Yesterday was an uneventful day for the most part, mostly just beating the heat, checking email, catching up on my feeds.
The night was less uneventful. We went out to a pub (Shenannigans) for a few beers, and to meet up with some of Neil's friends, Shannon and Adam. Adam was cool, kinda crazy, but lots of fun. A couple of people Mary had met came out as well. After the pub it was the Vic for many more drinks and dancing. That went on for quite a while, but eventually one of Mary's friends started feeling unwell, so she went back. Adam and I ended up back at the hostel around 4. When we got there, there were some people chilling on the pool/bar area, one of them was practicing guitar. We decided to join them. We were up until around 5:30, hanging out and bantering.
2007/10/31
2007/10/29
Returning the Car
I returned the car today. Took it to a wash-it-yourself sorta place, topped up the tank and dropped it off. It was a good car (94 Ford Falcon, if memory serves), and got me from point A to B no matter what kind of abuse I heaped on it. It's a little weird to be without on after having it for so long (and so many kilometers, around 6000, all told).
2007/10/28
Canoing at Kathrine Gorge
So, much later, the Russian guy I mentioned earlier came back and began espousing the virtues/glories of Mary's body, all in very broken English. It was frickin' hilarious.
Unfortunately for me, the room was way too cold, and I didn't really get any sleep. We went to bed pretty late anyway, but the air conditioner was blowing right on me, and all I had was one thin sheet. I think it was set on 20 or 21 degrees Celsius. Man that night sucked. I don't think Mary fared much better.
Regardless, we were both up early in the morning to get to the gorge and do some canoing. Grabbed some quick breakfast and drove to the canoe rental spot. The guy at the hostel that had made our canoe reservations for us had said they only had singles left, but it turned out they had some doubles, so we decided to do that.
The first half-hour of us trying to work together was pretty hilarious/frustrating. There was a lot of turning instead of going straight. I'd like to blame the canoe, and when we got to the second gorge and tried out another canoe it did work out better, but I just don't know. The first gorge was okay, but the second gorge was awesome. It's too bad we were running out of time and had to go back, but I'm glad we did. It turned out to be a pretty big struggle to get all the way back to the beginning in the first gorge. Again, I'm not sure if it was the canoe or us, but I think maybe a little of both.
After we had returned everything, we hopped in the car and drove to Darwin, with a pit-stop at the petrol station to fill up and for me to get a quick rinse and change my clothes. The road to Darwin was pretty standard, with Mary completely passed-out (as per usual).
We had one final bit of excitement when a turn came up way faster than I expected (I swear I was going the speed limit) and we bumped against the curb and lost a hubcap. Could've been worse.
The hostel seems pretty nice, but I can't remember the name of it to save my life. Something with an 'M' that seemed vaguely Hawaiian.
Unfortunately for me, the room was way too cold, and I didn't really get any sleep. We went to bed pretty late anyway, but the air conditioner was blowing right on me, and all I had was one thin sheet. I think it was set on 20 or 21 degrees Celsius. Man that night sucked. I don't think Mary fared much better.
Regardless, we were both up early in the morning to get to the gorge and do some canoing. Grabbed some quick breakfast and drove to the canoe rental spot. The guy at the hostel that had made our canoe reservations for us had said they only had singles left, but it turned out they had some doubles, so we decided to do that.
The first half-hour of us trying to work together was pretty hilarious/frustrating. There was a lot of turning instead of going straight. I'd like to blame the canoe, and when we got to the second gorge and tried out another canoe it did work out better, but I just don't know. The first gorge was okay, but the second gorge was awesome. It's too bad we were running out of time and had to go back, but I'm glad we did. It turned out to be a pretty big struggle to get all the way back to the beginning in the first gorge. Again, I'm not sure if it was the canoe or us, but I think maybe a little of both.
After we had returned everything, we hopped in the car and drove to Darwin, with a pit-stop at the petrol station to fill up and for me to get a quick rinse and change my clothes. The road to Darwin was pretty standard, with Mary completely passed-out (as per usual).
We had one final bit of excitement when a turn came up way faster than I expected (I swear I was going the speed limit) and we bumped against the curb and lost a hubcap. Could've been worse.
The hostel seems pretty nice, but I can't remember the name of it to save my life. Something with an 'M' that seemed vaguely Hawaiian.
2007/10/27
Jeff Still Hasn't Learned the Lesson
Yesterday we lost an hour and a half from time-change. That's not including the hour we lost because we had to drive back to Kununurra after I forgot to put the radiator cap back on. That little oversight meant that as soon as I stopped the car, all the radiator fluid boiled over. On the good luck side, I had an extra liter of fluid, and somehow the radiator cap managed to stay undisturbed right next to the opening. Some up there is in a hate-love relationship with me, I guess.
Lake Argyle (the first place we stopped on the way, and the place where the radiator boiled over) was pretty, but there weren't any really good places that we saw to just chill out next to the lake.
We made it the rest of the way to Katherine fine, and there were some interesting characters when we got there. One of the guys we were hanging out with works in Cannes convincing celebrities to stay at his employer's hotels. Also, there was a colossally drunk Estonian/Russian fellow who at first claimed "Germany is shit", and wanted Mary to explain why it was so great, but then wouldn't listen to what she said.
Good times.
Lake Argyle (the first place we stopped on the way, and the place where the radiator boiled over) was pretty, but there weren't any really good places that we saw to just chill out next to the lake.
We made it the rest of the way to Katherine fine, and there were some interesting characters when we got there. One of the guys we were hanging out with works in Cannes convincing celebrities to stay at his employer's hotels. Also, there was a colossally drunk Estonian/Russian fellow who at first claimed "Germany is shit", and wanted Mary to explain why it was so great, but then wouldn't listen to what she said.
Good times.
