Day 294: Kings Canyon

One word:

Acrophobia

What was I thinking?? I didn't sign up for this. I hate heights, I can't stand it. I remember visiting the Intrepid in grade school, and it was the worst class trip ever. However with age comes a certain amount of confidence and I've noticed a decrease in my fear of heights. Still, this was extreme. I didn't realize we were actually climbing up the canyon and then proceeding around the rim. Lucky for me the natural beauty of it all overrode my fears and I was able to conquer this natural wonder. As soon as we got off the bus, I thought I was in a movie. I mean, its was unbelievable. Diana and I took several moments to just stand still and listen. To think. To feel the breadth of history surrounding us. There were only two moments during our hike that I had to stop and recollect myself. Once we got to the first section on top of the canyon, there was a stretch about 50 yards long and only one person wide, along the canyon wall, the other side was a 300meter drop!!! No fence, no guard rail, nada!! The other time was descending the canyon, it was the creep up to the edge and climb off and down the canyon part, the holy crap what if I fall off and die thing that had me a bit hesitant. Once again no fencing or guard rails, just rocky steps down.  

Diana never ceases to amaze me. She is such a source of strength for me. When I think of what she has done, and the things we will continue to accomplish together, it makes me excited for the future. She did drive me crazy continually walking up to the edge and looking down. Or climbing up the rocks on the edge of the rim, Diana, what if that rock slips! Ack!! 

Day 293: Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta

The Outback holds no prisoners.... Unknown remains where we collected our firewood!

Kata Tjuta, also known as The Olgas, are a group of large domed rock formations. The alternative name, The Olgas, comes from the tallest peak, Mt. Olga. The hike was about 6 or so miles (9km) and took the better part of the morning. We woke up around 4:30am and made it back over to Uluru for sunrise. Shortly after the sun crested over Uluru, we were back on the road and headed to Kata Tjuta. It was amazing. I wish the pictures could do it justice. We saw water falls, climbed up steep valley's, in and out of rock formations, and thru parts of the Outback that looked like a Dinosaur would appear at any moment. This was...is..the land before time!


We left the Olgas and headed to our new camp site. On the way we stopped to see a huge salt lake surrounded by beautifully silky red sand. It was unbelievable! We took a minute to reflect and then proceeded to the roadway were there hadn't been a car sited in hours. Except for the one that snuck up on us right before we decided to jump in the middle of the street....AHHHHHH! We made another stop to collect fire wood. Dude, with what tools? Apparently true Aussie blokes can chop down trees with their bare hands, or at least get their tour members to do it. After being speared by several pieces of splintering wood in 105 degree heat it was time to go....bandaids, Diana where are the bandaids?!


Once at camp we built a fire, and got dinner ready. What an amazing sunset to put us to bed...

Day 292: Uluru - Ayers Rock

The ride through the Outback looked like this the whole weekend

The loneliest gas station

Uluru

 Today we left Alice Springs at 6:15am.

Left on a small bus with a group of people we'd get to know along the way.

Kissed our asses and civilization goodbye!

Prayed our Ipod and Camera batteries would last at least three more days.

"Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again -
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends.
Insisting that the world keep turning our way

And our way
is on the road again."

                         ~ Willie Nelson

We would be meeting our friends from Melbourne, in Yulara. They decided to fly further into the Outback to avoid the agony of the first 500km in the bus. Jen and Adam boarded the bus shortly before our hike around Uluru. Long pants, tee-shirt, and shirt with long sleeves. I started to sweat as soon as I saw them. But, they must have gotten the note about your skin burning up and falling off, so I don't blame em'. 



Quick Facts:
Uluru is the Aboriginal name for this site. On 19 July 1873, the surveyor William Gosse sighted the landmark and named it Ayers Rock in honour of the then Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. Since then, both names have been used. The sandstone formation stands 348 m (1,142 ft) high (rising 863 m/2,831 ft above sea level), with most of its bulk lying underground, and has a total circumference of 9.4 km (5.8 mi). 


Brief History:
This site has major cultural significance to the Agnanu Aboriginal Tribe. So much so that certain areas of the rock and surrounding area cannot be photographed/filmed. This is so serious to their people, that if one of them sees a prohibited picture of one of these sacred areas, they must tell theirs elders, who are then served penalties as severe as DEATH! Also don't be an asshole and climb the rock. Its disrespectful to the Aboriginals and not condoned. The path to climb was installed by station owners trying to increase tourism in the area. However the original path up the rock was significant in that it was a  part of that men's maturation/becoming a man ritual. 


