Stingers, Crocodiles and other things

Greetings from Cairns! Another humid, hot, overcast day. . .at least in this weather, the swelling of my fingers is kept under control and I can bend my fingers! Yesterday I called home to my mom and dad and had a good chat with them. I heard my boy barking in the background and I said that that was because he knew it was his mama on the phone, but really, he was barking at the neighbors going by outside! I don't think my mom and dad are going to want to give Horton back when I come home! One thing I have noticed down here is that absence of dogs in public. I have seen a few here and there, but nothing like what you see in North America and definately no basset hounds! My poor boy would die in this heat!

Oh the joy of stingers! Because of the stingers, otherwise known as jelly fish, I have been unable to swim in the ocean yet, unless I want to don this lovely full-body lycra suit known as a stinger suit. When I was on my SCUBA trip, everyone had to wear one - thankfully I got to wear a wet suite (not that it looks much better ;) I guess these little jelly fish pack quite the punch and if you are lucky enough to get stung by one, you are as good as dead! Serious. Although there is vinegar placed on most of the public beaches if you get stung, you pretty much don't have a hope in hell in surviving the shock and the cardiac arrest that follows. So, just to be on the safe side, I have stayed away from the beaches. . . I will go down to them but I won't even just dip my toe in. And then there are the crocodiles. . . .

Yesterday I drove northwards up the coast up to Cape Tribulation, stopping at every marked "walk" there was. I seem to have developed this liking of "walks" while I have been on this holiday. That and they are pretty much just nice little boardwalks through either the rainforest or the mangroves with interpretive panels. . .really, this is my speed! I really enjoying walking through the rainforests. The sounds and the smells and the sights are truly amazing. . .it is a walk for all of the senses.

Walking through the mangroves on the other hand, well, that is where the edge started to creep in. Everywhere up the coast are these warning signs about crocodiles and how you have to be careful about them and how they are in the rivers and close to the beaches. Well walking through the mangrove, I realized that this was prime crocodile habitat!

Then I also got thinking that why would they put a public boardwalk through crocodile habitat?! In any event, I spent the better part of that walk keeping my eyes posted for 2 beady little eyes that might be stalking me and about what my defense plan would be should one attack me. (Like I would have a hope in hell of surviving!) Then I got to thinking about how bad the pain would be and wondering that if I poked it in it's eyes whether or not it would just be more pissed off or if it would let go of me. Oh the things I think about when I am left to my own devices! In any event, I didn't see any crocodiles! (They warn you not to dangle your feet off of the dock into any rivers around here. . .they will eat you!)

Also during my time going up the coast I got to thinking about how I hadn't seen any greebly creatures yet except for a cockroach in Sydney outside the size of my thumb (which totally freaked me out!) Lo and behold, last walk of the day and I decide to stop off at the outhouse (you know me and my bathrooms) and what do I see as I am walking up there stairs but this big ass spider in it's web off to my left. And when I say big, I mean BIG. This was no Charlotte from Charlotte's web! This was one bigass spider who would give Horton a run for his money. My picture doesn't do it justice but to give you an idea of it's size, it was probably the size of my hand!

Today I am heading off to Perth to see my friend Carly. . .the reason for this holiday. I was supposed to head out this morning but my flight got changed and now instead of flying through Ayers Rock (Uluru) I am flying through Brisbane and am leaving much later in the day. This is giving me an opportunity to check out Cairns a bit since I have pretty much just flown into and driven out of here.

Last night I discovered that they too have white trailer park trash in Australia and they all eat at Sizzler. Yes - I went to Sizzler! I was craving a baked potato, ribs and some salad and I had seen some ads on TV so on my way to my hotel, I passed one and thought to myself - EUREKA! Well that was short-lived! I ended up having the salad bar (finally - some greens) but when it came to my entree time, they were all out of ribs and I really didn't want anything else. While I was there, I witnessed the carnage of buffet eating - Sizzler rivals Bonanza when it comes dining - oh yah baby! I swear, every trashy person was there with their snotty, screaming kid - and me!

One thing that this trip has reminded me, is that I don't really like travelling by myself. I don't mind it during the day but it is at night that I really seem to get bored with myself. At least when I was staying in Sydney, I had Bill to look forward to each night. Right now, all I have to look forward to is supper with my Suduko book (that is keeping me entertained in restaurants!) So here is the call out. . .I am heading to India in late August/early September. . . and am looking for a travel partner - even if for only part of it!

(PS - sorry for the formatting. . .can't seem to figure it out today!)