Adventures Abroad

Several years ago, around Christmas time 1971, I was sitting in the Grand Hotel in Hiroshima watching Japanese schools kids do callisthenics in the snow. My boss, in New Orleans, calls me and tells me to get on an airplane and get my ass to Perth, Australia. I was stunned. I asked if he had any idea just how far Perth, Australia was from Hiroshima and that since I was an American Indian and not white, I probably could not get a Visa. At the time Australia had a very strict policy about not letting non-whites into their country.

He replied, "No, No I'm looking at a globe and its not that far away from where you are. As for the Visa, don't worry about that, just go the Australia Embassy in Tokyo and pick up the Visa, its all been arranged here in New Orleans. Its a 30 day Vista, if you need stay longer, just leave and go to Christchurch, New Zealand and get it renewed.

Fly from Perth, Australia to Christchurch, New Zealand!! Just to renew a Visa?

I promise you that Americans have no concept of the distances in your beautiful country! To give the Yanks, who have not traveled, an idea of the distances involved; the distance from Sidney to Perth is about the same as from New York to San Francisco. Aussies call all Americans, Yanks. And if Americans are on really good terms with someone from Australia, you can call them convicts. (That's from Australia's colonial days and was not then considered an insult.) Another tip, Australians are very defensive about their country; tho' not as bad as the French. They're about the same as moody Texans - that's a coonass joke.

So from Hiroshima to Tokyo to Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur to Sidney via JAL, then Sidney to Perth via Qantas.

Finally, Perth! It's the most isolated major city in the world. It is very scenic and quite beautiful. Very friendly and nice people. It reminded me of Mobile, AL in the 1950's. Stately homes, unbelievable gardens, downtown was very clean, city parks to me rate among of the best in world.

Just a couple of warnings. In seems like there are more things there that can kill you per square mile than any other place in the world! The local TV channel would broadcast tourist information. These info segments would caution tourists to be very careful on the beaches. Watch where to step and to wear sandals and not to pick up pretty sea shells - they contain toxins, which are deadly to humans, that can be absorbed through the skin. Watch out for sea snakes. There are something like 200 different species each with a different venom. And my favorite, always go swimming in pairs; 'cause it cuts in half your chances of being eaten by a great white in half.

Now about the Aussie flies. These flies are fearless! Apparently, they don't bite - at least they never bit me. My mate down there, a guy named Seth Shepard; he was an Aussie guide that was assign to me. Said that there are no flies in the world like the Australian Fly. That the only thing they wanted was the moisture in your eyes, nose and mouth. They would crawl in your nose, down your throat, into your stomach then come back up and ask for more.

But all in all, if I was not retired now, I'd jump on the chance to return in a minute! Either there or New Zealand! I have talked so much about it and shown pictures to my grand children so much that when my grand son had the opportunity to visit there as a student he came back and told us that's where he was going to live.