Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the end of March

Yana and I have been exploring our immediate environs. We have walked for kilometres in all directions and are starting to recognise a few faces. I can't say with all honesty that the people are overly friendly. But we have managed to extricate the odd smile from one or two. Basically we have enjoyed each other's company. The area has trendy people and also quite a number of real down and outs. An interesting mixture I suppose.

Yana and I have watched a huge amount of television. He is a real button hogger but I have also found my moments of control and power. It takes application and dedication. We even found a mosque and he was able to participate in the Friday prayers. It was amazing to see Muslims from such a wide variety of countries. Few women participated. I talked with an Indian woman from Fiji while I was waiting. Afterwards we went to an Asian food store with a huge variety of stuff from all over. It was all in a jumbled mess separated by extremely narrow aisles. Two young Chinese seemed to know the location of every single in stock. They were amazing. We walked out with a few bags of goodies and would no doubt return again and again.

Easter was more of a hindrance to us than anything else. Much was closed and the streets were very quiet. Then I became quite unwell. All I could do was sleep, then sleep some more and for a change of activity, nap a little. It was very frightening because I felt as though I wanted to sleep for ever. Nothing could keet me awake. As well as wanting to sleep I actually felt very ill. Poor Yana had to cope with some very immature behaviours on my part but he was his normal cheerful self. Everything passed in a haze.

Wednesday 27th March

Yana and I moved into our new abode for the next month. It is not flash but it will do. We are not ready to commit ourself to an apartment or unit yet. The future is still far too indeterminate. A four week contract is the best interim solution.

Our room is basically a hotel room with fridge and ensuite. There are cooking facilities in a communal kitchen but the cupboards are bare. We will need to buy pots and pans plus plates and cutlery. Not really what we'd intended. I'd expected to avoid unnecessary purchases.

So now we live in the West End of Brisbane, a short walk from the city centre. It is a trendy area with lots of cafes and a bit of an alternative feel to it. I have been pouring over local newspapers and listing what can be done here. The markets at the weekend seem to be a big attraction.

We ate out last night because we are not really organisd yet for anything else. We shared a 3 course meal between the two of us and really enjoyed every mouthful. A big fellow played the guitar and sang with an Eddie Vedder voice while we dined. Not a bad start to a new beginning.

Tuesday 26th March

After submitting my job application we booked into the the big Backpacker's hostel in Vulture street. It sounded worth checking out. Unfortunately it didn't live up to its glossy advertisement. The management were very unfriendly and although we did eventually manage to get both an under and oversheet for our beds we never did did get our hands on a pillowslip.

There were small communal kitchens but you had to hire plates and cutlery. The whole setup was not conducive to self catering. We quickly decided to stay only one night.

On television last night Yana and I watched a program that really shocked us. Australia had recently widened its water boundaries, presumably with permission, and this move has had a very definite impact on nearby Indonesian fishermen. Aparently the Australian government has the power to forbid these men from using engines, gps devices and maps. When these men stray into Australian waters, as they inevitable may, given the lack of navigational devices, they are taken to Broome. As they have no money with them they are unable to pay the steep imposed fines. They then end up being imprisoned for a couple of years. Their boats are burned and meanwhile in Indonesia their families are minus a breadwinner for a few years. When their time is up they aren't even allowed to take their $14 a week prison wages with them.

These fishermen of Pulau Roti near Timor are just traditional fishermen, fishing as they always have. They find it hard to comprehend that their island is only fifty km from the Australian water boundary whereas the Australian mainland is nearly 200km away. Some are now so traumatized that they are too scared to go to sea. They are terrified of being imprisoned again.

Monday 25th March

Chemotherapy. Yana and I left Manly early but somehow we still spent most of the day in hospital. My medicine wasn't ready and I had to come back later. It is so expensive that they want to be 100% sure that I have fronted up before they prepare it.

I was keen to apply for a job as an ESL teacher at the local TAFE and had only hours to prepare my application. The school was prepared to accept a late application. I was grateful.

It was a complex submission as criteria had to be addressed. Time was limited and I couldn't really do myself justice. I worked at the internet cafe for three hours until it closed and just did the best I could. On returning to the backpacker's we packed up as we intended to leave Manly the following day. It was an easy place to stay but perhaps we neeeded to try new places.