2007/10/26
To Kununurra
The drive to Kununurra was uneventful. Although Mary did manage to teach me some "useful" German phrases like: "Thursday evening I ran out of gas." And: "Running out of gas can be fun, but I wouldn't recommend it."
Well, I shouldn't say entirely uneventful, there was a sudden torrential downpour, and a loud noise coming from the wheel well. We never figured out exactly what happened, but the only noticeable damage was a broken wheel-well liner that was probably hitting the tires. That and the incredible wetness I managed to accrue from being outside for only a few minutes of trying to see under the car. It's never good when your windshield wipers can't keep up with the rain on their highest setting.
The Sunset/Moonrise was awesome, clouds all over the sky splashed with color, and a beautiful orange moon that transitioned into a bright shining orb in the sky. I got a picture of it, but it's too bright to make out any details.
The Kununurra YHA was pretty cool, I'd like to check it out for longer if I'm ever in the area again. It was more than half empty in anticipation of a big group of workers showing up. I wonder how the vibe would have been different with so many more people.
Well, I shouldn't say entirely uneventful, there was a sudden torrential downpour, and a loud noise coming from the wheel well. We never figured out exactly what happened, but the only noticeable damage was a broken wheel-well liner that was probably hitting the tires. That and the incredible wetness I managed to accrue from being outside for only a few minutes of trying to see under the car. It's never good when your windshield wipers can't keep up with the rain on their highest setting.
The Sunset/Moonrise was awesome, clouds all over the sky splashed with color, and a beautiful orange moon that transitioned into a bright shining orb in the sky. I got a picture of it, but it's too bright to make out any details.
The Kununurra YHA was pretty cool, I'd like to check it out for longer if I'm ever in the area again. It was more than half empty in anticipation of a big group of workers showing up. I wonder how the vibe would have been different with so many more people.
Driving Ms. Mary: Jeff Ruins the Day, Kinda
Yesterday was a bit of an adventure. A bit more of an adventure than I would have liked.
It started out normally enough, Mary had decided to ride with me from Broome to Darwin, so we packed up, bought some food and ice for the esky (that's what they call coolers down here). The first item of interest was a random rest stop with a really big hollow tree, but it was still alive, very cool. After that, more driving, and then Fitzroy Crossing and Geike Gorge. We went on a small hike through the gorge and back, man was it hot. Then we continued on our way.
A little more than an hour later, I think it was around 6:30 or so (the sun sets at 6:00 in WA this time of year), the cruise control shut off. I looked down at the instrument panel, and tried to turn cruise control back on, but it wouldn't go. I tried to give the car some gas, but that didn't work either, that's when I looked at the fuel gauge, for the first time in a long time. We were out of petrol (that's what they call gas down here). Shit. We were over 100 kilometers from the nearest town, and cars don't pass by too often in Western Australia. Fortunately, right after we ran out of gas, everything started to go our way.
There was a car in front of us that pulled over after frantic signaling from me, and inside it were two very nice German guys (Marcus and Ruben) that were willing to lend a hand. So Mary and I piled into their car, and we went in search of petrol. We had decided our best bet was a 24-hour campground called Mary Pool, which ended up being about 80 kilometers away. 20 kilometers into the journey, we hit a kangaroo. As luck would have it, only the left turn signal was broken, and the passenger-side door was a little wonky. We got off easy on that one.
At Mary Pool, the first people we tried only had a small jerrycan (5 liters), with only a liter of fuel. The second group was much larger, and they were running generators, so they had 20 liters of spare fuel, and sold it to use. Unfortunately, they gave it to us in an oil barrel, and all we had to funnel it into the car was a cut-off soda bottle. We tested out the soda bottle on the German's car, but we decided it wouldn't work, so we went back to the first guy (later I found out his name was Tony), and borrowed his small jerrycan as well.
The drive back to the car was uneventful but long. Once there, we poured the petrol bit by bit into the jerrycan, and used it to pour into the car. It was quite the production, with Mary glowering at me the whole time (not really). With the gas in our car, we said our goodbyes to the Germans, but planned to see them again when we all got to Darwin.
Mary and I hopped in the car, but decided that instead of driving straight to Halls Creek, we should go by Mary Pool again to inquire after more petrol (it would suck to run out of gas again). When we got there, we didn't find any more petrol, but Tony (the guy who loaned us the jerrycan) suggested we stay the night there, and eat dinner with him and his friends (he was traveling with two girls and a guy, all in their 20s, he was probably in his 60s or so). Mary liked the idea, and it sounded good to me as well, so we did. After dinner there was much drinking, and we played the game where everyone gets a famous person/character on their forehead that they have to guess using only yes or no questions. I was Paul McCartney, and managed to guess mine second. The other young guy took the longest, he was Crocodile Dundee. I went to sleep soon after I guessed mine, or at least got into one of the hammocks they had set up for us (with mosquito nets even!), I didn't really sleep at all. Mary and Tony stayed up talking and drinking until it was time to go (around 6 AM). I think that might have been one of the reasons I didn't get much sleep.
We asked around one last time for more petrol, but no one had any, so we had to make it on what we had. That was a long 100 km, driving at 70 kph. Mary seemed high-energy right before we left, but as soon as we got in the car she zonked out. We made it to the petrol station fine, with about 5 liters to spare. We were both pretty destroyed from having stayed up all night, and I decided we should go to the caravan park where we were initially planning to stay, and nap/shower, before heading on to Kununurra (think Ka-nu-NA-ra, but don't ask me why). The Carvan Park people were really nice, and set us up with a single and added a bed for me on the floor (they had already charged me for last night when we didn't show up). I still didn't really sleep, but the shower was nice.
Mary took the whole thing pretty well, considering. I mean, we're still on speaking terms. :) In all seriousness, she claims it was a positive experience on the whole. Not that that really makes me feel any better about it.
Moral of the story: Always fuel up when you can. Especially if you're under half a tank of petrol. ESPECIALLY if you're traveling in Western Australia. Especially if you don't want to look like an idiot. And finally, especially if you don't have the good luck part of my bad-luck-good-luck.
