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April 30, 2005
Learning curves in Bali
(Day 73) I had no idea what I was doing. Somehow, it had slipped my mind to buy a guidebook for southeast asia, and I didn't realize this until I was at the airport. And though I probably could've found one at one of the airport shops, I was too caught up chatting with my friends with the free wireless service provided at the boarding gate. Well, I'll manage, somehow.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:05 AM | Comments (8)
April 29, 2005
Last day in Australia
(Day 72) Darwin felt like your typical seaside city, with resorts, palm trees, beaches, and outdoor markets. I didn't get a chance to see very much of it though; I had some administrative work (burning CDs, confirming flights, visiting the post office) that ended up taking much longer than I expected. I did make time to visit Aquascene, a unique natural attraction where thousands of milkfish, mullet, catfish, and various other species come in at high tide every day to be handfed by curious tourists. Yeah, it's mostly entertainment for kids, but hey, I'm just a big kid underneath it all.
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Posted by markyiin at 10:17 AM | Comments (3)
April 28, 2005
Litchfield
(Day 71) Before coming here, I knew all about Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and how it is a must see for anyone visiting Australia. I only learned recently that Kakadu National Park is just as popular. In fact, many people find the scenery at Kakadu, specifically the waterfalls, more stunning a sight than Uluru. Unfortunately, getting to the falls is quite a challenge. During wet season, when Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls are at their most spectacular, the roads become flooded, making them inaccessible even to 4WD vehicles. The only way to view them is by helicopter. The roads open up during dry season, but sort of like a cruel joke, the water would stop flowing.
Posted by markyiin at 05:50 AM | Comments (10)
It's getting humid...
(Day 70) When work on the new north-south railway first began back in 1929, it was always the intention for it to travel from Adelaide to Darwin. Various sections of the rail, specifically from Adelaide to Alice Springs, had been operational for decades, but political obstacles and engineering difficulties prevented the entire line from being laid down until January 2004, 75 years after the idea was first conceived. Officially called the Great Southern Railway, more often than not it is referred to as the Ghan, after the original Ghan it made obsolete.
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Posted by markyiin at 05:44 AM | Comments (3)
April 27, 2005
The Ghan
(Day 69) The day off did wonders for my physically. Not quite 100%, but better than I've felt in a while.
As I was leaving Alice Springs today, I packed my bags and checked out of my hostel. My train wouldn't be leaving until later in the afternoon, so the first item of business was to find a locker. I pack lighter than most travellers, but my bag was still heavy enough that I didn't wanted to lug it around all day. Figuring the information center would be able to help, I stopped there first.
Posted by markyiin at 07:42 AM | Comments (5)
A day off
(Day 68) I rolled out of bed late, and spent the autumn sunday afternoon watching football on TV. Except it wasn't October, it was April, and it wasn't the American footbal, it was Aussie rules football. I think I'm finally getting the hang of the game.
I did venture into town, but I didn't even bother bringing my camera. Everything was closed, as it was a holiday weekend. ANZAC Day or something, to commemorate Australia's military history. Seeing as it was a slow day at the office, I figure I'll use this space to ramble a bit.
Posted by markyiin at 07:38 AM | Comments (3)
April 26, 2005
The Todd River
(Day 67) I knew exactly what was causing my back pain. Too much walking, combined with long hours of sitting in buses and trains. I also knew what was needed to cure it. Some rest. I spent the morning lounging around the hostel, pounding away at my laptop in attempt to catch up with my blog. If I could just stay off my feet for a couple days, I was sure I'd be as good as new.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:46 AM | Comments (5)
Kanga Bangas
(Day 66) Where are my boots?!
I was taking inventory of my belongings, when I realized, I can't find my boots!
I retraced my steps. Yesterday, we had hiked Kings Canyon, so I was wearing them then. Afterwards, we returned to camp, where I took a shower in my flip flops. But I wouldn't have just left my boots lying around. I would've put them under my seat on the bus. Yes... That's where they were. On the bus.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:43 AM | Comments (3)
April 25, 2005
Kings Canyon
(Day 65) Most trips into the red center included the three main attractions, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon. Having seen the first two, we concluded our weeklong trip with a visit to the last.
