April 28, 2013
Sleeping in swags under the stars and by the fire was amazing. that's all there is to it!
So maybe I opted out of the Cooper River Bridge Run this year, but I sure got my 10k fill today walking around Ayers Rock. We were up out of our swags and eating "breaky" at 5AM to get back into the park and on our way by 6:15! We all opted to walk around nearly the whole rock before our cultural walking tour. Although a little tired, it was well worth it.
It was so humbling to stand beneath the massive Uluru. There were sections of the rock where there were no photographs allowed, out of respect to the Anangu beliefs sand culture. They also ask people to not climb the rock.. You can climb to the top! It's a really steep climb and your only safe hold is a chain that doesn't even go all the way up. Many people have died, and I don't understand why they offer it to the public when they talk how bad it is for the rock.. Just close it, people!
We took so many pictures walking around the base. I'm officially loaded up with Uluru pics and memories to last a lifetime! Seeing the sunrise on the rock was just incredible. We stopped a few times to take some fun pictures, and finished in about two hours. We had a snack and met our tour guide Vincent. He's an aborigine with a background in politics, so it was interesting hearing his view on the white man's nearly oppressing ways. It almost got a little uncomfortable when his situation mirrored the native Americans. I nearly asked if he payed taxes like the rest of the country, but I kept my math closed.
He told us how hard it is to live as a "black" in Australia. And although I do respect their culture and find their stories/history interesting, I think if they chose to be apart of the new world, they would better their people.. For not only health, but educational reasons. Vincent said that because the government shut down their high school, the kids do not receive an education past the 7th grade. They speak another language and are smart on their own culture, but unless they get out of their situation in a "third world region," they will continue to have a life span 20 years below the "white man's" and have difficult time finding jobs. Vincent continued to tell us about housing, explaining that there were 42 people sharing one bathroom at one point in his local remote community. That would literally be unbearable. But their commitment to the heritage is pretty impressive, although I do think they could still preserve their culture while living in the 21st century, integrated among the people, living a happier life, and not hating the white people so much. Clearly an opinion, but I could definitely help those people.. I just don't know if they really want it. Anyways, apparently it made some of the Aussie's pretty uncomfortable, but I was quick to tell them that America has had double their problems with races of people and at least they're in an economic boom!!
Enough about that, though, just being there was amazing. I've made some great friends and am hoping to keep in touch. Being the on.y American on the tour has its perks for sure. And it's true, you don't see many American backpackers. Maybe I'm a diamond in the rough ;) or hopefully I'm representing America well! This whole trip so far has been incredible, and I still have so much to see! Tonight, we'll sleep in our swags under the stars in Kings Canyon, a couple hours drive out where the stars are even more incredible than the ones in Ulara.
Highlights: sunrise walk at Uluru and the stars at Kings Canyon campsite, not to mention our campfire with songs by Ray and Belle (they need to try out for The Voice) but the rap about our trip was pretty sweet
so far so good, check in later! :)
Ashley
