WOOHOOULURU!!!!

After weeks of yelling "WOOHOOULURU" at Nolan and Gianna, we finally made our trip to the Red Center! There are two schools of thought when it comes to visiting Uluru and the Outback. Some people say that "you can't understand the real Australia without seeing the Outback" while others question "why would you spend so much money to go see a big rock?" I knew that I couldn't leave Australia without realizing my stereotypical idea of this country with red sand and wild kangaroos so Nolan and I planned this trip back in August before planning anything else.

Me and my Ulu-crew

As our little Fokker-100 flew into Alice Springs airport, Nolan and I noticed red sands, patchy grasses, and utes speeding along straight roads. We met Gianna, who was equally excited to be in a less Americanized version of Australia. The three of us enjoyed our first Outback sunset on top of Anzac Hill before getting Indian food for dinner. I was annoyed that I had to pay an additional $4 for rice on top of an already expensive meal, but Nolan reminded me how difficult it is to transport goods to the middle of the country. That night in the hostel, I didn't sleep well. I hadn’t slept well in the nights leading up to the trip because of coughing, but this time I couldn’t sleep because I was incredibly excited to start this adventure. I woke up twice that night to check the clock and make sure that we hadn’t missed our pick-up.

I was "keen" to be in the Outback with my Keens.

We were picked up from our Alice Springs hostel at 6 AM in a pink van by a guy named Scruffy from Mulgas Adventures. Scruffy had long, curly hair and always wore a beanie, reflective sunglasses and a cut-off tee shirt. He looked like he was quite a character, and he was. According to Scruffy, you haven't really been for a country if you've been there for less than 4 months. By his definition of travel, he has been to 30 countries. By my definition, he's been to 57. He has also been deported from 2 different countries. He was kicked out of Thailand for stealing a gibbon from a guy who was abusing it, and a corrupt police officer threatened to put him in jail for 10 years. Scruffy was an expert on local Aboriginal cultures, rock formations, flora and fauna, and life in the outback.

I mostly slept during the 5 hour journey from Alice Springs to our campsite. We stopped a couple times to use the toilets and refuel. We also stopped at a camel farm where I got to ride a camel named Curly! 

When we finally arrived at our campsite, I learned a new definition of the word "swag." Swags are like a combination of a canvas tent and a sleeping bag with a mattress inside. Surprisingly, they were very comfortable and I actually preferred it over sleeping in a tent because it gave us a great view of the stars!

Here's our group packing up our swags at the campsite

We ate lunch and introduced ourselves to the rest of the people on our tour. There were people on our tour from Italy, Germany, Austria, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Ireland, and Canada! In addition to having 5 of 7 continents represented, we had people of all ages as well. The first people we met were Keith and Denise, a 68-year-old couple from the Sunshine Coast. They told us how they had been wanting to see Uluru, and felt like now was the perfect chance. They had no idea that they had booked a backpackers' trip, but they kept up with the group during hikes and didn't have trouble camping outside. We also met a group of girlfriends, named Claire, Chiara, and Liz from Sydney. They are all in their mid-20's, established in jobs, and dating. I loved the fact that they were all traveling together. I had always wanted a similar group of friends who were committed to exploring the world with me; I felt blessed to be with Nolan and Gianna because I feel like they are becoming those people for me. We also met a cute middle-aged couple named John and Sarah. I liked them because you could clearly tell how much they loved each other despite the fact that they were always harassing each other. I also met a girl my age from Italy who was working as an au pair, a German couple on their honeymoon, and a group of friends from Brazil. The awesome people I met definitely added to an amazing weekend.

Uluru

We wasted no time before heading to Uluru. As we drove up and I saw it for the first time, I was amazed. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like as a nomadic Aboriginal or a white colonizer exploring Australia’s harsh inland and walking up to the immense rock in the middle of the outback.

The rock itself is amazing. It is the second largest monolith in the world. Nolan and I argued about whether or not it was an igneous or metamorphic rock, but we nerds were both wrong because it's sedimentary. It appears to be a stunning red color during the day when the sun hits it, but changes to purple and grey as the light changes. It is actually a grey color (which you can see in the caves) which has turned red as a result of the iron in the sandstone oxidizing. Up close, the surface of Uluru appears to be flaking off. Something else that surprised me was that Uluru is a semi-permanent waterhole. The area had just experienced a lot of rain just before we arrived, so there was plenty of water when we got there!