Sunday 24th March

Saturday 23rd March

Another glorious day. We certainly can’t complain from the weather department. Yana was a bit disappointed because he was hoping for some snow. He unfortunately picked the most reliable month of the year for good weather. March is almost always fine. If he had come in any other month of the year he would have been in there with half a chance. Tasmanian weather can be highly unpredictable.

Our stay has come to an end. It has been wonderful. My father and stepmother have been magnificent. They have done everything they possibly could for us. Yana felt comfortable and at home. It was great also to be able to borrow a car. Tasmania is not a good place for the carless person. Public transport just isn’t good enough.

We will catch a Virgin Blue plane this afternoon and arrive in Brisbane at around six o’clock. It will be nice to do the return trip quickly. I couldn’t possibly have faced up to all those buses again. Once was enough. We are not sure of our plans after arriving at the airport but will come up with something when the time comes.

Friday 22nd March

A day in hospital again. They haven’t named a bed after me yet but I can’t be far off! I met a number of familiar faces and a host of new ones as well. They were all so friendly and helpful. I asked Tessie to come with me as Yana will have the priviledge of accompanying me on Monday when I will enjoy some more chemo. I feel that it is appropriate to share the fun around.

Eight litres of fluid was collected. This frightened me considerably because it is an all time personal record. Some people break sporting records ... me .. I have to be different. It would also indicate that I have some very active cancer aboard if it is producing virtually a litre of gunk a day.

Thursday 21st March

We had arranged to meet Patsy in a well known Launceston coffee shop, ‘Pierre’s’ at eleven. This establishment is virtually an institution and I can still remember going there as a child and watching the original ‘Pierre’, a big man with a very large nose, standing behind the expresso machine. Tessie came as well.

We then headed off to the City Park, saw the monkeys in their newly renovated enclosure that had caused considerable comment, and strolled around the grounds a little. Next stop was the Design Centre. We examined beautifully crafted furniture and artwork. Patsy then presented Yana with an exquisite Huon Pine box. He was simply astounded at the gift and I was very touched.

I had reached the end of my limits. It was time to go home and rest. I had hoped to wander around the city a bit more but it simply wasn’t possible. I wasn’t up to it.

Wednesday 20th March

We had hoped for a nice day as Tessie and I wanted to take Yana to the Cataract Gorge. It wasn’t really hot but the weather generally held up. We drove through Trevallyn and parked just above the restaurant. It was tempting to eat straight away but we agreed that it would be better if we worked up an appetite first. So off we went along the water-edged path down to Kings Bridge. The views were spectacular and Tessie regaled me with stories of people jumping off various rocks and climbing outside the fences. I didn’t want to hear of her friend’s exploits. I didn’t want to know what they got up to at all.

On reaching the gatekeeper’s cottage we turned around and walked back. I wouldn’t have minded living in the cute little cottage with its lovely view overlooking the river. Top spot. When we arrived at the restaurant again we entered and sat down to a very pleasant meal. The timber building was old and had a lot of character. What a way to spend a Wednesday!

We needed to work off our meal and so walked to the old suspension bridge. It is a rickety thing if one has the misfortune to be accompanied by people who like to rock things. Unfortunately I found myself among such people. Very disconcerting. We continued along to the swimming pool and then around by another path back to the restaurant and on to the carpark. It had been a nice day and we all felt that we had done it justice.

Tuesday 19th March

The day was devoted to rest. I really needed it.

The local newspapers and news programs have been filled with such trivia. Last week the big story focused on a well known football player that had had an affair with his best friend’s wife. Is this news? I thought it was gossip but the media was full of it. A psychologist even discussed the psychological aspects of the story with frightening confidence on a current affair program. Other significant bodies had to have their say and family members were also hounded for their opinions.

This week’s big news was an allegation by a parliamentarian that a high court judge had used government cars to pick up young boys. The particular judge had been open about his homosexuality for years. As it turned out the evidence was false and the accuser found himself in a very embarrassing position. I still found it all to be a fuss about nothing. Haven’t parliamentarians got more important things to do with their time other than tarnish the image of those around them? I do miss the Indonesian news. Real things happen there.

