Thursday, April 28, 2011

DAZED AND CONFUSED IN THE TOP END

It’s the first time I’ve posted because I’ve been unwell most of the time up until now, and had absolutely no appetite for anything except sleep and escape. Talking to people has been like hiking up a steep and hilly mountain. And the din of cocktails for the Captain’s welcome aboard? Not fun.
     Yesterday was hilarious though. I woke and felt human, even felt up to making small talk with relative strangers. Then I climbed aboard a small aeroplane at around noon, seven of us in all and the pilot, and I was seated at the very front, accepting this privilege with some foreboding. Sure enough, 10 minutes into the flight, sweating like a piglet in the midday sun, the cabin rocking wildly, I regurgitated the entire contents of my stomach into a handy sick bag, and for the remainder of the very long two hours and 20 minutes, closed my eyes, and prayed for touchdown to come as swiftly as possible.
       Lake Argyle, resplendently full after a generous Wet Season, shimmered below me, but I barely noticed, and as for the corrugated grid of the Bungle Bungles, I saw them briefly from the corner of my eye, thought “Hmmm, remarkable” and closed my eyes again. Yes, I admit, the sprawling and dramatic beauty of the Kimberleys have been somewhat wasted on me thus far.






And honestly, I could not care less. Everyone must extract from their time on earth what makes them happy, and I am coming to terms with the fact that the external world holds less attraction for me than the more interior-focused world of stillness and contemplation. Fortunately, here on the Orion, there is the opportunity to embrace stillness... provided you can escape the politeness of people who feel obligated to chat to someone who has purposefully chosen to be solitary. (My husband, meanwhile, has given up on me, and booked himself for all sorts of hikes and adventures). I can be found masticating slowly through the most simple of schedules... breakfast on deck admiring the shimmering blue of the horizon; briefly hearing the stories of fellow travellers who exude their own kind of sweetness; then a brief session in the gym cycling; then some Sudoku in the lounge; a movie, a book or a nap; and later in the day, after a dip in the pool and a light lunch, an excursion.

Today we’re off in the Zodiac to visit King George Falls, methinks. I’m looking forward to something leisurely, and benign, with no possibility of further heaving. Let’s pray.

Yesterday, after my draining flight over the Top End by ‘plane, I retired to my stateroom in shock and did not reappear until this morning. Resting in my resplendent and very comfy bed, I suddenly felt the urge to see the film Australia, prompted no doubt by the many references to it during our bus trip to the bustling town of Kunnunarra from our dockside stop at Wyndham Station.

I hadn’t heard good things about the film, and after finally viewing it for myself, I understand why. I found it a harmless and relaxing way to spend two and a half hours, but I have to say I found it rather silly. It’s a fairytale of epic proportions with caricatures, not characters, and all of it not merely unconvincing, but also failing miserably to trigger any frisson of feeling. Sad, really, because it was a good idea... I think. Baz needs merely to regroup, and I am sure he will entertain us with panache again.

I also saw the film The Fighter during some quiet time in my cabin, and found that absorbing and inspiring. Who would have thought? Christian Bale deserved his Oscar; he played a crack addict to perfection (not that I am intimate with many crackheads, but still...)

Since flying to Darwin, I’ve seen more films than I’ve seen in weeks in Sydney, probably because I am seeking escape from people, or the heat. After sightseeing in Darwin on the weekend Steve and I went to see the Justin Bieber film, Never Say Never, and we found it a fascinating study of the whirlwind evolution of fame, circa 2011. Thank you, YouTube, thank you Twitter!

I love to bemoan the inanity of Twitter and Facebook, but I now accept that I am simply out of step with the Zeitgeist. What do you do, I wonder, when you are not running with the masses? Give up, give in, join up, or just ... walk the road less travelled?

Ah, there, I’ve found it. An allusion to M Scott Peck’s life-changing book makes a fitting close to my first post. Me? I’m not looking for shortcuts to any particular destination and I’m in no big rush to reach anywhere. I’m just bumbling along the path in front of me, and surrendering to the journey. Until the next post, folks, adios!

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