Journals
Saturday,Dec 23 2006, 12:20:36 AMPart 5 of my World trip. 22nd Dec 06
I arrived in Sydney Airport, inspite of discovering at the last minute before flying that I needed a Visa! *YIKES*
I paid for the Visa, VERY surprised that Australia need one and not USA nor Argentina and caught the plane. Jayshree, Arun's lovely wife met me at Chatswood station and took me to their house. I was made at home and then a little later Arun returned from having just won a golf match! Arun took me around to many places of interest in the Sydney area, including The Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and many beaches, and the B'Hai Faith Church. But most important of all (LOL) to SCARBOROUGH PARK. My third Scarborough!
Arun and I once shared lodgings way back in 1963/4. He, like me, was a Vegetarian, and our landlady was Veggie; we had much to talk over after not seeing each other for so many years, though we had been in touch most of the time by Xmas cards.
On the Tuesday 4th Dec Mike came over to pick me up and took me to his wonderful range for a few hours, talking about stamps (Mike is a member oif Yahoo Stamp Addicts) and many other things. It was great meeting up with Mike after all this time.
On the wednesday 6th Dec I started on a 12 day venture to Alice Springs, bang in the middle of Australia. I had an overnight train ride to Adelaide, which was interrupted by seeing a LIVE performance on a makeshift stage of Australia's famous group *HUMAN NATURE* at Broken Hill Station. Here, and in many other outback stations, they performed their routine and that included a song along with a local primary school. I took many photos of the group performing, including one movie!
Later I arrived in the heat of the afternoon in Adelaide and found me a reasonable hotel, bang in the centre!
I found two delightful veggie restaurants, again in the centre of Adelaide and can highly recomend them to anyone for a good meal. REMEMBER *Sprouts* and *Bliss*. Those are the two places I ate at, and really enjoyed my meals. Adelaide has two FREE bus services! MY GOODNESS! Other towns & Cities need to consider this!The next day I set out on the Ghan Railway, a legend! Met some lovely people on the train, played Scrabble (lost) and Cheat (Lost) and another game (Won!) When I arrived at Alice Springs one of the people on the train, playing "CHEAT" I found out was called ALICE. Now I had brought with me my copy of "A Town Like Alice", by Neville Shute. Made in to a BBC Film series a long time ago, and one of the reasons I was now in Alice Springs! Very moving story in the book & BBC Film. Well I asked Alice if she would sign my book on Alice Springs station! and she did! Photo to prove it LOL!
In Alice I experienced my first Backpackers accomodation, at Alice Lodge! IT WAS SO HOT! I went into town and bought some swimming trunks, to have an evening dip in the outdoor pool at the Lodge! The first time I have swum ANYWHERE for many years! LOL 37C in the shade!
An early rise at 4.15 am to get taken for an adventure of a lifetime!
I had booked to go on a two day Adventure Tour of Australia, to Uluru and other places. There were 7 of us (two UK, 2 Japanese 1 Irish 1 London Irish, and 1 Californian). We had a guide and a trainee guide! They pointed out many interesting features of the countryside, both geographical and flora & fauna. One highlight was seeing a black eagle feasting on a dead kangaroo. Out first port of call was to Kings Canyon, where in temps of 40C + in the shade (Over 50C in the sun!) we climbed a hill called Heart Attack Hill!
Going up was easier than going down! (for me!) I have never drunk so much water in my life before in one day! 3 litres. I took close up pictures of two dangerous spiders! whilst resting! In the evening after seeing the sun set over Uluru we learned to play the Didgeridoo, I proved that it CAN be played from either end LOL!. That night we slept under the stars.
Up again at 4 am for breakfast to see the sun rise over Uluru, then a walk right round this auspicious red rock, 9 Km, took us 110 minutes! The rock is amazing, in it's different faces and fissures, at one point there was the most awesome SMILE! We then drove off to see Katy Tjuta (The Olgas) and to explore it's canyon. We also went to an Aboriginal Art & Craft exhibition, and saw the "Fools" Ayres rock on the way back to Alice Springs. I had a well earned swim in the Alice Lodge pool.
Then returned to Adelaide by the Ghan, it was still hot! The next day it was cooler, but still warm I went to a wildlife park, and it went COLD and rained! But i did stroke a Koala and fed a kangaroo. I had two more meals at the Bliss & Sprouts veggie restaurants in my two day stay in Adelaide.
