Messages From Myanmar #16
Australian Vacation
Special - Part 1 of 6
07 September 2016
Hello there, Rodger French here.
Photo Update Alert:
“Australia”
It is DoS SOP for
diplomats assigned to certain overseas posts to receive at least one R&R
(“Rest & Recuperation”) during their tour. It’s a pretty good deal; State
picks up the tab for airfares (economy, of course), and you’re on your own for
the rest. Most folks choose to go back to the States, but since A.J. had only
recently returned from a conference in DC, we decided to split the difference
and go to Australia. I had never visited the place (she was there thirty years
ago), so this was a grand opportunity. It was an epic trip.
[Tourist Pro Tip - Since there were a lot of moving parts to
coordinate, we engaged the services of an Australian travel agent to pull it
all together. He did a great job and saved us a boatload of stress.]
Ready? Alrighty, then…
Day 1 - Mon., 08/15
Flew from Yangon to Darwin via the excellent Singapore Changi Airport…
Day 2 - Tues., 08/16 -
Darwin
…arriving in Darwin at 03:00. Got a surly taxi driver and overpaid in
USD, but made it to the hotel in good order. After a bit of sleep, we went for
a swim and then headed out in search of seafood. Coming out of the hotel, I
made the mistake of trying to do two things at once and side-stepped a curb,
twisting my right ankle 90 degrees and crashing to the pavement. I’ve been
through this kind of dumbass pain before, and so, ascertaining that nothing was
broken, I elected to walk it off. And the barramundi (Asian sea bass) was
delicious.
While waiting for a taxi from the waterfront back to the hotel, I
engaged in a conversation with one of the locals. It was the first of many,
most of which went something like this:
Aussie: Where you from?
Yank: The States.
Aussie: How do you like
Australia?
Yank: Very much indeed.
Aussie: What about Donald
Trump?
Yank: On behalf of
America, we apologize. But he’s an idiot and is not going to win the election.
Aussie: Hope not. Right,
mate; have a great trip.
Day 3 - Weds., 08/17 -
The Ghan
The Ghan Expedition is a train operated by Great Southern Rail. It
plies a route from Darwin to Adelaide, some 2979 km (1851 mi), with passengers
spending three nights onboard. Over half a mile long, 2 locomotives, 38 cars,
40 crew, 300+ passengers… this is a major league operation and, pardon the
lapse into cliché, “a trip of a lifetime.”
The train was packed, primarily with retired Australians, and after a
period of the staff herding old cats, we settled in our stateroom. Think of a
walk-in closet with an adjoining closet bathroom/shower. Very functional and
very cozy.
The Ghan pulled out from Darwin, rolling past a landscape of scrub
brush, small trees, and a zillion termite mounds. We made a tourist stop in the
Nitmiluk National Park and did a bit of sightseeing in the Katherine Gorge from
a boat on the Katherine River. This included a short walk (the ankle was most
grateful) to see ancient Jawoyn paintings on the rock face. Regrettably, none
of my photoz of these turned out well.
[Cultural Sensitivity Note
- I know not much about Australian Aboriginal culture and freely acknowledge
that, being a gringo, I cannot help but view Australia to some extent through
the lens of my particular preconceptions. But Europeans, wherever they have
immigrated, have treated indigenous people heinously, and I think it’s
important to hold that thought.]
To be continued...
Rodger
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