Off Again

I'm off for the Bahamas once again, tons of sailing this time so will probably not post much until I get back.

In the meantime I've done a few things I've never done before. Chris decided to visit Canada so just "popped" over for a bit. We did the typical tourist stuff, met all my friends and relations (they all loved him).

Highlights: Toronto Island with Diana, dinner atop the CN tower and Whirlpool Jet Boats in Niagara Falls where you get totally drenched despite the outfits they give you and trust me, water is cold in April.

July 1 I'll be laid off after 21 years at UW. We'll see how that affects my travels - maybe!

Back in the cold North

So I've been back for just over a week and am not coping well with the temperature. Today I said to hell with the cold, it's sunny my car has a good heater so I drove from Waterloo to Stratford with my top down - the convertible top, not mine. "Borrowed" this photo from the internet - if only my car was really parked here.

I can hardly wait to go away again, the travel bug I've always had has grown into a monster.

Sign, sign.....

The first photo is a favourite. There's a lovely national park, free admission, and the sign warns of unexploded ammunition in the area. The crest signs are found on top of some of the hills just in case you didn't notice you'd gone up a hill I guess. Kangaroo - lots of them, fortunately only one chose to hop across the road; tree kangaroos and cassawaries were shy, didn't see a single one of them. The roadtrain signs were found on the worst roads I've ever seen. Note the one showing the road - in the distance you can see the road narrowing and narrow it was so the sign with the car on a slant is quite accurate. You don't argue with a roadtrain coming your way.

And that brings the adventure to a close. Fond farewell to Chris who was a wonderful guide and host, joining me in so many activities that he really didn't want to do. A great sport, and a pretty good cook too.

everywhere a sign......

I'm guessing Electric ants are like fire ants, Trading sign = store hours, the legs are pedestrian crossing signs,and the last photo is a drive through liquor store, they call them bottle shops.

Beach signs

Nothing better than a friendly beach sign telling you of all the dangers lurking in the water and out of the water. Note their 911 number is 000; there are sharks, crocodiles and stingers; there's info on how to protect yourself from the sun and lots of "not allowed" things like naked flames. I assume if you dress your flame it would be allowed. Had a blonde moment when I first saw the S with a diagonal line through it (small white sign) - thought it meant it cost money to park here - for the rest of the "blondes" out there it means No Standing.

Just a wee bit o Trivia

Shopping trolleys = shopping carts
Stuff up = f*** up
Arvos = afternoons
Feeling crook = feeling sick                     suss out = figure it out
Rice bubbles = Rice krispies                    heaps and heaps = lots
Cyclones = hurricanes                              sanga = sandwich
strides = trousers                                       smoko = morning coffee/tea break

- Have to vote or get fined
- Left a popsicle stick on the coffee table - soon overrun by ants, millions of tiny ants.
- Left open lifesavers in beach bag at scuba class – millions of ants soon in my bag.
- Every time I got on a bus the driver was a different nationality
- Eggs in stores just on the shelves not in fridge
- Electrical outlets have on/off switches so you have to remember to flip the switch
- Water drains anti clock? Jury is still out on this – I’ve seen it go both ways.
- Drive on left side of road but no left turn on red
- Cairns Water Skiing park – you get pulled on a cable not a boat – very ingenious
- Bull bars on cars to prevent kangaroo collision damage, so why aren’t they kangaroo bars?
- 2 button toilets – a little water or a lot of water
- Australian bills look like Monoply money. Coins are 50, 20, 10, 5, no pennies any more
- Big hummingbirds but aren’t really hummingbirds just act like them
- fruit bats hang from the trees in downtown Cairns and make a heck of a racket, even during the day. Can have a wing span of up to a metre and are called flying foxes.

Prices: small bottle of Lipton ice tea 2.50; 1 Donut 1.50 or 2.50 if it has icing; Gas $1.33/litre
Coffee usually $3.50 – nothing resembling Timmies; Macdonald’s prices are close to ours

River Rat

Due to recent torrential rain and local flooding, not to mention the rivers rising at least 12 - 14 feet, all white water rafting had been put on hold for the last few weeks. I thought I'd lost the chance to prove that I could conquer the mighty Barron River in Cairns. Think again! Just 2 days before I head for home "Foaming Fury" decided to take the plunge. Needless to say I couldn't resist the challenge and Chris tried to but I dragged him along. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I booked a morning run where the brochure assured that the rapids were classed as 3. Wasn't until we were on the bus that the guide casually mentioned that due to the heavy rains some rapids had been upgraded to class 4 and yesterday rafts were overturning regularly. This caused the adrenalin to pump a wee bit harder and I started to question whether I would be boarding the plane home in 48 hours and Chris was questioning our sanity. Too late to back out - pays your money, takes your chances.

4 rafts, 6 tourists in each plus river guide. Got the best river guide - Luke (was cute too). The rafting was great, one raft tipped, pitching everyone into the raging river. We were following closely behind, rescued an oar which unfortunately didn't have a person attached to it. All's well that ends well and after a head count was taken, everyone was accounted for. 14 rapids, a raft full of water, a few close calls, a lot of "hold on, get downs!!" and a couple of near "man overboards" later we reached the sanctuary of Lake Placid (aptly named). My smart ass actions caused Luke to give me an absolute drenching - I was innocent, I tell you, innocent.

All in all a wonderful Easter Sunday morning, filled with heart stopping action aplenty. Much better than searching for Easter eggs. My 4th river run and certainly not my last.