aptain
pplesauce
Subject: Seeing Rainbows & Visions of Sweet Yacht Meals in My Heads
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 06:05:13 +0000
From: "-= Audacious Adventurer Al =- "
December 18, 2002 . . . RAINBOW BEACH, Queensland, Australia
(The rocks & colored sands are of religious significance to the
Aborigines, 900 locals; 300 tourists)
BACK WHERE ALL MY TROUBLES BEGAN
================================
Hello, my name is Allen Rue Jr. I had a friend that wanted to be me
so bad, that he stole my identity and thought he could get away with
it! Alas, he just couldn't be me, yet in a weird way, we're kind of
alike at the moment: I'm running along beautiful beaches; he's
running away from the ugly LAW. I never tire of mocking the biggest
loser I ever met...
Folks, I hit a milestone this week. I have ascended to the top! I have returned for a fresh start to the town where it all ended! Yes, the exact computer I am using to type to you on today, seven months ago, brought me the realization that my first trip to Australia was OVER! Now I'm sitting here singing, "I GET KNOCKED DOWN, BUT I GET UP AGAIN, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA KEEP ME DOWN," with a big PERMAGRIN on my face!
RAINBOW BEACH
=============
This town is not terribly exciting by any means. There's one pub,
(now) three backpackers, 8 shops, a community center, a church, and a
long beautiful underutilized beach with amazing rocks and colors.
Truly, there are some locals here that you Americans could visualize
from the Crocodile Dundee movies. They talk and act like
stereotypical Australian men! Nonetheless, I watch these people in
amusement and I just love this little town! It's like a town out of
what I believe to be the 1950's USA. If you've ever seen Back to the
Future or Dirty Dancing, those towns resemble Rainbow Beach!
GOT A JOB!
==========
Greg, my boss said, 'the moment you walked through the door, the
first thing that came to my mind was: JOB.' Thus, I'm living for
free again here at Rainbow, eating steak and chicken dinners all for
nothing but a couple hours of work a day. I'm helping out cleaning
the rooms, engaging in light kitchen work, and settling the guests.
Greg says, "I never thought I'd see ya ageain... It's a sigwn, you
should stay heah... I dowen't know why youw like thes littal town so
much, but you're not to the first to come back heah. I know a couple
backpackers from Sweden who immigrated heah to live at Rainbow."
Fat chance I'll be doing that, but if there weren't social pressures in the world, I'd be working "heah" for awhile.
TWO WEIRD SANTAS
================
Today I tagged along to Gympie, the nearest major town, with my boss,
Greg. On the way Santa was directing traffic at a road construction
site in 90 (33) degree temperatures. He screamed out "Happy Christmas
as he lowered his SLOW sign as we passed. That's really putting
yourself into your work!
In Brisbane, your average city bus was approaching that scrolled in the yellow-greenish letters on the the upper front of the bus 'Santa is coming...' Upon closer inspection, the bus driver was dressed as full-blown Santa Clause. His bus was TOTALLY decked out with Christmas decorations, artificial snow, and lights. Even more, when the door opened, there was Christmas music playing! Whow! I wasn't getting on.
TIS' THE SEASON TO BE YACHTING
==============================
December 21, as a 'Chrissie pressie' to myself, I'm headed out on the
Soloway Lass, an old pirate ship, on a three day/three night cruise
through the supposedly majestic Whitsunday Islands. Yup, I'm looking
forward to jumping overboard into the Great Barrier Reef via rope
swing off the yacht. I could get used to this kind of life! I
return on Christmas Eve to meet my volunteer friends on the mainland
at Airlie Beach. My three-day all inclusive cruise is about $200
USD, but (hey) it's Christmas and this is my final major excursion
here in the "Land Down Under" Even more, I got a better deal than
any backpacker because I'm an employee here at Rainbow Beach. Like
I'm always saying, you get what you give, baby! I have to get used
to this yacht thing because I have a weekend yacht wedding to attend
in March in Fort Lauderdale, Florida!
Enough making you jealous.... I'm fine; I'm dandy; life is grand!
Just in case I can't write before then, HAPPY CHRISSIE!
Sails-ho!
Adventurer Al :)
