On my way

It was a Sunday when I arrived at the National Park. I decided to avoid Mildura, thinking the earlier I get to the Park, the better. I thought it was just a 2-hour drive from Euston, it just so happened it was more than that. I got to the turning  point where gravel meets asphalt. My mobile showed a waning vodafone signal so I took the opportunity to send a text message to Ashika and also gave my sisters a call. It was great hearing their voices. I knew the moment I took that turn, it would be solely Telstra signal all around that red of soil ahead of me. 

As I stirred the wheel, the richness of the red soil was right in front of me. Massive shrublands stood out, the sun was up and it was only me on the road. I felt so Alive. This was what I longed for, the abundance of space, the richness of red and the beauty of nature. There were so many times that I stopped to take photos. But like what Dad told me before, photography is best done when its dusk or dawn since you don't want the sun to overpower the construction of the image. 

I was smiling through.. but I had one dilemma. I didn't have accommodation organised that night. yeah, you read it right again. I didn't have a bed booked, so what's new. The target was to stay at Turlee Station, an hour away from Mungo. Their website attracted me with the diverse outback activities I could get my hands on. So the plan that day was to get to the park first, check it out and then head to Turlee. 

At some point I stopped along the highway and had a snack. I took advantage of the isolation and decided to change. Later on a cloud of dust showed up from the distance, the driver who looked like in his mid twenties, stopped and looked at me. "Are you alright?" I guess it was something typical to ask if there's a car pulled on the side. I said no and decided to ask if he knew anything about Turlee Station Stay. To my dismay he said they've closed and I had only one option... Mungo Lodge which I knew was expensive. He wished me luck and drove away. The dust cloud slowly fading as his truck disappeared in the horizon. 

I had my cowboy hat on, sweating a little bit and worried about accommodation. After a few kilometers I saw the Mungo Lodge sign and decided to stop by and check the prices.  The place looked posh, surrounded by cabins and an restaurant that seemed to be fine dining. Apparently, a small air strip was located beside the Lodge, where people with enough money would just fly in for the day and visit the Park and have lunch at the lodge. that's the life. The head chef was also the main guy looking after the place. He was just 23 years old. He offered the cheapest bed... $15 a night dorm-style. I was happy with that. awesome. :) and that included beddings and a heater. Although there was another option to stay inside the Park at the Shearers Quarters, that didn't offer beddings and was worth $65 a night. So I told the guy I'd come back and stay there. 

I drove off and headed for the Park's Information site, looking forward to the 2pm tour led by the ranger.

What about Mungo National Park

The moment I saw the photos back in 2013, I knew for a fact I'd be stepping on that red soil soon. The first time I got to hear about Mungo National Park was in December 2013. It was scheduled to be my birthday road trip adventure in March 2014 but I had to cancel and put in the back burner until it was "right".

The Mungo National Park is located in the south-west area of New South Wales Region, Australia, known to be part of the World Heritage Site of the Willandra Lakes. It has been dated to be 35-40,000 years worth of history hidden below the layers of soil, where mixtures of times are identified by the old layer called GolGol, then Mungo then Zanci, being the latest soil formation.

The whole stretch of land in that area was once part of several lakes, which was called the Willandra Lake System. The aboriginals as well as the animals all lived in harmony and thrived off the abundance of what the land and body of water could offer. Fishing, hunting and farming was part of their daily survival.

Through the years, due to the change of climate, temperatures increased and later on dried the lake system. What we now see is a vast land of drained water, covered with the mixture of soil, sand dunes and dry bushes. However, it still holds the history of ancestors, of how they once lived and survived on that land. The highly visited section is the Wall of China, named after the Chinese laborers who worked on the station back in 1861. Pillars and gullies can be seen through the stretch of 40 kilometers, and on the other side of the wall are amazing sand dunes.

Mungo National Park is also the home of the known "Mungo Man and Woman", both of which were discovered in different areas of the National park, but in close proximity to the Wall of China. Mungo Man was noted to be the oldest discovered to be cremated. Interestingly enough, ancestors already followed such burial ceremonies.

And so I booked my trip to Mungo. After I finished my contract in Melbourne, I headed off to the NSW region, where the outback called out to me... where I knew I'd be mesmerized by sunsets on the red soil... where I knew I'd be one again with nature. It's been a while. 

the GPS experience

It was raining on a Saturday morning. I woke up pretty early to prepare my stuff and get ready to leave the flat. The boys were still asleep. 

I picked up a compact car at Thrifty, along Bridge Road, Richmond. As much as I wanted to rent a 4x4 after hearing all of the horror stories on the ditch road, I knew I would blow out my budget. Instead, to compensate for my very much unorganized trip, I decided to hire a GPS... first time ever. Yes, you read it right. FIRST TIME. Despite my being an I.T. person, I still like the conventional way. Maps, good memory and a sense of direction. Looking back, I think I got too excited. 

