First of all, the Uluru trip was fucking awesome. There was the fucking awesome guide Glenno, the fucking awesome food that we cooked and ate around the campfire, and of course, the fucking awesome girls I spent the whole trip with: Aline and Marjolein. Uluru was freezing cold but we had so much fun.
The first day we spent hours and hours in a very uncomfortable bus. I plugged in my ipod for everyone so we could enjoy some good 'ole hip hop on the way. We passed Vuluru which was NOT Uluru, the geographic center of the continent, a place with camels, several bars in which we were encouraged to buy snacks, and a whole lot of nothingness. The red center of Australia is indeed the middle of nowhere. We drove for FIVE HOURS in the outback until we finally reached Uluru. Thank god Aline and I packed cookies and lamingtons and chocolate to tide us over.
Our first official stop was at Kata Tjuta, otherwise known as the Olgas. These are 36 big lumps of round, red rock. They are bright red. Like you walk through the middle of some of the lumps, and your skin looks reddish because of the reflection. The wind was crazy here. Kata Tjuta is where the men have their initiation ceremonies. Several areas are off limits to regular white folk because of this.
Our next stop was at Uluru, where we watched the sunset. Uluru is in fact, big, red, square, and radiates a brilliant orange in the setting sun. Everyone took about a million pictures, because after all, we drove for 25 hours to see this rock. I did not feel an overwhelming spirit or magic or whathaveyou, but it was very peaceful. Plus, Aline and I ate our second sandwiches from lunchtime, so there was that. Aline and Marjolein and I tried to take a jumping picture and failed quite spectacularly.
Dinner! Was a tasty vegetarian Chinese noodle stir fry. Aline and I were the only vegetarians on the trip, so we got to cook our own food together. And eat it all ourselves. And after our delicious meal, we all sat around the campfire and roasted marshmallows! An American treat! Plus hot chocolate! We had a walk around and looked at the stars, and they were spectacular. Just as bright and shining as in Kakadu. The Milky Way was incredible again.
Unfortunately, the weather was AWFUL and stepping just two feet away from the fire was like entering the Arctic tundra. We slept in sleeping bags inside swags completely zipped up, and I wore my alpaca hat, and I was still so cold that I woke up several times in the middle of the night. Finally I realized that I should flip my sleeping bag upside down so that I could pull the headpiece over like a hood rather than sleep upon it, but it was so hard to do in the middle of the night that I just woke up tired and grumpy. And cold. Because do you know what time we woke up? 5:00 am.
As the sun rose, we walked around the base of Uluru, and this was a bit disapointing as I thought we would be right up against it but we were about 50 meters away for most of it. It looked the same from that distance as it did from the car park, plus there were only three signposts the entire way around with stories or information. Uluru was used as a sacred place for the women in the area. Near the end, we got to walk closer and touch it and see an area where the Aboriginals gathered to eat together. Up close, Uluru is still bright red, but the most striking aspect of the rock are the holes in it, from where smaller rocks popped out due to expanding and shrinking in the changing seasons. The holes have been smoothed over from wind and rain erosion. As we walked, we sang our own national anthems, songs about sunshine, Kol Haneshama round, and other songs we all knew, like Die Moldau. We are all music dorks, which was awesome. The cultural center at the end of the base walk was meh, although they did have tons of pictures of bush tucker, the bugs and plants and fruits that Aboriginals ate. So we sat in the sun outside and ate our own bush tucker: Belgium mint chocolate.
One interesting thing I learned about Aboriginals from Glen our Amazing Guide is that there are still many, many clans living in the outback, living life the traditional way. Those who do bad things, like become alcoholics, are kicked out of the community. Those are the Aboriginals that you see at the bus stations and gas stations in Alice and Katherine, the ones who hang out yelling at one in the morning, the ones who are clearly drunk or on drugs. Glen told us that sugar and flour were not a part of the traditional diet but were given as presents from German missionaries in the 1800s. So much crap food has made many Aboriginals diabetic.
On our second night, we had a tasty pasta dish, and some tasty custard and fruit concoction, and some tasty hot chocolate, and popcorn cooked in the fire. We went to see the stars again with Glen and they were again, amazing. Glenno gave us some good tips for our sleeping bags in swags, and I slept soundly for 5 hours. Because we woke up again in the dark. WE PAID GOOD MONEY TO DO THIS.
