Uluru

After Alice Springs, it was time to leave and go even deeper-into-the-red-center, to an area called Uluru (emphasis on the last syllable).  We arrived by bus tour - a 5 hour bus tour that lead us down one long red highway to the next, past a camel farm, several dead kangaroo (roadkill), 15 Wedge-backed Eagles (dining on the carrion of the roos), two fiber optic cable stations, and about 5,000 square kilometers of cattle station. It was a fun ride and no, 5 hours isn't a long time.  It's amazing what a 20 hour flight will do to your sense of time and travel.  5 hours is nothing! 

There are over 1,000,000 wild camels living in Australia - 25% of which live in the Northern Territory.   On our road-trip, we stopped at a camel farm.  We had been on a bus since 6 am and of course, nothing sounds better after a few quiet hours on a coach  bus than a dry egg and ham sammi on whole-mill bread - prepared by a toothless woman named Roz.  Nothing a little ketchup, or as Aussies call it, tomato sauce, can't cure! Well actually, it didn't even come close, but I really didn't care because as soon as I ate my brekky sandwich, I was going to ride a camel named "Eddie."  

I was eager to ride a camel. It's not the first animal I've ridden, but it is the first camel.  Riding a camel at this farm was an unexpected little surprise for us.  Brian has arranged a sunrise camel ride at Uluru but this was a 3 minute primer.  Brian and I climbed up onto a sweet, fuzzy (albeit stinky) camel named Eddie and a lady from Manchester and her daughter climbed up onto "Goldie" who was a boy, so named for his golden curly hair.  The reason why I mention this woman was because she has got to be the funniest person I've ever ridden a camel with.  (You know, because I do that so very often...)  As soon as the camel began to walk, she started giggling.  But forget it! When we started to run, she bounced up and down, up and down (as we all did) and laughed the hardest I've ever seen anyone laugh while riding a camel (You know, because I see this sort of thing all the time...)  Anyway, it was fun and it lasted for about 3 minutes. 

 Before getting back on the bus, we stopped to see the resident dingo, Zari.  Dingos are adorable, small animals, very closely related to dogs.  They don't bark, but can howl and have cat-like fur - very soft and dense, which of course helps them regulate their body temperature while living in the desert.  But back on the bus we went.  Next stop: Uluru.  

I should mention why do I call it Uluru and not Ayers Rock.  Yes, it's known by both names, technically.  Uluru is its Aboriginal name and out of respect for and at the request of the Aborigines, it would be nice to stick with Uluru.  The Aborigines also request that you not climb Uluru.  There's a walkway all the way up, but it's considered disrespectful to the Aborigines as it's a sacred place both spiritually and ceremonially.  In Aboriginal culture, it would be impolite to order people to do anything, so they simply ask.  Of course, many aren't culturally sensitive people, and every day you see the 'ants' crawl atop the "rock" and "conquer" it.  It is said to sadden the traditional owners.  In Pitjantjara, you say "minga" when referring to the little black forms crawling atop Uluru.  It means ants and is meant to imply they are crazy and hurtful.  

By the way:  The Aborigines have been granted "traditional ownership" over many parts of Australia - all this means is that they help govern the land, but still must abide by the Australian Federal Governments rules, as do Australians.  It is really a way to pay respects to the Aborigines.  In order to be granted traditional ownership, an Aboriginal clan must prove (in many ways) that they existed on that particular land/area for hundreds of years.  

So Brian had arranged had sunrise viewing of Uluru the morning after we arrived in Uluru.  

We took a coach out to the viewing site to await the arrival of the sun.  And it was COLD! The desert gets very cold at night (even in the summer) and the winter is no exception.  It was about 38 degrees as we stood waiting for the show to start.  I was able to capture a gorgeous shot of dawn before it reached the waxing crescent moon over the deep dark desert.  

I'm not going to post the 40 pictures I took of Uluru during the sunrise, mostly because it will probably look like a big sand dune in various shades of orange, brown, red...etc. There is no way to show how immense and imposing Uluru is in real life; it completely loses its impact on camera, but I will post one.  Just know that it's the kind of thing that you can feel - even when you turn your back on it, it's there, tapping you on the shoulder, willing you to turn and face it.  

 Later that day, we were fortunate enough to spend a few hours with an Aboriginal tour guide named Alwyn, a member of the Pitjantjara clan.  He was an amazing guide, a phenomenal animal tracker and a very kind person.  He walked us around the desert grounds surrounding Uluru, sharing secrets of the Pitjantjara, explaining the roles of the men and women of the group.  I was able to demonstrate the traditional tools for the women; Brian was able to learn how to throw a spear (I did too!).  

