Sydney Off the Beaten Path Tips by b1bob

The following day was 4 July 1991. By then, it was no big thing being abroad on the American Independence Day because this was the third one in a row spent off the shores of the United States. In 1989, I was in Nice, in 1990 I was in Madrid, and then in 1991 I was in Sydney. We got up at 6.30 to take breakfast (the same thing as before) in the hotel restaurant.

We boarded the coach nonstop to the Blue Mountains, leaving at 8.15 (delayed by women in the group from New York and from Washington, Pennsylvania). Our Australian guide, Sandy, gave us spearmint candies in honour of the 4th of July. The place at the Blue Mountains where I took the photo was a good 2000 feet (610 m.) above sea level and there were clouds surrounding the mountains like the Smokies in Tennessee and North Carolina. They are called the Blue Mountains from a bluish haze given off by gum trees growing in the area.

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After doing all that, we went into Katoomba proper to shop and to eat lunch. I wasn't up to eating at that time (11.00) because of that big breakfast at the hotel. There was almost a disaster when, just before getting in the coach again, I discovered I left my camera in the post office. Of course I picked it up before getting in the coach. What made Katoomba notable was its July celebration of "Yule Fest". They decorated the town in red and green even though Christmas takes place in December because Katoombans must not feel right celebrating Christmas in December when it's summertime.

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Everybody except my Grandma held a koala. Unfortunately, animal rights activists have been successful in prohibiting tourists from holding koalas in the New South Wales province of Australia which contains Sydney, therefore I am thankful I had that opportunity back then. Our return trip was nonstop. The lion's share of those on the coach were asleep. I took candid photos of Gena and Tiffany (both from the Westminster group) sleeping on the coach. On returning to the hotel, we decided to take supper in the hotel restaurant. I took the prawns (shrimp) with rice and salad. After supper, I started to write 21 postcards. Because I had to go down to cancel Mr. Rath's early wake-up call anyhow, it also made sense to take my written and stamped postcards down for early mailing.

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