At the Movies

So, I went to the movies for the first time in Australia today. First things first, I saw Hellboy 2. It was awesome and a lot of fun, great action, and imaginative characters.

Second, the movie theaters here put those in the U.S. to shame. They are in a whole other playing field. Here are some fun facts:

• It costs $17.50 to see a movie
• They have assigned seating, and you get to request front, middle, or back
• The movie theatres look like a fancy hotel or nice playhouse
• The seats are very comfy, and the armrests are at least 3 times as wide as normal (so no elbow sparring)
• The armrests have little tiny accent lights on top of them (they don't interfere with the movie)
• If you feel like forking over the extra cash, you can pay ~$34 to get a Gold Club seat. These are special showtimes where you get a more intimate theatre and food / wine service at your seat. Oh, and the seats have footrests.

I think I'll be going to see more movies.

Skiing Down Under

So, the past few days I've been on our office ski trip. There were about 250 of us, and we all went over to Lake Crackenback for a few days to ski at Mount Perisher (I'm not making this up - judging solely by the names of these places, I was certain I would not come back alive).

Most people had to go in one of several chartered shuttles. Because I know people, I got to ride with a few of my teammates in a rented car (a Toyota Kluger, for those of you wondering). There were 5 of us total - cruising in style.

We left the office at a little past 10 on Wednesday, and started our drive down to the snow. It was a relatively uneventful drive - most of the landscape was made up of long, rolling hills, trees, and rocks. We did stop for lunch at Subway, though.

Glazed donut? Check. Giant merino? Check.

Look of abject terror? Check.

The rest of the drive brought some more changes in scenery. But still no snow yet.

This is George Lake (I think). It used to be a lake
at one point - now it's just a big flat plain.

Then we drove into some rolling hills.

Then we drove back into some rocky plains.
Still no snow.

As we got closer to our final destination (after about 5 hours of driving - which really didn't seem like much), we got to the last "major" city before before the resort.

This was the sleepy little town of Jindabyne. We
stopped at a mall called Nugget's Crossing. Much to
my dismay, there were not, in fact, any nuggets,

chicken or otherwise. Good thing I had eaten

some for lunch about an hour ago.

When we finally got to the resort area, it was gorgeous. There was a tiny bit of snow up on the hills, which were the backdrop for a placid lake dotted with lakeside cottages. This is where we would be staying. Not a bad end to the week.

This was quite a beautiful locale. And look -

snow! Kinda.

This friendly little fella was perched on the railing

of the balcony outside of one of the units. We opened

the door a bit and he made like he wanted to come

inside.

My team got ourselves settled, and began our prep for the remainder of the stay, which included stuffing name placards with lift passes and ski maps.

We also got one heck of a blazing fire going.

After a long day of driving, we all retired to our respective rooms in preparation for the long day of skiing ahead of us.

The following morning brought a very tasty breakfast prior to hitting the slopes. We took a shuttle to the snow tube station, and then a train through the mountain to get to the snow. Once we came out the other side, it was a completely different world. There was snow - lots of snow. It looked like a proper ski resort. But the weather was grey and overcast.

Weather could have been better.

It could have been worse, I suppose. I ended up joining a group of very experienced skiiers with whom I would be spending my day on the slope. We geared up, headed to a lift, and headed up the mountain. As we approached the top of the lift, the most incredible thing happened.

We were on top of the world.

The lift carried us above the layer of clouds spread across the mountains. This picture really doesn't do the view justice. You could see the snow around you, and then nothing but clouds for as far as the eye can see. This was a fantastic start to the day.

I had no idea how reflective my goggles were.

I was slo glad I had found the group that I did. We immediately set out in search of some challenging runs, spending most of the day on double-blues, blacks, and even a double-black called Kamikaze (aptly named because of the series of 5 foot drops that start out the run). At one point, we even set out into the forest outside of the ski boundary area. It was a rather new experience skiing right at the tree line.