We had to ask him for permission to photograph him (and Uluru) and he was gracious enough to agree to it.  Because there is no such thing as "mine" in the Aborigine's way, so he requested that we send him copies of and and all photos we took of him that day.  No worries! He was a phenomenal guide and I hope to keep in touch with him!

The device you can't see, that Brian is using to throw the spear is called a woomera. (there's a better picture the Alwyn is holding in a picture below - it serves many purposes, including starting fire, throwing a spear, attaching a piece of sharp quartz to the end using 'kiti' (I'll explain that later) to use as a cutting tool.  

I'm forever fascinated by other cultures - and I think this picture Brian took shows that best.  I was oblivious to the world and was hanging on ever word of Alwyn's.  The bowl I holding in the picture below is a coolamon (carrying bowl) made from the bark of a Mulga tree.  It can hold many things that a woman might need to carry including food, plants, other tools, even used to rest a baby on the ground, giving it a safe, secure place to nap.  

Below is an "inch ant" ...and yup, it's an inch long.  It's very aggressive and Alwyn is showing us  how it responds to him tapping on a spear - it continuously tried to bite and sting him.  A sting from this insect and you will swell for at least 3 weeks and itch for over 2 months, and this is a good thing because you could also go into immediate respiratory failure and die within an hour.  Fun little insect, no? By the way, the ant hole is over 2 inches in diameter.  If you're ever in the Outback, and you see such a large ant hole ... do not disturb, as if you anger them, they will come out by the hundreds, track you and attack.  

This is the home of the honey ant.  The Aborigines love honey ants, as they produce a honey-like substance in their abdomen.  It's considered a great treat.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to try them, as their home is over a meter deep and Alwyn said it wasn't time for honey ants, no the right season.   Laugh if you will, but I was really disappointed.  It was the one thing I really wanted to try as far as 'bush tucker' goes.  

This is a kangaroo track.  The long smooth line is made by the roo's tail.  Alwyn uses tracks like these to hunt kangaroo. 

Apart from this, we also did another walk with a different Aboriginal woman tour guide named Rita.  I have a ton of pictures to post! I'm at the airport at the moment and don't have the time so... more on that later.  But it was an exciting visit where we got to learn about the sacred history, ceremony sites and legends of Uluru.  Learning about the legends makes you understand why Uluru is so sacred and why it was a good choice to respect the wishes of the Aborigines and decline the climb.  I will post so much more about Uluru and then Sydney, but now is not the time.  We're going to board the plane in a little less than an hour.  We'll arrive at 640am at LAX...which means we'll be arriving before we left.  ??  Ahh, time travel... can a honeymoon get any better than this? 

until yesterday -

force be with you...

m

To the Moon Alice!

Alice Springs is just about in the very middle of nowhere.  Home to about 26,000 people, there's not a whole heck of a lot to do in Alice.  You really must make your own fun, but it can be found, so long as you're looking for it! 

We arrived by plane and were able to watch the landscape slowly change from a lush, green expanse filled with rivers and sugar cane, to a barren, desolate and endless sea of red dust.  At least that's what it looked like from 36,000 feet.  

Anyway, we arrived in Alice Springs around lunch time.  We got settled in our...modest accommodations.    In Alice Springs, modest is about as fancy as it gets.  We had a bed, nice room, decent bathroom, view of a palm-lined parking lot and the room was decorated with about 15 different shades of purple.  But hey, I like purple.  To be fair, it's just a place to sleep and I'm not there for the hotel anyway.  I'm there to see the Outback!

Alice Springs is a tiny Outback town.  We were located where you could walk over the Todd River and cross to Todd Street and then down to the Todd Mall.  Now, the Todd River is a dry river.  The locals refer to it as an 'upside down' river because of course the river is dry.  About three days out of the year the river will actually have water flowing and this will be due to the rains from the West (or occasional North).  The Aborigines live all over Australia - they aren't just located in the desert.  There is a certain group that live along and on the Todd River and have for thousands of years.  These are the Arrernte people.  Walking across the Todd River bridge, you can see the native local Aborigines hanging out, socializing and living on the river bed.  

From a social standpoint, it became very clear to me very quickly that there are very serious social problems between Australians and Aborigines.  At first glance, coming from my Western point of view, a group of people living in a river bank, at all hours of the day is a culture shock of sorts.  At home, should I have seen that, traditionally those people would likely be homeless, maybe even dangerous.  Here of course, it's not so.  The land is their home.  One must remember this and be culturally sensitive in order to appreciate this experience and properly conduct oneself so as not to be a national embarrassment.  