I went back to the flat and found Lele awake and standing by the side of the kitchen. We decided to go out for breakfast. It was my first time to walk with Lele outside the flat. We stopped for a while watching the massive re-construction of Swan street, as he played with his umbrella and copied the sounds of the digger. We gooffed off until he decided to stop by a coffee place. After a few minutes, Tom and Hanz showed up and joined us for breakfast. 

the "initial plan"

Hans helped me out with the GPS and made sure it was all set and good to go. I hugged the guys goodbye... having mixed emotions of staying and going. I felt like i was just starting a good relationship with them. But I knew I had to move on and do m own thing. 

I continued on to Ashika's place to drop off my stuff. The GPS was working pretty well at that point. I found my way fine, and the re-routing was spot on. I found Satchin at the backyard, they just subdivided the land and built a house for rent. Ashika was busy cooking and taking care of the kids. i stayed for late lunch, giving her updates on my life and what I've been doing and deciding on. The clouds were grayish black and I knew the weather wasn't really good for that weekend in Melbourne. I had to head off around 3 pm before I went pitch black on the highway. I decided to make a last minute booking for my accommodation that night. So the plan was to stay overnight in a town called Swan Hill. Then in the morning head off to Mildura and then Mungo National Park. My estimated travel time that night was 4 hours. That was the plan. 

Guess What? 

I ended up in Robinvale which was almost 2 hours away North West of Swan Hill. A small town located 2-3 hours from the Mungo National Park. Great. 

I got lost. The "reliable" GPS pointed me to a different place. The car wash didn't seem to be a Motel. I figured. I stopped by a hotel and asked for information. Then I was told to drive S-L-O-W. It was quarter to 9 in the evening. Danger ahead? Roos. short for Kangaroos. They made it sound really scary it drove me crazy. I parked at the only gas station and fueled up. I was tempted to stay at that hotel. But after chatting with the lady at the counter, I was told to stay at the near by town called Euston. Again, they made it sound that the town where I was at... wasn't the place to spend the night. 

And so it went, I ended up staying over at a Motel in Euston. I was exhausted. I was shaking my head telling myself... "jowe, what did you get yourself into this time". As I've learned during my past travels, it always works out in the end. 

I was lucky to get mobile reception after a long stretch of null area. I sent a text to my sis and Ashika and closed my eyes. Looking forward to the next few days in the outback.

Red soil

on the way to Mungo Natl Park

There's something with red soil/dirt that I find attractive. It may be the roughness and the vast spread of its particles that amazes me, as if boundless, limitless.. stretching far and wide. 

Ever since I started traveling I had a realization that vast space always seemed to make me smile. Seeing the horizon from afar always triggered the excitement in me, not knowing what was at the end.... 

I've been living in Melbourne for the past 7 months and as I ended that stint, I decided to go on a road trip to Mungo National Park... yes... alone, what's new. I guess the way I see things is, "Why wait for someone to accompany me if I can do it myself?". Yup, I can be anxious at times, but you see, this wasn't everyone's cup of tea. 

After the buzz in Melbourne, it was the silence in the outback that made me more relaxed. Not a soul on the road, just red, blue and a few wallabies hopping around and Emus giving me the curious look. 

I know I've jumped from old posts to this latest one, being my most recent adventure. But I know I'd need to write this down before I forget.

I know...

The last entry I had was about  my trip back in the Philippines. That was last year.

Now.. i'm about to finish a 6-month stint in Melbourne.

I know. I'm so outdated with this blog.

But with my free time coming up soon, i'll definitely update this blog! :)

Update is... a friend of mine Jenn Winter just wrote an article about me, which might be of a good read for those who don't have a background yet...

read on.... A Lady Away

Catching up with Friends

I was sick the first week I got home. Dad said it was my pumpin' adrenalin crashed down and now my body was trying to rest....well, beg for rest. I figured that was the case. 

Crooks and Copps and the craziness that goes with that

Of course, my visit wouldn't be complete if I didn't catch up with my long time high-school friends.  The Crooks and Copps were formed back 1991's. Crooks was for us girls and Copps were for the boys. Back then it wasn't co-ed. Girls and Boys weren't mixed in one room. Socializing with the opposite sex only happened outside the classroom. 

Mylin lived close to our house, and of course, that didn't stop her and John (her husband and an old friend of mine) to pass by late at night. The usual. Instead of me getting annoyed, I couldn't help but smile and of course know in my heart that I missed them. of course they were my first visitor, besides Jing, who would always be updated of my where abouts. 

I called for a girls dinner at the house, just wanting for a moment with them, just like the good old days. I was glad that Love, in the last minute, joined us for dinner along with her husband Gerry, a former classmate of mine and good friend as well. 

The girls bought me a welcome home cake. I didn't expect it, and found it really sweet. Mom cooked a few Filipino dishes and us girls just caught up while the kids played in the lounge area. I finally saw Jeez's son, Basti... after so many years. Jeez, another long time good friend of mine that goes way back College days. 

It was hilarious when we went out and tried hiding from the CCTV, just like the old days when they'd try to get me to go with them on late night activities. Crazy but I missed them a lot.

