How to get to Darwin in 33 hours and, where the heck is Darwin?

A 2/12 hour flight to LA, small layover, then 14-15 hour flight to Sydney, small layover and a delay then a 4 1/2 hour flight to Darwin, whisked off to the hotel. A total of 33 hours door to door.

We could have got a direct flight to Sydney but we bought a package that included for domestic flights in Australia and that was the downside. In a weak moment several months ago we decided to fly SKI class, that means Spending the Kids Inheritance. We had lay flat beds, like being in an old fashioned pram, see photo. They even gave us pyjamas. SOME of us put them on, I did, but it didn't seem right to take a photo when everybody was getting hunkered down to go to sleep.


Darwin. Remember that bump at the top of Australia, on the Timor sea? Darwin is at the left of the bump. Population 80,000. It is sort of the William's Lake of Australia. Somewhat rustic, with some trendy and sophisticated places. There is a lot of adventure tourism going on here. Bush driving and outback stuff. Cruises, crocodiles and trekking.

Darwin was bombed by the Japanese in WWII, New Guinea is just across the strait, and a cyclone wiped it out in 1974. It is dry, dry, dry, and hot, hot, hot. When it rains it really rains. From November to April? It reminds us of Maui, the humidity is killing.

Culture here means Aboriginal, sort of like our Indians. [Doug calls Indians, Indians, just like the Indians do.] It is a big business here. The art work is very interesting. And so are some of the souvenirs. [I really think that I NEED a six foot didgeridoo, but how to get it on the plane?]


When we got to the hotel, we had a shower, a lay down, a walk, a great dinner at Lewinsky's, [named after Clinton's friend Monica, then to bed at 7.45. After six or seven hours of a really good sleep we are up around three am, for coffee and into tour books, cameras, photos, computers, and blogs, waiting for this sleepy place to come to life so we can get out there!


I remember what we like about this country and the friendliness of the people with their plain and simple openness. It reminds me of earlier days at home when we were not so concerned about bad things happening to us. We seem to have become more uptight about our status and having to be "cool" all the time. It is nice to be here.