (Sunday) at about 8.15 that everyone else there - about 10 people - was, shall we say, 'mature'. I don't think 8 in the morning exists if you're under thirty and have no children! I had a nice chat with an English couple resident in NZ, before going back to my room after 9am and trying to find my toothbrush etc without waking my 'roomies'. The joys of shared living!
Off to the 'Red Centre' - Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru) next - watch this space.

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Melbourne - sporting capital

Hello from Melbourne! Many people recommended coming here, but couldn't really say why. Well, it's a lovely place to be. Lots of parks; modern, spacious squares; tall buildings to see from (88th floor of the Eureka Sky Tower a must!); sculptures in the streets; lots going on. The first day I was here there was a police band playing jazz in Federation Square - a little like the Triangle in Manchester - big area with steps for seating, and a large video screen. I was in heaven - men in uniform, playing saxophones - what more could a girl want (I chatted to one of them at the break, but didn't get a chance to test his embouchere...). The next day there was another band playing afro-jazz as an introduction to the jazz fringe festival just starting. Yesterday there was a show of Omani culture - lots of craft stalls and some music and strange but interesting dancing. All this in unseasonably warm weather - it is the equivalent of October here, but after a mediocre summer in Oz it is currently sunny. I take full credit for bringing good weather - it has accompanied me around the world pretty much all of the time so far...
I haven't spent all my time in the Square, though - on my first day I was given 5 booklets of walks around the city, of which I've done 3 so far. The first day I explored the little backstreets - lots of tiny cafes and very expensive clothes shops. The second day I walked by the river to the sports area - they are sports-mad here. There are several arenas, the major one being the MCG - Melbourne Cricket Ground. I did a tour here, standing on the grass; visiting the players' viewing rooms and their dressing rooms (bit stinky - the smell of stale male sweat lingers!); and the Long Room - not quite Lords, but not a bad imitation! Our tour guide was a Member - he and the others I met when looking around the new Sports Museum later were so enthusiastic. In the end I gave up asking questions as I felt I might be there for the rest of my year...
They don't just play cricket there - it also hosts Aussie Rules Football. The hunky young Dutchman who's sleeping on top of me in the dorm says I should go to a game even if I don't understand the rules - the atmosphere is magic, he says. But he hasn't offered to escort and enlighten me, so I think I'll save my dollars. As warned, Australia is proving more expensive than New Zealand. The NZ dollar is about 2.5 to the pound, whereas the Aus dollar is approx 2 to the pound. But you have to pay the same number of Aus dollars or more for the same goods or services.
Today I'm feeling very laid-back and unstressed (of course, what's to stress me?!). I've walked the 5 or 6 kms directly south to St Kilda beach via Albert Park which has a large lake with birds and boats to watch. I've walked to the end of the pier, and sat in the sun eating a chicken and avocado salad (why don't we use avocado more - it's fab in a salad!); I've lazed on the beach watching children build sandcastles. The lifestyle here is definitely enviable.
I've neglected to mention firstly the storm we witnessed on my last full day in Sydney - thunder and lightning over the harbour bridge, forcing the climbers to retreat - glad I wasn't climbing that day. Secondly, I've completely missed out a description of Canberra, where I stayed a couple of days before I got here (3.5 coach hours from Sydney, 8.5 hours from Melbourne; very long trip enlivened by chatting to 83-year-old Canberra resident) - Canberra is the capital city, chosen when just a tiny place because it is between the two contenders, Sydney and Melbourne. It was purpose-built and very well-designed. I did a city tour which included the new Parliament House. This made me realise that I've never visited the Houses of Parliament in London, which I must put right on my return...
Hope you like the contrast between the natural and unnatural in my photos - I'm told that a cow in a tree isn't too unlikely; it happens when flood waters subside sometimes! Enough - thanks for accompanying me on this part of my trip!

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

For Martha

I'd like to dedicate this blog to my friend Martha, who sadly lost her battle with cancer yesterday. She fought bravely and long, and was an inspiration to me. She made light of her illness wherever possible, finding something to smile at in most situations, and taking an interest in my comparatively trivial ups and downs. There will be a Martha-shaped space at our girls' nights out which will be impossible to fill. I was privileged to be her friend, and my condolences go out to Chris and to the rest of Martha's family.