TEJ

TEJ stands for Thomasian Engineer Journal. And that was my family when I was in Uni days, back when I wasn't really a fun of studying...rather, I found solace in the confines of the organization, which we would usually call our TEJ Family.

It was so nice to catch up with Arjay and Kit, and I also had the chance to meet Kit's cousin Sooey who was such a lovely and talented girl.We hang out at Glorietta...the good ol' Glorietta... it was nostalgic going back to the area. It held so many memories back to the Accenture days, when I was still working in Makati area.

We shared a lot of laughs and philosophical topics. Travel was of course part of the sharing and updates. The girls also loved traveling and exploration. I was telling them that the next time I visit the Philippines, it would be great if they can tag along.

The Dudettes

Next stop was catching up at Ortigas. The Dudettes. To be precise, the SVI Dudettes :) Maeth, Cezy, Joyce

and Anne (who was absent that time because she was onshore for an assignment).

The usual meetup place has always been Starbucks podium. No other place to be and meetup. It again brought back so many memories.... SVI or Software Ventures International, was the first company I worked with. That jump started my career as a Programmer. And during the training sessions, that was when I met the girls. Of course Cezy and Annie I already knew back in College Days at UST. 

It was great updating each other. I slowly got an idea of what was the latest, of course including the latest juicy gossip. It would have been great if Anne was there, I could imagine the giggles and laughter. I updated them with my latest trip and them as well did some trips past years I've been away. It was good to see them and just chat and laugh about old stuff.

Ex-Accenture 

The next catchup was with Reg and Mitch. Now, Reg and I goes way back Accenture days when we were with one of the projects where staying till late at night was always part of the daily routine. There were nights when we'd usually have to stay till 1 am, and we'd just usually laugh about stuff knowing that deadlines can be inevitable but having good times was the most important lot of all. It was great seeing her, all blooming and of course now, a Manager with Accenture.  

Mitch I met also during my last stint in Accenture, when I resigned and was wrapping up for my move to Singapore. We didn't get to chat that much, if I recall right, but my memories of Mitch were far beyond Accenture days. We got to hang out when I visited Brussels. And that was when we had the chance to really talk and explore the city together. Mitch has been of great company and help to me, something I'd always treasure and appreciate.

We had dinner at Shangri-La. Its been a while since I've been to that mall. It made me reminisce back in the days when I'd usually be on second shift when I was working for SVI. Those marked my first few years of being a programmer. Of course, I got to be updated with all of the latest goss and also of the latest love updates. We just giggled through the night which was fun.

Catching up with the Garcias

I just realized I didn't have a photo. But I guess it didn't matter. The memories always leaves me with a lasting impression.

Keith has been a friend way back highschool days. And Kikay, his better half, has been part of the family, the barkada. The kids Kin and Kian were so lovely, so huggable and so sweet. It was my first time to actually see them in person. Moment that I've laid my eyes on them were just via skype, when Keith would have me go on video calls so the kids would recognize my voice.

So it's been tradition now that I'd visit the family in the morning, and have breakfast. so cute. And I've agreed that I'd do this again, the next time I visit. :)

My Farewell Dinner

Faster than I said my hellow, I had to organize a farewell dinner with the Crooks, Copps and Freaks. It was great seeing the bunch, most especially those who I've rarely seen through the years even when I was still back in the Philippines.I was smiling while I watched the parents look after their kids. Yes, we have reached that stage. Thing have changed. But one thing's for sure, the friendship still remains...

of Jumping and Realizations

allow me to digress for a while. 

What is wrong with Jumping? What is wrong with moving? What is wrong in living a life of a Nomad?

What is wrong if I've been traveling this world alone?

I slowly realized a few things while I was on the road. 

Why the urge to move is so strong, that staying longer has never been an option. 

Fear. Fear of Attachment. Fear of Hurt. Fear of Expectations. But deep inside yearning that there's that special someone who would ask me to stay. Ironic? Yeah, tell me about it. It's hard when you're a walking hopeless romantic Nomad with shell casings all over.

through the 8 months, staying longer than 2 weeks seemed to be a far-fetched idea. The moment I felt I was getting attached to a place or the people around me, alarm bells just went off and Moving on becomes the next best step to escapism. 

Yes. I admit it. I'm an escapist. Because it is in the confines of limitless freedom when traveling, where time doesn't mean a thing, and survival reigns over your veins that matters....where to sleep, what to eat...where to next. There was no time to contemplate on emotions...and even if I felt lonely, it was fleeting because I had to go through the cycle of Hi's and goodbyes. 

Yes Hi's and goodbyes. Sad, but true. I did gain new friends...that's was good. I realized....I was sheltering myself..... because "hurt" was the one thing I didn't want to have with me during the trip. Where expectations heightened, therefore disappointment leaves me distraught. And oh yes, for so many times did that happen to me. Until I learned to let go.

Through the months, I meet some interesting people.... some I thought would have the consistency and continuity, but of course....yet again...disappointment kills the joy. 

There is liberation for me when I'm on the Road. The freedom of being an unknown, going towards the unknown..... and maybe nowhere would be a somewhere in the long run... a place that would make me stop..........