Thursday, April 20, 2006
Fun over cleanliness
For those of you concerned over our recent posting highlighting the importance of cleanliness over fun when travelling, fear not. I will now give you a snapshot of our adventures on the way from Alice Springs to Adelaide in an attempt to salvage our 'cool' reputation. I hereby present the case for fun over cleanliness...
- Spending 8 hours a day on a bus can be slightly boring. However, while some of our group chose to sleep in back-breaking positions, Rhod and I used our social skills to keep up the atmosphere in the bus chatting to people nearby. In other words, we were being social butterflies and ambassadors for international relations. Even if they wanted to sleep, we still kept talking at them!
- We stayed in Coober Pedy, the hottest town in Australia where most of the 3500 population live underground. We all stayed in this underground bunkhouse in a prison-cell kind of arrangement. This is ironic as the residents of Coober Pedy have a penchant for using explosives from the opal mines and bombing police stations or tourist buses.
- Comedy photos became a feature of the tour and wherever an opportunity presented itself, we were there, camera in hand. Less cool members of the group (Canadians) stayed on the bus and didn't join in. Playing dead on train tracks or in the middle of the Stuart Highway were some of the highlights.(Playing dead on the train track was ended abruptly by the unexpected arrival of a large freight train. See how much fun we can be?)
- Other accommodation included a sheep farm with outdoor loos, cold showers and the occasional straying kangaroo which is a shock on a pitch black 3am visit to the loo.
- On Easter Sunday we stayed in Parachilna, a town with only 2 permanent residents, namely the landlord and landlady. After our Easter roast (barbequed kangaroo) we managed to take over the local pub, the only attraction in this town made up of one street.
- We even managed to convince the bus that I wasn't too old. Some of them were initially concerned they would be spending the 6 days in the presence of a 28 year old.
For those of you worried that 'Backpacker Plus' standards have been slipping, you will be pleased to know that we are now staying in a plush ensuite private room complete with wooden floorboards, power shower and TV. A little treat after 6 days of slumming it.
# posted by Rhodri @ 8:51 am 