The third day activities were hiking in Kings Canyon and driving back to Alice Springs. Kings Canyon was a nice hike, not very strenuous compared to Kakadu. It was filled with red rock formations that looked like Dutch ovens, round lumpy things, and included the Lost City which looked like Angkor Wat when it was first discovered. Aline and I ate muesli bars, chocolate, and gluten-free cereal that Glen was giving away. The driving home part of the trip SUCKED as the bus had the most uncomfortable seats ever, and the road was amazingly boring, and we only passed three road trains, so I ate a whole bag of cereal and finished my 7th book of the trip, this one about a girl who goes to retrieve some shoes her ex-boyfriend sold on e-bay. Quality literature.
Red Center Highlights: One girl thought I was “19 years old, pushing 20,” three people thought my red hair was natural, the dingos I saw in the wild, and most definitely wearing the same outfit for three days and three nights in a row. While hiking. And sitting in the campfire. And sleeping. And I wore all of it at the same time on the third day – running shorts, sweat pants, sports bra, tank top, t shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, snow hat. This was the best outfit because the running shorts have built in unders and the tank was a built in bra kind, so in effect I was wearing 2 pairs of underwear, 2 bras, 2 bottoms, and 2 shirts. When you embrace the dirt, wearing the same outfit over and over is actually quite cozy. Also have I mentioned our guide, Glen? Quite a highlight. Although he smoked like a chimney, he was super nice and funny and used the F word a lot and seemed to enjoy being a guide. He even had a competition in the bus on the way back in which we had to tie a gummy worm into a knot using just our tongues. I did not win, sorry boys.
Red Center Lowlights: I lost my beloved mini Mag flashlight somewhere between the Milky Way and my warm swag.
Australian thing of the past few days: One big red rock and 500ml of chocolate.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
a town called Alice
The best part about Alice Springs is the mountain that sits right outside of the town and is mildly picturesque.
German girl Aline and I walk around town (boring), over the Todd River (dry), and through the Pink Olive Botanical Gardens (mostly dead). The upside is that there is so little to do that we can have a real conversation and eat lots of quality junkfood. Aline will be on my Uluru tour for the next three days so it's a good thing I like her. (Even if she is German and I swore to Hendrick that I would not make friends with any more Germans.) Aline bought a lot of cookies and treats for the trip. I bought chocolate and marshmallows to roast on the fire.
We also met Dutch girl Marjolein who will be on our tour and she passed the cool test. Three other girls, Caroline from Vancouver, Emilie and friend from Quebec City, did not pass the test. They are going to be loud and obnoxious and probably complain about stuff. (Ed note – Emilie turned out to be awesome but I can't say the same about the other two.)
Australian things of the day: Lamington cakes, which are supposedly a Brisbane thing, and are really just white cake dipped in chocolate frosting and covered with coconut flakes. Pretty tasty, and very filling. Also: Tomato and carmelized onion flavored tuna. DELICIOUS. Will definitely be purchasing this again. Also: Frozen coke at McDonalds. I'm pretty sure we have this in the US but I'll mention it here in the interest of full disclosure. Also: Crispy fish wrap at McDonalds. I am overwhelmed by how good this tasted and how it was only $2.95. I have eaten more fish and more McDonalds on this trip than I have in the past year at home. Also one more Australian thing or maybe Dutch thing that my roommate Marjolein fed me: rice milk with bananas. YUM I WANT TO EAT THIS FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY. Sweeter than horchata, thinner than rice pudding.
I wonder if I can bring cans of tuna past US customs? How about 'roo jerky? Does anyone know?
German girl Aline and I walk around town (boring), over the Todd River (dry), and through the Pink Olive Botanical Gardens (mostly dead). The upside is that there is so little to do that we can have a real conversation and eat lots of quality junkfood. Aline will be on my Uluru tour for the next three days so it's a good thing I like her. (Even if she is German and I swore to Hendrick that I would not make friends with any more Germans.) Aline bought a lot of cookies and treats for the trip. I bought chocolate and marshmallows to roast on the fire.
