Mad Trip Day 16: Blue Mountains

[galadriel1010]

Woke up later than I'd intended and dragged myself out of bed, talked to the family for a bit and grabbed breakfast, then trundled down the road to catch a bus to catch a train. I was half an hour early for the train in the end, not the one I had originally intended to catch but the one after it, and had the time to wander around looking for second breakfast. I found good-sized lumps of cake for $1.50, and three plums for $1, which I thought was reasonable.

The trains here in Sydney are awesome. All the seats are reversible, so that you can sit anywhere and face in either direction. The scenery going up there is beautiful, but every decent view from the train is ruined by a telegraph pylon or something similar.

My first stop was supposed to be Wentworth Falls, but I missed it, so I got off at Leura instead and wandered around the town, looking in antique and vintage shops. I bought a couple of gifts in a jeweller's and nearly bought Rick a tie with rainbow musical notes in a vintage shop, but decided against it. I also had my lunch of a tuna sandwich (made up, logically, of a tin of tuna and a bread roll) and the cake I bought in town. All very nommy.

I got to the station and had to wait another half hour for the train to Katoomba, but it got me there in only about five minutes. I got laughed at by a group of kids, and I'm not sure why, and told by a very well-spoken gentleman that I have a lovely smile. He possibly thought I was a bit demented, because I just grinned at him more.

Katoomba is more of the same as Leura, but not as nice. I did do some fun antiquing, though, and squeed over books.

I got unlucky with the train again, getting onto the station platform just as the train pulled out. With an hour to kill until the next one, I decided to go to the pub, where I confused the poor barmaid by asking for half a pint of cola, and by asking about the cricket score. No one could tell me! Bloody Aussies, they just didn't want to have to repeat the news.

Got to the station with about fifteen minutes to go before my train left and settled down to wait. And wait. And wait.

No announcements, no apologies, no departure board. Just a 37 minute delay. And I know it was 37 minutes, because it went through a station that it should have gone through at 7pm at 7.37pm. Grrr.

As we headed down the tracks, we got out of the heavy grey clouds into clear blue. Irony, much?

My mood, summarised:
Missing the train I had intended to catch - :/
Not being able to get the cricket score - :[
Next train being very delated - :(
Next train still being delayed - >:(
Finally seeing blue sky as we left the mountains - >:{
Watching a bus going my way sail past me as I waited to cross the road - >:|
Watching two (very) camp guys decide to cross against the lights and, on being honked at by a taxi, turning around, perfectly synchronised, and honking right back - XD

Got the bus back to Glebe in a much better mood, which was slightly dampened by being unable to find anywhere that sold anything I class as food (that being anything I can eat. Restaurants are out for being pricey and depressing if you're alone, cheese and beef sandwiches are out for being an offience to cows, Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian food are out for being too spicy). I did eventually find pizza, which I ate in the TV room whilst chatting on MSN, and then I went to bed.

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Comments

[bk_forever]

What a frustratingly eventful day!

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Pretty much lol. Makes a change from sitting on buses, at least.

[bk_forever]

Right, sitting on trains instead! lol

Or sitting waiting for trains...

[(Anonymous)]

More antiquing...did you fall in love with any cutlery this time?

Well of course we are not talking about the cricket. Why? Because SOME OTHER COUNTRY is winning!

*storms off towards the Shed of Doom*

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

I did. I was eyeing up a full set as a joint Christmas gift for Jenny and Rick, but I couldn't have got it home. also fell in love with a huge 8-setting dinner service, which was faaaar too expensive

[mcparrot.livejournal.com]

I do love your take on the world :-)

And on emoticons '-)

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Thank you :D