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cairns day one Before we left Sydney we knew that Cairns was going to be a contrast, but it was still somewhat of a shock when we walked off the plane and into the terminal. First of all there was the heat, tropical heat. Not only was there heat, but there was also sun. It had been sunny in Sydney, but this was something more extreme. Hope was ecstatic. At last her dream of a tropical paradise was coming true. I would have been happy too except for the fact that something in the air was causing my eyes and nose to have fits. I suddenly wanted to be back on the plane breathing filtered air rather than having my eyes water and fighting back about ten minutes worth of sneezes. I was dying or at least that was the way that I felt. The thought that I was allergic to something in the tropics made me shudder. We were going to be here for four days and I was not about to spend them doped up on medication. Thankfully I felt much better once we reached the hotel. My best guess is that I was allergic to the fumes from the buses and other smoke at the airport, because I was fine once we got away from there. ... Seventh floor. We were on the seventh floor and had a glorious view of the jungle covered mountains behind the city. Cameras were quickly extracted from their storage places to document the view. Now this was something to impress everyone with back home. Queensland had come through on its promise. Once our belongings had been stowed in the room, Hope was eager to get down to what we thought was the beach. In fact she wanted to know if I was going to change before we went down. I said that I could wait and I am glad that I did. There isn't a beach at Cairns. Instead they have what is known as a mudflat, which looks as exactly as it sounds like it would. What is that was all that Hope could say when she saw the mudflat and I couldn't stop laughing. Once I regained control I said that maybe it was low tide. It wasn't until later that we learned that it looks that way all of the time. We had the heat and the sun, but we didn't have the beach. I didn't care though. I was there to see the Great Barrier Reef and the jungle. After a quick walk through the town in search of food I came to the conclusion that Cairns must live on tourism alone, because there is absolutely nothing there except a few shops and restaurants. The town has nothing of real interest to offer and I can see why it is mainly known as a starting point for the Great Barrier Reef. Naturally this did not deter my sister from trying to find places to drink. She still wanted to meet people and for her the bar is the best place. It didn't matter that we didn't meet anyone in Sydney when we were in the bars, but she wanted to try again. Sigh. I didn't. ... Seven in the evening with a crescent moon in the sky my sister and I parted ways. She wanted to walk back into town and have some fun. I was content to just relax around the hotel. The view from our balcony was good enough for me and I knew that we had a big day ahead of us tomorrow out on the Reef. She said that she would be back at midnight and I should have known that these would be famous last words. Now maybe I was over reacting or maybe I am getting more conservative in my thirties, but her not coming home at midnight started to get me worried. Soon worry started to get mingled with anger, as I couldn't sleep wondering where she was at that time of night in a town that she had only seen for a few hours. Then at four in the morning I left the hotel to look for her myself. Yes, it sounds dumb, but it felt better than sitting there doing nothing. So there I was walking down the streets past drunk people wondering which bar would appeal to my sister. I had no idea. Eventually I made my way back home and saw a light on in our room. I hadn't left one on when I left so I knew before I got to the door that she was back. I was angry with her and let her know it. If she would have at least called me I would have felt better, but she didn't. She seemed to understand and I think that I did a pretty good impression of a fifty year old man scolding his teenage daughter.
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