The Australian government held the rights to the land until 1985, when the local Aboriginals semi-successfully won their lands back. Only for the Australian government to stipulate a 99 year lease back. However, the Agnanu have remained in control of the lands. During the time that land had been taken away the watering holes became contaminated, bush fires ravaged vegetation and wildlife. Once the local people regained control, they reclaimed nearly all that was lost. Awesome! 

Sunset during dinner in Uluru

Sunrise over Uluru the next morning

Day 291: We'll be OUTBACK

Statue in front of the "Second Hand" store in Alice Springs

We finally made it to the Australian Outback!! So excited we don't even know what to do with ourselves! Funny, not many Aussie's we've met have actually been to the Outback. Which doesn't surprise me since many American's have never been to the Grand Canyon or Mt. Rushmore....Hoover Dam? Shall I continue...

Well, our time in Australia wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Northern Territory. We arrived in Alice Springs, NT today. From here we'll jump on a backpacker's tour to drive about 1000 miles into the Outback. Then we will hike around 20 miles thru the desert to see sacred Aboriginal sites.

Firt Impressions:
Go to HELL, you mean Alice Springs??

Okay so this Celsius & degrees thing needs to be more equivalent. There has to be a better way to let people know that if you walk outside your skin will burn off!! Reading 41 degrees on my phone just doesn't equate to "put you face in the oven while its on pyro-self clean mode" hot. The only benefit, if there was one, is that it is dry heat. So you just dehydrate and stick to the concrete like a worm the day after it rains. Rant aside...

Alice Springs is a small town. One main strip with bars, restaurants, and community/cultural buildings. This was our base camp before and after our tour around the Outback. Surprisingly there were several facilities to learn about the Aboriginal's arts and culture. On the downside this would be a good place to see how they were utterly screwed out of there land. Humm..just took a negative turn there. But the Aussie's that decided to come over with guns and disease and say, you can have the Outback....have no GOD. They were literally, and as far as I'm concerned, sent to hell. Another story for another time.....moving on.

Day 244: Bondi Beach!

The Blackburns

Bondi Beach

Photo Credit: Cindy Lopez

We slept-in on Day 3 in Sydney. We needed a few extra hours to let our bodies catch up to our spirits lol. We got dressed and headed to Bondi Beach. The weather was cold, cloudy, and rainy.... crappy! But it didn't stop us from having fun.

We stopped to eat at Mojos Tapas Bar.  OMG was this place amazing. Every tapas dish we ate was soooo gooood and their sangria is good too. If you ever find yourself at Bondi Beach, you must must must eat here!

Day 243: V8 Supercars

Aussie Racing Car

When we made plans to go to Sydney the last thing I expected was a racing event. The Australian V8 Supercar Series can be compared to Nascar in America. However, the cars are different and the majority of the tracks are road courses. Watching it on TV the past couple of months just didn't do the experience justice. If you're in Australia, and they're racing in a city near you, treat yourself! The weather was beautiful, sunny with clear skies. The metallic smell of brake dust and gasoline hovered in the air, if I could make it into a cologne I would. As the cars zoomed by you could hear the drivers shift through the gears. As the cars slowed you'd hear the gasoline explode in the exhaust causing what sounded like shotgun blasts in quick succession. It made the hair stand up on end and got the adrenalin flowing like I've never felt before. I kid you not, I started skipping as soon as we walked off the train, and I heard the cars flying around the course. I felt like a kid in a candy store, all day.


If you have never been to a racing event, make it a point to do it at least once in your life. There is usually off track entertainment, especially for kids. Here in Sydney, they had a pit crew challenge where you could challenge the pro's at jacking up the car, and changing the tires. There were racing simulators, concerts, car shows, and stunt/drifting exhibitions. Last time I was this overwhelmed and excited was the Food court at Paragon Mall in Bangkok. I was on an insane high every second that we were there.

 Photo credit: Cindy Lopez

 Photo credit: Cindy Lopez

One of the Porsche Series Cars, the paddock was buzzing as the teams worked on their cars between races. 

Photo credit: Cindy Lopez

Seriously!!! These are some of the coolest little cars I've ever seen. They're known as Aussie Racing cars. After talking to one of the team owners, they cost about $50k to build and another $50k to maintain and race over the course of a season! HOW AFFORDABLE!! I'm doing it!! They weigh just a fraction of a normal car and run on a 1300cc motorcycle engine. With over 150HP, and revving to over 10,000RPM, how could you not like em'!?

Did you guys know my dream job is to be a race car driver?? I'm going to make it happen, maybe not NASCAR, but Imma do it!

Day 242: We're Bike Buffs!