It started out normally enough, Mary had decided to ride with me from Broome to Darwin, so we packed up, bought some food and ice for the esky (that's what they call coolers down here). The first item of interest was a random rest stop with a really big hollow tree, but it was still alive, very cool. After that, more driving, and then Fitzroy Crossing and Geike Gorge. We went on a small hike through the gorge and back, man was it hot. Then we continued on our way.
A little more than an hour later, I think it was around 6:30 or so (the sun sets at 6:00 in WA this time of year), the cruise control shut off. I looked down at the instrument panel, and tried to turn cruise control back on, but it wouldn't go. I tried to give the car some gas, but that didn't work either, that's when I looked at the fuel gauge, for the first time in a long time. We were out of petrol (that's what they call gas down here). Shit. We were over 100 kilometers from the nearest town, and cars don't pass by too often in Western Australia. Fortunately, right after we ran out of gas, everything started to go our way.
There was a car in front of us that pulled over after frantic signaling from me, and inside it were two very nice German guys (Marcus and Ruben) that were willing to lend a hand. So Mary and I piled into their car, and we went in search of petrol. We had decided our best bet was a 24-hour campground called Mary Pool, which ended up being about 80 kilometers away. 20 kilometers into the journey, we hit a kangaroo. As luck would have it, only the left turn signal was broken, and the passenger-side door was a little wonky. We got off easy on that one.
At Mary Pool, the first people we tried only had a small jerrycan (5 liters), with only a liter of fuel. The second group was much larger, and they were running generators, so they had 20 liters of spare fuel, and sold it to use. Unfortunately, they gave it to us in an oil barrel, and all we had to funnel it into the car was a cut-off soda bottle. We tested out the soda bottle on the German's car, but we decided it wouldn't work, so we went back to the first guy (later I found out his name was Tony), and borrowed his small jerrycan as well.
The drive back to the car was uneventful but long. Once there, we poured the petrol bit by bit into the jerrycan, and used it to pour into the car. It was quite the production, with Mary glowering at me the whole time (not really). With the gas in our car, we said our goodbyes to the Germans, but planned to see them again when we all got to Darwin.
Mary and I hopped in the car, but decided that instead of driving straight to Halls Creek, we should go by Mary Pool again to inquire after more petrol (it would suck to run out of gas again). When we got there, we didn't find any more petrol, but Tony (the guy who loaned us the jerrycan) suggested we stay the night there, and eat dinner with him and his friends (he was traveling with two girls and a guy, all in their 20s, he was probably in his 60s or so). Mary liked the idea, and it sounded good to me as well, so we did. After dinner there was much drinking, and we played the game where everyone gets a famous person/character on their forehead that they have to guess using only yes or no questions. I was Paul McCartney, and managed to guess mine second. The other young guy took the longest, he was Crocodile Dundee. I went to sleep soon after I guessed mine, or at least got into one of the hammocks they had set up for us (with mosquito nets even!), I didn't really sleep at all. Mary and Tony stayed up talking and drinking until it was time to go (around 6 AM). I think that might have been one of the reasons I didn't get much sleep.
We asked around one last time for more petrol, but no one had any, so we had to make it on what we had. That was a long 100 km, driving at 70 kph. Mary seemed high-energy right before we left, but as soon as we got in the car she zonked out. We made it to the petrol station fine, with about 5 liters to spare. We were both pretty destroyed from having stayed up all night, and I decided we should go to the caravan park where we were initially planning to stay, and nap/shower, before heading on to Kununurra (think Ka-nu-NA-ra, but don't ask me why). The Carvan Park people were really nice, and set us up with a single and added a bed for me on the floor (they had already charged me for last night when we didn't show up). I still didn't really sleep, but the shower was nice.
Mary took the whole thing pretty well, considering. I mean, we're still on speaking terms. :) In all seriousness, she claims it was a positive experience on the whole. Not that that really makes me feel any better about it.
Moral of the story: Always fuel up when you can. Especially if you're under half a tank of petrol. ESPECIALLY if you're traveling in Western Australia. Especially if you don't want to look like an idiot. And finally, especially if you don't have the good luck part of my bad-luck-good-luck.
2007/10/24
The Day After
We went shopping for real today, got food and things, I picked up a decent pair of sunglasses to wear with my contacts. Drank some coffee and smoothies at a coffee shop downtown. The Swiss girls and I went to pick up Sandra's card, and they got it back. Yay! Mary and I also picked up some CDs for the big drive to Darwin.
Went to the beach for our last day in Broome together. :( It was sad, but the sunset was nice, and I got to play frisbee in the water, which was interesting.
Went to the beach for our last day in Broome together. :( It was sad, but the sunset was nice, and I got to play frisbee in the water, which was interesting.
2007/10/23
Jeff Saves the Day
The plan was to go shopping, then go to the beach. Unfortunately, sometimes plans change.
One of the Swiss girls I had met earlier tried to withdraw some money from her account with her bank card, but the ATM machine confiscated it. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), she was a bit shaken up by the whole experience. Losing a bank card is trouble enough when you're home, but of another magnitude entirely when you're halfway around the world.
I called the number on the machine, but they weren't any help. "Nothing we can do," they said. That was a little disheartening to hear, but I had a backup plan: Go to the local branch office and ask them for help. I talked to the customer service rep, she explained that we would have to wait until Thursday afternoon to get the card back. That would have been fine, except for the small detail that the girls had a flight to Darwin on Thursday morning. The rep (who really earned the spot of Person of the Month in my book), called up the company that empties the ATM machines, and found out they could do an extra run on Wednesday and pull the card out then. The only catch, it would cost around AU$100. Pricey, but they decided it was worth it.
Bad luck, good luck, I guess. The beach was nice, and we played cards later.