We also met Dutch girl Marjolein who will be on our tour and she passed the cool test. Three other girls, Caroline from Vancouver, Emilie and friend from Quebec City, did not pass the test. They are going to be loud and obnoxious and probably complain about stuff. (Ed note – Emilie turned out to be awesome but I can't say the same about the other two.)
Australian things of the day: Lamington cakes, which are supposedly a Brisbane thing, and are really just white cake dipped in chocolate frosting and covered with coconut flakes. Pretty tasty, and very filling. Also: Tomato and carmelized onion flavored tuna. DELICIOUS. Will definitely be purchasing this again. Also: Frozen coke at McDonalds. I'm pretty sure we have this in the US but I'll mention it here in the interest of full disclosure. Also: Crispy fish wrap at McDonalds. I am overwhelmed by how good this tasted and how it was only $2.95. I have eaten more fish and more McDonalds on this trip than I have in the past year at home. Also one more Australian thing or maybe Dutch thing that my roommate Marjolein fed me: rice milk with bananas. YUM I WANT TO EAT THIS FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY. Sweeter than horchata, thinner than rice pudding.
I wonder if I can bring cans of tuna past US customs? How about 'roo jerky? Does anyone know?
dah-win
Since Darwin ranks up there with Barstow for entertainment, I had nothing left to do on this fine Friday morning except pack up my stuff, do some internet, stock up on bus food, buy a new book, and enjoy my eighth McDonalds soft serve of the week.
The bus to Alice Springs will take 20 hours.
Two notable things:
On the bus, they play the movie Australia, which stars Nicole Kidman, so I win one point against Naomi. Yes, I am still keeping score.
Australian thing of the day: Tropical fruit lassee at the Roma Bar, which promised free internet but had RUN OUT OF SERVICE the previous day. The lassee tasted less delicious after I discovered that.
The bus to Alice Springs will take 20 hours.
Two notable things:
- We hit a kangaroo while driving in the dark. Several times, I believe. The fellow next to me tells me that if you want to drive in the outback at night, you need to have a bullbar on your front fender, else when you hit a roo – it's not a matter of if but when – it won't destroy your car.
- There are alcoholic and drug addicted Aboriginal groups living along the Stuart highway. They congregate at gas stations and bus stops. They yell and cuss and run around barefoot and dirty, generally acting like animals. This problem is state-wide and is a result of white man taking their land and leaving them homeless, unemployed, and with little connection to their former community and way of life. (I am happy to say that there are many Aboriginal communities still intact and still living off the land in the Torres Strait area and in the outback of the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
On the bus, they play the movie Australia, which stars Nicole Kidman, so I win one point against Naomi. Yes, I am still keeping score.
Australian thing of the day: Tropical fruit lassee at the Roma Bar, which promised free internet but had RUN OUT OF SERVICE the previous day. The lassee tasted less delicious after I discovered that.
post trip
I had yet another McDonalds soft serve.
Outside the restaurant was a tall tree COVERED with lorakeets, and their screeching could be heard from blocks away. It sounded like seven cars screeching to a halt at the same time, continuously. Under the tree, you couldn't hear yourself think.
I met the German boys at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. Imagine The Farmers Market late at night, but cooler. There were booths of every type of food imaginable. There were booths of clothing and crap like sarongs or keychains made out of kangaroo balls. The theme of the night was FOOD. I got Thai sticky rice with mango (delish and only in season in the summer so I should really get on that when I get home), tapioca balls with peanuts (gross), and rice cakes with palm suger (what we ate daily in Thailand). I also sampled McGuyver's shake, Oliver's churro, and got my own pina colada. Hendrik finished all of those for us when we were stuffed. He is a vacuum cleaner. (He said of the 'roo sausages the other night, “I was eating dinner. Everyone else was just eating a snack.”)
Feet and legs sore, we drudged home. I took an all too brief ride in a shopping cart. We ended up at the Meleluca bar, where the boys had been staying. After several pictures of beer, we played I Never and the hand slapping the table in the correct order game. We tried to play 11 22, but Daniel couldn't get the clapping and snapping rhythm down, much less answer with his number. FYI the rhythm goes like this: lap, clap, right snap, left snap. Oliver used his mosquito bite heat machine on me. Then they walked me to my hostel and we all traded emails and blogs. The three big boys (Ollie, McGuyver, and Daniel) will be in Los Angeles in a few weeks and I promised them I would play tourguide. It was sad to say goodbye.