Our first full day in Sydney was spent on bikes riding around the city with Bike Buffs. What a great way to see the city! We are into biking so this was a good way to squeeze in some exercise while doing the tourist thing.

Our tour guide was a cool older man who started this business a year ago after his antiques business suffered due to the whole Global Financial Crisis. He made us take funny pictures, gave us a bit of Sydney history, and took us to a "Secret Garden" near Luna Park.

Day 241: Hello Sydney!

Yes people... we are on the road again! Or, should we say... in the air again!  Whatever. We are finally making our way to Sydney. The Blackburns enjoyed the Great Ocean Rd. yesterday and flew to Sydney this morning. We took a late night flight to Sydney after I got off of work and we'll be enjoying four full days in the largest city in Australia.: Sydney.

We arrived in Sydney tonight at about 9:45pm. We grabbed the train to the Sydney apartment that we are staying in. So far, we like what we see. The train stations are more grungy than we thought they would be. We saw a lady with a bottle of wine in hand (we likey) and the train windows display some random "scratchiti"(scratch graffiti) ... just like in NYC. You don't really see that in Melbourne, so that was a little reminder of home.

We are staying in Milson's Point which is right across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, right near Luna Park. It's a quiet area but pretty convenient. We are staying in a two bedroom apartment because ALL of the hotels were fully booked! It actually ends up working out pretty well for both couples because we each have our own bedroom/bathroom w/ TVs, a large living room, a fully stocked kitchen, and a large balcony. The apartment is less than a 5 minute walk to the train station and we get gorgeous night views of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Hello Sydney, nice to finally meet you ;-)

Day 215: White Water Rafting Adventure

We heard a nasty rumor that we were was supposed to get heavy rain today (Saturday). We didn't let this hold us back from experiencing more of what Cairns had to offer! We booked a white water rafting trip on the Barron River! Why not?! We were going to get wet anyway so rain wouldn't ruin our plans for the day.

We chose to go with the Foaming Fury tour company. Unlike other tour companies we've used for any of our trips, Foaming Fury was only a two man show. Our guides were so good! They were funny, knowledgeable about the Barron River and rafting. They really made us feel excited to white water raft.

Our raft's guide, Roddy -- was full of personality and humor! I have to admit that he single handedly made the rafting trip so much for us. He dunked some people in the water, rescued a girl that fell out of the raft after the first rapid, tried to make Adonis (or "Sexual Chocolate" as Roddy called him) fall out of the raft (didn't work, ha!), and ensured we had the best experience since we were all first time rafters.

We met up with the girls for a bit but spent the night sipping on wine and watching the monsoon on our patio/balcony! It was a perfect and relaxed night after a crazy afternoon on the river.

There's so much to do in Cairns! We seriously need to circle back (if time and money allows) to experience more of tropical Australia. *sigh*

Day 214: THE Great Barrier Reef

Upolu Cay

Upolu Cay

 

Today we took an hour and a half boat ride to The Great Barrier Reef with Ocean Free and Ocean Freedom Tour Company. The boat was nice and the crew was very helpful and friendly. We stopped at Upolu Reef and went for a swim on the gorgeous Upolu Sandy Cay.  

Did you know that The Great Barrier Reef contains 2,900 reefs?! Insane!!

The water was nice and warm. We snorkeled for almost 4 hours in total. We saw huge fish as well as some familiar fish. Em even saw a sting ray and a baby shark! The staff held some guided snorkel tours and did some extras like swim all the way down to pick up funky sea creatures for us to touch!

Swimming at Upolu Cay was priceless! It was like swimming in a pool! I have to say it's the best deserted island we've been on so far. Yes, it beats out Fiji and Thailand.

We had an underwater camera, but it's currently out of commission. As soon as we get those pics, we'll post them as extras!

Day 213: Hello Cairns!

We stayed up all night catching up The Walking Dead, blogging, and having a few drinks. We had to be out of the apartment by 3:30AM for a 6AM flight to Cairns, Australia!

We only care about two things on this trip:  snorkeling The Great Barrier Reef and ....

   .... celebrating 6 YEARS OF TOGETHERNESS & OUR 1 YEAR OF MARRIAGE!

We are staying at the Shangri-La. I walked into our room and I was greeted by a large and pretty view of the Marina from our room. I was also greeted by my surprise bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine that Adonis arranged before we arrived!  That Sneaky McSneakster! I was soooo excited about my flowers. He said he could have went with more "traditional" flowers, like roses, but he knew that wasn't me! C'mon, I do flowers every week and last week was the first time I got roses. I love love looooove my flowers!! They are perfect in every way.