One of the Swiss girls I had met earlier tried to withdraw some money from her account with her bank card, but the ATM machine confiscated it. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), she was a bit shaken up by the whole experience. Losing a bank card is trouble enough when you're home, but of another magnitude entirely when you're halfway around the world.
I called the number on the machine, but they weren't any help. "Nothing we can do," they said. That was a little disheartening to hear, but I had a backup plan: Go to the local branch office and ask them for help. I talked to the customer service rep, she explained that we would have to wait until Thursday afternoon to get the card back. That would have been fine, except for the small detail that the girls had a flight to Darwin on Thursday morning. The rep (who really earned the spot of Person of the Month in my book), called up the company that empties the ATM machines, and found out they could do an extra run on Wednesday and pull the card out then. The only catch, it would cost around AU$100. Pricey, but they decided it was worth it.
Bad luck, good luck, I guess. The beach was nice, and we played cards later.
Par-Tay
Yesterday was laid-back. At least until the evening.
We were all sitting around in the hostel's public area, wondering what we were going to do next, when a guy in a bikini top and a towel came up to us. He asked the girls if they wanted to come to a party he was throwing for a mate of his who was about to get married (stag party). The catch: they needed to wear bikinis. There was a girl with him, professing how harmless it all was (which always makes me more than a little suspicious). The girls didn't exactly understand what was going on, and I tried (unsuccessfully for the most part) to explain it to them. Eventually they got it, but still wanted to check it out, so they went over. After a while, one of them came back to get the rest of us, apparently it was okay for me to come as well. I figured I wasn't going to enjoy it much, but I didn't have anything better to do. Especially when all the people I was interested in hanging out with had gone to the party.
Calamity! In my haste to attend the party, I managed to hit a brick step in exactly the wrong way, taking a small chunk out of my big toe. The same one that had gotten into a fight with an escalator about a year ago (it lost that one too). Fortunately, Nadine (one of the Swiss girls) is a nurse, and we fixed it up well enough, and I went to the party.
The party was way more fun than I expected. It was just a few people (around 10 or so), hanging out drinking a bunch and having a good time. All but one of the girls were from my "crew", so I didn't feel like I was stealing the guy's thunder. All the guys were cool, but I never met the man of the hour. Apparently, they had been partying hard all weekend, he was crashed out in his room. Much fun was had.
We were all sitting around in the hostel's public area, wondering what we were going to do next, when a guy in a bikini top and a towel came up to us. He asked the girls if they wanted to come to a party he was throwing for a mate of his who was about to get married (stag party). The catch: they needed to wear bikinis. There was a girl with him, professing how harmless it all was (which always makes me more than a little suspicious). The girls didn't exactly understand what was going on, and I tried (unsuccessfully for the most part) to explain it to them. Eventually they got it, but still wanted to check it out, so they went over. After a while, one of them came back to get the rest of us, apparently it was okay for me to come as well. I figured I wasn't going to enjoy it much, but I didn't have anything better to do. Especially when all the people I was interested in hanging out with had gone to the party.
Calamity! In my haste to attend the party, I managed to hit a brick step in exactly the wrong way, taking a small chunk out of my big toe. The same one that had gotten into a fight with an escalator about a year ago (it lost that one too). Fortunately, Nadine (one of the Swiss girls) is a nurse, and we fixed it up well enough, and I went to the party.
The party was way more fun than I expected. It was just a few people (around 10 or so), hanging out drinking a bunch and having a good time. All but one of the girls were from my "crew", so I didn't feel like I was stealing the guy's thunder. All the guys were cool, but I never met the man of the hour. Apparently, they had been partying hard all weekend, he was crashed out in his room. Much fun was had.
2007/10/21
Success.
As in, this day was a.
Egg on avocado on toast for breakfast. Delicious success!
Went with some friends to a Crocodile park, went on the feeding tour, they let us hold a baby croc. Too many pictures... While they were feeding them, I was taking multiple pictures one after the other. The crocodile pens seemed small, but the tour guide said the crocs liked it fine (like he would say anything else). Crocodillic success!
After we had finished the tour and held the crocs, we went to Cable Beach (named after a telegraph cable used to communicate between Java and Broome). Threw the frisbee a little. Cable Beach is awesome. The air was 31 C, the water was 30. It was colder to be out of the water than in it. I bodysurfed for a long time, caught a few good waves. A few other ones roughed me up pretty good, at one point I thought one was going to slam my head into the sand, but it didn't (yay!). Threw the frisbee a little more. Sandy success!
Once we were beached out, we went to pick up one of our errant friends at a barbeque, and I drove a guy to the airport. The airport just happens to be basically across the street from our hostel. That mission complete, we returned to the Kimberley Klub, I rinsed the sand off and changed, and we went out for pizza. The pizza was good, and I'm looking forward to having the rest of it for breakfast tomorrow (maybe I'll add some avocado...). Italian success!
Total success. With a few more good hours left in the day. Nice.
Egg on avocado on toast for breakfast. Delicious success!
Went with some friends to a Crocodile park, went on the feeding tour, they let us hold a baby croc. Too many pictures... While they were feeding them, I was taking multiple pictures one after the other. The crocodile pens seemed small, but the tour guide said the crocs liked it fine (like he would say anything else). Crocodillic success!
After we had finished the tour and held the crocs, we went to Cable Beach (named after a telegraph cable used to communicate between Java and Broome). Threw the frisbee a little. Cable Beach is awesome. The air was 31 C, the water was 30. It was colder to be out of the water than in it. I bodysurfed for a long time, caught a few good waves. A few other ones roughed me up pretty good, at one point I thought one was going to slam my head into the sand, but it didn't (yay!). Threw the frisbee a little more. Sandy success!
Once we were beached out, we went to pick up one of our errant friends at a barbeque, and I drove a guy to the airport. The airport just happens to be basically across the street from our hostel. That mission complete, we returned to the Kimberley Klub, I rinsed the sand off and changed, and we went out for pizza. The pizza was good, and I'm looking forward to having the rest of it for breakfast tomorrow (maybe I'll add some avocado...). Italian success!