No wonder Uluru is a spiritual location for the Anangu people. For the Anangu people, Uluru is essential to Tjukurpa, which is their understanding of creation and the laws of life. Each face of the rock has identifiable marks that are explained with stories. For example, a line on the face of Uluru represents a python woman who fights an evil snake man who kills her nephew. These stories not only explain the history of the natural surroundings, but are also used as lessons. Each story has multiple layers, each with 3 lessons. Children are taught each layer of the story when the elders determine that they are ready. Patience is critical in Aboriginal societies. In order to become an elder in the community, one must know all of the stories and the lessons.

Uluru is like an art gallery with different paintings representing different stories, but it is also like a house with many different rooms. There are caves within Uluru and separate areas for men, women, boys, and girls. Each group has a different area because each group has separate roles in their community. Despite the different roles of men and women, men are not considered to be more important than the women as their society is very equal. We also learned that the Anangu people do not have any tools to cut wood in their society. To cut trees, they carve a line into the wood then use hot sand to gradually wedge the wood apart. The Anangu people have definitely learned how to maximize their resources, which you would have to in order to survive and thrive in an area of extreme temperatures and scarce water. As Scruffy put it, each tree is used as a "pharmacy, hardware store, or a grocery store."

The land around Uluru provides resources, including water which attracts animals which become food. It was a beautiful place for the Anangu people and the white men who "discovered" it and renamed it as Ayers Rock. The rock has since been returned to the Anangu people, but this land is shared for the National Park which is led by a counsel of 12 people (4 Aboriginal male elders, 4 Aboriginal female elders, and 4 white people). They have to make decisions about the National Park, including the controversial decision about the climb. Aboriginal culture forbids the climbing of Uluru because it is a sacred site, however there is a chain along the side of the rock to assist people in climbing the mountain. Plenty of people have died during this climb, and plenty more have been injured. Many of the rangers who have to rescue the people who are injured during the climb are Aboriginal, which puts them in a difficult situation when choosing between respect for their religion and their duty as a ranger. Thankfully, there are a lot of reasons that this climb can be closed, as it was when we were there. There is hope that if fewer than 20 percent of visitors to the park choose to climb Uluru, the climb will be closed for good. 

The irony - a sign that says that you can't climb Uluru next to a sign that gives you the option to climb Uluru

We drove a few kilometers from Uluru to get a good view of the rock during sunset. This was the first time that I was focused on a rock, rather than the actual sun, during the sunset. It was amazing to see the rock change color, from red to purple, as the sun set. 

Kata Tjuta

The next morning, we were woken up at 4 AM to see the sunrise at Kata Tjuta. The words "Kata Tjuta" means "many heads" as the dome-shaped rock formations resemble heads. The sunrise was pretty spectacular, as was the rest of the hike! Similar to Uluru, Kata Tjuta is also a sacred site. Ceremonies are still conducted there today, although the location is far from the hiking path and a secret from tourists.

After we left Kata Tjuta, we returned to our campsite for lunch. We had camel burgers. They tasted really good, but at first, they didn't sit well with my stomach. I learned that in Aboriginal culture, you get sick when you eat your spirit animal. I was thinking that camel was my spirit animal, but I digested before we hopped back into our van.

Once again, I fell asleep again on the way to our next campsite. I woke up to the sound of wheels turning fruitlessly in the dirt. We stopped to collect firewood and got stuck in the process. While I felt like it was the worst possible thing to wake up to, I could see in Nolan's face that he was secretly excited. After collecting the wood we needed, we dug out our tire and began to push. I thought it was ironic that this was the second country I had traveled to where I had to do this, but thankfully have never had to do it at home. However, unlike in Haiti, the girls had to help push too.

Fortunately, we were able to get back on the road in one piece. We stopped once more to refuel when Scruffy asked if anyone was interested in going up in a helicopter. Initially, I dismissed the idea because I thought it would be expensive. But when Scruffy told us that it was only $60 to go up for 5 minutes, Gianna, Nolan and I looked at each other expectantly. Next thing you know, I was ooh-ing and ahh-ing into my helicopter headset and spotting goanas from the air. It was a very impulse decision, but I was happy to simultaneously add something and check something off my bucket list. 

