G'day mates!
Almost night here in Alice Springs, but you're still enjoying the lazy Sunday afternoon, aren't ya?
I'm back from 3 days tour into the deepest outback! Started off on Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Uluru (Ayers Rock), then the Kings Canyon. It was an amazing experience to live into the desert (constant temperature 30-32 degrees) and sleep under a starred sky you can only see in remote areas. Away from light pollution. Obviously because we are on the Southern hemisphere the stars you see are different. Even the moon looks is upside down. But the experience of spotting a dotted sky like I have seen in Uluru is stunning! I camped 3 days in a swag, which is a bedroll you use as a tent. But you are actually sleeping in the open. Well to be honest, I didn't like the idea of being visited by all sort of insects at night, so I quickly made my way to sleep in the bus we used for the tour (I know...). It was bloody cold at night, plus didn't want to disturb the rest of the group with my snoring. That's the thing in the desert: freaking hot in the day, as freaking cold during the night.
We got to learn about bush tucker, and bush medicines the Aboriginals used to pick to feed and cure themselves. I also got to learn that Australia was divided into 250 countries 'till the British invaded it (let's call things by their names, guys).
Here's the map of Aboriginals Oz: http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/map-aboriginal-australia
And the natives were just respecting the neighbour's border. So they never fought over land. Every native Australian was deeply attached to his/her own land. Which is something we should really look up to.
Sadly enough, these people are hanging around the city like zombies trying to sell their paintings to tourists, and grab enough money for the goon (Aboriginal word for grog).
And seem to have lost part of their cultural heritage. They seem to be on drugs, and social issues which is a shame...This is what colonization does, in the end. Doesn't it?
Anyway we climbed up the Olgas for 2 hours, walked around Uluru (something that took us 2 h 30 mins) and climbed up the Kings Canyon (3 h 30 mins)
http://www.google.com.au/images?q=kings%20canyon&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1145&bih=860
The 3rd tour was unexpectedly the experience of a lifetime. The nature here is just stunning! No wonder the Aboriginals worshipped it so much. A M A Z I N G C O U N T R Y!!
I guess it was worth getting up at 4.30am, missing out breakkie, and toilet sessions (funny details), getting your tour guide growling at you like you were a small child, then sweat like a pig at 6am to witness the sunrise on the red rocks (gorgeous landscape btw) and reaching to the top of the canyon. You just melt from the inside then, and not only because it starts to get hot on the outside. :-)
I guess I'd have to come back, and visit Western Australia, driving from Darwin along the coast all the way to Melbourne, then flying into Tasmania, then visit Kiwiland! :-)
That's my next trip, it'll take approximately 3 months (roughly). Who wants to join?
Tomorrow I go back to Uluru, then fly back to Sydney. I guess my adventure has come to an end. But I am sure I'll have enough for the next couple of months.
Koala-hugs for you all!
Silvi@
Ps: there are wild camels in the Aussie desert! And they have camel races here too!
Forgot to mention the moon look upside down from here, and water circles in the opposite direction than in the Norther emisphere. Nothing special, but when you look at it, you freak out...
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