Total success. With a few more good hours left in the day. Nice.
A Museum, a Beach, and some Dancing
Yesterday I went the Broome Museum with a friend. It was interesting, mostly a bunch of information about the pearling trade and how it's changed in Broome over the years. There were also various other tidbits about the development and history of Broome. I'd say it was worth the AU$5.
After a bit of lounging, I drove some people to the store, and we went to Cable Beach. The air temp was 33 C, and the water temp was 30 C. Oh man, I could stay in that water for hours. Way warmer than the water in Los Angeles in August (sorry David). I also threw the frisbee around, which is always a plus for me. I only wish the girls I was with had been more into staying the the water. It's just not quite as much fun by yourself.
To complete the day, all of the people I knew were going out dancing, so I succumbed and went with them (wearing my Mr. Messy shirt, of course!). Much alcohol was drunk by others, much dancing was done by me. It was okay, I'm just not a fan of loud music or dancing, and I don't drink anymore, so clubs really aren't my kind of place these days (even less than they used to be). One nice thing about the night (in addition to being able to hang out with my buds) was that the DJ played some Gorillaz, and managed to do some interesting things with other songs.
After a bit of lounging, I drove some people to the store, and we went to Cable Beach. The air temp was 33 C, and the water temp was 30 C. Oh man, I could stay in that water for hours. Way warmer than the water in Los Angeles in August (sorry David). I also threw the frisbee around, which is always a plus for me. I only wish the girls I was with had been more into staying the the water. It's just not quite as much fun by yourself.
To complete the day, all of the people I knew were going out dancing, so I succumbed and went with them (wearing my Mr. Messy shirt, of course!). Much alcohol was drunk by others, much dancing was done by me. It was okay, I'm just not a fan of loud music or dancing, and I don't drink anymore, so clubs really aren't my kind of place these days (even less than they used to be). One nice thing about the night (in addition to being able to hang out with my buds) was that the DJ played some Gorillaz, and managed to do some interesting things with other songs.
2007/10/20
Hmmm...
Sometimes I think maybe I have more of an effect on people than I realize, but I can't get past how conceited that sounds.
2007/10/18
Port Hedland and Broome
I stayed in Port Hedland for just one night. The hostel I was planning on staying at must have closed or something, I couldn't find it anywhere. So I went to the caravan park. It was nice enough, but the internet connection was a PITA. Met some cool guys doing road work, surveying or something. Watched an episode of House (good show). Peanut butter and honey sandwiches for dinner (I've been eating that a lot lately).
The drive to Broome was relatively uneventful, lots of road. When I got to Broome, I went to the Kimberly Klub, although I had a little trouble finding it. I like it, it's really open-air, has a pool, bar, pool tables, pingpong tables, tv, lots of common space. The only unfortunate thing is that the room I'm in doesn't have AC, and the ceiling reflects sound really well. I used my eyeshade and earplugs, and slept fine.
Today I looked around and found a cool little health food store that had some really good curry and rice. Also bought some real food considering I'm planning on being here for at least a few more days. Broccoli and hummus anyone?
The drive to Broome was relatively uneventful, lots of road. When I got to Broome, I went to the Kimberly Klub, although I had a little trouble finding it. I like it, it's really open-air, has a pool, bar, pool tables, pingpong tables, tv, lots of common space. The only unfortunate thing is that the room I'm in doesn't have AC, and the ceiling reflects sound really well. I used my eyeshade and earplugs, and slept fine.
Today I looked around and found a cool little health food store that had some really good curry and rice. Also bought some real food considering I'm planning on being here for at least a few more days. Broccoli and hummus anyone?
2007/10/16
Into the Pilbara
Left Exmouth the day before Yesterday, and spent most of yesterday in Karijini National Park. It's a pretty sweet place. It has all sorts of cool gorges and rivers in the gorges. I had a lot of fun hiking all over the place in my flipflops, getting really sweaty and not caring. I really need to get some photos of it up (not the me being sweaty part).
I stayed at a motel for two nights. In some ways it was a nice change from having to share everything, but I also missed the camaraderie of the hostels. It was also way more expensive.
The drive out through Karijini was amazing as well. There were lots of mountains with red tops and light green sloping sides. That went on for kilometers, and then, suddenly, flat.
I stayed at a motel for two nights. In some ways it was a nice change from having to share everything, but I also missed the camaraderie of the hostels. It was also way more expensive.
The drive out through Karijini was amazing as well. There were lots of mountains with red tops and light green sloping sides. That went on for kilometers, and then, suddenly, flat.
2007/10/13
Open Water Diver am I
Today we did two more boat dives (I'm really tired of practicing mask flooding), and got our temporary certification cards! We had to send away for the official ones, it takes a few months.
The two dives today were nicer because I didn't have to pay quite as much attention to my buoyancy and could concentrate more on looking at the fish. We saw a pair of sea snakes and a spotted ray on the first dive, and another sea snake and a lion fish on the second. Good times.
Later that evening I was hanging out with some of my new friends, and we played some Capitalism (rich man poor man, Asshole, whatever you want to call it). It's been a while since I played, but we used to play it all the time in college in the dorms (Freshman and Sophomore years). It was good fun, I was President for a good while, until someone dethroned me and I had to work my way back up. I managed to get back to President on the last hand we played. I'm hoping I'll get to hang out with them again, we're traveling in a similar direction, but they're on a tour. We'll see.
The two dives today were nicer because I didn't have to pay quite as much attention to my buoyancy and could concentrate more on looking at the fish. We saw a pair of sea snakes and a spotted ray on the first dive, and another sea snake and a lion fish on the second. Good times.