Anyway, yes there appears to be a severe drinking problem in the community of the Arrernte people.  Though you have to look at this from a historical and sensitive point of view.  Similar to the way Europeans entered North America and slaughtered and abused the Native peoples there, they also introduced them to disease not indigenous to the area and gave them their first taste of alcohol. Well it was no different for the Aborigines.  Like Native people of the Americas, the Aborigines likely do not have the enzyme (alcohol dehydrogenase) that allows them to properly metabolize the alcohol.  So it becomes highly addictive.  If you asked most Australians (and I'm speculating on the "most") they'd tell you that virtually ALL Aborigines are alcoholics, walking drunkards that stumble down paved paths.  What they don't seem to realize is that per capita, person for person, research has statistically PROVEN that there are no more Aborigines with alcohol problems than any other race in the world.  (This makes sense if you know anything about human physiology and addictive substances)... So why do we see so many drunk Aborigines? The difference is that it's completely out in the open.  So while an alcoholic back in New York is likely to drink in the privacy of his or her own home, Aborigines live in the land - the free land and air is their home, so we see it more because they aren't hiding behind closed doors with pretty picket fences.  The same is true of the Native peoples in the Americas by the way.   I just mention this so as to caution you to not be so hasty with casting judgement on other groups of people.  More than the drunk Aborigines, what stood out to me was the abounding ignorance of many of the "white men."    So, without being preachy, just be careful, don't judge.  Look to learn and to understand instead.  You'll be a happier person for it.  

SO...this was what I was thinking while walking over the Todd Bridge.  We decided to check out a few of the Aborigine art galleries and museums.  And then decided to walk to Anzac Hill - this is a historic site, on the top of which exists a war memorial to honor the lives of the Australian New Zealand Army Corps (hence: ANZAC).  It's a nice little climb, good for getting the blood pumping.  We timed the climb so that by the time we got to the top, we'd be able to catch the sunset.  It was a glorious sunset and from the top of the hill, you could see the entire town of Alice Springs! It was gorgeous!  

We spent a while up there.  There's a quiet, small town buzz to Alice Springs.  On a busy day, you might get 12 or 13 cars in a row...and then nothing - because likely every one of those cars was headed to the same restaurant, movie or town-happening.   The sun sank slowly across the sky, in lazy Northern Territory style; As if it didn't really have anywhere else to be.   Though sunset happens around 6pm at this time of year in the area, it feels like once the sun goes to sleep, so does the town.  Stores close around the same time, only a few restaurants or bars stay open...mostly because this is the height of tourist season for Alice and everywhere you look, you see small groups of backpackers, families or ....honeymooners walking in and out of the small, quaint and often run-down shops and stores.  You can't be in a rush here.  Not even if you wanted to be - which of course we didn't because I've quickly learned that "what the hell for?"  Being impatient, whether it be for a cup of tea or a job... really doesn't pay and in the end, you just end up missing happy, simple moments like a kiss on the forehead, a sunset or an Aboriginal man playing a small guitar, singing songs about love with the voice of an angel.  

So the sunset really speaks for itself: 

Nearby you can see the edge of the MacDonnell Ranges: 

Later that night, we went to Overlander's Steakhouse.  Now, if you know Brian, you know that if it's got the word "steak" in it, he's all over it.  Of particular note was his menu selection for the evening...which has a name that sounds exactly like something a guy would eat: The Drover's Blowout.  A drover is a term used to describe a guy that drives cattle across huge expanses of desert and bush.  Of course, the life of a drover isn't easy and they are famed to work up quite an appetite.  The Drover's Blowout includes some soup and damper for a start.  Damper is a crude, but delicious flour bread that travels well and tastes a lot like milk biscuits, only slightly more cakey, but not at all sweet, very bland fact...perfect for a bit of butter or to dip in one's soup.  Brian was kind enough to share with me and we both enjoyed this little taste of true Outback fare.  Next up was an appetizer.  A plate of several different bush meats.  We tried this as well - Emu, Camel, Kangaroo and Crocodile.  NOW, here's my PETA/animal lover disclaimer.  Here in Australia, Emu, Camel, Kangaroo and Crocodile are farmed, like salmon or cattle and used as a direct food source for the people.  As crude as it sounds (even to me) kangaroo is a plentiful food source here...always has been, always will me.    I also had tiny pieces of each, not huge hunking mouthfuls.  As a matter of fact, I was able to expertly take pieces no larger than what might sit atop my pinky nail - I tried it because I'm adventurous and believe that "when in Rome..." however I won't ever be ordering my own plate of adorable, fuzzy roo or sleek, cool croc anytime soon.  The emu was tough and gamey and the camel was ...very bland and similar to a tough steak you might have at a crappy local steak joint on Long Island.  I'm not a big meat-eater as it is, so this part didn't excite me...I only wanted to make sure that Brian and I went one for one...because as anyone knows, I'm intensely competitive and refuse to shrug at an experience that we could both enjoy together. But to be honest, I washed each piece down with a swig of VB because I had to dull the pain of eating things I find beautiful and almost sacred.  It's complicated.  

