Hello friends & family:
Today we woke up early and threw our clothes in the suitcases, and grabbed breakfast. We were excited about heading up to a new territory - Queensland! Since our flight didn't leave until 1:30pm, Willie continued on his marathon postcard writing, and I went 2 blocks away to the HUGE Saturday arts & crafts market! Lots of vendors selling jewelery, flowers, clothes, puzzles, and food galore! (see the photo where the guy did NOT want me taking a picture of his ceramic chatch-kees) I bought a few special somethings for the Simon young ladies before heading back to join Willie and say Good Bye to the Park Hyatt. Would I reccomend this hotel to a friend visiting Sydney? Definitely! The location is A+, the service was professional yet friendly, they have free internet for the first 30 minutes (and I was able to talk them into waiving the fees when Willie went over that!), and the complimentary buffet breakfast was pure delight - by only the 2nd day they learned how to cook Willie's scrambled eggs and bacon exactly to his liking (something his mother has yet to accomplish).
Our taxi driver to the airport was from Ghana - did I mention my adorable niece Betsy Head is over in Ghana right now with the I.U. business school HONORS program? This lucky girl was in India last semester, Ghana this semester, and will be in Spain this summer !!! All paid for by I.U. ! But I digress...
The Sydney airport is NOTHING like LAX - it's clean, no lines, no panicky feeling, no paparazzi, wonderful stores, and polite people working behind the counter. We flew Quantas up to Cairns, and they offer you free headsets, a hot meal, and chocolate ice cream pops! (YES I had one...I tried to get Willie to give me his, but he said no)
Upon arriving in Cairns (pronounced Cans, like "May I have 3 CANS of peas?") our shuttle bus was late as there had been a fatality on the road. When we finally got underway, it was such a scenic drive, BUT I swear the driver was going 60 miles an hour and the road was curvy with all those blasted Round-Abouts they have back east...add to the fact that the driver (my age) was blasting Australian rap music and Willie was quizzing everyone up & down the aisles if they had ever met Natalie Imbruglia...by the time we finally arrived at the Thala Beach Lodgein Port Douglas,
I was NOT a happy mother.
In the lobby, mellow Rose checked us in...behind her I noticed a HUGE black & yellow spider on the wall within an intricate web. She said "Oh there are lots of those here". Then as I walked to the tree-top room we are staying in, the fellow carrying our luggage remarked that if I saw any snakes just to "stare them in the eye" and they won't bother you - "but don't pick them up, as they are pythons". He also told me not to swim in nearby Coral Sea (the Pacific Ocean) as "this time of year the jellyfishare running rampant".
Then, the best news of the day ... in fact BREAKING NEWS I'd have to say - we are not only at the same resort that Natalie Imbruglia got married in, but we are also IN THE SAME ROOM as she was in on her honeymoon!!! A miracle!! Since it was dinnertime, we retired to the lovely outdoor restaurant that looks right out of Robinson Crusoe. When the waiter arrived, he asked us if we had crossed paths with any of the 5-foot lizards that roam the property? OK I know we are in a certified Ecotourism resort but this is going too far. I'm taking a golf cart back to the room tonight, not only to avoid the wildlife previously mentioned, but also the thousands of poisonous cane-toads that are leaping all over the place.
Since we are on the subject of animals & insects in Australia, you'll like to know that there are more than 1500 species of spiders here, that Australia has the largest population of wild camels possessing one hump, there are more sheep (150 million) here than people, and with 25.4 million head of cattle, this country is the world's largest exporter of beef.
Tomorrow Willie and I awaken early and at 8am we set off for the Great Barrier Reef! I will now leave you as I search for someone with a golf cart to take me back to my room, where I will take 3 asprin (invented by an Australian in 1915) and "take to my bed". Stay tuned!
cindy
ReplyDeletei am behind the times. trying to figure out how to send comments back to you. will try again now. trip sounds amazing.
ok--just got a google account. i am catching up. Great trip Cindy. We inspired by your colorful writing. you should become an author in next profession. Stacy is right-very gloomy here again today. yuk. i was in beautful sunny Aspen last week and it was perfect although getting to warm at 60 degrees. Unfortunately on the Thursday flight home on my dads plane, all airports were closed to private planes because Obama felt he needed some good pr and to talk about his daughters eating starburst on his private plane on the Jay Leno show. (Couldn't Jay go to him for $10 million less?) We had to land at Camarillo airport and my mom and I abandoned my dad and rented a car and drove home while he had to wait 4 hours until the skies were Obama free. Remembered Ken Done when Michael and I went to Austrialia and Papua New Guinea on our honeymoon. Do you have the monarch moths or butterflies? they are huge. watch out for those little bugs....
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