Around The World w/Scott 2011: the Blue Mountains or Bust

Well today I hopped the train out to the Blue Mountains. It is a 2 hour and that is to the dot, not 1hour 58 minutes it is 2 hours on a really nice train that make minimal stops getting out of the City of Sydney, then makes more frequent stops as it reaches the outer regions. It is like commuting from the city center out into the most remote, picturesque setting. It reminded me alot of going up to my Grandparents cottage in Canada. The early years when the road were rocky not paved and the area was so dense with trees that you couldn't see the cottages for the trees. The train stops in a little town of Katoomba. It is a little rural not really rustic as the train station is at the end of a town square/city street that leads thru a residential area and out to Echo Park. You approach on a paved street and then all of a sudden...there it is the most spectacular view of the Blue Mountains. It reminded me on approach while still on the train of the mountainous regions South of LA towards Palm Springs except it was covered with greenery/trees rather than dessert sand.

There were several walks along the perimeter of the lookout points. The sky actually opened up and it was a beautiful day, one that started out a little overcast in the City. So off I go set out to see the Three Sister Rock formation. It was a nice wander along a path that had been once a simple dirt path and had been ungraded due to use and concern for public safety to an actual paved sidewalk. That is alot of public feet. The walk was simple and lead to another lookout point. Another spectacular view. The pictures may not do justice to the expanse of greenery and the shadows of light and dark and the clouds that created an additional layering of shadows. It was breathtaking. I spent the better part of an hour just soaking it all in. I am soooooo glad that I'm doing this alone...not so much solo as not as part of any and I mean any organized tour group. The freedom of being able to just sit and absorb your surroundings at a pace that you want and not be rushed or ordered that you have be back on the bus at any given time is beyond a simple pleasure in life. Seeing so may tour groups, mostly of some Asian nationality rush off the bus to be the first to aim their semi-automatic tripodded arms length view finder to be the first to grab the 1st of a million photos and then rush back to the comfort of their air conditioned bus, no hair out of place or makeup smudged by a drop of sweat.....what the heck am I saying....I was so jealous that their entire trip was planned, primped, coddled, organized, directed, and overseen that the only memory they will have is queueing at the bus doors to get the hell outa the sun. What the hell?? Just my impression of observation. They all seem to have these very expensive camera systems...the best word for the amount of photography equipment they felt to the need to pack and carry in order to get a beautiful photo of themselves at every single lookout point photo opportunity. They are missing the 900 99thousand 600 minutes, oops, slipping into show tunes and it is steps not minutes that they miss of all the other non-marked photo opportunities that are truly only a few steps away. Too bad for them!

Just a footnote: There is a reason that my blogs at times seem to ramble or loose focus as I am attempting to multi task. I know those of you that know me well or maybe too well that I am a one trick pony...keep your comments too yourself; however I am attempting to blog, upload way too many photos off my I-phone so well what do you think so I can take more. I am attempting to juggle the currency of AU and as of today i have only $2.75 that I have to spend prior to leaving for New Zealand in the morning on a 6:30am shuttle to catch my 9:30 am flight to Auckland. I finally got my super secret luggage security lock busted open so that I can stuff all my dirty laundry onto the the top layer as I don't have correct change to do laundry tonight before i leave in the morning. If the bomb sniffing dogs are on patrol my luggage will never make it on board as the smell of personal odor may prevent me from claiming my seat except I have already laid out a fresh set of clothes for my BUSINESS class flight from Sydney to Auckland in the morning. Every time that I think that I am going to accomplish something for my common good I sidle up instead to someone who is discussing somewhere i will be going in the future ot listen in on where they have been and start thinking how hard is it to get to Fiji or Bali and will it work schedule wise/cost effectively and do I really care to go there, just because others seem to think it is definitely worth a look...before I head to Singapore or as a side trip from Singapore. This is nothing, compared to the number of sights you want to see and prioritize those to the ones that you know you will be sorry if you traveled all this way and miss. Sorry Mom, but I never have seen a Kangaroo or held a Koala? Somethings will just have to wait until a future return. Then there is the grocery shopping, yes actual grocery shopping that you do so that instead of the outlandish cost to eat out...OK if you can eat sushi or any number of Asian delicacies (not my favorite) every meal of the day then you have hit the foodie heaven. I find myself actually eating alot of wraps, salads and yes many rice dishes that I at least seem to recognize the majority of ingredients.