Home, again

The last few days in Australia were spent in the Sydney suburb of Rockford with our friends, Blanca and Phillip, who generously opened their homes and hearts to us as we appeared bedraggled and somewhat sick on their doorstep on August 13. They tucked us away in their comfortable guest room and prepared a meal of delicious goat curry, with both extra spicy and normal versions, which settled us in nicely. My own cold was growing worse and Jayne had a few health issues of her own as our three day stay progressed, but in the end we made the flight at the Sydney airport on August 16 without a hitch.

I suppose it would be appropriate to summarize a few observations of Australia for this trip.

1) Australia's road system is, compared to the US, underwhelming. As one of the pricipal ingredients of asphalt pavement is oil, and the fact that Australia has only 0.3 percent of the world's know petroleum reserves, means that many roadways are a bumpy, potholed path at best. Paving in the first place is expensive for any government; maintaining that pavement is also expensive. The terrain and the economics mean that Australian roads are a twisted, winding length of very uneven surfaces. (Don't think this is a chauvanistic American comment, though. One need look no farther than out my own front door in Tucson to see pavement in dismal repair. It was once reported that author Jack Kerouac visited our neighborhood in 1950, and one wag responded to that fact by asserting "He likely drove over the same pavement we have today.")

2) Australia has a critical shortage of salad dressing. Many restaurants serve lettuce, tomato, and other mixed greens with a meal that are entirely without any dressing whatsoever, while others seem to have merely shown these vegetables a photograph of oil and vinegar prior to plopping it on a plate. Ranch dressing, and creamy dressings in general, appear to be unknown in most restaurants.

3) Adequate signage in airport terminals, bus stations, and other public transport facilities is sadly lacking. Aside from the occasional "Way Out" notification, the traveler has little help directing his steps to the proper door.

4) An addiction to sweet barbeque sauce is the bane of Australian hamburgers (along with sliced beets).

5) The average Australian seems to be a rough-hewn, friendly, helpful, and genuinely likeable person.

6) A country that has a national health plan for its citizens, and a responsive legislature, can definetely teach the United States lessons on the practical application of democracy.

I am glad we went. I am glad to have once more experienced this wonderful country and all it has to offer. I am glad we are home.