Monday 18th

Yana and I were invited to lunch with an Indonesian woman we had met the day before. It was a pleasant and as En is more comfortable with Indonesian we spoke Indonesian. I relished the opportunity to exercise my favourite language. Yana enjoyed the food immensely because it was Indonesian and there was plenty of rice. I was able to show some restraint for a change as I didn’t find it so appealing.

Later En’s husband came home from the university, where he is doing postgraduate study, and we discussed a number of issues. I was a little perturbed by the direction of the conversation and found myself disagreeing quite violently with what he said. He didn’t seem quite as concerned with the state of the Indonesian Education system that I was. He seemed to think that teacher’s salaries were fine. He stated that it wasn’t the least bit difficult to live on a salary of a few hundred thousand rupiah a month. (Approximately sixty dollars) Not that he did of course. His salary was much higher. But then he wasn’t a mere teacher, he had more status. He was a lecturer.

Yana and I discussed the conversation together later. We concluded that the fellow was simply so middle class that he couldn’t see the situation clearly from the perspective of another class. Yana and I lived with lower class people in Indonesia and we knew how hard it was to make ends meet. It just frightened us that someone, who in the future may have the power to make important decisions, was so naive about what was really happening in his country. He even said that anyone who wanted a university education in Indonesia could get it. This was news to Yana. The chap explained that all a family had to do was to sell a rice paddy or ask around the family for donations and support. Didn’t he know that some families don’t have a spare rice paddy any more!

I felt so frustrated that an Indonesian was talking such rubbish. Other westerners may believe him because they feel that he should know. In reality he just didn’t know enough and could cause damage. His views of the poor were dismissive and he actually seemed to look down on them as inferior. I wondered which organisation was funding his three year scholarship. They were spending a lot of money on a person with a very blinkered viewpoint.

Sunday 17th March

Our busy social life continues. Yana and I caught up with a few members of the Indonesian community in Launceston over a lovely leisurely lunch. I imagine Yana must have relished the opportunity to be with his fellow people although he did comment that they were infinitely better educated than him. Many were masters or phd students so it could have been a bit overwhelming.

Straight afterwards we headed to the house of very dear friends and spent a very pleasant evening. Time literally raced by and before we knew it the day was over. It is a hard life!

Saturday 16th March

I spent the morning updating my webjournal, saved it only to discover that all my hard work had gone astray. Not a pleasant start to the day. I simply detest rewriting things.

Yana and I drove out to Longford, a small historic town, less than thirty kilometres out of Launceston. It is a pretty place and I had lived there many years ago. I showed Yana some landmarks and then apologised profusely. We were to meet more friends and he would be subject to more 'socialising'. He didn't complain and said he quite enjoyed meeting all my friends.

After a couple of hours we caught up with a second friend and drove in convoy out to Liffey, which is located just before the highlands which dominate the centre of Tasmania. At one stage we lost sight of the the other car and as I hadn't been out this way for years I completely forgot which way I was supposed to go. I hadn't eaten for hours and lost my temper. Yana, very presumptiously I thought, said that I had gone too far and should turn back. How did he know I fumed. He has been in Tasmania five minutes. He was right though and I turned around.

The Liffey valley with its cool green aspect did finally greet us. Without too much bother and fuss we settled down to a picnic lunch on the banks of a delightful little stream. Dry's Bluff loomed behind us. We passed the afternoon just eating and talking. Who could think of a better way to pass time?

Friday 15th March

A hospital day. The fluids have built up very quickly. I daren't think of the significance of this. The weather was not so pleasant,it was grey and drizzling, and so we weren't really missing out on anything. It was to be nearly eight hours before we emerged again. I was given the slowest draining that I had ever experienced. I will say that I felt OK afterwards, unlike the previous occasion, but it did get very boring. I must have read evry label and sign a hundred times. Yana was doing the same. I wondered how you pronounced porcine as in porcine insulins. Does it have a soft or hard c? In the end I forgot to ask someone. It still bothers me.