Later that evening I was hanging out with some of my new friends, and we played some Capitalism (rich man poor man, Asshole, whatever you want to call it). It's been a while since I played, but we used to play it all the time in college in the dorms (Freshman and Sophomore years). It was good fun, I was President for a good while, until someone dethroned me and I had to work my way back up. I managed to get back to President on the last hand we played. I'm hoping I'll get to hang out with them again, we're traveling in a similar direction, but they're on a tour. We'll see.
2007/10/12
UPDATE: Wind Still Blows
Bah. The boat dive was postponed again, this time only until 11 AM though. On the upside, we took the final written test, and I passed. Only missed one question. One of those annoying questions where it could really go either way.
Fortunately, they actually happened at 11. We went out and did two dives by Lighthouse Bay. The first dive I was a little preoccupied with keeping my buoyancy under control, and trying to control mostly through how deeply I was breathing. The second dive was better, and we got to see a white-tipped reef shark, and a sea snake. The sea snake really liked the bright-blue dangling end of Jon's (one of the students) weight belt. I think it also bit his fins a couple times.
Fortunately, they actually happened at 11. We went out and did two dives by Lighthouse Bay. The first dive I was a little preoccupied with keeping my buoyancy under control, and trying to control mostly through how deeply I was breathing. The second dive was better, and we got to see a white-tipped reef shark, and a sea snake. The sea snake really liked the bright-blue dangling end of Jon's (one of the students) weight belt. I think it also bit his fins a couple times.
2007/10/11
Wind Blows
Wind really blows. It was too windy to go on the open water dive today. I'm bummed. They've rescheduled to tomorrow, and conditions are supposed to be better (and even better the day after). He's hoping they don't have to reschedule anymore.
On the plus side, I managed to catch up on my blog posts, so I didn't have to backdate this one at all! I also bought a Telstra SIM card because Vodaphone doesn't work very well (read: at all) in the smaller towns, we'll see if Telstra fares better (I have 5 bars with Telstra right now, vs. Emergency Only with Vodaphone).
Last night I met some cool people (some of whom I had met briefly before through Francis) and I might have someone to ride with me to Darwin. We'll see how that works out. I'm enjoying the hostel-style of travel.
On the plus side, I managed to catch up on my blog posts, so I didn't have to backdate this one at all! I also bought a Telstra SIM card because Vodaphone doesn't work very well (read: at all) in the smaller towns, we'll see if Telstra fares better (I have 5 bars with Telstra right now, vs. Emergency Only with Vodaphone).
Last night I met some cool people (some of whom I had met briefly before through Francis) and I might have someone to ride with me to Darwin. We'll see how that works out. I'm enjoying the hostel-style of travel.
2007/10/10
Breathing Underwater is Offically Cool
I had loads of fun in the pool today. I am really, really looking forward to the boat dive tomorrow.
Today we learned how to put all the gear together, and what each piece was for, in addition to practicing a bunch of different surface and underwater maneuvers. I normally wear glasses, and didn't want to deal with a prescription mask, so I got contacts before I left on my trip. They worked pretty well, but it meant I really didn't want to open my eyes underwater. That meant that the mask-off exercises were a little bit harder. The hardest one was swimming around with your mask off (being led by your buddy) and then putting it back on and clearing it.
It's an awesome sensation to be breathing underwater, I highly recommend it. One of the harder things we had to do was control our buoyancy using our BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) and managing our breathing. I got a little bit sunburned, but it was definitely worth it. Oh, and the equipment is really heavy, when you're all geared up, ooof!
Today we learned how to put all the gear together, and what each piece was for, in addition to practicing a bunch of different surface and underwater maneuvers. I normally wear glasses, and didn't want to deal with a prescription mask, so I got contacts before I left on my trip. They worked pretty well, but it meant I really didn't want to open my eyes underwater. That meant that the mask-off exercises were a little bit harder. The hardest one was swimming around with your mask off (being led by your buddy) and then putting it back on and clearing it.
It's an awesome sensation to be breathing underwater, I highly recommend it. One of the harder things we had to do was control our buoyancy using our BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) and managing our breathing. I got a little bit sunburned, but it was definitely worth it. Oh, and the equipment is really heavy, when you're all geared up, ooof!
2007/10/09
SCUBA!
I had my first day of SCUBA courses today. It was all book-learnin', and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's confined-water dives (in the local swimming pool).
We watched a bunch of tapes, and took some quizzes, and the material was all 80's and lame-by-trying-to-be-funny. But it was okay. It looks like the course was made for video-dive-video-dive etc, but we're just doing all the book stuff upfront, and all the water stuff tomorrow. There are only 3 other people in the class, and older woman and two younger guys. They all seem cool. I've always been good at school, so it wasn't very hard, we'll see how it goes tomorrow.
We watched a bunch of tapes, and took some quizzes, and the material was all 80's and lame-by-trying-to-be-funny. But it was okay. It looks like the course was made for video-dive-video-dive etc, but we're just doing all the book stuff upfront, and all the water stuff tomorrow. There are only 3 other people in the class, and older woman and two younger guys. They all seem cool. I've always been good at school, so it wasn't very hard, we'll see how it goes tomorrow.
2007/10/08
No Night Driving
I left Denham today (the 8th) and drove to Exmouth (about 700km). I planned an early departure, and managed it without too much trouble, and grabbed some petrol on the way out of town. It seems to get more and more expensive the more north you go.
There was a lot of road. I got tired of driving a couple of times, and pulled off into on of the many roadside stopping points (marked with a with P in a blue square) to take a nap and catch a bite to eat. One of them had cool looking clouds. At the second one, I though my battery had gone dead, but it turned out I was trying to start the engine in D (I'm glad I didn't ask the guys stopped behind me for a jump!), man I felt stupid. I made a stop in Coral Bay for a very belated lunch, and to check out the town. The beach was beautiful, and the town was tiny. It was a little bit cloudy, and the clouds looked really picturesque (yes, I took pictures). After my lunch (at about 3 PM), I left Coral Bay, and made it to Exmouth straight away. One notable thing about the last portion of the drive is that there are termite mounds all over the fields near the road, hundreds of them.