Speaking of new experiences, I had the pleasure of becoming introduced to several new ways of getting up the mountain - the t-bar and the j-bar. The t-bar is a giant upside-down 'T' that 2 people hold between themselves, the short legs resting against the back of their legs, so that it pulls them up the hill (quite a long distance in most cases). The j-bar, on the other hand, is a bar with a 7" circle on the end that one sticks between one's legs and is, rather surprisingly, pulled up the mountain by one's crotch. Sounds like fun, right?

No tall, jagged peaks here. It was mostly long,

rolling hills with the occasional steep drop.

This was our lovely little jaunt through the woods.

We eventually all agreed that the guy who had

suggested it had been wronged at some point in

the past by others in the group and chose

this route as revenge.

Remember how much I love funny juxtapositions?

This one is solid gold.

Where we stopped for lunch (and I had fish & chips).

There were a bunch of chairs facing the pristine

valley in the distance.

The view from lunch.

Probably my most severe injury received throughout the day was not, in fact, as a result of a drop onto an exposed boulder, nor was I clotheslined by a tree, nor was I impaled by my own ski. No, it was from a ski lift chair. Not just any chair. This was a three-person chair known as the Widowmaker (note: this is my name for it; other names may include Ol' Kneebreaker, the Hobbler, the Ski-lorean, and Betsy). As we stood waiting for it to come around the back of the lift wheel, I heard what could only be descibed as the main rotor of a Blackhawk helicopter starting up. Caught off guard by this, I tensed. Fortunately, they have a safeguard to protect against injury: a little blond girl who scrapes snow away and tells you to "just bend your knees!" Epic safeguard failure. She managed to get halfway through 'bend' before several hundred pounds of steel came screaming up behind me at 88 miles per hour. Bending one's knees might work for some people, but considering I am taller than most, this tactic was utterly useless. The front of the chair hit me square in the back of the calves, and I collapsed onto the bench. Both of my calves felt as though they had a permanent cramp in them for the remainder of the day. Oh, and did I mention this happened twice?

No, I guess I didn't. Well, it did.

The end of the day finally arrived, and, legs miraculously still attached, I made my way back to the resort. The evening brought a warm shower, a party, lots of free food and drink, and a poker tournament!

Here are a few more pics from my time there.

They had a couple of enclosed trampolines.

Side note: don't try this after a large

breakfast.

Straight out of the Matrix.

Another one of the cool birds that Australia

gets and we don't. Note the wacky webbed feet.

A real street name. I want ice cream.

This was first in a long series of signs. Shortly down

the road from this one was an equestrian crossing

sign, a wombat crossing sign, and a Beatles

crossing sign.

On the drive home, we stopped in Canberra for a late lunch. Canberra is the capital of Australia. It is also quite boring. In hindsight, our trip through the city was a blur - I mean that literally. The one picture I got was a blurry shot of the Canberra parliament building from the car. It's so bad I won't even bother posting it. Instead, this is what it's supposed to look like.

There was also a very pretty sunset on the ride home.

This was taken from the car, hence the blurriness.

It was not intentionally blurry, but I think it lends

itself nicely to the scene.

Next up - petting the wallabies in Blacktown.

Talk to you all soon.

Beach Blonde

Spelling errors abound!

Ok, not really - that's how they spell enroll here.

Since arriving in Sydney, I had heard from numerous people just how incredible the Eastern beaches were. Obstinately not wanting to believe them, I had to see these incredible beaches for myself.

Now, you are probably thinking to yourself, 'But Carson, you have to keep up your incredible golden tan! I'm surprised you didn't head out to the beaches sooner!' Well, I was just as surprised as you were.

Anyway, one of the most popular beaches outside of Sydney is Bondi Beach. Be sure you pronounce it 'bond-eye' and not 'bond-ee' - the latter will result in mocking the likes of which you have never before witnessed.

I took a quick 10-minute train ride (much better than my previous experience of 4 hours each way to the caves) out to Bondi Junction, the train stop about 2 miles from the beach. Rather than take the bus, I wanted to get a sense for what Bondi was like, so I decided to walk to the beach. In general, the atmosphere feels very Santa Cruz-ish. One thing I noticed is that in Central Sydney there are no dogs whatsoever. Here, many more people had dogs - fat dogs, skinny dogs, dogs who climb on rocks.