When we were finally released it was such a relief. We virtually ran out. I was sure that the car would be decorated with parking tickets. I had only anticipated a three hour wait and had parked on the street. Fortunately, luck was with me. The windscreen was bare.

Thursday 14th March

It had been a very cold night in the caravan. I had slept surprisingly well but hadn't enjoy the crisp tang to the air. It was obviously nearly time to leave the shores of this rapidly cooling island. We packed up and headed off to the city centre. Tess was keen to do some shopping and in the interim we visited Salamanca Place. The restored warehouses house a variety of quality shops and workshops. The atmosphere was lovely and Yana was quite amazed with the work done by a local blacksmith. Craft in Indonesia in this particular area had not yet become art as it had here. He was enthralled.

We walked along the waterfront past the docks and then drove through the historic area of Battery Point. These were all favourite areas of mine and it had been years since I had last visited them. Yana really liked the old blocks of sandstone and seemed to be impressed with the old buildings.

Before meeting up with Tess again, Yana and I walked around the central shopping area. This built up a good appetite. I suggested that we have lunch at the restaurant in the Botanical gardens. Such a beautiful spot. By this time it was well into the afternoon and probably a good time to start our drive back to Launceston. We went over the bridge that had been knocked by the illfated ship the 'Illawarra' a number of years ago. Yana could barely believe that cars had fallen into the water and that the bridge had been out of action for a few years.

Wednesday 13th March

Tessie had to work in the morning but once she was finished we packed the car and headed off to Hobart. The drive takes a little over two hours and is not an overly interesting one. The land on the farms was bleached and dry. Yellow as far as the eye could see. All the open space and emptiness just amazed Yana.

We found a caravan park in Sandy Bay, not far from the casino, with a spare van to rent for the night. After unloading the car we drove to the signal station at Mt. Nelson to enjoy the view over the city and water. Hobart is very beautiful and must be seen from up high. I didn't know whether we would have the chance to go to Mount Wellington so the lower viewpoint would probably have to suffice.

The evening was topped off with a visit to a friend who lives along a secret little bush road just minutes from the city centre. More talking. At least Yana has had the opportunity to look inside the houses of many people. It must give a bit of an insight to the lifestyle of the average Australian.

Tuesday 12th March

A very quiet morning as I just keep on feeling more and more tired. I don't seem to have an ounce of energy and have to force myself to do everything. My father invited us to lunch in the city so Yana and I enjoyed another one of those Chinese meals where you fill your plate till brimming. The food was average and I then resolved to eat a little more sensibly in future. I always am obsessed with food when I return to Australia after a longish stay in Indonesia. The variety, abundance and quality of dining out opportunities are so high that I go a little silly. I think I have indulged enough now. I am ready to be more disciplined.

After yet another nap Yana and I went for a drive. My daughter Tessie does some casual work at the local Woolworths supermarket in Riverside and I wanted to see her at the workface. We soon spotted her in the deli, sporting a very unusual cap and neckthingy, but looking most attractive. Such an elegant person. I was brimming with pride. Unfortunately, and most inconveniently I must add, people kept on wanting to buy small goods and it looked as though I would never get around to speak with her. Standing in the background waving and giggling was not a really appropriate stategy so in the end I was forced to buy some salami and liverwurst for my father. I was then entitled to a few minutes of her undivided attention.

The Gorge is one of the major attractions in Launceston and Yana just had to see it. Besides it is one of my favourite spots too. We drove up to access it from the West Launceston side. Yana was amazed as it is such a beautiful, natural spot so close to the centre of a city. The high, rocky cliffs enclose an area of lawns, trees and gardens. In the swirling, flooded lake people were actually swimming. I was a little horrified. People have drowned in those waters when it was calm and the water levels were much lower so under these turbulent conditions it would surely be very dangerous. We watched as one obviously very fit person did a few laps. He seemed to be coping. I remained unsure as to the wisdom of his actions.

Monday 11th March

Yana and I drove back down to Lilydale. The weather was still fine but very windy. The road was virtually empty most of the time which must have been a new experience for Yana. Tasmania has a magnificent road network which could actually cater for a much larger population. Indonesians can but only wonder at this phenomenon.