My SCUBA course starts tomorrow and I'm psyched.
There was a lot of road. I got tired of driving a couple of times, and pulled off into on of the many roadside stopping points (marked with a with P in a blue square) to take a nap and catch a bite to eat. One of them had cool looking clouds. At the second one, I though my battery had gone dead, but it turned out I was trying to start the engine in D (I'm glad I didn't ask the guys stopped behind me for a jump!), man I felt stupid. I made a stop in Coral Bay for a very belated lunch, and to check out the town. The beach was beautiful, and the town was tiny. It was a little bit cloudy, and the clouds looked really picturesque (yes, I took pictures). After my lunch (at about 3 PM), I left Coral Bay, and made it to Exmouth straight away. One notable thing about the last portion of the drive is that there are termite mounds all over the fields near the road, hundreds of them.
My SCUBA course starts tomorrow and I'm psyched.
2007/10/07
Seeing Shark Bay
I had one day in Shark Bay, and one of my dormmates (a tall German named Francis), decided to go with me. We hit all the major sights (that you can get to without 4WD), but we should have done Monkey Mia first, because by the time we got there, all the dolphins were long gone. We went back to Denham and had dinner at a local pub, they made me a special veggies + sauce over rice dish that was pretty good.
The hostel (Bay Lodge YHA) was cool. There were a bunch of birds in the inner courtyard, and a pet roo hanging around. The bathroom to person ratio could have been bad if all the bedrooms using ours had been full.
There was definitely more to do that I missed out on by not going on some of the tours and not having a 4WD. I could've gone to the most western point of mainland Australia, and I'm sure there was some good diving/snorkeling to do as well. I think it would definitely be worth going back there again.
The hostel (Bay Lodge YHA) was cool. There were a bunch of birds in the inner courtyard, and a pet roo hanging around. The bathroom to person ratio could have been bad if all the bedrooms using ours had been full.
There was definitely more to do that I missed out on by not going on some of the tours and not having a 4WD. I could've gone to the most western point of mainland Australia, and I'm sure there was some good diving/snorkeling to do as well. I think it would definitely be worth going back there again.
2007/10/06
Highway to Hell
I'm driving into the sunset, down an Australian highway in roo country, their carcasses littering the ruddy-red roadside. My fuel needle is hugging E, the sky is lit up like fire, and I can hardly see through my bug-coated windshield. My mind is ready to crack, and my eyes are ready to bleed, from the strain of searching for animals to avoid, and suddenly AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", blasting through the beat-up-stationwagon's speakers, takes on a whole new meaning.
The Long Road to Shark Bay
After a shower & shave, I stopped by the local mall. I was looking for something to hold my CDs in, they were currently wrapped in a piece of paper. In addition, I wanted a charger for my cellphone, I had left mine at home, thinking I could charge it using a standard wall-wart USB charger, no luck. Finally, I wanted a throw-sheet to cover the stuff in my car (luggage, etc), to make it less interesting to undesirables. I found everything but the charger.
The drive-plan for the day was north from Geraldton, through Kalbarri, and finally to Denham (in Shark Bay). The drive was okay, but I got distracted by a bunch of lookout places with beautiful views, an Kalbarri's beach wasn't hard on the eyes either. I stopped at the visitor's center to look for the hostel I was planning to stay at, so I could thank the woman that suggested I stop in Geraldton. Unfortunately, no luck. I ate at a nearby cafe, Black Rock or something. I ordered the nachos (I know, I'm lactose intolerant, but I was craving them). Now, when most people that are reading this think of nachos, they probably think of tortilla chips, melty cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, etc. What came out was Doritos-style chips marinara-style sauce, and cheese. Needless to say, very much not what I was expecting. I ate it anyway, and while it wasn't nachos, it was still good. On the way out of Kalbarri, I went through the National Park, and saw some more cool sights. The rest of the drive was rather uneventful. I made it to Bay Lodge YHA (in Denham) by 7:15, 15 minutes after reception closed, but they were nice and let me check in anyway (I had made a reservation).
The drive-plan for the day was north from Geraldton, through Kalbarri, and finally to Denham (in Shark Bay). The drive was okay, but I got distracted by a bunch of lookout places with beautiful views, an Kalbarri's beach wasn't hard on the eyes either. I stopped at the visitor's center to look for the hostel I was planning to stay at, so I could thank the woman that suggested I stop in Geraldton. Unfortunately, no luck. I ate at a nearby cafe, Black Rock or something. I ordered the nachos (I know, I'm lactose intolerant, but I was craving them). Now, when most people that are reading this think of nachos, they probably think of tortilla chips, melty cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, etc. What came out was Doritos-style chips marinara-style sauce, and cheese. Needless to say, very much not what I was expecting. I ate it anyway, and while it wasn't nachos, it was still good. On the way out of Kalbarri, I went through the National Park, and saw some more cool sights. The rest of the drive was rather uneventful. I made it to Bay Lodge YHA (in Denham) by 7:15, 15 minutes after reception closed, but they were nice and let me check in anyway (I had made a reservation).
2007/10/05
Plans Change
So with my car kitted out, I dropped back by the hostel to pick up my bags, and I was on my way. It just so happened that my route took me right by Gaynor's house, so I dropped in to say hi/bye. By the time I finally left there, it was around 2 PM, and I was planning on staying the night in Kalbarri (563 km away). Needless to say, I didn't make it. The nice lady at the hostel I was planning to stay at told me (over the phone) that I wasn't going to make it, and that I should stay the night in Geraldton. Good advice. As it was, I didn't make it to Geraldton until after dark, and it's dangerous to drive at dawn/dusk especially and while it's dark also (animals roam across the road, and my car doesn't have roobars).