The hike started out with a fairly steep climb up to the top of the cliffs. But it was well worth the effort. Spectacular views from atop the canyon rims took our breath away. (Or maybe it was the climb that left us gasping for air?)
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Posted by markyiin at 12:02 AM | Comments (6)
April 24, 2005
The mounds of Kata Tjuta
(Day 64) We were in the car park at Kata Tjuta, getting ready for our hike.
"Hey Mark, mind if I borrow your sunscreen?" Steve had left his behind at the camp.
"Sure, help yourself."
"Whoa, SPF 45!" he smiled. "There's only one country in the world you can get sunscreen stronger than SPF30. America."
"You can't get that here in Australia?"
"Nope. There's actually no evidence that SPF 45 is any more effective than SPF 30, but I guess you Americans are paranoid about this kind of stuff."
Hey, I'm not paranoid! I just grabbed whatever we had laying around the house!
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Posted by markyiin at 02:20 AM | Comments (5)
To climb, or not to climb
(Day 63) I had a difficult decision to make. To climb, or not to climb Uluru.
But first, there was first the sunrise viewing to be taken in. Basically the sunset in reverse, Uluru transformed from a dark outline into a bright red monolith. Whoever picked the sunrise viewing platform did a horrible job. It was impossible to get entire rock into the picture frame unless I backed up, and then there'd be all these random tourists in my photo. I didn't care too much though. I'm not enthusiastic about sunrises anyways. I prefer sunsets, only because I don't have to wake up at 5:00am to catch them.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:52 AM | Comments (4)
April 23, 2005
Uluru
(Day 62) We had a big day of driving in front of us. The goal was to be at Uluru, some 750kms away, by sunset. Steve woke us up while it was still dark outside. We had a bite to eat and clambered into the bus. I would miss Coober Pedy, but maybe I'll be back someday to seek my own fortune.
Posted by markyiin at 12:00 AM | Comments (7)
April 22, 2005
Coober Pedy
(Day 61) It was an amazing night.
Forget that my sleeping bag didn't keep me warm enough. And that I needed to use the toilet, but it was too far away so I held it in until morning.
Howling woke me up sometime around 3:00am. At first, I was annoyed. Anyone who's known me knows that I can be a little irritable when sleep deprived. Then I realized what I was experiencing. Sleeping under the stars, miles away from civilization, listen to the call of wild beasts. My frustration turned into awe immediately.
"Did anyone hear the dingos last night?" asked Steve in the morning. So that's what they were.
"How far off were they?" They had sounded pretty close.
"About 75m away I reckon. They're shit scared of humans, they wouldn't have ventured any closer. Cool, wasn't it?"
Absolutely.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:57 AM | Comments (4)
April 21, 2005
Oodnadatta Track
(Day 60) While Steve went off to fill the tank, we took an early morning stroll through Flinders Ranges, the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Utta, Ting, and I lagged behind the rest of the group. Ting was wearing flip flops (or thongs, as they call them here in Australia) and probably couldn't walk very fast. For me, it was just too early in the morning for any strenuous activity. And my back pain, which I alluded to a couple weeks ago, hadn't gotten any better. Possibly a cause for concern in the future, but for now, I'll just deal with it.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:36 PM | Comments (3)
Groovy Grape
(Day 59) On days when I have to be up early, I'm always afraid I'll oversleep. Several times in the beginning of my trip, I'd woken up and wondered why the alarm on my watch hadn't gone off half an hour earlier. It took me a while to realize that if I happen to sleep with my wrist under the pillow, the beeping is muffled so I can't hear it. To fix this problem, I take off my watch and place it next to my bunk the night before. So far this solution has worked pretty well. But I still worry about oversleeping.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:58 PM | Comments (3)
Pie Floater
(Day 58) It was time to start sorting out my departure from Oz. The flight I was ticketed to board left Darwin on the 22nd of April. I wouldn't even arrive in Darwin until the 26th. I had to change the date. Not a big deal. Date changes on my ticket were free. Or so I thought.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:53 PM | Comments (4)
April 14, 2005
Same shirt, different day
(Day 57) Originally named 'Barrossa' (Hill of Roses) after a ridge in southern Spain, some careless cartographer mistakenly labeled it 'Barossa' on an early map. Historically then, the region has been referred to as 'Barossa', and the hills 'Barrossa'. Having spent the previous day cycling in a buzzed state, it was time to see the region from a sober point of view.
