Blue Mountains

Day 133

Sometimes you just can't beat the power of the nocturnal snore.
Without a doubt the scourge of the backpacking traveller is the snore.
I must have had only a couple of hours sleep Monday night due to the fat hairy drunken bastard in the bunk opposite, snoring like a monstrous beastman of doom.
Guttural, flemmy snorts all night.

Well, until he woke himself up and went out for a wee and made the mistake of not taking his key.
Everyone was awake and he was tapping on the door to come back in, but we all had the same evil thought and didn't move.
When I eventually got up (another welch had taken over the snoring in the room as if it was a tag team) and left the room, snoring shit number 1 was sleeping in the corridor in his kegs.
Still bloody snoring.

As I had to be up early to catch my tour bus to the Blue Mountains, I did feel like smashing their fat faces in with a crow bar to be honest.
But, a nice coffee and a bun at half six in the morning, and I was happy again.

Had booked myself on an 'Oz Experience' tour, which also involved a couple of nights stay.
The weather didn't look too clever, so we could have all been in for a soaking.
The tour guide/driver (Nackers) was a good laugh. He turned up with false goofy teeth in, but they were quite convincing, so no-one was really sure if they were his real pegs.
He filled us with useful facts about crocodiles eating Germans, on the drive up to the Blue Mountains.

Met Sam on the bus, who was English (near Bristol), so had instant company.
We were supposed to go see some kangaroos in the wild to start, but all the rain had flooded that area, so that was off.
I wasn't too bothered about seeing Roos doing the backstroke anyway.

The rain held off, and we headed out on our first walk after another coffee and a sausage roll.
Good group of us. Highly entertained by a Thai girl who laughed at everything, took photos of everything, and just generally said whatever was on her mind.
Completely insane.

The walk went down into their Grand Canyon. Waterfalls, streams, caves, splendid.
Saw Yabbys in their creek. They are like little fresh water lobsters.
Met Jess too, who is from Sheffield way, so had a laugh with her too, as we tried to avoid falling in rivers or over cliff edges, or being mauled by Yabbys.

Nice trek then. Even going back up the canyon was ok. I seemed to be fitter than people 10 years my junior.
Must be living well.
A perfect specimen.

Stopped for lunch, and then off for another walk, to see the Three Sisters.
These are three rocks, that aboriginal legend says were three young girls turned to stone by their old man, cause they upset a teen eating yeti.
I was convinced.
Rather nice scenery when the mist cleared.

Nackers found a funnel-web spider. It's one of the most dangerous in the world. I didn't stick my conk too close.
As this walk was all down hill there was a railway back up.
Officially the steepest in the world. It was more like a rollercoaster.
We went up the cliff almost vertically. There were lots of screams (not just me), and I did start wondering how fast we would head back down the cliff if the little plastic wire pulling us up snapped.

Made it to the top though, without plummeting to a horrific bloody death.
Dropped off at the hostel then by Nackers. Jess was staying too, but most of the gang on the tour headed back to Sydney and the rain.

Took it easy for the rest of the evening after walking further than Ian Botham.
Met Lindsey and Amanda at the hostel and along with Jess we all decided to go and visit some caves the next day.

A decent nights sleep, with no snoring creatures. The girls introduced me to Hilda in the morning. She is an old, seen better days, car.
Lindsey used her to get us to the Jenolan caves, which were about an hour away.
The sun was shining, so what better way to spend it than several metres underground.

Didn't go for a wee when we got there, as there was a sign outside the bogs, stating there was a 'snake in this area.'
Hmmm!

Had a tour then of the 'Lucas Cave.' The guide informed us before hand that a lot of what he would say, wouldn't be true.
We were confused.
Lots of stalactites, stalagmites, things that looked like jellyfish, strange rocks, and cave monsters.

Well, I was hoping for a cave monster.
Some of the formations looked like the statue of liberty, leaning tower of Pisa, bishops and curtains.
I saw one that looked like Ken Barlow in drag.

We were told not to touch anything in the cave, but I blatantly ignored these rules and made contact with the roof several times with my head.
We all enjoyed, and learnt everything you don't need to know about limestone caves.

Hilda got us back home safely and we got the pizzas in for tea.
I couldn't spend the evening with my new friends without a beer, so bought a six pack of Tooheys.
Just for the taste.
Warming up well for the Maiden gig, and the several beers I will have to taste at that.

Amanda and Lindsey are from Norwich, so when the Swans walk it in this league and are in the Championship, its off there for a Norfolk piss-up, some tractor driving, some Coleman's mustard, a Delia pie, and some footy at Carrow rd.
I'm sure the Swans won't let me down (this time).

Taking it easy now. Washing my pants and other ware, and then might go for another stroll before Nackers comes to pick me up and take us back to Sydney.
Amanda is addicted to a penguin based game on my laptop, so I might have to spend half the day beating her high score.
Can't have a girl at the top of the penguin chart.