The streets of Bondi just before getting to the beach.

I had to take a picture of these trash cans because
they were Google colors. They were just at
someone's house. Don't worry - I resisted
the urge to arrange them in the order of the

logo colors.

I stopped for lunch at a tasty cafe a short way from the beach. Considering I hadn't eaten since the evening before, I was famished. Chicken schnitzel sounded good. Apparently it came with cheese and sauce too. Yum.

Reluctantly, the waiter came over (this was not a fancy place - he needed to be hailed). I informed him of my schnitzel decision (he had to stare at the massive menu on the wall behind me before he wrote it down - apparently people make up dishes from time to time, and he needed to be sure), and he asked if I wanted the combo...

Me: What's in the combo?

Balki Bartokomous: Spa-gett.

Me: I'm sorry, what?

Balki: Spa-gett...you know spa-gett?

Me: *thinking furiously* Let's see, spa-gett...could it be tiny spaghetti? Man, who has time to cut that all up anyway? And how well would that go with schnitzel? Sounds like a mess.

Balki: You want spa-gett?

Me: Um, no thanks - I'll pass. Just the schnitzel.

In hindsight, I'm rather glad I passed. After receiving a heaping bowl of potato wedges (common bar food around here, and delicious), and a salad I didn't even know was included in my order, I was given my schnitzel - which appeared to be at least 2 square feet of pressed chicken drenched in tomato sauce and melted cheese. You could hear my arteries screaming over the crowd in the cafe.

Eh, I ate it all anyway - I was walking a lot.

After lunch, I walked along the beach. It really was stunning. Think Venice Beach, but a little quieter on the weekend. There is a cement promenade around the whole thing, on which people run, skate, and bike. There is a designated workout area for the meatheads. And there is lots of glorious sand and wonderful surf. And some really dedicated surfers taking advantage of said surf. Bear in mind in these pictures that it was about 50 degrees and windy.

This last shot reminded me a lot of Italy, specifically

of places like Portofino or Positano.

There are other great beaches along the coast, and mostly within walking distance of one another. Needing to seriously walk off my lunch, I decided to make the trek. A fantastic paved path curves along the coastline that connects each of the beaches (Tamarama, Bronte, Coogee). For a Sunday, it really wasn't all that crowded.

The coastline path.

Throwing off the white balance in your

camera since 1983.

It was a great walk - there is a ton of natural beauty to be found in Australia.

There is also a lot of man-made beauty to be found in Australia. Case in point:

Droooooooool.

I also got a new phone. The HTC Touch Diamond. I love it.

That's about it for now. Going skiing on Thursday - stay tuned for more wacky adventures.

Fireworks

Last night as I lay in bed, I heard what initially sounded like gunfire. After a second or so, it became clear that it was not, in fact, a riot in the city streets below - the flashing colors through my curtains made that quite clear. I hopped out of bed, and ran out to my balcony. No more than a quarter of a mile away right down on Darling Harbor, they were having a fireworks show. Being on the 24th floor with a clear view of the harbor, I had the perfect seat.

The reason as to why they were having such a show is still unknown to me - I will ask around - however, my initial assumption is that it was to celebrate my landmark discovery of a tasty snack called Burger Rings. I will let you know if this is not the case.

At any rate, enjoy the show.

Venturing Out

After wandering around the same old loop in Sydney / Pyrmont again and again, I finally decided it was high time I ventured out of the city. Not having a car, I was sadly at the whim / mercy of the public transportation system of NSW. The good news is that it's quite a system. Not wanting to waste a single second of my Sunday, I set out on my most adventurous endeavor yet: a perilous journey to the Jenolan Caves (note: actual peril may or may not be fictional).

I left my apartment at 6:30-ish and walked to Sydney Central Train Station.

It's really not that far of a walk. I've discovered that nothing is really more than a 30-minute walk away, and more often than not, is even closer than that.

