Cronulla Hotels
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Happy holidays
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My plan to kiteboard for a few days turned into just one day... since the wind didn't want to cooperate. So after driving into sydney on an errand, and realizing how crazy it is to drive in that city in a crappy van, plus not seeing any likely places to park it and sleep, I stayed just south of the city around Cronulla to do errands and prepare for the holidays.
I had a severe backlog of laundry plus I had to get the Witness (my van) ready to return in all its glory. I will say that I definitely had the worst paint job of that company's fleet, based on the other ones I saw- and there were many. By the time I returned it I was very tired of every person who passed either laughing and giving me a thumbs up (like I had painted it or something- it says 'rent me' right on the back), looking at me quizzically like 'I don't get it', or giving me a dirty look for offending their sensitivities. I actually had a Jehovah's Witness ask me why it was painted like that before taking some pictures no doubt as evidence for the civil suit for defaming their religion. Which if its settled by forcing them to change that ridiculous paint job it will have accomplished something at least.
As an aside: I just looked up "defaming religion" on google (to make sure I was spelling and using it correctly) and up popped a recent UN proposal to ban the defaming of religion. One guess as to the religion that is mostly supporting this measure. You have got be kidding me- restricting freedom of speech to appease religious extremists is not tolerant behavior and in fact does more to prevent tolerance and respect for the opinions and beliefs of others than it does to protect it. If a religion is being widely defamed maybe, instead of reacting with violent protest and proposing bans on freedom of speech and expression, it should look at itself and ask why it is being defamed in the first place. Perhaps because its most vocal members widely support and encourage violent protest and even terrorism on civilians while simultaneously defaming other religions as well. I know the voice of more moderate followers are completely drowned out by these reactions and that's a pity. One UN official thinks that defaming religion is a threat to world peace. What threatens world peace- the editorial cartoons and opinions of some author or the violent and hypocritical over-reaction of a hyper-sensitive group of extremists?
OK enough of the soapbox. Cronulla was a cool town- had a good night life and wasn't too far from downtown, and right on the coast south of Botany Bay. I was able to go kiting on Friday afternoon in Botany Bay itself- good wind but very little protection made for rough water conditions that I'm not used to. What was cool about the spot was that it is just south of the Sydney airport, with runways built on dredged land out over the water; so in the background were large passenger jets landing and taking off. You could hear the engines power up on takeoff from the water. As I was walking out of the water a guy came up and said 'hey this beach is only for locals!' Fortunately he was kidding since it turned out to be James, the crewmember from Rowan's boat whom I had met in New Caledonia! He was actually from Cronulla and was home for the holidays. What a small world.
Turned out this kiting session would be the last on my Slingshot board- the first one I bought way back in 2002, since it would be too heavy to bring with me to Noumea. I sold it and the board bag to a pawn shop for 40 dollars, cheap although I know that no experienced kiter will buy that board so maybe I did okay. I felt a bit of a loss since me and that board were like blood brothers- the first time I used the board it gave me 7 staples in my head with its sharp edge!
Having gotten rid of my excess baggage, I returned the Witness and checked into a hotel. It was so nice to lay on a real bed and have a long shower with all the hot water I wanted in a room all my own (for one night). The next day I boarded a flight to New Caledonia to spend Christmas and New Year's with Caroline. As it is the holidays I will be taking a break from updating this log until early next year... I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas or other holiday if that's not the one you celebrate, and a festive, enjoyable time welcoming the new year (if you follow the Gregorian calendar :-)!!! If the none of the above apply, at least enjoy the parties and the time off, and if you have to work, at least ask for triple overtime. Very special holiday wishes to my crazy world-hopping parents (must be a gene...) who will be in Guatemala and then off to Macchu Picchu, to my sister and her husband Kim celebrating my nephew Julian's first Christmas (who will no doubt continue to sleep and eat blissfully unaware of the celebrations going on), and to all the rest of my family and friends whom I haven't seen in way too long (which is most of them!). See you in 2008!
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