I woke up with a slight headache, and would've popped a Tylenol, except my main backpack was still back in Adelaide. All I had brought with me in my daypack was my camera, towel, and laptop (I didn't feel comfortable leaving it in the hostel storage). The bus back to town left in the afternoon, which gave me most of the day to explore. Headache or not, I'd try to make the most of it.
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Posted by markyiin at 05:36 AM | Comments (8)
April 13, 2005
Drinking and biking
(Day 56) The cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers make Barossa Valley ideal for growing grapes and producing wine. Over 45 wineries are located in the 30km x 15km valley. Many have their cellar doors open to the public, and welcome tourists for some free wine tasting. This being the case, my goal today was to drink as much wine as possible.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:43 AM | Comments (10)
April 11, 2005
What's for dinner?
(Day 55) The neat thing about traveling from east to west is I gain time as I go. Upon arriving in Adelaide, I set my watch back half an hour. That's right, 30 minutes. I don't think there are too many places in the world where time changes aren't in hourly multiples.
Unlike Sydney and Melbourne, Adelaide had no huge skyscrapers. It was large enough to be bustling with activity, but it didn't have that huge metropolis feel. Looking at a map, you could tell the city was built adhering to a strict plan. The streets were wide and the layout was symmetrical; The five major parks were placed around the city like the five side of a die. Standing in Victoria Square, the park located in the center, I could see the outskirts of town in all four directions. It was a bit eerie. It felt like the Outback and miles of dry desert were just a short walk away.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:15 PM | Comments (8)
Doing nothing
(Day 54) I did absolutely nothing today.
I was sitting at the tram station waiting for a tram to St Kilda when the weather went from nice to nasty. The metamorphasis took a whole 15 minutes. So much for a day at the beach.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:10 PM | Comments (2)
April 10, 2005
Aussie Rules Football!
(Day 53) Other than people using tacking on 'mate' to the end of their sentences and finding pharmacies referred to as chemists, Australia doesn't feel that much different from home. I almost hate to say it, but Australia seems to lack its own unique culture. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. After all, as hard as I try to avoid them, I usually find myself surrounded with other backpackers and tourists.
I've seen so many natural wonders, I figured I should try and go where the locals go. Where can I find some actual Australians? I could go to some bars and clubs, but I might end up just meeting more travellers there. It seems a popular thing for people visiting Australia is to go out and get drunk. (Which makes no sense to me. If I wanted to drink, I would've just stayed home. I guess I just don't think like an 18 year old anymore.)
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Posted by markyiin at 04:57 AM | Comments (8)
April 09, 2005
An inspiring view
(Day 52) Nothing irks me more than having the weatherman predict clear skies and waking up to clouds. Especially on a day when I'm supposed to explore the Great Ocean Road.
I've already given my spiel about tours and how they rip people off. The Great Ocean Road is easily explored independently. All you needed was a car. Which I didn't have. Renting a car for one day by myself didn't make sense money wise. And besides, I'd rather let someone else handle the driving while I took in the views.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:36 AM | Comments (7)
April 08, 2005
Penguins? No penguins? Penguins.
(Day 51) The girls wanted to keep the car one more day to visit the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. I would've liked to go too, but my flight to Melbourne left about the same time the tour started. Six days ago, I wondered if I would find enough to do. Now, I wish I had another week. There was so many things I had to skip.
The car was out under my name, so early in the morning, we went to the car rental agency to change that. Yuki and Chieko were kind enough to drop me off at the airport, saving me a few dollars in shuttle costs.
"Have a great trip," I said as gave them each a hug. I had both their email addresses. "Maybe I'll see you in Japan in a few months!"
They got back in the car and I started walking into the airport.
"Mark! Wait!" Yuki came running with my flip flops in hand. Familiar with my tendency to misplace things only after a few days of traveling with me, she smiled. "Don't lose your things!"
Yeah, this is one habit I really need to break.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:49 PM | Comments (5)
April 07, 2005
Pademelons! No, they're not some type of fruit...
