Eclectic Brain Salad

With another good night's sleep behind us, we got up, packed, had breakfast, and leisurely got ready to depart from our cute little cottage. I kinda wish we had stayed a bit longer in the Blue Mountains because there is so much to do there. I would've really liked to see the Jenolan caves, but alas there was no time. Oh well, it gives me the perfect excuse to bring the family back again!

The drive back to Sydney was perfectly pleasent, and we got back to Lisa and Lach's place at about 1, with plenty of time to get the car back for 2. But then disaster struck! Our faithful friend the GPS had a real funny turn as we approached the city, went haywire, and then sent us to a different street with the same name as the one we wanted, miles away from the original. We now couldn't get back to where we wanted to go, and it took us another hour and a few frustrated phone calls to sort it out. We eventually navigated back to the Australian museum and I recognised my way from there.

they tried to charge us for privilege of being late, but I declined their kind offer and just settled for paying for the petrol we had used ;-) A word for warning for all your fellow travelers - leave plenty of time to get there if you are using GPS to navigate to a location in a busy city centre, as the volume of signals really confuses it!

After leaving the Thrifty office, we went and had loads of really naughty food in the Queen Victoria Building foodcourt, then picked up some beer on the way home.

Lisa was feeling a bit poorly, but Lach was glad to see the newly-replenished supply, and tucked in merrily. We had some more food, and chatted into the small hours...

Yeesh - felt slight worse for wear on this morning. Perhaps due to the large amount of beer consumed at the RORO meet perhaps? Who knows? ;-)

I got some work done in the morning and then sorted out a hire car for the trip up to the Blue Mountains. We had a little cottage booked for 2 nights, and were looking forward to the trip immensely! Scenario girl rather kindly drove me to the car hire place, and then we left her car down in town (their beautiful classic old car has radiator overheating troubles from time to time) and I drove her back to her place. The car I hired was beautiful-looking Honda Prius hybrid - very futuristic compared to what I am used to! This presented a number of challenges:

• It is an automatic, and I have never driven an automatic before
  
• The brake was the most sensitive brake I have ever known in a car. You breathe on it, and it throws you through the front windscreen!
  
• The indicators and windscreen wipers are on the opposite side of the steering wheel to my car at home
  
• I am a bit of a useless hippy
  

Still, it didn't take me long to get used to it - after a few run ins with taxi drivers in Sydney town centre (lets face it, no one likes being cut up by guy who tries to indicate but instead turns their windscreen wipers on, then breaks really hard in front of you) I was fine with it. The drive back to Lis and Lach's house was actually pretty damn funny!

I got my family packed up into the car, and off we went! The drive up to the Blue Mountains is only one road, and we found our way easily. We got to our beautiful little cottage in Wentworth Falls, met the owner, Louise, who was really lovely and helped us get settled in, and then we set of to Katoomba to find some food. After a beautiful meal, we went back, put the kids to bed, then had a nice chill out.