Patsy is a friend from my teaching days. She is unable to work these days and has decided to care for sick and damaged wildlife. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to see some wombats and wallabies at close range. We were able to hold the wombats ourselves and Yana gave a blind wallaby some carrots. Some of these animals may eventually be able to return to the bush but not all. She also had a magpie that had lost part of its wing. It was friendly and would sit on her shoulder or arm. There were a number of rosellas as well. They are such beautiful birds.

After we had visited the menagerie we settled down for an Aussie barbecue. Yana headed outside to cook with the with the men, in good Australian fashion, while the women stayed inside chatting. The day was a tad cool and not warm enough to be out in. We were then presented with a veritable feast of food. I seem to be eating far too much. The food is so delicious and I just can't help myself. I will have to try to be a little more controlled as I do end feeling most uncomfortable. The fluid buildup doesn't allow for big food intakes.

Sunday 10th March

The weather has been magnificent. There is no denying that. Everthing is very dry, sunburnt and yellow as a result.

Saturday 9th March

I still don't feel marvellous or anything closely approaching it. I'll just have to be patient. Mornings are leisurely at my father's house and I am not complaining. I looked at the Examiner newspaper but it is a far cry from the Jakarta Post. It took me less than ten minutes to go from end to end. Very provincial. Nothing to really get your teeth into. Although it was interesting that the state governent had decided to go overseas to buy two large new vessels to replace the present 'Spirit of Tamania' and the catamaran the 'Devilcat'. This move will deprive many of work as a new catamaran could have been built locally. Obviously they were looking for something really big.

Yana was helping my father do a few maintenance jobs around the house. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves. After lunch we went for a drive down the Tamar river to Beauty Point which is not far from the mouth of the river. I love this river. A great deal of my life has been spent living near its banks and it is very beautiful. Every time I go there it is like a trip down memory lane. Many of the houses are still familiar and I can recall the families that used to live in them. A lot has changed and there are many new houses, it has become much more popular to live further out from the city these days and quite palatial abodes have been established.

A sea horse farm has been established at Beauty point. I had never ever got around to going there. Sammie had intended to do her honours won something related to seahorses but had changed her mind at the last minute and had enrolled at the university at Lismore. The 'farm' was well worth the visit. They are very interesting little creatures. A Prof. Forteath had a big hand in setting it all up and had written a delightful children's story based on seahorses. He had obviously been very concerned about the depletion of seahorse numbers and had set out to do something about it. I think it must be wonderful to have a mission and then get down to do something constructive about it. You would have to feel that you had achieved something wonderful with your life. I still wish that I had made more of a mark or contribution.

The seahorses that are produced here are purely for the pet or aquarium market. Later they may try to get into the medicinal market. Sehorses have been notoriously difficult to bred but it appears that most of the difficulties have been straightened out. One of the major problems was that the adults would eat all the newly born young. They are now removed before this can happen. Not easy to organise.

Friday 8th March

A hospital day. Sometimes I just have to dedicate a day for this uninspiring purpose. A phonecall the previous day indicated that I would not be able to lock into their cancer patients system even though I was still on the records. I would have to go to the Casualty or Emergency department and wait till I could be attended to. If there were some urgent accident cases I could be in for a long wait. Fortunately eight-thirty on a Friday morning was a quiet time and I was attended to reasonably quickly. The staff and doctors were wonderful and Yana and I were treated so well. We were out by lunch time.

I thought that I would be able to walk out and spend the rest of the day showing Yana around Launceston. Not so. I actually was in some pain and couldn't really stand up straight. I had to stoop like an old lady. What a sight I must have been. I wondered if they had actually taken out too much liquid. I shuffled step by step and finally made it across the road from the hospital to a nice outdoor cafe. It was definitely time for a pit stop. The food was great and I had moussaka which I hadn't eaten for years. I had meant to eat some Greek food in Melbourne but hadn't got around to it. I had obviously rectified the situation in Launceston.

The food and the break must have helped as I felt marginally better. We wouldn't call for my father yet. It might be worth trying to make our way slowly down Charles street towards the Princess square park. I told Yana that it would be nice to stop there for a bit and lie down on the grass.