Our next campsite had an even better view of the stars (somehow), a fire pit, and a very cold pool. We also saw brumbies (wild horses) walking through the bush under the setting sun. I really enjoyed toasting marshmallows and talking to the other people in the group about their homes, their travels, and their stories.

King's Canyon

The next day, we left for King's Canyon at 5:15 AM (we got to sleep in a bit that day). The first thing we did was climb "heart attack hill." Somehow, I think King's Canyon was more beautiful than Uluru and Kata Tjuta combined. We walked a total of 7 kilometers as Scruffy told us about the native plants and this history of the rock formations.

After returning to the campsite for a quick dip in the pool and some lunch, it was time for us to say goodbye. Some of the group stayed for another day, but we had to return to make our flight in the morning. We were sad to leave the Outback and the new friends that we made on the tour – they chased the bus as we pulled away! Camping is not usually my thing, but this was my favorite trip that I have done in Australia so far! I learned about Aboriginal culture, I made experienced nature in an un-touched region of Australia, and I made friends with people from other countries! Camping in the Outback with Mulgas Adventures was the best possible way to experience the outback!

The pink bus and our friends from the tour - chasing the bus as we pulled away

Eat, Pray, BREATHE

Long flights are the perfect time to start a new book, and that is why I picked up Eat Pray Love when I first came to Australia. I figured that my semester in Australia would be the best time to connect with the author's travels to Italy, India, and Bali. I identified with the Elizabeth Gilbert’s wanderlust and desire to find herself in my guilty-pleasure read. Reading her book began my interest in Bali- which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Australia. I did not live with a Balinese medicine man or fall in love with a Brazilian man like she did, but my experience in Bali didn't disappoint. I experienced the "Love" that she described as the overarching theme of her time in Bali, but the best word to summarize my experience is "Breathe."

Personality tests and life experience has taught me that I am a Type A, control freak, perfectionist. This has been an asset for me in a lot of situations and a detriment in others, and I think these characteristics are the reason that I ended up crying on a FaceTime call with my mom the day before I was supposed to leave for mid-semester holiday.

When I heard the news that Australia set its travel warnings for Bali to the highest levels because of the possibility of Mt. Agung erupting, I instantly became nervous. My other friends who planned to travel to Bali for the week were able to joke light-heartedly about the situation, but that only made me more nervous! (I have also learned that I tend to be less nervous when other people share my fears). 

They all agreed that they didn't want to tell their moms and make them worry more, but I knew I had to talk to my mom. I was thankful for the fact that I knew my mom would give me strength in this situation instead of compounding my fears. When I told my mom the situation, I was surprised that she kind of laughed. She laughed in a reassuring way rather than a mocking way as she reminded me that if I wanted to travel the world, then I would have to deal with bigger issues than just snowstorms in Rochester, NY. She reminded me of the privilege I have to travel places that most people I know (including her) have never seen. And most importantly, she reminded me that God wouldn't put me in a situation that I wasn't meant to be in.

Over the next couple days, I watched the news carefully. Talking to my family about it was the best way to calm my nerves because they helped me to make light of the situation. My brother yelled "THE FLOOR IS LAVA" during one of our FaceTime calls to help me practice. And although I don't think that the destruction that volcanoes can cause is even remotely funny, I needed my family's twisted sense of humor at the time.

I was excited to travel to Bali with Ari, one of my close friends from school and favorite travel buddies. Based our past experiences traveling together, I was expecting her to be more worried about the volcano, but she surprised me. She didn't get worried until a guy working at the front desk of our hostel told us not to fly to Bali without traveler's insurance "just in case your family needs to fly your body home." That's when we shared the realization that we didn't know anything about travelers insurance and were in over our heads. I questioned whether or not we should even go up until the flight took off. I was reassured a little bit to see so many seemingly calm people on our flight (including parents with kids). 

On the flight to Bali, I started reading Half the Sky. It's about the oppression of women around the world, and it was simultaneously the best and worst book for me to read on my first trip to Southeast Asia. The first couple chapters were about sex trafficking, which scared me but made me realize that there were things that I can control and things that I cannot control. While I cannot control when the volcano erupts, I can control my awareness of my surroundings. Nonno always reminds me to “keep my eyes open,” and reading that book made me realize that that’s what I needed to do. 

