Saturday 1^st December

We went back to 2XS, which must be feeling very loved, on Sunday, to rev up our trusty bikes. Our plan was to ride to MONA, not far up the river. Hmmm…it took a good hour to get there and a good hour to get back. Distances are further, on a bike… Some of us found it very hard going; others amongst us were very happy – WEEHEE!! I’m back on my bike! (And yes there were only two of us; you have to guess which one was which…)

There were 300 bikes in the supervised bike parking area, and another good 200 scattered around the grounds, so you wouldn’t think our bikes would have excited much attention. But indeed they were much admired and I was able to give lots of free advertising for Ken Self’s, where another of my illustrious sons-in-law works – Stuart Cook, at Ken Self’s, in Elizabeth Street! Go there and buy a German folding bike, you will love it! This was the first time I had actually been able to give a useful bit of advertising for Ken Self’s…when people enquired about our bikes in Noumea, or even Port Macquarie, it was just a bit far for them to go to Elizabeth Street, Hobart, Tas…

Why so many bikes? Well for a start it was a most groups day, warm, sunny with nothing but the gentlest of zephyrs fanning our warm faces. And…a free fabulous concert starring the Southern Gospel Choir. We had a wonderful afternoon. By good fortune we found Pete’s sister Angela, who directed us to the little Wood encampment on the grass, where we unfurled our bottle of water (me) bottle of sunscreen (Pete) and cushion (me) from my backpack. It got very VERY hot so I took off my long-sleeved shirt and sat, happily, in the full rays of the sun wearing nothing but my jeans and two not very fetching grey and black singlet tops. Please note who was sensible and who had sunscreen…I did wear my Tilley hat, which, strangely, I thought was protecting all of my skin from the vicious sun…Big mistake! Later than night, as I lay glowing redly beneath my reading light, Pete said crossly, “Who is it who gets sunburnt in this family! Me, that’s who! And look at me, not a touch of sunburn! And here I am, lying next to a great big lobster!” Too sad, too bad…

Apart from this it was all great fun. A great crowd of people (4,000, it said in the paper, but who would know,) lovely music, a mellow, cheery atmosphere. (Oh and some very nice beer and a most delicious hamburger…) Thank you David Walsh!

India #33

Maybe one of the reasons that Hampi is a dry town is because the inhabitants are a bit belligerent. We were bemused to find ourselves in the middle of huge screeching arguments between coconut sellers. It all started with a territorial dispute between sellers whose barrows were a bit too close together for comfort. Within minutes the fight had escalated and everyone up and down the main street of Hampi was involved, shouting, observing, gesticulating. There was a bit of shoving and a hint of biff but no real violence. Just some excessive shrieking and one very bad little boy, with a raucous mother, who looked like the instigator of all of the problems. It was certainly all very public; no hiding behind closed doors. We were sitting in Geeta’s outdoor restaurant while it was happening all around us, and she hinted delicately that there might have been some alcohol fuelling the fight…