Thursday 7th March

Yana and I both woke early and went off in hot pursuit of breakfast. I expected a veritable feast again but was somewhat disappointed. Nonetheless it sufficed. We then packed up and established ourselves in a window position in one of the lounges so that we could see the coastline unfold before our eyes. Tasmania looked very yellow. I was surprised. This was not the green island that I like to see.

We steamed up through the heads and entered the Mersey river. Devonport quickly appeared on both sides of us. The boat pulled into the wharf and I spotted my father. It didn’t take long before we were able to disembark and we were soon whisked away by car. I opted for the bass Highway route to Launceston as I always enjoyed passing the colonial villages en route. Unfortunately I had forgotten that Tasmania is a progressive place and has built a highway that completely passes anything of interest. My father tried to find an exit but failed to do so. The trip was over before we knew it. We saw nothing but yellow sunburnt land and the odd gum tree.

Launceston again. A nice enough little city. We caught up with my daughter Tessie and relaxed for the rest of the day. There was much to talk about and I was very tired. I had kept myself going as long as I could. Now I had pretty well reached the end of my resistance.

Wednesday 6th March

Yana and I had a hostel room without a window. We felt as though we were in our own small world. A cocoon . The day couldn’t look in it and we couldn’t look out. We talked about life, the world and the future for hours. We weren’t even aware of the passage of time. It was very special.

Eventually we did face the day. Afterall we did have to check out and we had arranged to meet Kim, a friend from Bandung, for lunch. We then collected our bags and caught a tram to Port Melbourne. Our ship, the ‘Spirit of Tasmania’ was there waiting for us. Yana also had a good look at the ‘Devilcat’, the catamaran that does a strait crossing in quicker time but not quite the style of the larger vessel. < /p>

Yana and I thought back to our trip to Batam on the Pelni ship, the Kelud, some months ago in Indonesia. It had been such a crowded, cramped trip with people camped on every clear spot they could find. We had been in constant fear of having our pockets picked. The ‘Spirit of Tasmania’ was luxurious and empty in comparison. Yana was impressed. Needless to say I felt more comfortable too.

The evening buffet meal was included in the price of the overall passage. The variety of food to be selected from was staggering and we indulged as fully as we could. We were seated next to a large window and were treated to a wonderful view of the bay as we left the port. A sailing race was in progress and we caught a close glimpse of some of the yachts as they narrowly missed us. It was a meal to be remembered.

Tuesday 5th March

Melbourne unfolded in front of our eyes at our around six. I actually wished that the bus had been late and that we could have enjoyed a few more hours of trying to sleep. It was not to be. We were ejected and made our way through the early morning streets of a waking city. We made a wrong turn and ended up at the Victoria markets. The organic fruit and vegetable stalls were up and running as were the delicatessen stalls with their salamis, cheeses, breads and other tasty morsels. The fish market was also open for customers. we looked but didn't stop to buy anything. I am not sure why. I suspect it was because my brain wasn't fully functioning and I wouldn't have been able to make decisions.

Yana and I booked into a backpacker hostel and slept till midday. We were too tired to even contemplate anything else. It was bliss. Fully rested we then tackled the streets of Melbourne around the Flinders street area where our accommodation was located. We caught the free city tram and were taken around the city square. The thing that caught our eye was the number of parks. yana was amazed. In that small section there were three or four major parks. It gave the city a restful air. Jakarta no doubt had been planned with a lot of parks. They are all gone now. This is unforgivable, it should never have been allowed to happen. Where can the people of Jakarta go for a relaxing walk or lie in soft grass? Nowhere. The parks don't exist.

I was not feeling very strong and could not really walk for very far. I felt sorry for Yana but hoped that he was seeing enough. We did manage to visit Chinatown and then saw a film. The theatres are still not very comfortable in Australia. I squirmed and squirmed. My legs didn't fit and I had to wedge them at a ninety degree angle. Don't Australians complain about these conditions? I will certainly have to. It is not that I am unique in this country.

<Monday 4th March

I can't say that I honestly felt any better. This new drug was obviously determined to make an impact on me. At least I had had the opportunity to rest a few days in the one spot. I was very grateful. Travelling may not have been pleasant under these conditions.

