After fearing for my life deep on the Great Barrier Reef, I find myself with Felice in what is known as the Red Centre, with Uluru right outside my window.<\/p>\n
If you’re wondering why I haven’t responded to your e-mail, it’s because I can’t log in, something to do with Windows and Australia and a great big sea.<\/p>\n
Funny thing about Australians, they’re funny!\u00c2\u00a0 Everybody here seems to have a great sense of humor.\u00c2\u00a0 And the yogurt is fantastic.\u00c2\u00a0 And Burger King is Hungry Jack’s!<\/p>\n
One doesn’t have to worry about ugly Americans here, because we’re outnumbered, frequently ten or fifteen to one.\u00c2\u00a0 So far I’d say that’s been the most exciting element of the trip, the different people, more than the locations.<\/p>\n
But this location!\u00c2\u00a0 Whew!<\/p>\n
We almost skipped Ayers Rock, but ended up booking it at the last moment.<\/p>\n
Flying in from Cairns the terrain resembled nothing so much as a moonscape.\u00c2\u00a0 Get dropped alone out here, and you die!<\/p>\n
And the Rock…\u00c2\u00a0 It IS red.\u00c2\u00a0 And mesmerizing.\u00c2\u00a0 And the patterns displayed as a result of light and dark make you feel like you’re in an IMAX movie.\u00c2\u00a0 A real one, with no seats but an endless screen.<\/p>\n
This hotel is too much.\u00c2\u00a0 We’re staying in a tent!<\/p>\n
And there are guides who showed us exactly where to stand so we could view the sunset’s effect on the rock.<\/p>\n
I’m waking up at 5:45 tomorrow for a sunrise walk.\u00c2\u00a0 If you know me, you’re in shock, because the last time I saw 5:45, it was from the other side!<\/p>\n
So, I hope you’re doing well, whatever day or time it is.<\/p>\n
Right now it’s 7:25 Down Under (Uluru is half an hour ahead of Sydney and Cairns!)\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve got to leave this public computer and get ready for dinner.\u00c2\u00a0 We’re here until Thursday, when we descend upon Phil Tripp’s conference.<\/p>\n
As for the Great Barrier Reef, I didn’t see Nemo, but I did see a lot of his cousins.\u00c2\u00a0 And that whispy white\/transparent thing, that looks like a floating Kleenex, I saw that too.\u00c2\u00a0 First foray was off a sand cay.\u00c2\u00a0 The second was out in the middle of the sea, amongst breakers, where the help on the boat insisted I go out because the fish were so fucking big and the drop-off at the end was so fucking deep.\u00c2\u00a0 I was afraid, as many of the people on the boat were.\u00c2\u00a0 So, they sent me out with a guide.\u00c2\u00a0 But I don’t think the guide, who was French, realized my issue was fear, for he started schlepping me all over the reef, me bobbing my head up occasionally to see how far from the boat we were.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, my arms tired, I told him I was going to go in.\u00c2\u00a0 And then he abandoned me!\u00c2\u00a0 We were only twenty or so feet from the vessel, but my snorkel was filling, the whitecaps were cresting, my arms were tired and…luckily, the current pulled me to my desired location.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve truly developed a fear, um, healthy respect, for Mother Nature as the years have worn on!<\/p>\n
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