The Blue Mountains

There were no pics of Sydney because my camera battery was dead but I got that all sorted out last night and was ready to hit the Blue Mountains.

So this morning I hopped on a train and made my way inland from Sydney two hours to the famed Blue Mountains. Famed because something about the dust particles in the air and the way the sun hits them makes the mountains and the vegetation that covers them look blue.

Katoomba it such a great little town. Walking through town for the first time I could tell that I could easily spend three or four days here, or more, and be totally content. There is a laid back vibe and the main street is lined with funky little antique/second hand stores and cafes. Cafes of all varieties - Thai, Chinese, Italian, Lebonese, Greek, Vegetarian, cafes with local fare. Yum, where to start?

Start first with the very nice YHA Hostel in an art deco style building. So nice and clean. From there they set me off to lunch and for a walk. What a walk it was - I am so sore (well from that and a bad massage in Sydney). This was the "you've only got one day so let's cram everything into it" walk. I walked through along the top of the valley to the main lookout point and from there decended the Giant Staircase (not a staircase for giants) down to the valley floor. So named because there are 1000 stairs down. After a late start and 1000 stairs (anyone who's been with me at great heights can probably imagine how that went) it was looking and little tight to get to the end of the trail and catch the last 'senic railway' train (more on that later) back up to the top (and after all those stairs down I knew I wouldn't be able to manage the stairs at the other end- 300 straight up).

So I was making good time, not quite my fastest, end of the night walking but still good time, when there was a rustle from the bushes and I swear a 3+ foot long lizard/iguana (who knows, I didn't get close enough to look) planted itself in the middle of my path. At this point I feel like a bit of a fisherman saying this but it was SERIOUSLY BIG AND LONG. *&^%!! What shall I do? There is no way I'm walking past that thing ("Um, excuse me, could you put that long tongue of yours back in your mouth and let me pass possibly?" and there's no way I'm walking back up those 1000 stairs. But time's a wasting and I have to get that last train!! The creature started to walk along the path, fortunately in the same direction I was headed but slowly. So I followed at a safe distance. But then it stopped. More grumbling, and waiting, and grumbling. Finally I got a couple of rocks and threw them into the bush just of the trail. After the second the creature went to investigate and in a flash - quick little bugger - it was up a tree where I could see clearly that it was easily 3 feet long. It did however look far enough away at that point so I made a break for it and ran past on my wobbly legs that somehow managed to find steam. All is fine now but it was quite a situation to be in alone, on a sparsly poplulated trail (not many people doing the long route).

Anyhow made it to the train in lots of time as it turns out. Went for a little walk round that part of the valley. The train seriously goes up a cliff at a 57 degree incline.

Got to the top and walked along the top of the cliff back to my hostel with a stop at the chocolate factory - an ice cream cone for good behaviour.

The Blue Mountains are quite a sight. It's been a long time since I've seen such vegetation covering a valley for a far as the eye can see. It was great to get out and firstly just walk, secondly to be in a natural environment with all the sounds of the birds (perhaps not the shuffling of the undergrowth though), the bugs, the wind rustling throught the trees and the water trickling and then rushing down the waterfall. Good for the soul.

I've got to see what I can fit in tomorrow before heading back into Sydney so I can make my way to Adelaide. Who knows. I had thought I would spend the day in Sydney but I'm just not ready to leave yet.

Below are pictures - enjoy.