To aid you in following me on my journey, I've included a map of my travels:


I was to take a train from Central Station to Katoomba, and then a bus from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves. Upon arriving at the train station, I was informed that the train only went to Blacktown (the place where one does not go to pet the wallabies), and that I must then board a bus to take me to Katoomba, where I then must board yet another bus to take me to the Jenolan Caves. After all was said and done, I was on some form of transportation for upwards of 8 hours today - maybe more.

It was worth it.

The train ride from Central Station to Blacktown was uneventful. I stared out the window at the urban sprawl rushing by, imagining the countless ways I would meet my demise in Blacktown, as forewarned by my colleagues. Oddly enough, I never even left the train station in Blacktown - I just boarded a bus and was on my way to Katoomba.

The bus was nice, at least - it was a charter bus, since apparently from Saturday to Monday, the train service doesn't run to Katoomba. As we left Blacktown, the scenery began to change. Gone was the concrete jungle. Gone were the hordes of people. These things gave way to sprawling countryside and small towns. It was almost a completely different country.

I finally arrived in Katoomba at around 9:10 am. I had a little bit of time to kill, since my bus leaving for the caves didn't depart until 9:45. I wandered over to the Trolley Shoppe and purchased my ticket for the bus to the caves and 2 cave tours. I then decided to wander around the quaint little town that is Katoomba.

I have mentioned this before, and I will say it again: some of the nicest people I have ever met have been in Australia. I stopped in a little coffee shop to grab a snack to tide me over. There were 2, maybe 3 tables in this place, and just a guy behind the counter. Considering it was clear out but nearly freezing (easily in the 40s), I wanted something warm. As I was waiting for my order of hot chocolate and a crumpet, my attention slowly began to drift toward the display of cupcakes in the the cafe. I added a small strawberry one to my order. While I was waiting for my crumpet, the man behind the counter made genuine conversation about the weather, and very politely told me to grab a seat while I was waiting. As I attempted to open the door with my hands full of food to leave, he ran around the counter and helped me open it the rest of the way. Nice people.

The main drag in Katoomba.

Just a few of the older-style buildings found
in Katoomba.

I headed back in the direction of the Trolley Shoppe to meet the shuttle driver who would take us on our last leg to the caves. Adding to the ever-growing list of nice people, I met Garth.

Garth is a Katoomban - born and raised.
He still lives there to this day. Despite only
being a couple hours away, he mentioned
he has not been to Sydney in 12 years.

I, along with a handful of other folks going my way, hopped in Garth's van, and we were off. We had quite the mini-U.N. - there were representatives from the U.S. (yours truly), England (a woman from Derbyshire), France (a couple of students), Holland (ishn't zhat veird?), and Canberra (a lone backpacker). On the way back we also picked up a woman from Japan.

The ride down to the caves brought even more changes. The landscape was like nothing I had ever seen before in my life - I wish I had something to compare it to, but I just really have no basis for comparison. Many of the treescapes look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. There are also a lot of eucalyptus trees. Additionally, it was quite surreal to see the occasional kookaburra sitting on a phone cable as we were driving through the countryside.

Garth entertained us with many fun facts and his singing. The drive took about another 90 minutes, but seemed to fly by. We drove by the Explorers Tree, which commemorates the first crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813 by explorers Blaxland, Wentworth, and Lawson. It was shortly after that when we took a little side street just to take a small stop on the way there. This turned out to be one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen in my life.

This is the view from Govett's Leap, and the
picture just doesn't do it justice. Imagine the
Grand Canyon, but covered in green. Australia
is chock full of hidden gems like this.

Govett's Leap is actually the name of the
waterfall seen here. It's no Niagara, but it's
still stunning against the backdrop of the
verdant valley.

I could have spent much more time here, but 5 minutes was all we were allowed. After all, we had caves to see. Many of us wanted to see kangaroos, and Garth promised us that we would stop and see kangaroos on the way back to Katoomba. This day was just getting better and better.

Soon, we found ourselves driving through an enormous, gaping maw of a cave - the main entrance to Jenolan.