On Friday 15th Dec I was back on the train to Sydney, with a 2 hour stop at Broken Hill. The overnight trip and arrival back in Sydney was not an easy one for sleep. I found my train for Gosford, and Sandra kindly met me at the station. Sandra was in fact one of my earliest pupils when I was a teacher, she now has three children of her own, two grown up. She lives in a lovely part of NSW, Avoca Beach. It was fascinating talking over old times and finding out how we had each developed over the past 40 years. We had re-met via Friends Reunited, only about 2 years ago. It was lovely seeing her now as an intelligent adult, and i am grateful for the time & trouble she took to show me around her area of NSW. All too soon I was back on the train to return to Arun & Jayshree for one final night, and to pick up my heavy suitcase.
I am in deed MOST grateful to Arun & Jayshree for all the kindness and trouble they both took to look after me. I hope one day they will make their way to Scarborough.
For early next morning a taxi arrives at 5am to take me to the station to get a train to to the capital state of ACT, Canberra. Here I was met by Chris Yardley. Chris is the only one whom I was/am seeing on my trip who is OLDER than me, by a few months! For he used to live in the same street, and was in the same class as I was in the 5th year at The Skinners' School. It was wonderful catching up with those old times, and learning what had happened to a few of our old classmates. One had been a policeman, and had ended up as being chief security officer with Winston Churchill! YES true, the Ex Prime Minister of UK! Chris's wife, Audrey was a pleasure to meet. She was so kind and friendly and though not veggie, she went to a lot of trouble to see that I had food I liked. It was a really wonderful two days I spend there, We went to a wildlife to see a Platypus, but didn't, and other creatures whom we did see! We went to the Parliament House, and a wonderful museum of Australian History. It was sad to leave after such a short time, as I found Chris was a KEEN philatelist, and we could have talked for hours! Anyway early next morning I was transported to the station and whisked back to Sydney, where I booked a hotel night for Dec 29th, and off to Toowoomba after a delicious salad sandwich from Macquaire Gourmet near the Hyde Park in 225 Macquaire Street. (I bought an extra one for my train journey too!) I arrived in Brisbane at 5.30 am! And by 10.30 I was at my final destination, before Xmas, of Toowoomba. After 5 years of knowing each other on the net I finally met Mellissa. Mellissa is married to Josh a lovely person and they are expecting their first baby in about 3 weeks. Mellissa is one of those special people who can listen well, and a great sympathiser. We both help others in a Depression Group in Yahoo. Obviously Mellissa will not be able to be very active, and I hope I won't be too much bother! I did at least cook them last night one of stir-fries. Now I have cooked in 5 continents!
A Happy Xmas to every one, I hope to write one or two more episodes, maybe when I am in Perth, but it may have to wait till I get home.
A very Pleasant new Year to you all too.
Friday,Dec 22 2006, 09:30:41 PMHappy Christmas & New Year To all the world
English - merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Aragones - Goyosa Nadal y millor año nuebo
Asturian - bon Nadal y feliz añu nuevu
Basque - zorionak eta urte berri on
Bolognese - bån Nadèl e un ân nôv pén ed felizitè
Brazilian Portuguese - feliz natal e um feliz ano novo
Bresciano - bon Nedal e bu an nof
Breton - Nedeleg laouen ha bloavezh mat
Calabrese - buonu Natali e filici annu nuovu
Cornish - Nadelik lowen ha blydhen nowydh da
Croatian - cestit Božic i sretna nova godina
Danish - glædelig jul og godt nytår
Dutch - prettige kerstdagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar
English - merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Esperanto - felican Kristnaskon kaj prosperan Novjaron
Estonian - häid Jõule ja õnnelikku uut aastat
Ferrarese - auguri'd bon Nadal e bon an nòv
Flemish - zalig Kerstmis en gelukkig Nieuwjaar
French - joyeux Noël et bonne année
Furlan - bon Nadâl e bon an gnûf
Galician - bo Nadal e próspero aninovo
German - frohe Weihnachten und ein schönes neues Jahr
Griko Salentino - Kalò Kristù ce na chrono nèo comào 'zze charà
Hungarian - békés karácsonyt és boldog új évet
Italian - buon Natale e felice anno nuovo
Judeo Spanish - Noel alegre i felis anyo muevo
Latin - Natale hilare et annum faustum
Leonese - Bon Nadal y Prestosu Añu Nuevu
Limburgian - ne zaolige Kiësmes, e gelèkkig Nauwjoër, ên al wo wènselek ès!
