Jason’s Travels

For the past several days I’ve been trying to get up at 7am so I could catch the Kuranda Scenic Railway to Kuranda and spend the day there. Due to various things I’ve not made it till today. Two hangovers, impossible roommates and laziness conspired against me till now.

The night before last I went out for a beer with my new roommates, who were all very cool, and it turned into 10 beers and I didn’t stumble home till about 2am.

So today I finally got on the train and took the nice ride up to Kuranda. To be honest, if you look at all the pictures in the brochure you’ve basically got it covered, but I won’t say it was a waste of money. It was better than sitting around the hostel

I bought a return ticket, although I kind of wanted to ride the cable car too, but it was too expensive. Well, once I got up and saw the cable car (Skyrail) all over the place I decided it would be worth it so I traded in my return ticket and got a ticket down via the Skyrail and bus instead.

The Skyrail definitely made it all worth it. It’s a 7.5km long cable car / sky ride thing over the rainforest and down the mountain. It’s absolutely awesome and a little scary. I saw some really cool birds in the forest, and lots of awesome rainforest scenery. There were also two stops where you could get off for a while and look around and they were great. One overlooked the Barron Falls and had signs explaining the hydro electric plant and the other was a little boardwalk through the rainforest.

So that was really sweet. Short day, and kinda expensive but it was great and a fitting end to my Australian adventure. Tomorrow I finally check out of Global Palace, Cairns, get on a plane and land in Tokyo! I am really, really excited about that, and kinda nervous. It’s going to be a big change to go from a place where people (sort of) speak English to a place where I can’t even read the signs. I’m excited for the challenge, and of course, to finally see Japan.

I’ve also decided that I will climb Mt. Fuji, even if it takes me a week instead of of the 4-5 hours it takes most people. Apparently most people start the last part of the climb at midnight so they can be at the summit for sunrise. Crazy.

So that’s all for now! I’ve had a great time in Australia, and met some very fun people but I’m looking forward to moving on. Australia has been just a little too much like America for me to really feel like I am traveling. I’ve seen a lot, but I really didn’t even scratch the surface. It would take months or years to really explore this place, and I would need to be much more mobile. Maybe some day I’ll devote an entire trip just to Australia (and make it to New Zealand!) by car or van and really feel like I got the Aussie experience.
Tomorrow I’ll be staying at the Juyoh Hotel ($24 tiny, private rooms!) in Tokyo where they are supposed to have free Wifi. I’m pretty excited about both of those things. I’m getting used to dorm life, but there is nothing like having your own place to chill out now and then and free Wifi means I can download some more Battlestar Galactica episodes while I sleep So, till then, check out the lovely pictures from Kuranda and wish me luck in finding my bed in Tokyo!

Well, after listening to one of my roommates have sex 4 feet away from me for most of last night and then her, her friend and the other guy staying up till 6am talking about their dreams of being James Bond I decided it was time to move. I got a new room in the same hostel and it’s much better. Two guys and a girl and they are all really friendly. Should make my last few days here be much better.

Looks like the sun might peak out a bit today, so I am off to do some swimming and tanning. I’ve been practicing my Japanese for my big move to Tokyo and I’m getting really good. If you need me to identify a: boy, girl, man, woman, plane, dog, table, ball, horse, cat or car I’m your man. I can also clarify if any of those things are on, or under any other one. I should have no problem ordering in restaurants now!

Title says it all, so I’ll talk about something else.

Ford is huge in Australia. Every car is a Ford Falcon. You may be thinking to yourself, “I’ve never even heard of a Ford Falcon! Jason must be enjoying too much Victoria Bitter!”, and one one point you’d be right. I’ve had too much Victoria Bitter. On another point you are stupid. The Ford Falcon is the most popular car in the world. Or at least Australia. Which was my entire point to begin with.

Every once in a while you might glance over at a car and say “Ha! That’s not a Ford Falcon!” but you’d be wrong. Dead wrong. It’s a Ford Falcon that has been pimped out with wheels and possibly a new back end. It’s still a Ford Falcon though.

Get this, I went to see __28 Weeks Later__ yesterday and there was an advertisement before the movie. It was for a Ford Falcon. I’m kidding, it was actually for a Ford Falcon.

Anyway, they closed with “European styling, something or other something else and made in Australia.”

European Styling.

I had to think about it for a while, but I finally got it. They are talking about communist Germany. In 1921. When cars were made of cardboard. They would have to be, cause I’ve been to present day Europe, or at least last year’s Europe and there were no damn Ford Falcons to be seen. Lots of BMWs and Mercedeseses but not a single half El Camino half wood panel station wagon half shopping carts to be seen.

I checked.

So that’s about all for today. Tomorrow morning I am getting up early and going down to the train station to take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up to Kuranda and maybe do some rainforesty stuff up there. Even if it’s raining. I’ve got to do something, cause I am running out of books.