I had the coolest most Australian experience in the rainforest! Fun fact: a rain forest isn't a place that rains a lot, it's a place that gets a lot of rain. So we learned that it only rains for a few weeks in the year but when it does, it dumps! Like 10 feet of rain per day kind of dumping!
Kuranda, Australia.
We drove in our snazzy rental vans up to Kuranda, while pumping a playlist that got everyone shaking what their mamas gave them! We have two vans-one is boring that the director and his wife drive in and the other is a party bus that one of the students, Jeff, drives...so obviously we have our permanent seats in Jeff's card fully equipped with an auxiliary chord! We arrived at random place in the rainforest, kind of like the Polynesian cultural center but this wasnt really commercialized like that is but still get the point? Except it was for the aboriginals-the original settlers in Australia. We were greeted by our guide type guy, who was wearing nothing but body paint and a loin cloth/diaper thingy. He begun by telling us about the people and throwing spears through targets, 100 yards away! It was insane! The long spear would fly forever and right when I could barely see it, it would stick right into the target. They didn't let us try to throw the spears for good reason but they let us throw a boomerang! I've tried and failed time and time again at that toy but for some reason, I had the best throw of the group! It's crazy how they would use those things for hunting, their accuracy was ridiculous. Then we saw a show put on by a few of the men dressed and painted in similar outfits. They used their instrument bong looking thing to make these animals songs and do dances that they would do way back when. They dances were super bizarre! Shaking your knees, extending your arms and spidering your finger tips while keeping a spooked face was pretty much the strange dance I've ever seen but I loved it! I was even called up on stage to learn it then do it with them! Then after is when got to play with the kangaroos! They were super friendly and totally let you pet them. It was funny to watch them bounce away, just like in the movies! We observed a thousand pound crocodile; did you know that biting a grape for us is as easy as biting a cow's skull for those crocs?! So it was just a little frightening being only a few feet from one! A few of us decided we wanted to be total tourist and pay for an overpriced photo with a koala bear. My face looks psychotic and I blame the lighting but regardless, 16 bucks later, I can say I cuddled with a little koala in the Australian rainforest. With it? Just maybe! (picture below) Next was the Kuranda rainforest market! We all were shocked when upon arrival we found out this was more of a hippie's paradise market. I'm pretty sure 90% of the people I saw there were stoned and had a head full of dreads. The shops offered quite a range of products! One store worker lady talked to me all about her "lady cup" where she collects her...lady stuff, and in return gives it back to mother nature by feeding it to her garden. She told me the veggies and fruit plants just love the iron and vitamins in it. I immediately lost all appetite. Never will I ever partake in such a nasty act! Don't get any ideas, readers! Kendall paid to get a dread in her hair by this rad/strange lady (picture below) her store was full of very very provocative "artwork" or really just porn for that matter! And her children came to work with her! Imagine what a pack of wild rainforest children would look like and they were exactly that! Their names were Jamaica, Phoenix, and Lunar with stars buzzed into their head and obviously no shoes on their feet. I thought about how different of a life of my 9 year old brother, Sammy will live then 9 year old Jamaica will be. Blows my mind how very precise our personal missions on this earth are! We are who we are not by accident and the reality of the blessing it is to feel loved individually by God is incredible. Tangent! But anyways, we scored some cool bracelets and experienced something so beyond unique that I doubt I'll never experience again.
Daintree, Australia
Next day in the rainforest was around Daintree, a neighbor to Kuranda! We hiked up along Mossman gorge and it was gorgeous! The clear river and the ginormous trees and vines were magical! Another one of those places where you stop and think "this is real! Not just in movies." After plenty of picture documentation, we drive down the mountain to the near by famous beach town, Port Douglas. We played on the beach and ate our sack pb&j lunches. We frolicked around on the sand and just loved being at the beach. Later we walked around the town and looked at the little shops. There were over priced beachy shops that we could only really window shop. but what I loved most was just walking around barefoot and feeling the nice shining sun in my face. We loaded up the vans yet again and drove up to the Daintree river for a boat cruise to see some crocodiles! Well, our hour boat ride gave us a whopping 2 crocs to looks at...and I'm still convinced they were fake and just put their by the company in case none were spotted. We all laughed off the pathetic boat tour and headed back home to cairns. We stopped for dinner at eagle boys pizza and ordered all these pizzas and dessert pizzas. We were so hungry and cold so we just popped a squat at ate our dinner on the floor. We stuffed our faces! We were all so hungry and over compensated our stomachs. So on the way home we figured the best way to start our food moving was to get moving ourselves! The answer to everything: dance. Blasting "get low" "salt shaker" "take it off" and other booty shaking song, we sure got out metabolisms pumping! With practically all girls on this study abroad, there isn't holding back on the dance moves! It was such a blast! My girl, Lofo, was killing it! I was dying. Then once we were all sweaty and wide awake, it was a perfect time for a shower party! Confession: this was the first time I had showered all time...8 days. Whoops! The salt water was a natural shower, right? I will say that it did feel so great to be clean and dry...well kinda dry. My 12inch by 12inch "travelers towel" just doesnt really cut it with my dripping wet body/hair. Oh well!
Overall, I loved loved loved my experiences in the rainforest! There is said to be three things you must explore while in Australia: the reef, rainforest, and outback. So check and check! Next up, outback!
No comments:
Post a Comment