The Talking Traveller

Going a bit back in time to 17 June.......After a day of trotting in the concrete jungle of Sydney I had very sore knees from all the leg movement. Arriving in Katoomba the following day by train I felt like I just wanted to sit and rest all day. At the hostel I tried doing this for about 1 hour. Giving the oppertunity for my mind to wonder, it convinced me that I should get off my behind and explore this area as I paid alot and I have only 2 days here. I should grab the day! The feeling of losing overwhelmed the physical pain and I got up to go go go. I purchased a hop-on hop-off ticket for a big red explorer bus and hopped-on the first oppertunity that I could. I opened the brochure and decided to hop-off at the most exaggerated point on the colorfull tourist brochure, which is called Scenic World!. There I had the choice of doing either a cable car ride or a railtrain ride. Being the dare-devil that I see in the mirror every night I decided that the 52 degree decline railway ride is the onbly way to go. Of course I hit the luck of getting the front seat. Slowly we started trancending down, and we kept going slowly until we reached the destination 1min 23seconds later. O well, yeha anyway. I was left stading with several choices of hiking trails and first did a circular trail layed out with a wooden walkway elevated above the forest floor. Along the way several icons of mining history were on display with interactive audio and video. I followed the easlily walkable walkway throught the rainforest and completed the circular trail. Discovering further detail on the pathetic tourist map I took-off on a route that would take me to the underside of a cliff.I kept on that trail being constantly mildly reminded of my sore knees, especially when realising the body is acsending or decending to or from a elavation. Along the way I met a middle aged woman while she was taking a rest. And I controlly asked "Taking a break?" (smile, release residual air). I ended up doing a full disclosure about my journey through the world and the effects of stuttering on my world, and that she is helping me to lift the invisible veil just by being nice and talking to me. We parted with smiles enjoying Kathy's comment that I had made her day by giving her the number of 1136.

Along I went further on my hike.I ended up the day at the top of the most attractive attraction of the "Blue Mountains" which is the "Three Sisters".An outcrop of rocks that forms three distinct points on the landscape. To end up there however I had to climp up several meters of stairs, when I reached the top of those stairs I read a sign stating that I had just done the hardest hike off all, in the hardest direction, from down to up. I could not decide if I should accept myself being completely mad or a well done tap on the shoulder. I was laughing to myself hard, very hard and I felt better. But I realised half-way up that even though my knees are complaining, I have to ascend this staircase. There is no turning back, this is the only way and I can just as well enjoy it. I made it interresting by having breaks and taking photos trying to absorb as much of my surroundings and perceptions, both internal and external. I ended up way after dark back at the hostel, cold, tired and hungry. I didn't know if my knees were beyond pain or just numb from the cold, but it didn't hurt. Anyway they had supported me and I made it back. I woke up the following morning not knowing if I would be able to stand upright properly..............and I did, I stood up tall.  My knees felt as strong as ever. I had a very nice hike for the rest of that day as well, well beyond my expectations.

Did I learn some deep needed life lesson of pushing through the pain, making the best of a scenario and never giving up?? Did I learn that sometimes it is better to not know where you are heading, but put in your best effort anyway? I dunno, but I definately had a delightfull chuckle of laughter getting up that morning, and that was good enough for me. Welcome to my mind! See the photos.