Epilogue: I'm back in the USA!

"Welcome Home," were the words spoken to me by the customs officer at LAX. And, indeed, there is no place like home. The US may have its problems, but the rest of the world seems to copy what we are doing. In every city, there was a Westfield Mall, McDonalds, KFC, Subway, Happy Jack's (their name for Burger King), all of the major accounting firms such as Ernst, Deloitte, and Price. They are all suffering the recession. Housing prices are through the roof, and people have much personal debt.

Each working taxpayer was given stimulus money to spend just like us. Unemployment does not seem to be as high there, and their health care is in better shape in the sense that they do not cow tow to pharmacutical or insurance companies...the government dictates what is to be paid.....end of story.

It is great seeing another part of the world, but it would have been even better to have all of my family and friends there to experience the same because no matter how I try to explain in either words or pictures just being there is what makes a diffence in understanding what I am trying to get across.

Thanks to all of you for following along. I appreciated your support. And I really enjoyed the comments which many times made me laugh and feel close to home. Thanks also to my traveling companion Elaine as well as the rest of the tour group who made the trip fun and entertaining.

So as I start unpacking and washing clothes and putting things away, I came to realize that I not only live in the best location in the nation..but the best location in the world. Cleveland has its problems, but it does not appreciate what it has. It has affordable housing, world class medical care, world class orchestra, the "Emerald Necklace" ..our metroparks which links one end of our community to the other, three pro sports teams (although they are not rugby, soccer, or cricket), public education as well as many colleges and universities close by, entertainment venues like Playhouse Square, Blossom, IX center to name a few, Lake Erie (a major fresh water supply), and reasonable costs of food and other products.

As I end this odyssey from down under, I continue on my journey with one foot in front of the other. I think I would do better walking than driving a car...just ask anyone who has driven with me!!! I know Joe wasn't with me physically, but I hope he enjoyed the ride in spirit and will continue on with me.

Talk about one classy chick!!!

Wake up call today was at 2:30 am so that we could wait in line at the airport to check in; we arrived by 3:30 am to the airport;however, the gates do not open until 4 a.m. but we were one of the first in line.

Long line to get on our flight which was the only one from Cairns to Sydney today...so we waited to be one of the last persons to board. I was about to sit in my seat which was in the second last row on the plane only to have the steward call my name and ask me to be moved up to the front in first-class. He asked if my friend Elaine would mind...and then he said, "Don't worry about it; after this flight, she won't be your friend anyway!!!" Well, I'm here to report that Elaine is still my friend even though I rode the three hour flight in first class.

Now let me tell you about flying in first class. First, they give you a glass of orange juice BEFORE you leave the ground. Then the seats are huge and recline and have a leg rest AND footrest..also there is lumbar support in the back of the seat. You had your choice of breakfast...there was either poached egg and bacon or cereal and yogurt. I chose the latter and then they come around with your choice of toast or croissant or both. I chose raisin toast.

Now for the bathroom. It is still an airline bathroom but they have real flowers in the bathroom and real towels to use. WOW!!!

I should have taken a picture but didn't think about it till now. Another spectacular view of the bridge and opera house on the descent to the airport. We still have 3 hours before we leave Sydney for the 13 hour flight to the states. I will have more than a 14 hour layover in LAX so expect phone calls or emails then as I will need something to pass the time.

Talk to all of your soon.

Love,

Gloria

Rain, Rain go away, I'm playing in a tropical rainforest today!!

Today is my last tourist day in Australia. Cairns is in the tropics and besides being known as the launching point for the Great Barrier Reef, it is also home to a rainforest. So today we spent the morning learning about its animals and fauna and then traveled in the longest gondola in the world in order to travel above the treetops of the rainforest. And as we climbed higher and higher, the rains started...which is sort of cool since we were in a rainforest. However, I may have forgotten to mention that the gondola has large open windows on each side. Needless to say, I did have my raincoat with me and put it on IN the gondola to stay dry. We got out and walked for awhile to get up close and personal, but after some drenching we went on our way to our next stop at the aboriginal cultural center.

Each area in Australia has their own tribe of aboriginals. But here we got demonstrations on how to play the digeredoo, how to throw a boomerang (and their is a slight difference for left and right handers) as well as their performance with song and dance. Throwing a boomerang is similar to serving in tennis. And playing the digeredoo takes some talent and coordination.

So as I wind down my time here, I have come to appreciate and know the culture and nuances of life down under. Life is the same pretty much anywhere you go....as long as you have food, family and friends....life is good no matter where you hang your hat.

Well, take care and stay safe and healthy and I will see you all soon.

Love,

Gloria

Bats in the belfry and The Great Barrier Reef was no barrier for me!!!

Forgot to mention that while in the dessert we took a a ride on a camel. There are only 21 million people in Aussie land but there are 60 million camels. We saw them in the wild while driving around. Also lots of wild dingos. There was this huge one that walked right by our room with two magpies flying with him. It was unreal. Almost like watching a real-life Disney movie.