First, a quick bit of history on Jenolan Caves. Primarily limestone, they are the oldest discovered, open caves in the world. The caves were recorded for the first time in 1838 by James Whalan. They run for over 300 acres. These are some big caves.

This is what we saw after going through the
entrance cave. It almost looks like it belongs
in the Alps or in Germany - like a chalet.

I had 2 tours on the agenda for the day: the first was to be of Lucas cave, the second of Orient cave. Each tour lasted 90 minutes. It was wonderful what they had done with the caves. Brand new LED lighting, easily-navigated walkways. It made it incredibly accessible. Here are some highlights of my journey through the caves.

This was an enormous cavern in the cave system
called the Cathedral, and for good reason. They
used to hold mass in here. Men and women would
come in their finery and climb several hours to get
here. The Chapel is also supposed to have
some of the most naturally-perfect acoustics in the
world. They hold concerts in here from time to time.

I don't remember the specific name for this,
but it was something biblical. When the
early explorers discovered the caves, the only
thing they had read was the Bible. As such,
many of the caverns are named after all
things biblical.

This is a backlit example of the crystal that
comprises most of the formations in the cave.

This is looking down. In the early days, those
people visiting the caves would come dressed up,
with candles and their lunches. They would have
to scale down this slope. Holding their candle in
their mouth, and their lunch between their legs,
they would grab hold of a rope and descend down
the slope. What you must also realize, is that
most men back in those days had beards, which
would occasionally ignite as a result of the candle
in the mouth. What happens when your face is on
fire? Your priorities change, and you let go of
the rope. You can figure out the rest.

Looks a bit like bacon.

The formations were absolutely stunning.

Many were lit very dramatically.

This one is called the Broken Pillar. Admittedly,
Australians are not terribly clever with their
naming conventions. How this came about, was
that the stone at the bottom of the column
actually moved considerably, breaking the
column.

The crystals that comprise most of the formations
have 6-sided crystalline geometry, causing them
to be able to capture and reflect light very well,
causing a sparking effect on many surfaces.

You can see how all of the stalactites are forming
along a single line where the water was flowing.

The appearance of some of the wet (growing)
formations was waxy, almost ooze-like. It seemed
like it should have been moving on its own.

Once we got down deep enough, we actually got
to see the underground river flowing through
the caverns. The guide mentioned he has gone
cave diving here on several occasions, but that
it requires several levels of certifications,
hauling your gear for several hours through
caves, swimming through water with worse
visibility than coffee, and squeezing through
holes about as big around as your body.

Purdy.

Now in Technicolor!

The preserved remains of a wombat who had
wandered in but had not made it out.

These corridors totally reminded me of the rebel
base on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.

Like lots of creepy teeth.

Waxy-looking formations mean they're still growing!

More enormous caverns and formations.

The Pillar of Hercules. This beast is about 35'
tall and weighs upwards of 70 tons. Limestone
crystal is exceptionally dense and heavy.

It's incredible how these fragile cave formations
change color - from nearly white to a golden-
brown.

Another very impressive pillar.

Oozing...

The lighting gave this formation a warm glow.

Some formations can grow in all directions - even
sideways. Called helictites, these formations
defy gravity.

The group descending the stairs.

These were a small sample of the pictures I took in the caves. They were just so incredible, and it's amazing to think that they are only a tiny fraction of the total cave system. Apparently they offer some sort of creepy ghost tour late at night occasionally. I may have to come check that out sometime.

By this time, it was around 3:15, and it was time to start heading back. Garth had promised us kangaroos, and kangaroos are what we got. We pulled off the road to a big field, and after surveying it, we began to see tiny forms grazing in the grass. One...two... three, four...nearly a dozen of them, all spread out.

Garth made first contact.

Then it was my turn. As I mentioned before,
they are wonderfully soft, almost like alpaca.

They are also incredibly friendly...

...excessively friendly...

...maybe a bit too friendly...

Ok, at least buy me dinner first.

Well, I usually don't kiss on the first date, but...

Having had my fill of caves and 'roos, I hopped back on the shuttle for the long trip back home.

What a day.