Outside the restaurant was a tall tree COVERED with lorakeets, and their screeching could be heard from blocks away. It sounded like seven cars screeching to a halt at the same time, continuously. Under the tree, you couldn't hear yourself think.
I met the German boys at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. Imagine The Farmers Market late at night, but cooler. There were booths of every type of food imaginable. There were booths of clothing and crap like sarongs or keychains made out of kangaroo balls. The theme of the night was FOOD. I got Thai sticky rice with mango (delish and only in season in the summer so I should really get on that when I get home), tapioca balls with peanuts (gross), and rice cakes with palm suger (what we ate daily in Thailand). I also sampled McGuyver's shake, Oliver's churro, and got my own pina colada. Hendrik finished all of those for us when we were stuffed. He is a vacuum cleaner. (He said of the 'roo sausages the other night, “I was eating dinner. Everyone else was just eating a snack.”)
Feet and legs sore, we drudged home. I took an all too brief ride in a shopping cart. We ended up at the Meleluca bar, where the boys had been staying. After several pictures of beer, we played I Never and the hand slapping the table in the correct order game. We tried to play 11 22, but Daniel couldn't get the clapping and snapping rhythm down, much less answer with his number. FYI the rhythm goes like this: lap, clap, right snap, left snap. Oliver used his mosquito bite heat machine on me. Then they walked me to my hostel and we all traded emails and blogs. The three big boys (Ollie, McGuyver, and Daniel) will be in Los Angeles in a few weeks and I promised them I would play tourguide. It was sad to say goodbye.
kakadu, pt III
I woke up with over thirty mosquito bites! Yes I counted!
After breakfast, we had a lesson with a “real” Aboriginal guy to teach us about their culture. We learned:
Our midday excursion was to the Maguk site at Kakadu, also known as the plunge pools. These were AWESOME. Huge water holes and water hallways carved out of red rock, with perfect temperature, perfectly clear water passing through. A few small waterfalls as well. No crocodiles. Everyone went swimming and the German boys took some jumping photos and I did some rudimentary synchronized swimming moves and the sun cooperated brilliantly. We had to leave too soon.
We had a picnic lunch that started with the German boys pushing a 4WD bus several feet so that its exhaust pipe would not shoot into our freshly cut tomatoes. Steve wrote, “I wish my partner were this dirty” on its filthy back windows. The food tasted so good after our swim and everyone spoke English.
We stopped at a 9-foot high termite mound to take pictures. Termite mounds are made of “spit and shit.” We drove alongside a billabong to see some wild Brumbie horses and flocks of birds feeding. As we were exiting the park, a fat water buffalo ran across the road in front of our car.
A successful trip! My clothes are beyond filthy, I am somewhat tan, and I get to eat McDonalds 50 cent softserve tonight!
Australian things of the past few days: Crocodiles, wallabies, a kangaroo, a Taipan, assorted birds whose names I don't really care about, a dead cane toad, Brumbies, a water buffalo, and sleeping in a swag! Swags are like little personal tents that you slip your sleeping bag into and they can zip over your head to form a waterproof and bug proof enclosure. They have a sleeping pad attached inside. Swags would be great to take on a backpacking trip if they weren't super heavy because of all the waterproof and army-grade canvas.
After breakfast, we had a lesson with a “real” Aboriginal guy to teach us about their culture. We learned:
- How to split pandana leaves in order to use them to weave baskets. No one was successful in actually splitting the leaf.
- How the Aboriginals use a fish trap to catch fish. This is a woven, cylindrical type basket with an inverted bowl with a hole set in one side. The Aboriginals damn a river, place the fish trap in the middle, and find that the next morning, their trap is full of fish.
- How to cook a leg of buffalo or a crocodile tail in a hole in the ground. The meat is placed on burning hot rocks in a hole, covered with hot rocks, covered with paper bark, covered with dirt, left alone for several hours. It is like a natural pressure cooker.
- How to play/blow a didjeridu. I failed miserably.
- How to throw a spear. This I was slightly better at.