Having expected to compare Australia unfavourably with New Zealand on all counts, I have to tell you that Sydney is stunning. I love it; there's so much to see and do, and the harbour takes your breath away. If you were to walk the whole perimeter of the harbour it would be as far as from Sydney to Melbourne, I'm told. I've covered about 3 kms so far - a long way to go yet!
I've really fallen on my feet with my accommodation here - 5 star luxury:- a double room with ensuite to myself; beautiful house and surroundings; delicious food (gourmet packed lunches included); and wonderful company to top it all. Yes, I'm staying with Nick and Fenella (pic 2, in paddy field)! They even 'guested' me onto a trip on Sunday with their local bushwalking group. I'm being really spoilt - think I'll stay a few months... no, it's ok N&F, I'll tear myself away soon!
I'll have to give you a quick taster of events since I arrived, otherwise this will be a marathon blog, but so far I have watched jazz in the park; bush walked in the Blue Mountain region; explored The Rocks heritage area underneath The Bridge; ascended the Sky Tower and done the 3D, 180 degree screen, strapped into a chair 'Oz Trek' which swoops you through canyons, down white water rivers and so on; explored Parramatta; travelled down the river on a river catamaran under the harbour bridge into Sydney; toured the Sydney Opera House and, the highlight so far, CLIMBED OVER SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE!
To expand a little on some of this - can I urge any of you who come to Sydney (even the atheists like myself) to make time to visit St Patrick's Cathedral in Parramatta - it has been rebuilt since being mostly destroyed by fire, and it is absolutely beautiful. Very simple, very modern. I don't know how to convey to you the peace I found there - truly a place to linger and meditate.
The river trip gave a different angle on the harbour - seeing the bridge from below before my climb emphasised the sheer size of it.
What lucky star was I born under I wonder - my tour of the Opera House was very special - when we entered the main concert hall, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was rehearsing Brahms' 5th symphony (I know, Daddy, before you rush to your keyboard to correct me - Brahms only wrote four; this was of course the Schoenberg piece of homage). Then when we went into the Opera Theatre hall, one of the principal male dancers of the ballet company was in solo rehearsal being directed by the choreographer. He repeated one phrase several times, then launched into a fairly lengthy sequence - a modern take on the ballet Swan Lake. I'm not fond of classical ballet, but this was a blend of old and new; fascinating and wonderful to watch. We were so fortunate in our timing of the tour. Nick, Fenella and I are returning on Sunday afternoon to listen to a 'Steinway Spectacular' featuring 8 grand pianos - should be good!
So, in conclusion, I want to shout "I DID IT" and wear the t-shirt, as I achieved a long-held ambition to climb the harbour bridge. This is a 3.5 hour experience, and I enjoyed every minute. We were kitted out in jumpsuits, then the essential belt to which all sorts of stuff was attached so that it wouldn't drop off or get blown away: a radio receiver and headset; handkerchief to wipe sweaty brow or runny nose ; baseball cap to stop hair covering eyes; fleece in bag; rain jacket in bag; and finally the piece de resistance - a cable to attach oneself to a metal strip winding along our entire route. Once attached, we were committed - no going back! After instruction and a practice on some ladders in the waiting area, we were off. Firstly we negotiated a long flat part alongside the metal framework to the end of the arch. The the ladders began - one person at a time. The worst part was changing from the top of one ladder to the bottom of the next, at an angle to it, with trains and cars rattling along below. Having negotiated these ladders, we were ready to climb onto the arch. This is a fairly gradual climb (although the lady behind me didn't think so!) until, after a few stops for breathers; photographs taken by the guide (we weren't trusted to handle a camera and hold on at the same time - or maybe they like their monopoly!); and looks at the view - we were at the apex. Wow! what a fabulous view - twice as high as the Opera House. We saw a raincloud approaching and hastily donned jackets, but it veered away, and we were left with a magnificent sight... blue waters, the Opera House, ships, scyscrapers ... fabulous. Well worth it, I'm very glad I did it.
There's still much to do here - I've had a restful day today, and am planning a ferry trip tomorrow to touch the ocean...
Until the next time...

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam