Well after being hoovered for explosive dust only to find out it was washing powder I arrived in Alice Springs. The only thing I can say is Alice is small, you don't walk around late at night, their tourist attraction is the flying doctors museum and it's bloody freezing here.
I arrived went to my room in so far the worst youth hostel ever. An official YMCA, showers outside and naff kitchen and the rooms were poky and small. I go to my room to meet a 50 year old german woman who wasn't all there. She was nice enough but when you are freezing, dying for the loo and a hot cup of cofee (just to hold the mug for warmth) she wouldn't let you go because of her talking.
After my warm coffee I then went to my room to meet a lady called jill who is my age and boy can she talk. We went for dinner and had a great conversation. We byepassed the normal how are you and how long you travelling for and went straight into the meety stuff. It was quite refresshing although boy can she talk fast and its hard to keep up. But a lovely lady.
She then said we should go to the local bar to meet others from her group. Turns out that the bar was on a web cam that night so I would have been on the internet. She also got me to try a new drink...kalooa and orange juice. Its sweet and at first okay until you have too then feel a bit sick. The group were nice but legless and playing a game of lets push the person off the end of the seat.
Jill got a bit fed up with one of the younger guys ian beacuse he was making a private joke and she found that rude. Boy did she let him have it so that he felt so small but not agressively. Was quite amazing to watch eevn though it made me feel uncomfortable. We left after that.
Next day I am up early after a freezing cold shower to meet the adventure tours coach for my uluru in style trip. Sall or sally is our tour guide...a big girl (not fat) who also knows niles, travis and Al (for god sake is this incestuous or what). She's married and her husband works as the same thing but for the competitors.
On our group is cali her chef/cook. The group contains 3 germans. A 22 year old and her parents. They don't speak much english and won't give it a go. You try and chat and they just walk straight passed you. The daughter was nice and tried to translate for them.
There was a lovely japense retired woman who taught at a smal small school art, painting, writing, music and theatre. She was so sweet every time you spoke to her she jumped and thclapped her hands for joy becuase you spoke to her. They were not that keen on english and she couldn't speak that well either. Next two japense young girls who didn't speak any english.
Finally a couple who arrived late at the airpoirt. She was from melbourne and moved to seatle where her husband is. They met on the internet she has 3 daughters and he has one. They were great and she was so funny and full of beans but they left their bag with all the dig cameras at the hotel.
After our 5.50 pick up sall drives us through teh macdonald ranges...no not the clown but local ranch area with a mountain range. Then we go to katajuna and a walk to the Olga's through the valley of the winds. It was a beautiful walk at such a fast pace...gosh sall can move it. At the end you look out over this valley which looks like jurrassic park hidden valley or from the lost world. It was beautiful and sall also knows so much about the plants which were all in bloom because of the rain. Neils speciality was birds of the feathered variety and travi's was snakes.
We then go back and drop the stuff at camp. We have pre-made posh tents. Very differentorm the swaggign tours I have done. Lunch was also amazing...no beetroot and cheese sandwhiches but chicken drumsticks and a great salad and pasta salad...I am living it posh on this tour.
Next we go to the visita's centre and pick up the seattle company and look at the urlur town...well the nearest they can build anything and it has to blend into the surroundings. The buildings were all sand colour with sails almost. not the best architecture but was quite stunning in a way. The centre and complex wasn't much but its so eco friendlyyou wouldn't believ. Solar powered...own electricity, water etc. Quite a feet.
Posted by alexd at June 21, 2004 03:26 AMYou are cool
Posted by: zav at August 17, 2005 05:40 AM