Our midday excursion was to the Maguk site at Kakadu, also known as the plunge pools. These were AWESOME. Huge water holes and water hallways carved out of red rock, with perfect temperature, perfectly clear water passing through. A few small waterfalls as well. No crocodiles. Everyone went swimming and the German boys took some jumping photos and I did some rudimentary synchronized swimming moves and the sun cooperated brilliantly. We had to leave too soon.
We had a picnic lunch that started with the German boys pushing a 4WD bus several feet so that its exhaust pipe would not shoot into our freshly cut tomatoes. Steve wrote, “I wish my partner were this dirty” on its filthy back windows. The food tasted so good after our swim and everyone spoke English.
We stopped at a 9-foot high termite mound to take pictures. Termite mounds are made of “spit and shit.” We drove alongside a billabong to see some wild Brumbie horses and flocks of birds feeding. As we were exiting the park, a fat water buffalo ran across the road in front of our car.
A successful trip! My clothes are beyond filthy, I am somewhat tan, and I get to eat McDonalds 50 cent softserve tonight!
Australian things of the past few days: Crocodiles, wallabies, a kangaroo, a Taipan, assorted birds whose names I don't really care about, a dead cane toad, Brumbies, a water buffalo, and sleeping in a swag! Swags are like little personal tents that you slip your sleeping bag into and they can zip over your head to form a waterproof and bug proof enclosure. They have a sleeping pad attached inside. Swags would be great to take on a backpacking trip if they weren't super heavy because of all the waterproof and army-grade canvas.
kakadu, pt II
Day two started with an Adventure!!! First we saw a Taipan, the most poisonous snake in the world, crossing the road. Then, we got a flat tire! On our 4WD, 14 seater wilderness bus! Everyone piled out and Steve and a few of the German boys switched the tire. The rest of us stood around and took pictures.
Twin Falls! We walked up, up, up, up, up. Straight up the face of the rock escarpment. The view from the top was incredible. We walked on the dry, smoothed out rocks of Twin Falls and looked over the edge. During the Wet, this whole area rushes with water and is only accessable by helicopter. We got to play in the water a little farther upstream. It was warm! The rocks were slimy and slippery with algae! Oliver and I held hands and jumped in together. The water was only two feet deep and actually hurt when we landed.
We climbed back down, took a three minute boat ride to the other side of the mountain, walked over some rocks, and emerged at the bottom of Twin Falls. Everyone proceeded to climb the rocks and sit under the waterfall. The water was freezing but felt awesome coming down. We were not allowed to swim because of crocodiles.
After that, we did a brief hike to Jim Jim Falls, which at this time of year is really Jim Jim Wall. No water falling down. I and a few others walked halfway and hung out on some big rocks by the river while the rest of the group went all the way to the not falls and swam in that pool. I finished the book I was reading and ate a boatload of mint Belgium chocolate.
Back at the parking lot, we saw a cane toad that had been run over by a car. Cane toads were brought to Australia to eat the cane beatle which was ravaging crops. Whoever thought up that plan was a few crayons short of a box because cane toads can't jump higher than a foot, and cane beatles live on stalks several feet above the ground. Cane toads multiplied rapidly and are a huge nuisance to everyone. The German boys took pictures of them fake eating the dead toad.
We arrived back at the campsite at dusk. Guide Steve did a very poor job of time management and rushing us along. We had no wood for a fire, and a few of the boys went out into the bush with their flashlights to find branches and hopefully not find themselves in the sandy billabong with the crocodiles. I taught everyone else how to set up the tents. Steve just barely whispered instructions on how to cook dinner and then just went to sleep. I took a much needed shower and cooked my vegie meal easily enough, but the meat eaters had to wait over an hour more for their kangaroo sausages and buffalo meat to be ready.
Here I should mention that 10 of the 12 passengers on the tour were German, Though most spoke English very well, amongst themselves, and especially when the three German kids who didn't speak English were around, they spoke German. At first I didn't care, but it became more and more frustrating as they all developed inside jokes and told stories that I couldn't evesdrop on. The longest phrase I know in German is Arbeit Macht Frei, and it's pretty hard to work that into conversation. Around the campfire, the German was flying fast and I felt very isolated. I went to bed while the carnivores were still munching and fell deep asleep. I didn't even wake up when Hendrick very loudly set up his swag and sleeping bag inches from my face.