Mantuan - bon Nadal e bon an
Mapunzugun - ayüwün-ngechi lleqün antü ka küpalechi we tripantu
Mudnés - bòun Nadêl e bòun ân
Neapolitan - buonu Natale e felice nuov'anno
Norwegian - god Jul og godt nyttår
Papiamentu - Bon Pasku i Felis Aña Nobo
Parmigiano - bon Nadèl e dla felicitè par al an nòv
Piemontese - Bon Natal e Bon Ann neuv
Polish - Wesolych Swiat i szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese - bom Natal e feliz Ano Novo
Rapanui - koa ite navidad ote mata hiti api
Romagnolo - bon Nadél e feliz 'an nov
Sicilian - bon Natali e filici annu novu
Spanish - feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo
Swedish - god jul och gott nytt år
Umbro-Sabino - bon Natale e fecunnu annu nòu
Venetian - Bon Nadal e Bon Ano Nóvo
Welsh - Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda
Zeneize - bon Denâ e feliçe anno neuo
Love, Peace *SMILES*
To everyone
From
Chris
Monday,Dec 4 2006, 10:01:27 AMPart 4 of my round the world trip
TULSA to SYDNEY 3rd Nov to 3rd Dec 06
Reggie & Joey left me at a library for Ruth & Dennis to collect me later, after they finished work, and I had a chance to catch up on my emails. The next day I was taken to The Brown Mansion in the State of Kansas, for a bit of USA History! It was an interesting building, showing how things use to be. It was really lovely meeting Ruthie (Piglet!) after known her for about 6 years of chatting etc in various Yahoo groups. She really is the genuine person I thought she was. It was good to get to know her good man, Dennis too. Time was only in too short a supply and I left with the feeling that it would have been good to have stayed longer, but my journey and Ruthie’s work dictated otherwise. I do hope that this won’t be the ONLY meeting. There seemed so much more to talk about. I returned to Oklahoma City to catch an early morning train to Benson in Arizona. This was via the short journey to Fort Worth and then rejoining the train from Chicago to LA via San Antonio and my stop at Benson. I get to meet extraordinary people on the train too. On this short journey I met a lady taking care of two beautiful American Native children. We had a good chat on the journey. At the dead of night the train stopped at San Antonio for 5 hours to be disjointed, part returning to Chicago, the rest rearranged and then joined to part of another train from the South of the States. Eventually the other train arrived and we left an hour late. Here I met an other lovely person, a 70-year-old lady, we had a good chat for hours on this train. Eventually after crossing south Texas bush country (the small & prickly kind!) we arrived at Benson station and I was the ONLY one getting off at 11.30 pm! Here I was met by Jess & her lady friend Carmen. It was GREAT to see my longest known Internet friend again. We stayed at a hotel in Tombstone. Tombstone is one of those towns that has preserved it’s past by staying almost unchanged since Wyatt Erp’s days in the 1880s. The shops and the people, were often, all in the clothes of that time. We had a photo scene taken of the three of us in 1880’s costume! We watched the re-enactment of the famous Wyatt Erp Shootout (presented daily in the open air theatre!) and at night till 2 am we were taken on a ghostly tour of this town frozen in time. The 2 days went by TOO quickly! (As it seems most of my meetings were, LOL). The next excitement was provided by Amtrak telling me that my train from Benson at 10.25 pm was to be 4 hours late! Poor Jess & Carmen very kindly stayed up and saw me to the un-manned station in order to get me to the train on time lol! THANKS SO MUCH you kind ladies. SMILES. With the train 4 hours late, and very unlikely to catch up, I was worried about my connection! But Amtrak had a plan! We were taken off the train at Palm Springs instead of LA, and whisked to Bakersfield in time to resume my journey as planned to arrive in San Francisco area ON TIME! Here I met Kami, the only other Internet friend I had previously met before, several years ago, when she was with her parents and Dilys & I took them round London for a day. Kami is now a knowledgeable Music student at university, training to be a music teacher. I was met by Kami & her B/F who seemed VERY nice and I stayed with them in Stockton in their flat. Another strange day followed after Kami taking me to a university Concert of Stravinsky and a day in the country near a rather low lake, one of Kami’s favourite spots. On the Monday I joined Kami in her typical days teacher training and her lectures at University! At the primary school I was invited to talk to her class about my trip, words in USA & UK, and the Beatles! It was lovely to see how well kami had developed in to this confident student teacher in training. Also it was great to meet her B/F. On Nov 14th I went back by train to LA and stayed at a hotel in the centre, found a lovely veggie café and had a delicious salad. LA was a great deal warmer than San Francisco, and thus in Shorts & T shirt I met the enigmatic SLT, who was with a friend. We had a lovely time at a salad bar and later at the beech, where I walked into Pacific for the first time! Oh and how