I was expecting the volcano to erupt from the second we landed in Bali. The news coverage made it seem like the tremors were like massive earthquakes felt over 100 times per day. It sounded like all parts of Bali would be destroyed by lava if the volcano were to erupt, but this is not likely the case. Bali is bigger than it seems, and for the media to say that "people are evacuating Bali" is not the same as saying "people are evacuating the region of Bali that is closest to the volcano." 

Ari and I made it safely out of the airport, thanks to Made. Made helped us with our luggage and drove us to our accommodation in Ubud. Between his gentle voice, the calming music in the car, and even the unaggressive car horn, it was impossible for me to feel unsafe. I was able to fall asleep in the car so that I didn't even know that it had rained outside!

Day 1

The next morning, we met our tour guide, Wayan. Ari and I both agree that Wayan was one of the best things about our Bali trip. He made us feel so welcome and safe in Bali, as he taught us about his home rather than just showing us around. On our first day, we explored Ubud! We didn't get more than a block away from the hotel when Wayan gave us our first lesson in Balinese culture. 

He pointed out the offerings in a temple along the street and explained how every family makes an offering every day. The offering consists of 3 different color flowers (to represent the 3 main divisions of the Hindu God), rice (to sustain life), and some type of candy or food. He also taught us our first word in Balinese- "Suksema," meaning "thank you." Wayan explained that "suksema" is the most important word in the Balinese language, which I think is a testament to the respectful and kind culture that exists in Bali. 

Wayan showed us around the monkey forests, where the macaw monkeys took over a temple and the Balinese let them. He took us to have lunch in the rice paddies and then took us through the markets, where we tried our best at bartering.

Day 2

The next morning, we awoke at 1:30 AM to leave for a sunrise hike up Mt. Batur (a different, less threatening volcano). The hike was pretty difficult, especially because it was still dark outside, but we were able to make it to the top before sunrise. 

Mt. Agung is the high peak to the far right of this picture!

The view was stunning. It started out relatively dark, but slowly, light crept over the land so we were able to discover a body of water standing between Mt. Batur and Mt. Agung in the distance. We watched the clouds pass through us as we were so high up in the sky, and we were careful not to let the monkeys steal any of our stuff from our bags! By the time we walked back down the mountain at around 7 AM, I had already walked about 20,000 steps and felt more awake than I do most days at school. The hike was fulfilling but definitely tiring so I was excited to be spoiled by a Balinese massage and a nice nap when we got back to the hotel. After a couple of hours of relaxing, Ari and I went to a Balinese dance performance that Wayan recommended at the Ubud Main Temple. I didn't totally understand the plot because the few words spoken during the performance were in Balinese, but it was interesting to attend an event that wasn't catered towards English speakers.

Day 3

The next day was my favorite. Wayan brought us too Tirta Empul temple for a water cleansing ceremony. Rather than just watching, he encouraged us to participate. We each offered up everything that was weighing on us psychologically in addition to our physical offerings, and we formulated these thoughts into a wish to say before putting our heads under each of the fountains. I didn't know exactly what I was doing, but I started with "Dear God." I imagined my God as I spoke (although I believe that my God and Wayan's God are mostly the same). The fish in the water were nibbling my toes as I tried to focus on my thoughts. I finished my offering with "suksema" and then dunked my head in rushing water of the fountain.

After the cleansing ceremony, we dried off and went to another part of the temple to pray. Ari and I were dressed in traditional Balinese clothing and were able to participate in ceremony, following Wayan's lead. We put flowers from our offerings between our hands as we prayed, to show appreciation for life and nature which is at the core of Balinese Hinduism. The love of nature is also the reason that traditional Balinese clothes are so colorful, like flowers!

