Blue Mountains

This weekend we head to the Blue Mountains! The trip has come together at the eleventh hour (par usual). We are staying in a little cabin in the middle of 29-acres of wilderness, overlooking the eucalyptus treetops, and as a bonus, the property contains a fantastic cave that you can camp in. It all sounds very rustic and 'out there' to me. But first, we must get out of Sydney. Which brings up the issue of transportation. Which leads to the fact that neither Chris nor I have ever driven on the left-hand side of the road (queue the scene of Chevy Chase madly circling around Big Ben). But really, how hard can it be? Well, sorta hard. I knock the windshield wipers at least 30 times reaching for the turn signal. And, while I swear from the right-hand driver's seat that I am in the dead center of the lane, I'm actually kissing the curb on the left. It's a very strange feeling. Chris decides to be the brave one and gets behind the wheel for the 2-hour drive into the mountains. There is one tense moment on the M2, a toll road, where we encounter flashing signs informing us that without an 'E-Pass' there is no way to pay our fare. I'm frantic, but can see there is a number to dial for help. After 30-seconds of sheer panic, I'm informed that we can pay for our 2-day visitor's pass over the phone. Phew! Disaster averted. We reach the little town of North Richmond, and decide to stop off at the local grocery store to load up on supplies, since we'll be cooking all of our own meals. We arrive around 3:30 and are not disappointed by the surroundings. The views are amazing! Our cabin is situated at the top of a ridge that drops off on three sides, so that we are at eye level with the hundreds of eucalyptus trees. Aside from an absolutely GIGANTIC spider on the side deck, all is perfect! On Saturday, we decide to see some of the more picturesque parts of the area and drive up to Mt. Wilson and then head out to do some bushwalking. Unfortunately, the trail is closed because of fire damage so we hoof it up another trail that leads us out to the edge of some massive cliffs. What no one tells us is that there are spiders. Big spiders. Chris carries a long stick in front of him to break up the cobwebs, since it doesn't appear that many people have been walking along this particular trail. Before this experience, I would have told you that as I've gotten older, I've really gotten a handle on my fear of insects and other unsavory little creatures. This goes out the window when I see not one, but two alarmingly large spiders building webs on either side of the trail, only about 24 inches from my frightened body. On top of that, there are flies, another insect that featured prominently in a number of my childhood 'incidents'. There are stories, ask my parents. Needless to say, I work myself into such a state that I am soon flailing my arms at any sign of movement and swatting at imaginary things. I look deranged. By the time we reach the top, I am on the verge of a panic attack, but the view is amazing, and so we take it in for 2 minutes and 17 seconds before high-tailing it back down. In the evening, we head over to meet the owner, Mark, who leads us down to the beautiful, hidden cave. We are enthralled! It's a beautiful space and is outfitted with everything you need to live for a few days, even a sink with running water! There is a sort of swing/hammock contraption, several lounge chairs, a barbeque, cabinets full of plates and cutlery, and little nooks in the cave wall to unroll a sleeping bag. It's so much fun! Definitely the highlight of the weekend. On Sunday, we lounge around most of the morning and then, reluctantly, drive back into the city. We're just in time to see the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria which are both docked in the harbour, and find out that it's a very special occasion. Both boats left New York on January 13th - Queen Victoria on her maiden sail and QE2 on her farewell voyage. It's the first time two Cunard Queens have been seen together in Sydney since the second world war when the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth visited the city as troop carriers. They blast their horns as each other as they pass by one another and it's rumored that you can hear the sound from 10 miles away!

Video love

Alright. I know I have not been as forthcoming with photos as some of you would like. Squinting at things from behind a smudged window the size of a pea isn't usually as enjoyable as soaking up the moment. To make up for my lack of camera enthusiasm Chris has shot some videos during our stay so far. Here's a little bit of Australia Day (yes, I know that was a whole month ago, stop complaining.) It was a lovely day, very warm, and we spent our time wandering around the Harbour, listening to music, finally ending up in the Botanic Gardens.

Sorry day

Even though it's the day before the big 1-4, Chris and I are celebrating Valentine's Day today, mostly because we don't want to deal with the crazy, inflated prices and made-up concoctions like "Sushi Loveboat Special" and "Opera House Oysters a Deux". We decide to try a little Italian place in Woolloomooloo that I found in my SydneyEats Guide. Can you believe there's actually a neighborhood with this many oooooooos? This restaurant is right on the finger wharf (celebrity-model central) and is not really my scene, but I'm looking forward to a swank, romantic evening. Unfortunately, the food doesn't live up to our expectaions and the service is pretty poor. My prosciutto pizza definitely left something to be desired. But, um, of course I ate all of it. C'mahhhnnn (as Lleyton Hewitt would say) you're in Woolloomooloo!

The big news of the day is what happened in Canberra this morning at the first parliamentary session of the year. It's quite a historical day for Australia - the Prime Minister is issuing an official apology to "The Stolen Generations" - these are Aboriginal children who were forcibly removed from their families by the Australian government, under various state acts of parliament, between 1869 and 1969. Tens of thousands of children were, without warning, removed and sent to internment camps and orphanages. Many were sexually abused. Needless to say, it's been a huge scar on this country and the Aboriginal people have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Watch this. Prime Minister Rudd's speech sparks deep emotion. I snapped a picture on Australia Day (January 25th) which is a day of national celebration but is called "Day of Mourning" among Aboriginals. This was written in the sky as part of the attempt to start to heal the wound.

The truth

Talk to any Australian and you will quickly discover that everyone here knows that the only reason Americans drink Foster's is because of the world's greatest marketing myth. Yes, you all know it. "Foster's is Australian for Beer". Well played. It's actually a brilliant marketing campaign that hides the cold, hard truth. Here are some quotes from flesh and blood Aussies: "Foster's is utter swill." "I tried Foster's for about 2 minutes back in 1972." And my favorite, "Foster's is not Australian for beer. Foster's is Australian for horse piss."

So now you know. Your welcome.