January 9th, 2017

January 9th, 2017


Affirmation: “Instead of getting angry, I will find the lesson.  In place of envy, I will feel admiration.  In place of worry, I will take positive action.  In place of doubt, I will have faith.”



Word of the Day: wassail (v):

1. to drink to the health or success of; toast.

2. to revel with drinking.

3. a salutation wishing health to a person, used in England in early times when presenting a cup of drink or when drinking to the person.

wassail (n):

1. an early English toast to someone's health

2. a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, spices, sugar, and usually baked apples and is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime

3. riotous drinking: REVELRY

Gnats Inside the Wind

Some gnats come from the grass to speak with Solomon.

O Solomon, you are the champion of the oppressed.

You give justice to the little guys, and they don’t get

any littler than us. We are tiny metaphors

for frailty. Can you defend us?

Who has mistreated you?

Our complaint is against the wind.

Well, says Solomon, you have pretty voices,

you gnats, but remember, a judge cannot listen

to just one side. I must hear both litigants.

Of course, agree the gnats.

Summon the East Wind, calls out Solomon,

and the wind arrives almost immediately.

What happened to the gnat plaintiffs? Gone.

Such is the way of every seeker who comes to complain

at the High Court. When the presence of God arrives,

where are the seekers? First there’s dying,

then union, like gnats inside the wind.

_____

I woke up at about 7:30 am to get ready for and eat breakfast before my 9-11 am “Bush Tucker” Tour. The tour is described as follows:

“Join your guide for an adventure into the outback bush environment and discover the importance of traditional bush food to the local people and meet some of the reptiles of the region. You will wander through country and learn how the local people lived in such a hot desert climate and survived on a variety of bush seeds and animals. Grind native seeds, try your hand at throwing a spear and taste a selection of these bush seeds traditional and contemporary. Meet the reptiles and learn about these amazing creatures that roam our desert landscape.”

During the tour (in addition to the artifacts and tools we handled and things we learned), I got to sample a variety of different Bush foods including salt bush (tasted like coarse salt mixed with dried green herbs), lemon myrtle (would have tasted great as a tea), wattle seed (tasted and smelled like gritty burned coffee), dukkah (the same as the kind served at some African restaurants that came to Australia with the camels), bush tomato (taste and texture similar to a sundried tomato and raisin hybrid), and desert peach (also known as quandong; tastes like a less sweet, dried, chewier, and coarser peach peel). I also tried pickled desert peach in sweet chili sauce, which I think would have gone great on vanilla ice cream or a sandwich/ burger. I wasn’t expecting it, but the tour also including (live) reptiles. I got to hold a blue-tongued skink lizard, a central bearded dragon lizard, and a Stimpson’s python snake.

By the time the (outdoor and fly-saturated) tour was over, the temperature was above 100 degrees and I felt like a skewered animal slow roasting over a fire. So I bought lunch at the convenience store, came back to my room, washed up, rested/ went online for a bit, and ate lunch while not doing much of anything except sitting in front of the air conditioner and staring out the window, daydreaming.

Between 2 and 3 pm, I caught a special screening of “Capturing the Cosmos,” courtesy of CAASTRO (the Australian Research Counsel Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics). Narrated by Geoffrey Rush and directed by astronomer Dr. Tanya Hill, the documentary focused on cutting-edge dark energy research, which was pretty interesting, and was followed by a short Q&A session with the resident astronomer.

I went on my Uluru tour from 3:30 until a bit past 8:30. Here is the description of the tour:

“Departing the resort, the tour will travel through the landscapes to the entrance of the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park.  From this point, it is only a matter of minutes before the spectra of Uluru rises from the sand dunes to demonstrate its enormity and presence in this country .

Our first step allows you a photographic opportunity of this amazing icon.  With Uluru looming in front of you, you journey toward the base.  Walk with your guide to a place of tranquility.

The closer you wander the more you surrender to the realisation of the sheer size of this monolith.

As you drive around the base, your guide will take you to the entrance of Mutitjulu Waterhole, a semi-permanent watercourse nestled in the contours of Uluru. Here you will learn the Creation stories of Liru (poisonous snake) and Kuniya (python) as well as a number of other stories associated with other prominent Tjukurpa (Dreaming) stories. You will see the rock art of the ancients and learn how Uluru was, and still is, a significant location for teaching young Aboriginal people. We then adjourn to the new Talinguru Nyakunytjaku viewing area where you will observe an uninterrupted view of Uluru with Kata Tjuta in the background. Your guide will then return you to your accommodation at Ayers Rock Resort.”

The tour was interesting and I am glad that I came to Ayers Rock/ Uluru, but I was slightly underwhelmed. I was also exhausted from the unimaginably oppressive heat and insufferable and maddening flies, mosquitoes, beetles, ants, and other insects. As far as weather and (lack of) insects and humidity go, I am so grateful to call Colorado home and will try to not these aspects of it for granted in the future.

There is so much I learned, saw, tasted, touched, and experienced on the tour, but I don’t want to delve into too many details since it is already quite late here now (I had to take a shower when I got back and eat dessert – a "Picnic" chocolate bar and a bag of salt and vinegar “crisps”). On the tour, we walked and drove all around the rock, exploring its grottos, caves, watering holes, and more. We also visited the cultural center, and the tour ended with a picnic sunset dinner on the sand dunes overlooking the rock. It was beautiful and reminded me of Arizona’s paintbrush sunsets in which the dazzling summer heat and sun descends into a pool of pinks, purples, and reds before finally giving way to a shadowy sea of twinkling stars. With dinner, I got to try some Australian sparkling white wine (a brut that tasted an awful lot like champagne) as well as fluffy slices of Australian cheese crusted white bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar before being rolled in plates filled with dukkah.

I have a 5 am tour tomorrow followed by check out from the hotel and a flight to Cairns (pronounced “cans”) – but I will try to update you guys again tomorrow evening!