short was the time we had….. (Another lovely friend was SLT). Returning to San Francisco was another journey of interest, first there was a Kim (Burns) look alike with whom a small group on the train got talking about many interesting subjects, then as the paid for journey did not get me to the airport hotel I was staying at, the driver VERY KINDLY took me, in the bus, just for me, to my hotel. Showing that there are a whole lot of good and helpful people in this world. It was several miles out of his way. My flight to Buenos Aires was via Fort-Worth/Dallas and though the first part was late we managed to catch the connection. My first ever venture into a country that I knew not the language, ON MY OWN! At the airport early in the morning there well spotted was I by Lisa’s Dad, who works at the airport. He very kindly guided me through all the various checkpoints and customs etc and then I met my very dear old Internet friend Lisa. It was such a great pleasure meeting her and her parents and brother, and later her fiancé. Lisa’s English is VERY good, and it was a great pleasure to really meet her after all these years. The long drive to their home was an eye-opener to how varied is the life in Argentina from rich to very poor. It happened to be Lisa’s brother’s 18th birthday a few days ago and thus he had a party on my arrival! This went on a long time till about 4am! The next day Lisa took me into the City centre by train and bus, and viewed several historical buildings, and saw a tango display! On the way back on the last bus I fell (The bus lurched forward & sideways suddenly) and was knocked out for a minute or two as I hit my left chest on the pole and woke up gasping for breath, and a bad bruise in my ribs. Arnica cream and tablets were taken and during the night hot & cold compresses were applied to the bruise. This was the second disaster on my arrival in Argentina, though the disaster occurred elsewhere, in USA. I pulled out my camcorder case to show them my precious camcorder and found it was no longer in its case, and nowhere else either. The worst part was the card had about 200 photos on since a long time ago, and are lost forever. I hope my friends have got their copies of photos taken at the same time, so I can complete my collection. The next day I made my stir-fry for the whole family, also a failed chocolate cake, which was found to taste good, even though it had sunk! I beat Lisa in a strongly fought game of Chess after 2 hours! A third disaster occurred on the Wednesday, when Lisa had taken me to a riverside picnic place to enjoy the quietness and freshness away from the city. When inside a shop on the station someone stole Lisa’s wallet containing not only money but also her important identity card, amongst other important stuff. Lisa was naturally very upset, and especially when we found out that the Police would not do anything about it, as it was not taken by force, but by skilled pickpockets. That evening Lisa was singing in the Music School’s concert, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This brought us back to feeling more cheerful. My last full day was with Javier joining us in Buenos Aires city for the lovely meal in a veggie restaurant, and a walk in a rose garden. All in all it was great meeting Lisa, her family, and her fiancé (Javier) and many of Lisa’s friends. The last morning Ernesto (Lisa’s dad) took us into the airport for a final farewell. I just hope that I will meet once again Lisa & Javier when they visit England. The flight to NZ was first to Santiago in Chile, where I had to wait 11 hours for my main flight to Auckland NZ So I could say I have been to Chile! Saturday 25th Nov never existed in my diary as we crossed the International Date Line that day (See my poem on that!) On the 26th I arrived in Wellington at 9.30 am, found the hire car and made my way to Palmers ton North, where I was enthusiastically greeted & hugged by Rhiannon. That night I made my stir-fry again for Rhiannon & Her mum, which they seemed to enjoy (Especially her mum). This was now the 5th continent that I have cooked my stir-fry in! Sadly my stay in Palmers ton North was curtailed, even though all I was wanting to do was bring laughter and happiness to my friend, Rhiannon, as it had seemed to have done on my first day there. I went on a two-day trip to the sulphurous hot springs and geysers (one of the things I most wanted to see in NZ), I wish Rhiannon all the best.
The next day I returned to Wellington and found a lovely motel, and the next day I met my third Zorpian, Madam Boo. We had a wonderful day in the Te Papa Museum, and a nice meal not far away. Later I was taken to Boo’s home and met her two youngest children and their father. I could not have asked for a better end to my New Zealand trip. The next day I flew out of Wellington to a rainy Sydney (Australia) to stay with my long-term friend Arun and his lovely wife Jayshree. I first met Arun in my University days 1963/4 at Swansea University.
Saturday,Dec 2 2006, 03:30:05 AMYesterday
I met the real BOO!
Lovely meeting you Madam
THANKS so much for the gifts and hospitality Boo.
*SMILES*
Chris