The End of the Internet

This is the page that get's the top hit when you google for "end of the internet". Trouble is, Google finds another 18,699 hits, with many variations on this theme. Some of them, like this one do try to be a little more creative. No, I'm not going to try them all

[Technorati Tag: Funny]

( Oct 22 2004, 03:50:07 PM PDT ) [Listen] Permalink Comments [1]

In a Sunburned Country

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson is a travelogue and history of Australia, that's truly wonderful. If you are planning to go to Australia, this is recommended reading if you want to get the most from your trip. (If you are planning an Australian vacation take at least a month, preferably two to see all the wonderful sights.). Even if you aren't going, but would like to know about the people, places and the history of this continent, then this is the book for you.

There are not many books that can make me laugh out loud, but this book did. From visions of lap-dancing holograms, to metal bullocks bollocks swaying in the breeze, through to Bryson's descriptions of cricket (the only sport that takes meal breaks) and fencing. You'll have to read the book to get the full context. I couldn't even begin to do it justice here without including large chunks of the text.

As I'd lived in Australia for nine years and been all over, I was particularly interested to see what Bill would make of some of the places I'd been to. For example, in 1989, when the pilots were on strike in Australia, I took a train from Sydney to Perth (one side of the continent to the other). Bill did the same. This is a fascinating journey, and if you've got at least three days to spare, I highly recommend it. To enjoy it, you must travel first class, otherwise you'll be one of the living dead by the time you arrive. Bryson also stopped off in Broken Hill to explore, which lengthened his journey, as these trains only run twice a week.

Over several trips, he got to see a large chunk of Australia. He did much more driving than your average tourist would do, but then again, if you don't do that, you are going to miss some of Australia's marvels that are in the middle of nowhere, like the Devils Marbles. As he comments, if this was anywhere in North America or Europe, it would be one of the worlds wonders. His trips included Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Alice Springs, the Great Barrier Reef, Surfer's Paradise, Darwin, Perth and some memorable smaller places in between.

Interestingly enough he didn't go to Tasmania, which I really enjoyed. But he did go and do a few things I wish now that I'd done, like see the giant worms in Gippsland, Victoria, the stromatolites in Shark Bay in Western Australia, the Tree Top Walk also in Western Australia and to take the road trip from Darwin down to Ayers Rock (um, sorry, Ularu). He wasn't afraid to discuss the aboriginal problem in Australia, something most travel and history books just ignore. I also particularly liked the history behind some of the things he discussed, his commentary on the original discoverers and settlers, and some of incompetent people who tried to explore the interior of the land.

If you've never read a Bill Bryson book, this is a great one to start with. He has an infectious sense of humor and is willing to go the extra mile (or in the case of Australian travel, the extra thousand miles) to explore interesting places.

[Technorati Tag: books]

[Technorati Tag: Australia]

( Oct 22 2004, 04:50:23 AM PDT ) [Listen] Permalink Comments [1]