The "Mid-Life Crisis Tour 2007" has kicked off! This is my 4 week sabbatical from Schwab (who offer that for every 5 years of service).
For those who didn't get the pleasure of reading my rambling "Letters from India", my travelogue is a poor attempt at recreating Alistair Cooke's wonderful style that he used in his "Letters from America" that he broadcast for almost 60 years for the BBC about his life in America as an Englishman that were also regularly broadcast on NPR.
If you ever get to read or listen to Cooke, you absolutely should.
On Frivolous Extravagance
Only three things to say:
1. Supposedly there's this thing called Coach class on aircraft, analogous to the bowels of a criminal ship destined for Aussie back in the day where people are shackled to their seats huddled in groups of 5 or 3 and forced to survive on soggy pasta with red stuff on it or rubber chicken with barbie sauce. I wouldn't know, don't believe it and think it's an urban myth. Anyway even if it were true, you wouldn't be able to hear them from the front section of the aircraft anyway. Mind you, I did wonder where all those people turning right as they got on the plane were going when I turned left and a glass of champagne was thrust into my hand. ;-)
2. Youth hostels are very popular for young travelers in Oz (and yes I am still "young"). I heard that these also are reminiscent of prison with endless bunk beds and bad smells, but my hostel isn't like that at all! I don't know what people are complaining about. Sheraton does have hostels right? So doing my best to survive at the downtown youth hostel aka Sheraton on the Park. It's rough, but someone's got to do it.
3. I may never retire after this. Thank you Schwab for the sabbatical and stock options for all the grief. Chuck did mean for me to blow the lot on the sabbatical right? I think that's what he said. Or maybe it was save the lot for retirement....hmmm. Don't remember and it's too late now anyway! I already got my first automatic notification from my credit card company due to suspected fraudulent large charges, not fraudulent unfortunately.
Oh yeah, and lastly don't tell my mother!
On the Aussie Eco-System
So, on the way in at the airport I didn't get flagged by immigration, there were no body cavity searches or anything like that, BUT after x-raying my bags in the quarantine screen they did take exception to my hiking boats with US mud on them! They were whisked away and carefully washed and then returned to me by a very nice young woman. I can't help think that if this was in the states they'd have been thrown in a garbage can to be incinerated and I'd be sent on my way in my sock covered feet by a surly bored TSA person. They take their ecology very seriously and don't want any critters or bugs that don't belong.
Speaking of ecology, I went out to dinner last night and walked across Hyde Park which is in front of the hotel. On the way back there were two little possums foraging around for food! How cute is that! They looked at me and came sauntering over to give me the once over, stood on their hind legs to say hi, then went back about their business. It was very cool. Apparently since Australia has been disconnected physically from the other continents for thousands of years they have lots of unique wildlife not seen anywhere else. Can't wait!!!
It's not really ecosystem, but you can't help notice the average age of the staff in many places and in general which seems to be in the 20s. Reminds me a bit of Canada in that respect since I find that there too.
Next?
Working out the plan as I go, but so far looks like some touristy stuff around Sydney probably including the zoo and many even some horse riding in Centennial Park (their larger version of Central Park), a quick trip to the Blue Mountain National Park west of Sydney for some hiking then up north to Queensland next Saturday.
