The Big Green Bus

While I am on a roll I suppose I will write about Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I bought this bus ticket where I can get on and off the bus wherever I went. I knew, going in, that it was a touristy, backpacker kind of thing. But, what I didn't know, is that everyone on the bus would be 19 and from England. These people of the crown are everywhere. Them and Danish. Anyway I make it to the bus pickup location after waking early after horrible sleep on a top bunk of a squeaky bed that was made for a 5 year old. Thought I would be late and miss it because of the traffic and rain (yeah rain in Australia, what's that about?) but I make it and enroute (sp) buy some provisions to get me through the next 8 hours. Little did I know that this was pretty much a tour that stopped every hour or so for food, toilet, etc. So I had my Muesli bar and sit next to this annoying Canadian chick who was from the same town as Goule (I have no idea how to spell that but I am speaking of the famed Will Ferrell SNL character) which was a bit redeeming but not good enough for me to try and stay awake to learn more. Horrible sleep in a freezing bus but we have a cool driver who goes on and on about whatever for hours. Not a history buff but it doesn't seem that many people in this world of ours are. He goes on and we stop at this truck stop after a few hours. I buy raisin bread and coffee to keep me going and meet a cool girl, who I later find out was envious of my bread, who I end up talking to for the rest of the ride and hear all about her travels, life, home, tea, whatever. Name's Jo.

I am planning on hiking for the next three days after arriving in Warrumbungles National Park but once I see it and the fact that there are only about 15km of paths I decide that that won't last me 3 days. I continue on after camping out at a camp/hostel that the bus company brings us to. Lucky I have my tent. I paid $8 while everyone else payed like 24. HA. The next 2 days on the bus are about the same with me picking up some Australian and English sayings like how ya going, no dramas, Fraser Fraser Fraser and whole bunch of other crap that I can't remember because it's too early. It's like 10am on Saturday here while it's Friday night at 8pm there (EST). So Warrumbungles wasn't great but we saw a ton of kangaroos and let me tell you this is a strange animal. Boing boing boing. Yeah did that and then went into a town called Bingara and stayed at a pub there. Quite nice sharing a room with about 20 guys. Either nice or really loud when everyone is pissed (drunk) and snoring as loud as possible.

They tried to sell us a horse ride there but I didn't take it because it was raining a bit. But for $38 I probably should have because everyone loved it. So on the bus we have team Canadia, Danish, Brits, Swedes, Swiss, and one other American. I end up hanging out with him and we sit by the river and talk of travel, America, work, life. He's a good guy and is called the Pope. John Paul to you and I. RIP by the way. I heard about that the other day. I get no news here except footy scores. So Bingara is nice and I have a nice PBJ by starlight for dinner. The stars are amazing out here in the big empty middle of this country. Good eats as Alton Brown would say.

Next day on the bus is about the same more talk, more stops, more nonsense from Forrest. He reminds me of Forrest back home who is going to be the ultimate fighter in a few short weeks. Someone let me know if he is winning. Yeah we hear about all kinds of stuff but blow a tire on the road and have to stop and change it. Crazy that busses blow tires too even though they have so many. That was the only exciting part of the day after the cops pulled over and helped out and stared at us. That brought us to Byron where I had no accom because I thought I would be camping for the whole week and the place is packed. There is no room at the hostel that the bus drops people at but I make it over to the Arts Factory a cool hippy kinda camping place with Teepees, wagon trains, and tents as well as dorms for you to stay in. I was going to camp but the skies don't look friendly so I stay with some Danes in a tent/room on a deck above a pond. Quite cool. Been hanging out, nice beach, nice BBQ, going to go surf now. Right-o.