Dolphins at Monkey Mia

Driving Along the Coral Coast

As usual, I got a late start. Constant reorganizing hasn't helped my natural inclination to putter in the mornings.

But there's breakfast to make and camp to break down. I caught on to get just-add-hot-water breakfasts for camping as there's always a camping kitchen at the caravan parks I'm frequenting, and I have my cheap IKEA pot for heating up water. I have instant oatmeal, a coffee press, banana bread, and strawberries. And then I get to take apart my house after doing my dishes and showering. I remember Turbo used to get frustrated with how long I took when we'd break down camp. Maybe that's why he made my coffee every morning though he didn't drink it himself, because he was bored while waiting for me.

The campground staff was already doing their daily cleaning by the time I left, sweeping off the nice green mats that we camp on and taking out the trash. I pulled out and stopped by the town information center to buy my Australia national parks pass. For $40, I got one good for a month. Would I be visiting four national parks in my little blue Hyundai? Maybe.

I headed up the coast and turned right, out of Kalbarri the town and into Kalbarri National Park. This is known for scenic river gorges—I'd just left the cliff gorges of the coast. I'd pull down little access roads and stop, follow a trail while being hounded by evil Aussie persistent flies, take in the view, then go back to the car and drive to the next cool panorama.

Kalbarri

After a long day's drive, I stopped in Kalbarri. 

Which looks like this. 

The last photo is how I charge my laptop.

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

I'd been so tired on Thursday night that I'd been fast asleep, in my little orange and olive-green tent, by 10 p.m.

Which was good, since the sun is up early here in Western Australia. I was out of bed and in the camp showers by six a.m.

Mmmm, warm private showers. The ablution block didn't have women's and men's rooms. They had eight little cubicles, each of which of had a shower and toilet.

The rain was still on and off, so I broke down camp quickly, like it wasn't my first time with this tent.

But I'd forgotten one problem with camping in the rain.

Wet tent.

Whirlwind Tour of Suburban Perth

This zebra was in a bra store in Perth.

I caught a free local bus from my Perth hotel to Europcar at 2:30 on Thursday.

In the rain. 

Rain's not good for camping, is it? 

I had a $34 faux Thermarest as well as my regular luggage. I'd picked it up yesterday at a surplus store. I'm not a fan of fake Thermarests as they lack the insulating layer, but given that this wasn't going home with me and I already have two Thermarests in my Jersey City garage, this didn't seem like the place for a splurge. And during the camping trip Turbo the Aussie and I had taken across the States in 2002, his cheapie had held up well. Until it melted one day. But I only needed mine to hold up for 11 days and then through Amanda's trip in December. (We're doing tag-team Oz and she's taking my camping gear.) 

The guy at the rental car agency tried not to laugh at me when I asked him a dozen questions about how to not hit kangaroos on the road. I was only joking, of course. I lived in Australia on and off for two years. I know I'm as likely to hit a 'roo here as I am a deer at home. That is to say, likely.

Moving Continents

My airport shuttle didn't show up at 3 p.m. yesterday in Bangkok.

Fortunately, the travel agent was aware of it and at five past three, she was on the phone with the shuttle, demanding to know why they hadn't arrived yet.

The shuttle had been cancelled as no one else had booked. They'd just forgotten to tell her.

I was lucky—there was a meter taxi looking for a fare right outside the travel agent's office. He zipped me over to Phayathai Skytrain station where I jumped on the airport train, making it to Bangkok's airport in no time.

The Thai Airways flight was amazing for an economy flight. I kept thinking they'd bumped me up to Business Class—that's how much leg room I had.

Unfortunately, due to a blip in the Star Alliance round-the-world ticket, I had to fly to Sydney and then take Virgin Blue (which is red, due to a blip in Australian culture) back to Perth, which isn't really all that far from Bangkok. But there was nothing the alliance could do get me from Perth to Sydney, so I would have had to fly back to Asia then back to Australia to get from Perth to Sydney.

But Who Would Hamburglar Support?

So who would win in a fair fight? Thai Ronald or Bangkok Leprechaun?

Both of these guys live on Khao San Road.

Leaving Asia

I've packed up and left my bags at Sakul House hotel reception. I had a last pad thai—a disappointing one—and will get one last Thai massage before heading to the airport on the 3 p.m. shuttle.

The tourist bus doesn't run anymore from Khao San Road to the airport, but the shuttles are only 130 baht door-to-door. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to use them FROM the airport, so for that I've been taking the airport train to Phayathai and catching a meter taxi from there.

The unusual here is normal now and I am not phased by much in Bangkok. When I think back to when I first arrived in June and remember how excited I was by a modern, clean room and sticky rice, I have to laugh. Small things struck me as delightful on my first day in after four months in Africa. I'd been excited by free bottled water and iced coffee. And of course, the chance to get my parasites seriously checked out.