Koko and Tiffany organised a barbecue for lunch. We packed the car and headed off to a quiet area with special gas barbecues provided. Yana was amazed that the facilities were free. He commented that some one would have stolen the barbecues if they had been provided for the public in Indonesia. Mind you removing them would have been easier said than done. The playground facilities in the surrounding lawns were amazing and the equipment would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I wonder whether Australians realize how lucky they are. Most Indonesian children would never ever get the chance to even look at such magnificent facilities.

That evening we caught the bus to Melbourne. We bid Canberra farewell. The bus was late. Such inefficiency. I was no longer surprised and had long stopped telling Yana that everything worked faultlessly in Australia. The trip was long and not overly comfortable. I am too big for standard seats. Someone left the bus at about four and for a short while I had a lot more space and managed to sleep a little more solidly.

I woke up this morning and realized immediately that this was going to be a day in which I would not be able to do a thing. The chemotherapy had hit in like a sledgehammer. I would just be able to manage lying on the couch and breathing. I realised that I was not going to be a very good guest but there was no choice. I apologised.

Fortunately the others felt like a lazy day as well. Videos were rented. This has almost become a traditional Australian way of passing a quiet day. It was imperative that Yana experience all facets of the Australian lifestyle.

Saturday 2nd March

Yana revelled in the opportunity to chat with his old friend from Bandung. It was touching to see these two scallywags in Australia together. Although they had last seen each other in December there was still much to discuss, dissect, question and explore. It was lovely to meet their gorgeous young daughter too.

Koko was determined to show us Parliament house. Tiffany had the car so we were forced to use public transport. Let me tell you that a Bandung public transport type system is definitely not available in our fair capital. There was literally less than one bus an hour. We waited hours an hours in bus shelters. Not an exciting passtime.

The bus did take us through the city and we were able to se tmany of the major buildings and appreciate the city's grand design. I imagine that it must have been quite a surprise for Yana as there are so many open spaces. It is quite unlike anywhere in Indonesia. We wondered at the magnificence of the new parliament house and then caught a bus to the city. It was time for lunch. The city shopping area was relaxed, generally traffic free and spread out. I don't know why but I still prefer the hustle and bustle of real cities. Canberra struck me as being a little too quiet.

Friday 1st March

At about midnight after a rest stop the bus refused to move. I was flabbergasted. Surely it was only in Indonesia that the buses broke down. These sorts of things didn't happen in Australia! Well apparently they did. The two bus drivers then spent more than three hours attending to some problem in the front end of the bus. I tried to sleep but it was not easy. The engine had been turned off and it became very hot and sticky inside. I like to hear the hum of the bus and feel its motion while I am trying to sleep. the lack of movement was not conducive to sleep. Eventually the problem was rectified but it certainly took some time.

We arrived in Sydney much later than we should have. I suppose that wasn't really a problem. Six o'oclock in the morning would have been a bit early but nine o'clock meant that we caught the tail end of the peak hour traffic rush. Yana and I put our bags in a locker for the day at the bus depot and set out to see as much of Sydney as we could. A short train trip to Circular Quay enabled us to then catch a ferry to Manly. The Sydney Manly. The day was magnificent and the ride across the harbour was spectacular. Manly was looking good and we walked past a huge variety of shops to the beach. We paused there for some time, lying on a piece of lawn on the esplanade overlooking the bsand. People were surfing, others were swimming and there were many just lying in the sun. It was a place we didn't want to leave.

An hour or two later we did leave. A sailing race was underway on our return to the city and it was nice to be able to see the boats at close quarters. On arrival at Circular Quay we realised that we still had enough time to have a quick look around the old Rocks area. This we did although we probably didn't do the area justice. A quick train trip back to central station enabled us to get to the bus depot and then board for the next leg of our trip. Canberra was to be our destination.

The traffic was congested and our progress out of Sydney was slow. I slept a little to pass the time but Canberra was fortunately only a few hours away. I couldn't have fronted up to another full night on a bus. Koko, Yana's friend and partner Tiffany were there to greet us. We were whisked away to a bed and some wonderful hospitality.

marionecp@hotmail.com