SW Australia: Notes

01 June 2011 Denmark to Albany Not raining.  Rented bicycles and pedaled forested trails.  Rain came.  Ate fast food chicken sandwiches with chips.  Rain eased.  Drove an hour.  Raining again.  Played ping pong and pool in the campground Rec Room.  Still raining.  Made the bed.  Listen to that rain.

SW Australia: Stop And Go

31 May 2011 Walpole to Denmark Now this is the sensible way to climb into the tree canopy, up a ramp that may sway in the breeze but whose bars and bolts have been safety-tested and approved for public consumption.  A ramp for tree climbing pansies like myself who need some assistance (and assuredness) getting …

More

SW Australia: Of Bicentennials

30 May 2011 Pemberton to Walpole When the United States celebrated its Bicentennial, my mom took my sister and I to Walt Disney World.  I don’t really think that was the reason why we went to Walt Disney World as I don’t think my mom is into big loud events in any sort of way, …

More

SW Australia: Repeat After Me

29 May 2011 Pemberton Gloucester Circuit (12 km) While I’ve been busy trying to self-diagnose my ongoing tummy troubles (currently narrowed down to ulcer, malaria, dengue fever, or, in addition to the goulash, salami poisoning), Gina’s been busy strategizing how she will get up that Gloucester Tree.  She has decided that a “don’t look down” …

More

SW Australia: The Tree

28 May 2011 Nannup to Pemberton Gina is obsessed with a tree.  Usually it’s me who goes on and on about things like big trees and big rocks and big birds and other big natural wonders, things that Gina sometimes doesn’t even notice as she’s busy walking and talking and telling me once more how …

More

SW Australia: One-Pot Poisoning

27 May 2011 Yallingup to Nannup I have been poisoned by a one-pot goulash dinner.  At least I am convinced that is what kept me up all night.  Not the soothing sounds of the crashing surf outside the campervan or the sweet silence of the clear starry sky.  Those would have been better reasons for …

More

SW Australia: Roxy Rocks

26 May 2011 Perth to Yallingup From giant pelican to pudgy black Lab, meet Roxy. Roxy is hanging out with us here at the Yallingup beach as we watch sunset and surfers.  One of those surfers out there must belong to Roxy, for not only is her beachside gaze fixed out to sea, but each …

More

SW Australia: Of Pelicans

25 May 2011 Perth He’s huge.  If he were a dog he’d be a Great Dane.  We’re sharing this pier south of Perth with him, this enormous pelican.  Actually, I think it would be more accurate to say that he’s sharing his pier with us. It’s nearly dusk and we are dragging, having risen at …

More

Singapore to Sydney: One Last Big Pack

18 to 24 May 2011 We’re down to five bags and two backpacks.  The sum total of what we will return to Seattle with come mid-June.  Well, that’s if you don’t count the shipment that’s on a container boat right now, hopefully not more than a nautical mile or two from docking in Los Angeles.  …

More

Bali: Hitting Our Stride

15 to 17 May 2011 Komaneka at Bisma, Ubud This is my pastry basket: Gina has one too.  We each get one every morning, delivered free to our room with the rest of our hearty breakfast. In fact, the lovely people here at the Komaneka at Bisma Resort in Ubud come to our room eight …

More