Day 24

Red Cans in the Red Centre

The place I am visiting today has a population of just under 400 Aboriginal people. In 2007 the town consumed 40,000 litres of soft drink. Of those 40,000 litres, 20,000 litres were ice cold, bubbling black, Coca Cola.

Today has been a long day of travel and I have realized the enormity of what we are trying to capture on this trip. As a result I feel the blog may suffer. I am not going to have the time to indulge in any embellished scribery (what a bloody relief you say), I will have to adopt a drier, more scientific type of vernacular to save room in my brain for what needs doing here.

Henceforth:

Up at 5am. Taxi to airport. One apple muffin (6 teaspoons) and a decaf latte with 2. Board plane, plane hits runway, plane breaks down, back to airport. Odd. Removed from plane, wait in lounge, herded onto different plane. That plane then also breaks down (just to be clear, I am flying Qantas, not Honduras Air). Off 2nd plane, back to lounge, given $20 food voucher. Airports = Sugar. Bottle of blood orange passion drink (8) and a chicken burrito with salsa (2). Sugar diet not great for patience. Finally on plane, one apple (4). Very friendly staff.

Hit Alice Springs and then drive for 6 hours to our location. The Northern Territory make their own Iced Coffee, I had it. 13 teaspoons of caffeinated, sugary milk. It tasted so good after the ridiculousness of the travel day but then again so would engine oil. Also had a chicken burger from the roadhouse. Special.

Pulled into town at 9pm, red dust in the eye sockets and knocked back a salad and a small glass of apple juice (7 teaspoons). I actually giggled as my head hit the pillow.

So excited as to what the new day may bring.

24 days, 2 broken planes and another 40 teaspoons.