I must say that Adonis chose a fabulous hotel & hotel room. The room overlooks the Marina, it has a sexy glass wall that you can see into the bathroom from the bed area, and it has a large patio/balcony for us to enjoy the beautiful weather.

We spent the day walking around Cairns, trying to catch up with the LAdies, and going out for some eats and drinks once we did find them.

Tomorrow.... THE GREAT BARRIER REEF!!

Day 143: In The Air... Again!

Our bags were barely unpacked from out Thailand/Japan trip, so it made it fairly easy to pack for this quick trip.

We weren't planning on coming back home while we were in Melbourne. Mainly because it would require me to take vacation time and because I think it would be hard for me to go home for a little while and then leave. So, we rather not take the trip home. However, going to see Grandma Ruthie was a mandatory trip... for both of us.

Our flight was booked and when we looked at our itinerary we knew it wasn't going to be any easy trip home. Here is the itinerary more or less:

(1) Melbourne to Sydney
(2) Sydney to Los Angeles
(3) LA to Chicago
(4) Chicago to New York

                                     .... and, we weren't flying Qantas.

|| (Pause):
Qantas is the best airline ever in life! No matter which class you fly, you are guaranteed a tasty meal, a personal television screen where you can enjoy unlimited movies and tv shows, outlets in your seat so you can plug in your laptop or cell phone to charge, and plenty of comfy seat/leg room. Qantas is seriously the undisputed best airline we have ever flown... and we have collectively flown Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy. It the best in all categories.

|> (Play):
We instead flew United Airlines because they were the most affordable flight we could find. Anyways, the trip was as agonizing as it sounded. We spent a total of 25 hours in the air with terribly uncomfortable seats, barely any in-flight entertainment, and "blah" food. We wasted time on the flights by catching up on Sons of Anarchy (Season 2), The Office, and Boogie Nights. I started to work on the outline of one of my dream community service projects (details on that on another post), and Adonis worked on Garage Band. Even with two laptops and an iPod working on overtime, the flight back home was horrible.

Oh..... AND there was an EARTHQUAKE back home while we were en route! ... AND we read about serious hurricane warnings for the weekend.... WTF?! Not only were we on a long uncomfortable flight to attend Grandma Ruthies funeral, but now we have to quickly call home to find out if our family and friends were OK and begin tracking this hurricane for the trip back to Melbourne.

This was seriously some bullshit and not the way we wanted to come back home. Grandma Ruthie's passing was about enough we could handle but then we had to toughen up for an earthquake and a hurricane. There hadn't been an earthquake in New York in 20+ years and Hurricane Irene was the first serious hurricane warning in New York in two centuries. What are the odds that BOTH of these would hit in the same week. Some bullshit I tell ya!

Day 139: En Route to Melbourne

We were finally back in Melbourne, Australia after a 6 hour layover in Shanghai, China which went by pretty quickly considering it was 12 hours of flying. We watched an entire season of NY Ink to get us by (thank you iTunes)! It was surprisingly comforting to get back to our familiar home away from home. We spent the entire day sleeping and recuperating from a 10 hour flight where a baby managed to cry loudly for 8 hours. Sheesh!

We found ourselves weirdly glad to be back. Don't get us wrong, we are very appreciative of the amazing travel opportunity, we will never forget the things we got to see, and we can't wait for the next time we get to see the Lunas. However, it was nice to get back to the familiar surroundings.

It left us wondering how it will feel to finally be back home.... in the Empire State of New York City where we'll be surrounded by our real home, our long-time family & friends, and our dog-son Tyson (who we miss terribly).

Thank you Samui, Bangkok, and Okinawa for being good to us. Next up? The rest of Australia!!

Day 138: Bye Okinawa!

Okinawa was the best ending to our 3-week long trip. Seeing my LS and her family was priceless. Her girls are growing up fast and are beautiful, smart, funny, and full of love. Seeing my LS and her husband together was like seeing true commitment in the physical form. I loved holding the baby in my arms and turning her cries into pure laughter and I loved sitting with their oldest for 20 minutes watching and cheering her on as she traced the letters of the alphabet. We can not thank them enough for being great hosts and welcoming us into their homes for 10 days. Being with them was the best way to end our trip.

Before we left we HAD to get picture with the planes/jets/ultra-super fast mechanical birds in the sky flown (or once flown) by the U.S. Air Force!!

Adonis' trip to Japan was PERFECT due to the fact that (1) he got to overdose on the crab legs he had been craving for months in Australia and (2) he got to bring back 3 bottles of Frank's Red Hot Sauce which is not sold in Australia lol.

Thank you isn't enough to say to the Luna Family but it'll have to do for now.

Hasta la proxima vez y el proximo pais Familia Luna!