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Uluru
After another sizzlin’ bacon breakfast, we joined scores of people at Uluru, a.k.a. Ayers Rock, for a free guided tour. Unable to hear well, especially the soft voice and unfamiliar cadence of the Aboriginal ranger leading the tour, we soon started the 7-mile trek around the big rock on our own.
The Aboriginal
people “read” the
features of the rock like scripture, weaving stories that tell how to
behave and interact with integrity.
There are different areas sacred to the native men and women, neither of which should be photographed, because the opposite gender is not privy to that knowledge and may not see those sites. (None of these areas appear on this page.) Stories must be told only in the context of the place they happened. The boys are separated from the women folk as they reach puberty and begin learning from the adult men of how to become men. Adult women teach girls about plants, medicine and food preparation, as well as how to choose a husband.
With
chill and rain beyond the warm cocoon of the heaters, we
hunkered down in the communal dining area for an evening of wine and
euchre while listening to the
talented musician playing guitar and singing familiar songs on
the stage directly in front of us. Much to our surprise, our tents had
withstood the teeming rains, and our bedding was warm and dry
.
Uluru
After another sizzlin’ bacon breakfast, we joined scores of people at Uluru, a.k.a. Ayers Rock, for a free guided tour. Unable to hear well, especially the soft voice and unfamiliar cadence of the Aboriginal ranger leading the tour, we soon started the 7-mile trek around the big rock on our own.
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 There is a story about a dishonest hunter who gets his comeuppance told by the features in this rock face. |
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There are different areas sacred to the native men and women, neither of which should be photographed, because the opposite gender is not privy to that knowledge and may not see those sites. (None of these areas appear on this page.) Stories must be told only in the context of the place they happened. The boys are separated from the women folk as they reach puberty and begin learning from the adult men of how to become men. Adult women teach girls about plants, medicine and food preparation, as well as how to choose a husband.
 The "Kitchen" Cave
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| Our hike around Uluru continues. | |
 We called this section "The
Whale."
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 Michele, suitably awed, admiring
the natural beauty and wonder.
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 It's really hard to give a sense of scale in a phtograph. Try to imagine walking for 6 hours and being continually gobsmacked by the sights around every bend. |
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 The soft curves of the red
sandstone form a heart around the tree in the center, overlooking
Uluru's sacred water hole.
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 Rounding one of the ends of the massive structure. |
 As
our hike around the mighty Uluru is nearing completion, Carrie and
Michele's exurberance is dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of the
primordial formation.
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.