Monday, April 11, 2011

Beautiful Blue Mountains

We finished our last day in Sydney by wandering around the market in the morning. It focused on handmade crafts and clothing. Interesting to look at and tempting to shop in, but then we remembered we had to carry around our purchases for 1 more month, so we just window shopped.
In the afternoon we went to the Sydney Opera House to watch a performance by the symphony. This is the best way to see the Opera House. The concert hall was beautiful and the acoustics were impressive. We sat in the back row and heard every note perfectly. It was a great way to round of a nice relaxing day.
We got on the train the next morning to come to the Blue Mountains. Upon arrival we headed to “Scenic World” where you ride a cable car down a very steep mountain into the gorge below. The views are amazing – mountains, valleys and the famous Three Sisters rock formation. Then after a brief (but interesting) walk through the rainforest you take the “steepest railway in the world” back to the top. Railway my *** (insert your own word). It is a low, large container on the track with reclined seats so you don’t fall out. The entire thing is caged in with wire. You go up backwards and the slope gets as steep as 52 degrees (doesn’t seem bad until you try it). Crazy! But, also an interesting experience. We finished the day with a great meal at the local Korean restaurant!
Today we walked around town poking into the local stores and enjoying the fresh mountain air. We watched the documentary “The Edge” which describes the unique ecosystem in the surrounding rainforest, the discovery of an ancient species of tree and the conservation efforts occurring in the area. Bought a copy for the department to use! Right now Colin is making his famous roasted garlic soup (stop salivating Kevin) and mushroom risotto (we are staying in a hostel so there is a fairly good kitchen). I am the luckiest woman in the world! (Don't tell Colin I said that, it might go to his head)

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