The Red Centre

When I traveled to Australia I had to see the Red Centre - especially Uluru (aka Ayer's Rock). So to end my tour of Australia, I flew to Alice Springs and then joined a 3 day tour from there.

I toured the Northern Territory with Adventure Tours Australia. This was a great tour. It was a small group of travelers and the guide was excellent!

We camped in "tents" near Uluru. I say "tents" because they were more like small two bed cabins. We had the option to sleep outside in a swag bag, but I did not want bugs or snakes near me when I slept. Turns out that there were more likely to be spiders, snakes, or scorpions in the "tents" than bothering you outside. Fortunately I was there in May, so unwanted visitors were not a problem. Not likely that they were around at that time of year.

The Tents

Cost for the tour as of today's date is $355AUD. The website offers tours of the Red Centre. I went with:  http://www.adventuretours.com.au/northern-territory/alice-springs-budget

When we arrived at our campsite, we went to Kata Tjuta, a group of red mounds about half an hour away from Uluru. This was a great hike that offered great views of the incredible geography in the region.  It is called the Red Centre because rust floats on the breeze from Darwin in the North and coats everything in a red dust.

Kata Tjuta

Then, as the sun was setting, we went for a photo op at Uluru. We got up early the next morning to catch it at sunrise too. Then we walked around the rock. It was pretty impressive. There are quite a few areas that are sacred to the aboriginals. You are not allowed to take photos of these areas of Uluru and if you are caught, you are fined $5500AUD and your camera is confiscated. Signs are posted where you can take photos around the rock. It was worth it to walk around the base.

There is the option to climb Uluru as well. At a talk with local aboriginals afterward, one of the speakers commented on this new tourist trap saying: "White man's idea". He was not impressed. The fact is, this rock is sacred to the aboriginals of Australia. To have "white man" climb it (for fun), is offensive to them. It would be similar to someone showing disrespect at the Vatican and repeatedly peeing or defecating inside St. Peter's Basilica, for example. But tourists keep climbing it.

Uluru

That night we traveled about four hours to King's Canyon. The next day was a hike around King's Canyon. It is impressive too. A difficult hike, but well worth it.

King's Canyon

If you are short on time, this three day tour of the Red Centre is a great way to see and experience this amazing part of Australia!

~Angie

Hostels in Los Angeles

While staying in West Hollywood, I stayed at Banana Bungalow, West Hollywood. It was a great hostel that offered free breakfast, free wi-fi, and had two free meals during the week. There were discounts on tours and attractions, including Disneyland and Universal Studios, and free airport transfers. It was a fun hostel.

http://bananabungalowus.com/


The second time I went to Los Angeles I stayed in Santa Monica at HI Santa Monica. This was a very nice hostel that was within walking distance of the 3rd Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Pier.

www.hihostels.com

Check them out next time you are in Los Angeles!

And for more information on attractions in Los Angeles, check out my blog post about my first trip there:
City of Angels: Tour of Los Angeles



~Angie

One Day in Montréal

I spent one full day in Montréal during my tour of Eastern Canada. When I arrived I decided that due to travel times and just time-restraints in general, given I had one day, I would see two areas of Montréal: Vieux-Montréal (Old Montréal) and Mont-Royal.

Vieux-Montréal

It was very important that I see the Old City when I was in Montréal. I took the Métro from my hostel. The Métro was really easy to use and was reasonably priced at $3.00 per trip.

This area of the city has a very European feel. I went to the Tower at the edge of the Old Port, then I walked along the cobbled streets of Old Montréal. I found a souvenir shop, went in the Christmas Store and bought an ornament, and stood outside Notre Dame Cathedral. Tourists are able to go inside the Cathedral - entrance costs $10CAD. However, as it was a Saturday, a wedding was taking place when I arrived, so I was not able to see inside the Cathedral.

Vieux-Port, Cobbled Street, The Tower, and Notre Dame Cathedral

Mont-Royal

After walking around Vieux-Montréal, it was time to head to Mont-Royal. This is a big hill that is a park too.  People go there to hike, bike, run and walk the path up to the top. Part way up, there is a man-made lake where you can stop and have a picnic. Two more attractions include Le Chalet du Mont-Royal - a lookout over Montréal city centre, and Le Croix du Mont-Royal. It is a good day hike.

Mont-Royal pathway, Le Croix du Mont-Royal, and view of city centre

 ~Angie