When we landed in Cairns, our hotel, the Novotel, is one of the highly rated resorts. Yet in all the trees nearby there are thousands and thousands of bats in the trees. And near the evening they are flying all around...almost Alfred Hitchcok-like. What is with all these animals in aussie land!!!

The weather was drizzling today as we started our search for Nemo from our catamaran. Those who know me know that I am not the world's greatest swimmer. But give me a diving suit, a snorkel and mask along with a life jacket, and I am another Jacques Cousteau!!! I felt like I was in an aquarium only better....it was just like all the books you have ever seen...all the colors of the rainbow in both the coral and the fish. Saw a sting ray as well as humongous clams that were just opening and closing their shells. It was beautiful and spectacular...it was awesome because it was nature and it was real and I was there to experience all there was to see while just hearing my breath blow in and out of the snorkel tube.

The waves were huges with over 40 mph knots of wind. It was rough both going out and coming back but no one in our group experienced seasickness. They give you two ginger pills when you get on board and I guess that worked. Also they have a great thing here called Ginger Beer which is like a dark ginger ale...really good. It puts Canada Dry to shame.

Well, my journey here is coming to a quick end tomorrow, and I will be making my way back home.

Take care and see you all soon.

Love,

Gloria

The Hard Rock with no cafe!! Ayers Rock, Australia

Been living in the outback with my friends, the flies, buzzing around me. It is really desolate country here. Very harsh climate and land...I do not know why someone would want to choose to live here. Very hot during the day with temps close to 100 degrees...but no humidity.

Checked into the Outback Pioneer Hotel along with my friends, the spiders!! Get me out of this place!!! It is sort of a captive audience..in fact, it is the only hotel for anyone wanted to stay in Ayers Rock. We did some hiking around the rock. I guess the big deal about the rock they now call Uluru is the aboriginal art that is on the rock along with all the folklore of how the rock was formed.

Went to the rock at sunset where it is constantly changing various shades of pinks, purples and reds. They say it is a spiritual experience...and it was if you get my drift.

Packed up today after another couple of morning hikes at the Olgas which are a huge conglomerate range of hills near Uluru. Then got my traveling wings on and flew to Cairns, the home of the Great Barrier Reef. Tomorrow we will head out for the day to see the reef and snorkel. The reef is still 24 miles on the water from here so it will take us about two hours to get there. They say the sea is rough as there was a cyclone near here recently...and I forgot the dramamine at home. Wish me luck.

Take care and stay safe and healthy until next time.

Love,

Gloria

Shoo fly don't bother me cause I'm wearing my flynet!! and Star light, Star bright, I spotted the Southern Cross in the sky last night!!!

You really know you are in the outback as when you arrive at the airport the first thing greeting you in the entrance way is this huge spider web with this gargantuan spider in the middle as well as a million flies all around your face...yuck, get me out of this place!!! And they are real...no fake bugs here.

After getting over my bug phobia, I purchased a hat and flynet to start my travels in Alice Springs. It is really interesting how people live here. Like we went to their School of the Air (not in the flying sense but in the internet..formerly ham radio sense). The students are so spread out that they use mail and the internet along with skype to do their lessons. We also traveled to the Royal Flying Doctor Service....as that would be the only way a doctor and nurse can get to you or fly you to a hospital in an emergency.

Went on a three hikes today on different trails with my friends the flies. Saw Simpson watering hole, Stanley chasm and various fauna as well as animals mainly lizards and wallabys.

Learning a lot about the aboriginie people...they really do look like the guys in the geico commercial...sort of caveman-like features. They are very private and not very approachable. Their art is primitive but tells stories passed down from generation to generation as they have no written language. In fact, at the School of the air they talked about how many aboriginie children are learning English as a second language...strange to think that in 2010 in a country that speaks English their indiginous people would not know the national language.

Last night we went to a cattle station for a barbeque and had an astronomer point out all of the constellations to us. In getting to the cattle ranch, as we go out of town a little way the paved road ends and there is just dirt roads for miles and miles. I guess they don't have too much tax revenue as there is a lot of land with a little amount of people. It was cool to point out the Southern Cross which is on both the Australian and New Zealand flags. Also Orion's belt was easy to spot, but he is upside down in the southern hemisphere. I did not see the Big or little dipper as they do not appear down here till about 4 am. But it was the first time I really saw the Milky way....all the stars in the sky and planets such as saturn and mars....it was truly magnificent.

Tomorrow we will be on our way to Ayers Rock to view Uluru...the big red rock that is in many photos of the outback. So along with my fly friends I'll be traveling on my way to see Uluru at sunset tomorrow.

Take care and stay safe and healthy.

Love,

Gloria

OU, O Yah!

Big news in Ausssie land that OU beat Georgetown in the NCAA's!! Wow, how about those Bobcats!! This is another travel day here and I am waiting in the airport to go to Alice Springs, the heart of the outback and aboriginie country.

talk more later,

stay safe and healthy.

love,

Gloria