Twin Falls! We walked up, up, up, up, up. Straight up the face of the rock escarpment. The view from the top was incredible. We walked on the dry, smoothed out rocks of Twin Falls and looked over the edge. During the Wet, this whole area rushes with water and is only accessable by helicopter. We got to play in the water a little farther upstream. It was warm! The rocks were slimy and slippery with algae! Oliver and I held hands and jumped in together. The water was only two feet deep and actually hurt when we landed.
We climbed back down, took a three minute boat ride to the other side of the mountain, walked over some rocks, and emerged at the bottom of Twin Falls. Everyone proceeded to climb the rocks and sit under the waterfall. The water was freezing but felt awesome coming down. We were not allowed to swim because of crocodiles.
After that, we did a brief hike to Jim Jim Falls, which at this time of year is really Jim Jim Wall. No water falling down. I and a few others walked halfway and hung out on some big rocks by the river while the rest of the group went all the way to the not falls and swam in that pool. I finished the book I was reading and ate a boatload of mint Belgium chocolate.
Back at the parking lot, we saw a cane toad that had been run over by a car. Cane toads were brought to Australia to eat the cane beatle which was ravaging crops. Whoever thought up that plan was a few crayons short of a box because cane toads can't jump higher than a foot, and cane beatles live on stalks several feet above the ground. Cane toads multiplied rapidly and are a huge nuisance to everyone. The German boys took pictures of them fake eating the dead toad.
We arrived back at the campsite at dusk. Guide Steve did a very poor job of time management and rushing us along. We had no wood for a fire, and a few of the boys went out into the bush with their flashlights to find branches and hopefully not find themselves in the sandy billabong with the crocodiles. I taught everyone else how to set up the tents. Steve just barely whispered instructions on how to cook dinner and then just went to sleep. I took a much needed shower and cooked my vegie meal easily enough, but the meat eaters had to wait over an hour more for their kangaroo sausages and buffalo meat to be ready.
Here I should mention that 10 of the 12 passengers on the tour were German, Though most spoke English very well, amongst themselves, and especially when the three German kids who didn't speak English were around, they spoke German. At first I didn't care, but it became more and more frustrating as they all developed inside jokes and told stories that I couldn't evesdrop on. The longest phrase I know in German is Arbeit Macht Frei, and it's pretty hard to work that into conversation. Around the campfire, the German was flying fast and I felt very isolated. I went to bed while the carnivores were still munching and fell deep asleep. I didn't even wake up when Hendrick very loudly set up his swag and sleeping bag inches from my face.
kakadu, pt I
Omigod, I overslept! The fan was so freaking loud that I didn't hear my alarm clock. I woke up to a knock at the door, checked my watch, and hysterically jumped down to answer, cussing the whole way. Thankfully, my tour hadn't left without me, and the guide was waiting downstairs at reception. I frantically shoved my sleeping stuff in my bag, thanking God that I had packed neatly the night before. I repeatedly apologized to the rest of the group loitering outside by the bus, but I'm not sure they realized I was late. Steve, our guide, made me sit in the front for being late, but that's my favorite seat. So take that, Steve.
Ten minutes out of the city center and we were in complete bush wilderness.
The first stop was a boat cruise down the Mary River in which we saw CROCODILES lazing about in the sun and generally looking dead. Ted the boat captain had a serious beef with Steve Irwin and pointed out several times how lazy crocodiles really are, how they don't go around waiting to attack people, rather lay on the banks of the river warming up, going to eat a bird once every few weeks. Yes, if you go in the water, they will kill you, but only to guard their territory and not because they are hungry. I believed Ted because out of the seven or so crocodiles we saw, not a single one blinked an eye, much less moved an inch, when we passed. We also flocks of birds taking off and landing near the water, much as they do in the nature videos, very picturesque. We played with some water lily lotus flowers and leaves, which are incredibly waterproof and hold liquid like they are covered in plastic. Ted picked a bunch of leaves and flowers and made the girls all take photos with leaf hats. All the while, little wallabies were jumping around in the background.