After the ceremony, Wayan told us more about his religion. He explained how Hinduism and Buddhism came to the country of Indonesia as early as the 5th century. He told us Islam is now the most prevalent religion in all parts of Indonesia except Bali, where Hinduism is most widely practiced. He said that all religions are welcomed in Bali as long as they fit into "the system," which he explained to mean the system of tolerance and respect. He said in Bali, Hinduism may be more prevalent, but it is not more dominant than the other religions. He helped me to understand the similarities and differences between Balinese and Indian Hinduism. Both types of Hinduism share beliefs in karma, reincarnation, and nirvana, but in Balinese Hinduism, the caste system only relates to ceremony and does not affect daily life as it does in Indian Hinduism.

After Wayan finished answering all my questions, he showed us the community aspect of temple life. He showed us where the Balinese women were working to make offerings and encouraged us to learn from them. We walked into a huge room of Balinese women working away at their offerings, and they all stopped to look at us as we walked in. They were looking at us and we were looking at them, until I smiled at them in attempt to show my intentions for being there. I also said "Swastiastu," the way to say hello in Balinese (although it more literally is a blessing). Despite the fact that I could only speak 2 words in the language, I think that they understood that I was there for good reason. I thought back to my experiences in Haiti when I was able to establish a connection based on a smile alone, and I decided that one of my favorite feelings in the world is when you make a connection with someone whose background is different from your own. Being reminded of that feeling in the temple made me reestablish my interest in practicing medicine in a developing country after I graduate. 

Here we are learning how to wrap a couple grains of rice into a banana leaf for part of the offering! It was harder than it looked!

For the rest of the day, we explored waterfalls and rice terraces and the famous Luwak coffee, before heading back to the hotel for the night. That night, I woke up twice in the middle of the night because I felt tremors from Mt. Agung shaking my bed. They lasted for about 5 seconds each, and each time, I looked over at Ari with wide eyes. Ari slept through the tremors, so I had to remind myself that no amount of stress I put myself through would prevent the volcano from erupting. I wasn't going to will the volcano to remain dormant by staying up all night, so I went back to bed.

Day 4
We left Ubud for a beach trip to Kuta. Kuta was HOT and very touristy, but we decided to go in hopes that the Bali Sea Turtle conservatory would be releasing baby turtles that day... and luckily, they were! It was a really special experience to be involved in such an amazing process. I learned that only 1 in every 1,000 sea turtles survives until adulthood, and I hoped that mine would be the one to make it. 

Carried this guy to the beach and he did the rest of the work from there!

Day 5

Ari and I planned to do a cooking class on our final day. The class started with a visit to the local market, where we learned about the local ingredients which were commonly used in Balinese dishes. We had a lot of fun cooking, but my stomach didn't feel great after the class. I imagined Nonno laughing at how my stomach didn’t like the food I cooked for it.

Yours truly was the slowest chopper in the class, but we had fun!

After we digested a bit, we headed off to a yoga class (another good reminder to breathe)! The Yoga Barn was just down the street from our hotel in downtown Ubud, but its tucked away location on a side street made it feel like it was a yoga retreat. We took the intro class, which involved a lot more talking than actual stretching. However, I left the class feeling stretched and calm. I almost fell asleep in class, which I interpreted to mean that I was calm. I enjoyed the class a lot, and I felt like it was the perfect way to end our experience in Bali.

On the way to the airport, we had a nice conversation with Wayan where he asked us about our biggest goals in life. He told us about how his goal was to travel to the United States. When I asked him how he liked it when he finally went, he said he was surprised by the people in "survival mood." I asked him if his experiences made him miss Bali, and he said, "from day one." It made me so sad that my friend didn't enjoy spending time in my country, but I can see why he felt that way. He also told us about how his other goal was to buy his own car, which he accomplished as well! He talked about how he used to work on cruise lines and didn't enjoy it all. I respected Wayan so much for finding a way to use his work experience and passions to build a business that he loves. Ari and I both were sad when we left him at the airport.

We were sad to leave Wayan and sad to leave Bali.... until we logged into the wifi and learned that our flight was delayed for 24 hours. After we got over our initial frustration that our plans changed, we realized that we were getting an extra night in Bali paid for by our airline. It honestly worked out better than we had originally planned because we didn't have many plans for Darwin anyway! 

Despite my worrying during the trip, God had better plans for me than the plans I had for myself. This quote says it best:

"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

I will continue to think about the volcano and worry about how it will affect Bali, Wayan, and the friends we met, but I am safe, happy, and blessed to be back in Australia.