The hostel I stayed at in Geraldton (Batavia Backpackers) seemed a little more run-down than the Perth one, but the staff was very nice. There was also an angry guy (kinda grumbly about everything, etc...) staying in the dorm, people like that weird me out too. The dorm was one huge room, and the grumbly guy said it was packed full (40-something people) about four days before I got there, over a long weekend.
The hostel I stayed at in Geraldton (Batavia Backpackers) seemed a little more run-down than the Perth one, but the staff was very nice. There was also an angry guy (kinda grumbly about everything, etc...) staying in the dorm, people like that weird me out too. The dorm was one huge room, and the grumbly guy said it was packed full (40-something people) about four days before I got there, over a long weekend.
The Car
So getting the car turned out to be much more of a hassle than it should have been. Everything was going great, right up until they tried to charge me for the actual rental (they had already authorized a AU$2000 bond). My credit card was denied. So, it being a VISA card, I called the VISA Australia 800 number, but they couldn't do anything about it (they answered after about three minutes), so they transferred me to Capital One Customer Service. The first person who answered there (after about five minutes) couldn't do anything about it, so I was transferred to the fraud division. The person who answered from fraud (after about 45 minutes) couldn't do anything about it, and transferred me to the person responsible for approving questionable charges. Finally, the person who answered (after about 20 more minutes) was able to sort the whole thing out. It was made more complicated by the fact that the call quality seemed to degrade with each successive transfer, and thank my lucky stars my cellphone has amazing battery life and that Traveller's Auto Barn was located in an area with good reception.
After that was all sorted out, I drove across the street and bought a big tub of peanut butter, a squirt-tube of honey, bread, a can of wasabi peas, some paper towels, garbage bags, ziplock bags, and a giant cooler-bottle of water (just in case).
After that was all sorted out, I drove across the street and bought a big tub of peanut butter, a squirt-tube of honey, bread, a can of wasabi peas, some paper towels, garbage bags, ziplock bags, and a giant cooler-bottle of water (just in case).
2007/10/04
Hostel
I had my Dive Physical this morning, and passed with flying colors.
I'm staying the night in a hostel (Perth YHA). There were two other guys in the 4-person room when I arrived, one named Dave (I think) and one named Jeff. We hit it off well, and went out for dinner at Annalakshmi (Eat to your heart's content and pay what you heart feels), it was really really good. So, it turns out Dave (who's English) was #2 in gymnastics in all of England, when he was 16. Jeff was cool, although he seemed really happy the whole time (I get a little weirded out by people who are really happy constantly, like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop). All in all, a wonderful first hostel experience.
I'm staying the night in a hostel (Perth YHA). There were two other guys in the 4-person room when I arrived, one named Dave (I think) and one named Jeff. We hit it off well, and went out for dinner at Annalakshmi (Eat to your heart's content and pay what you heart feels), it was really really good. So, it turns out Dave (who's English) was #2 in gymnastics in all of England, when he was 16. Jeff was cool, although he seemed really happy the whole time (I get a little weirded out by people who are really happy constantly, like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop). All in all, a wonderful first hostel experience.
2007/10/03
The Missing Link
I finally booked a car for my west coast driving extravaganza yesterday (with Traveller's Auto Barn), but neglected to book a bus ticket back to Perth, which was where I was renting the car from. And all the cars were rented, and all the bus seats were booked (for the next few days). Oops.
Fortunately, Jen knows Nicole, who was working reception at the backpackers (hostel) down the street. We stopped by and asked around for a ride. One group was going to Perth, but seemed reluctant, saying their car was pretty full. I should have told them about my offer to pay for petrol (gas). Other than that, no takers. After that failure, Jen and I went to dinner at the Twisted Head and while we were eating, Nicole called, and had found a guy to give me a ride! All it would cost is AU$50 (cheaper than a bus ticket). It turns out I was buying a seat on a tour, and we went to the Stirlings and hiked up the mountain (I think it was Bluff Knoll, but I could be wrong) and back down again, then I got a ride to Perth. All in all: 12 hours door to door. The hike was fun, and I managed to take some good pictures of wildflowers, I think.
Fortunately, Jen knows Nicole, who was working reception at the backpackers (hostel) down the street. We stopped by and asked around for a ride. One group was going to Perth, but seemed reluctant, saying their car was pretty full. I should have told them about my offer to pay for petrol (gas). Other than that, no takers. After that failure, Jen and I went to dinner at the Twisted Head and while we were eating, Nicole called, and had found a guy to give me a ride! All it would cost is AU$50 (cheaper than a bus ticket). It turns out I was buying a seat on a tour, and we went to the Stirlings and hiked up the mountain (I think it was Bluff Knoll, but I could be wrong) and back down again, then I got a ride to Perth. All in all: 12 hours door to door. The hike was fun, and I managed to take some good pictures of wildflowers, I think.
2007/10/02
Travel Plans
Here's a map of my travel plans up the west coast of Australia:
Show Map
View Larger Map
I'm not sure how concrete this is, I definitely want to hit Shark Bay and I have to be in Exmouth for at least 5 days for my dive class. We'll see how it works out. Granted, I don't even have the car booked yet. Spent all day yesterday, and part of today figuring this out, and researching rental car companies online. One-way travel can be pretty expensive, if you go with a major rental company. The relocation fee alone with Hertz was something like AU$1100. I'll probably go with Europecar or Traveller's Auto Barn.
Show Map
View Larger Map
I'm not sure how concrete this is, I definitely want to hit Shark Bay and I have to be in Exmouth for at least 5 days for my dive class. We'll see how it works out. Granted, I don't even have the car booked yet. Spent all day yesterday, and part of today figuring this out, and researching rental car companies online. One-way travel can be pretty expensive, if you go with a major rental company. The relocation fee alone with Hertz was something like AU$1100. I'll probably go with Europecar or Traveller's Auto Barn.
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