The most exciting part of the night was when we got our bums branded by a huge Outbacker Aussie.  I was just so amused by the idea... you know me!  This is something the place is known for, and there's no way you could ever get away with it in any other part of the world...especially the US, where people would lawyer up quicker than anything (I reference the dumb woman that bought a hot cup of McCoffee, spilled it in her lap and sued (and WON!!) a crapload for being such an idiot) Can you imagine? But I don't care, Aussies are damn cool.  I got up and walked to the guy with the hot branding iron that he had just taken out of the roaring fire and he said "Well, bend on over then!" and bend over I did.   I'm pretty sure the pics speak for themselves: 

By the way, the food and beer were top notch!

So the other thing we did in Alice Springs was bike...a lot! We had two destinations...on opposite sides of town.  We wanted to go to the Alice Springs Desert Park and Alice Springs Telegraph station.  

So about 5 miles from our hotel, we biked through all parts of the town.  What became very apparent is that people like it hot and dusty in this town.  Now we're visiting in Aussie winter and it was about 78 degrees F.  Winter!  Gorgeous! 

Safety first!  hahaha!

Anyway, we arrived at the park and what's most striking is the startling quiet.  All you hear in any direction is wind and quiet... and the occasional call of a desert bird.  

Why the cooky hats you ask? Well, the only other thing that is ever present in the desert is the most annoying animal in what I believe to be the whole, entire world: the Bush Fly.  Picture this, it's winter, it's 78 degrees, and every three seconds a small, annoying fly attempts to land in your eye, nose, ear, mouth... to try and do what most things want to do in the arid Aussie desert: drink you.  

Well my amazingly brilliant friend Christi gave me these hats for my bridal shower, in what can only be described as the coolest gift basket ever - which she filled with all things "Aussie."  Besides the Caramello Koala, Freddo Frog and some very handy Black Currant throat drops...were the Bush Fly cork hats.  There are only three methods of cutting down on the fly problem: the 'net' hat, similar to the headgear of the common beekeeper; the cork hat (as shown above); or swatting one's self, smacking one's own face and in essence being annoyed constantly while attempting to avoid being a random fly drink.  We opted to use the hats... originally we all had joked that we'd wear the hats and get the crap kicked out of us by the Aussies... but instead, we had people asking us were to get the hats.  Haha! I was like, ask Christi! (THANKS Christi! You are a rockstar!)

Below are some pictures from the Desert Park, Alice Springs, and the Telegraph Station: 

Some Wedge-tailed eagles: 

The Alice Spring - the namesake of the town: 

The Telegraph Station: 

A beautiful gum tree that towers over the sand and feels intensely cool to the touch (or hug depending...) 

This wild Emu was held away from the park trail by electric fence! As we walked by it, it paced and made this low warning call that sounded like a sort of kettle drum.  
This was us after 16 miles of biking! 
A thorny devil...he lives deep in the desert and has got to be one of the most interesting lizards I've seen.  
Some sleeping roos!
Taking a bike-break on a rock in the shade of the gum trees!

A Salt Lake, home to several different species of lizard, snake and insect.  It's dry and crusty and rarely has any moisture at all.  
Us, leaving our hand prints in the desert! 

It's hard to see, but this little ant was the most spectacular shade of teal and purple.  He was also pretty aggressive and didn't seem to like me getting so close... 

We biked over 16 miles! We had so much fun! I'd write more, but I want to leave and go enjoy more of the current city! (More blogging to be done tonight!)  

peace,

m

Farewell my Cairns...

I've been in my own personal, tropical paradise.  I've enjoyed the freshest fruits, the most amazing seafood and the most amazing soft breezes that come to my veranda from the Coral Sea...

But we're off to the next leg of our trip was to Alice Springs. We were off to the Outback. The Bush. The Great Blank. I will miss Cairns.  I took a picture of my view one last time: 

 During the flight I got to see the expanse of sugar cane.  It's gorgeous from the air! 

But I'm excited about Alice. During the flight we saw Mt. Isa - a huge mining town: 

We're off to meet Aborigines, visit their holy land and see an amazing stretch of land.