(Day 50) Our Ford Falcon had a ravenous appetite for gas, or petrol, as they refer to it here. It felt like we were refueling every day, and it wasn't cheap. A full tank cost nearly AUS$60 (AUS$1 = US$.80). Split amongst three people, it was a little easier to stomach. It's still cheaper than taking a tour, I kept telling myself.
The beast demanded to be fed again this morning, so we stopped at Strahan's only gas station. Tasmania's gas stations all appear to be full service, so I asked the attendant to just give me a full tank.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:48 AM | Comments (5)
Cradle Mountain
(Day 49) While Hobart is the main gateway for people arriving by air, Devonport is the entry point for people arriving by sea. Though an excellent place for travelers to plan their Tassie adventures, we already knew what we were doing (sort of) and only stopped there to spend the night.
Driving in Tasmania is much more taxing than driving in the States, but I loved having my own ride nevertheless. Windows down, breathing in officially the world's cleanest air, exploring via narrow rural roads, pulling over whenever and wherever I wanted.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:55 AM | Comments (3)
April 06, 2005
A scene from a movie
(Day 48) I didn't bother setting my alarm, as I figured the girls would wake me when they were ready. Being the slob that I am, I'm used to rolling out of bed and being ready to go in 15 minutes or less. The girls needed more time freshening up in the morning. There was no point in me waking up the same time as them and then waiting around.
Around 9:00am, Yuki came and announced breakfast was ready.
"Breakfast in bed?" ribbed the guy next to me as I threw my belongings in my bag.
Breakfast was pretty fancy too. Vegetable soup with the ingredients left over from last night's dinner. I felt spoiled. At least I helped out in doing the dishes.
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Posted by markyiin at 07:02 AM | Comments (10)
A gorge-ous night
(Day 47) Traveling with two girls has its advantages and disadvantages. Used to making decisions on my own, I now had two other people to consult. Coming to an agreement took longer, considering the language barrier that had to be overcome. As I've mentioned, any demanding activities were out of the question. On the other hand, there was always someone to take a picture for me. Transportation costs, split three ways, were much cheaper. And the best part, we had come to a convenient arrangement; during the day, I would do the driving, and in the evening, I could rest while they took care of preparing meals.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:44 AM | Comments (3)
April 03, 2005
The east coast of Tassie
(Day 46) I woke up the next morning feeling fully refreshed and ready for a new day. My two new travel companions and I made a quick trip to Woolworth's to stock up on groceries, and then headed to Salamanca Market to hang out and soak in the atmosphere.
Of all the open air markets I've been to so far, Salamanca definately had the most character. Set amidst renovated sandstone buildings, the market was not only lively, but also quite large. Again, I didn't kept my wallet tucked firmly inside my pockets, only pulling out a couple dollars to buy some breakfast. The meat pies just smelled too good to pass up.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:00 PM | Comments (12)
Half dead at Port Arthur
(Day 45) When does one day end, and the next day begin? When the clock strikes midnight? Some people might say the day doesn't start til then. When you wake up from a night's rest? What if you pulled an all-nighter? When you start your daily routine? What if you don't have a routine?
In any case, I felt like I was still living the day I started 48 hours ago. From Batemans Bay to Melbourne to Tasmania, I had only a couple hours of sleep on the bus, an hour on a park bench, an hour at the airport, and an hour on the flight. I was so tired I hadn't the strength to yawn. From the airport, I took a shuttle bus into Hobart, Australia's second oldest city.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:51 PM | Comments (3)
Homeless in Melbourne
(Day 44) It would be a 12 hour ride to Melbourne. The bus left Batemans Bay at 8:00pm, and would arrive 8:00am the next morning. Perfect, I thought. I'd get to save a night's worth of accomodation money, and arrive in a new city with a whole new day to explore.
Of course, it didn't turn out as rosy as expected. Sleeping on a bus was a lot more difficult than I imagined. I had two seats all to myself, but even then, I struggled to find a comfortable position to stretch out in. I managed to doze off for a couple hours of real sleep, but for the most part, I spent the ride in an uncomfortable, half awake, daze.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:38 PM | Comments (3)