The first site in Kakadu National Park was Ubir rock art. Rock paintings!!! Done in red, yellow, and white. Some of these were 5,000 years old, some only 30 years old. The Aboriginals paint over their own paintings because the act of painting is more important than the painting itself. They use paintings to tell stories and make requests. There were line paintings of fish, snakes, wallabies, buffalo, hands, and white man standing with his hands in his pocket and a pipe in his mouth. Steve told us a bunch of Aboriginal creation stories.
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE ABORIGINALS AND THE BUDJIMI CLAN
We climbed a huge rock formation and had a brilliant 360* view of Kakadu. In one direction was the red rock escarpment that separates Kakadu from Arnhem land. In another direction was flat savannah land covered with eucalyptus and pandana palms. In other direction was the grasslands of billabongs, and in another direction still were huge black rock formations, covered in trees, looking like a lost ancient city. It was awesome, and I could easily tell why the Budjimi held this land sacred. The German boys on the bus took the first of many jumping pictures.
On our way to camp, we stopped and picked up firewood, like literally wandered around the side of the road looking for fallen branches. At camp we set up our SWAGS and ate dinner. Out in the middle of nowhere, the stars were crazy awesome and the Milky Way was so clear and white and stretched over the whole sky. I had a dream that Ed from The Bachelorette was my boyfriend.
Ten minutes out of the city center and we were in complete bush wilderness.
The first stop was a boat cruise down the Mary River in which we saw CROCODILES lazing about in the sun and generally looking dead. Ted the boat captain had a serious beef with Steve Irwin and pointed out several times how lazy crocodiles really are, how they don't go around waiting to attack people, rather lay on the banks of the river warming up, going to eat a bird once every few weeks. Yes, if you go in the water, they will kill you, but only to guard their territory and not because they are hungry. I believed Ted because out of the seven or so crocodiles we saw, not a single one blinked an eye, much less moved an inch, when we passed. We also flocks of birds taking off and landing near the water, much as they do in the nature videos, very picturesque. We played with some water lily lotus flowers and leaves, which are incredibly waterproof and hold liquid like they are covered in plastic. Ted picked a bunch of leaves and flowers and made the girls all take photos with leaf hats. All the while, little wallabies were jumping around in the background.
The first site in Kakadu National Park was Ubir rock art. Rock paintings!!! Done in red, yellow, and white. Some of these were 5,000 years old, some only 30 years old. The Aboriginals paint over their own paintings because the act of painting is more important than the painting itself. They use paintings to tell stories and make requests. There were line paintings of fish, snakes, wallabies, buffalo, hands, and white man standing with his hands in his pocket and a pipe in his mouth. Steve told us a bunch of Aboriginal creation stories.
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE ABORIGINALS AND THE BUDJIMI CLAN
- They have been in Australia for over 40,000 years.
- Each clan speaks a different language. Each person grows up speaking their clan's language plus the languages of the clans surrounding theirs.
- Incest is a huge no-no and in order to mix the genes, people from the same clan cannot marry.
- Clans in the Top End used fire management to maintain the land. In the middle of the dry season, patches of savanna and grassland are burned, leaving the land “clean” for seedlings and new grass during the Wet. Trees don't end up burnt because there is so little dead brush on the group (because of previous burns) that the fire spreads quick and stays small. Areas are burnt every three years. We saw several small bush fires while driving through the park. It is a very successful system and they end up with no raging wildfires. LISTEN UP, LOS ANGELES.
- The only thing that all Aboriginals have in common is the Rainbow Serpent, their creator God. The Rainbow Serpent slithered over the land and formed mountains, rivers, lakes. I think the Rainbow Serpent was once upon a time based on the Milky Way.
We climbed a huge rock formation and had a brilliant 360* view of Kakadu. In one direction was the red rock escarpment that separates Kakadu from Arnhem land. In another direction was flat savannah land covered with eucalyptus and pandana palms. In other direction was the grasslands of billabongs, and in another direction still were huge black rock formations, covered in trees, looking like a lost ancient city. It was awesome, and I could easily tell why the Budjimi held this land sacred. The German boys on the bus took the first of many jumping pictures.
On our way to camp, we stopped and picked up firewood, like literally wandered around the side of the road looking for fallen branches. At camp we set up our SWAGS and ate dinner. Out in the middle of nowhere, the stars were crazy awesome and the Milky Way was so clear and white and stretched over the whole sky. I had a dream that Ed from The Bachelorette was my boyfriend.
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