Katoomba

Not too far from Sydney, were the Blue Mountains. I decided I was ready for some hiking a caught a 2-hour train west to Katoomba. Unfortunately it started raining on the train ride up there and really didn't stop for 2 days, and continues to persist a little bit on the 3rd day. 

After arriving to town, I covered up my new bag with the waterproof cover, which would come in handy over the next few days, and headed towards the hostel. I couldn't check in, and wasn't going to be doing any hiking, so after leaving my big backpack, I headed out into the rain to find lunch. I camped out at the Elephant Cafe for a couple of hours with the hope the rain would eventually stop. It did not. However, I took this opportunity to catch up on a few things, so no worries. 

Trying to stay warm.

After checking into the hostel and organizing my things a bit, I camped out in the common area for a while. Unfortunately the wifi was an issue. I've been having trouble with wifi since I arrived in Australia and I'm a little surprised that, one, it's not in more places like restaurants, and two, why it's so slow and inconsistent. The hostel was really bad and it didn't help that everyone else staying there was also trying to stay dry and entertained. 

I eventually got hungry so went in search for food. I grabbed some pizza nearby and hit up the grocery store. So far my stay has been super exciting. Given that it's more expensive to eat out here (this isn't Southeast Asia) and that most places I'll be staying in will have full kitchens, I may as well save some money by getting a few essentials. 

The following morning I woke up to more rain. So I hung out at the hostel to uploaded photos, worked on my blog, and other things. In the afternoon, I finally decided that I had to get out and do something. Even with the rain and fog, you are apparently able to see one thing, which are the Katoomba Falls. So I got my raincoat and bag, and headed out for a hike. The walk through the outskirts of town was pretty nice and may have been more enjoyable if the rain wasn't coming down. But I did try to capture a few photos.

Rainy scenes.

I reached the trail and made my way through some forest area before reaching a picnic area. After walking around for a few minutes, I finally found the trail to the actual falls. There were a few other folks out, so glad I wasn't the only one that had decided to do a rainy hike. The fog everywhere was kind of incredible and there were views that I'm sure would have been amazing if not for the mist. I reached the falls and was happy to see them. 

Foggy Katoomba Falls.

From the falls, I got on another path to check out a viewpoint nearby. I knew I wouldn't be able to see much, but figured it wasn't too far, so decided to check it out. And of course, I couldn't see anything. I know I'm in the Blue Mountains, but so far hadn't see any mountains.

Coming out of the mist.

At that point, I decided I was too wet and cold to do anything else. And it wouldn't have been worth it. I turned around and headed back to town. I reached the Yellow Deli to sit by the fire and warm up with a cup of chili. This would totally be normal back home this time of year. Since it's summer here, it did seem a bit weird. But I was cold. 

Chili in summer.

The next day was more promising. And since it was my last full day in Katoomba, I was going for a hike regardless. I just hoped I wouldn't get too wet. After talking to my friend about the possibility of meeting up in South America, I headed out with a packed lunch, snacks, and water. I reached Echo Point in some drizzles, but I was finally able to see the Blue Mountains. And they were impressive. I hung out for a bit and also checked out the Three Sisters, these rock formations close by. 

The Three Sisters.

I then started my 3.5 hour hike by going down the Giant Stairway, which consisted of about 800 stairs. Once at the bottom, I decided to go the long way to Leura Cascades. So I headed towards Katoomba Falls, but then veered onto Federal Pass, which took me through the forest at the bottom of the mountains. 

Federal Pass.

It was actually a pretty nice hike, with the exception of the rain that came a few times and the leeches. Yes, the leeches. After the leeches in Sri Lanka, I thought I was done. The funny thing was, I was actually more nervous about other creatures, like snakes. I actually have no idea whether there were any snakes in the forest, but I saw so many branches on the ground that were shiny from the rainwater, that I had to keep looking to be sure it wouldn't move. I'm good with the birds and other animals, just no snakes. And no leeches. I happen to look down at my ankle since it stung a bit and I see a leech had been latched on for a little bit. And then I freaked out. I noticed more of them and they were trying to get into my running sneakers. So I'm all by myself in the forest, trying to get the leeches out of my shoes, trying to balance on one foot as I do this. What a sight that must have been. I finally got them all out, or at least I hoped so, and started to jog a little to get away from them. Of course, rationally, they were probably more of them where I was headed, but decided being on the move was better. Then I was paranoid that I missed one, or more got inside my shoes. So I kept checking. Once I found a picnic table, I sat down (after inspecting it closely), and took my shoes off again to thoroughly check. It looked like I was in the clear. I decided to warn some of the other hikers and it turns out that one of them also had leeches when she inspected her shoes. I'm glad I wasn't the only one, but also glad I mentioned it to them. I continued to inform other hikers, even after I safely made it out of what I believe was the leech-zone. Man they creep me out. They are like little mini, blood-sucking snakes. 

I continued on my hike, at a little bit of a quicker pace, and made it to the bottom of the Leura Cascades. And the sun had come out at that point, for a few minutes that is. It was really beautiful and a different perspective than the Katoomba Falls. I continued up a bunch of stairs and made it to the top of the cascades. You really couldn't get a good view of them up high, so I'm glad I saw them from the bottom. 

Leura Cascades.

I was getting a little wet and chilly, and decided I was ready to go rest. So I exited the trail and made my way back to town. I made a stop at the Paragon Cafe on my way back to the hostel to reward myself of successful hike and escaping the leeches. I enjoyed some shiraz, burnt caramel ice cream (probably not the best idea since I got cold, but I love ice cream no matter the temperature), and some caramel chocolates. I stayed until they were closing up. Which is very early by the way. So many cafes and stores close around 5:30-6pm. I do wish they stayed open longer. I had laundry to do, so I need to get going anyway, but for other days, it would be nice to linger. 

Shiraz, ice cream, and chocolates.

My nights in Katoomba haven't been too exciting, but I needed a little bit of a rest anyway. And obviously time to do laundry. I think it took a few hours, but I lost track. And of course wifi wasn't working, and I finished my book. So didn't get too much done while I waited. I let myself be entertained by the young kids getting wasted. For the most part I've somehow managed to avoid too much of a young party scene, but have a feeling I may be seeing more of it in various hostels. At least the common area is quiet in the morning while I enjoy my breakfast. 

I headed out of town the next morning and of course it was blue sky as far as they eye could see. Definitely a great hiking day. Too bad, but I wanted to spend a few days at the beach. So I headed to Anna Bay, which is north of Sydney along the Eastern coast. And the weather looked perfect for the beach.