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We actually took advantage of our jet lag to do something we'd
be hard-pressed to duplicate in our normal sleep routine. We got
up in time to watch the sun rise.
It must have been around 5am when we walked outside and made the
short 5 minute walk from our hotel to the beach. The temperature
wasn't much different than it had been at night for dinner. Which
is to say it was just perfect and we were dreading the afternoon,
when it'd be hot. On the walk to the beach we passed flowers and
tropical trees before coming out onto Four Mile Beach.
Sunrise at Four Mile Beach
As with most people who live in California, we've watched the
sun set over the Pacific Ocean many times. But never before had
we watched it rise over the Pacific. It was a very strange feeling
knowing that home was thousands of miles away on the other side
of that big ocean, in the "wrong" direction. I won't lie to you
and say that it was a spectacular sun rise with colors glowing
in every direction. In fact the horizon was quite hazy. But that's
not what sun rises are. It was serene. Sure, there were other
people on the beach for this occasion, but after our grand journey,
we felt at peace. After months of planning and hours of travelling,
we were finally here, and ready to enjoy the next three weeks.
While we're sitting here enjoying the sunrise, I will mention
a couple things. First, there was a sign (as we'd see on other
beaches) warning about stingers -- stinging jellyfish. Apparently
they swim close to the shore and render any victims partially,
temporarily paralyzed. The solution is to douse the area with
vinegar and call for help. I'm not sure what the vinegar does,
but there are bottles of the stuff next to the signs. Second thing
-- I noticed piles of tiny balls of sand everywhere. At first
we thought they were turtle eggs, but we later confirmed they
were just balls of sand. A tiny hole in the ground was present
near each pile of sand balls. I'm still puzzled as to what it
is.
Four Mile Beach, looking north along the beach
Sand balls on the beach
We returned to our room and ordered a room service breakfast.
After more resting, we headed back out for a walk along the Four
Mile Beach into the downtown area of Port Douglas. We saw a line
of coconut trees lining the beach for, oh, about four miles. Other
than that it was just a peaceful walk along the beach with the
occasional jogger passing us by, and a few topless sunbathers
near the coconut trees. Jean also enjoyed stomping on the air-filled
seaweed bubbles lining the beach (kind of like bubble wrap for
packing).
One of the flowers we saw on our way to the beach
One of many coconut trees lining the beach
At the end of the beach is a series of steps up a rock formation
where we got a nice look back at the beach we'd walked along.
We then headed down the other side and into the small downtown
area. It's a small town, with the downtown taking up a few blocks
along Macrossan Street. The street is filled with trendy little
shops and good restaurants. By this time the day was heating up
and we stopped at a juice bar for sandwiches and juice. Jean liked
the mango chutney so much that we bought a jar to take home with
us.
Looking back at Four Mile Beach
I picked up a disposable waterproof camera that I intended to
use while we visited Dunk Island a few days later. We stopped
at a Just Jeans store to do some shopping. We did a little grocery
shopping in Coles, one of the major food chains. Much of the food
is similar, but some is different. For example, instead of Rice
Krispies, it's called Rice Bubbles. The bananas are fantastic;
much creamier and yummier than the ones we find in the States.
Jean thinks they're called Lady Fingers. We found this snack called
Tim Tams, which are chocolate covered cookies. And, oh yes, there's
the Vegemite. I'm still not quite sure what it is. I'm sure you've
all heard the Men at Work song that refers to a Vegemite sandwich.
If you're interested, it's made by Kraft, is referred to as "concentrated
yeast extract" and is "one of the world's richest known sources
of vitamin B". And I have a big jar of the stuff (I couldn't resist).
Though I haven't had the stomach to actually try the stuff yet.
Aussie version of Snap, Crackle, and Pop
We wandered into a Peter Lik photography studio. It was nice to
see some photographs of the area, but Jean and I agreed that he's
no Galen Rowell. We walked down to the end of the street in search
of the Nautilus restaurant, but instead found mango trees lining
the corner. After turning around and walking on the other side
of the street, we found the back entrance to Nautilus, the restaurant
we'd made dinner reservations for. The reviews were good, and
apparently the Clintons had eaten there in 1996. So too, the display
in front of the restaurant said, had Jerry Seinfeld.
Jean under a mango tree
It was only about 2:30pm, but we were tired and wanted to head
back to the hotel. The shuttle bus came every 30 minutes, and
we headed to the pick up point. Unfortunately we just missed it
and had 30 minutes to kill. We happened to find a small Internet
cafe very close by and wandered in to fire off a few e-mails to
friends. Afterwards, we went outside to wait for the bus. The
bus was late. It was hot, and we were probably dehydrated The
bus finally came and we took the crowded bus on the short ride
back, past several hotels lining the road out of town.
When we got back, there was a cockatoo (a large white bird with
a yellow top) just outside its namesake lounge. I got up close
for some pictures (it didn't mind) before heading off to the room
for a nap.
Cockatoo at the Radisson Treetops
We overslept. Somehow, the alarm I'd set for 6:30pm either didn't
go off, or I managed to kill the alarm without getting up (which
I don't think has happened since high school). The other thing
is that when I nap, I rarely fall completely asleep. Must have
been that 26 hours of travelling catching up to us. Jean finally
got up and noticed the time -- 7:45pm. Our dinner reservations
were for 8pm. Frantic, we called the restaurant and told them
we'd be late. They were fairly accomodating. We dressed quickly
and took a waiting taxi and managed to arrive at 8:20pm.
The restaurant was impressive. Lights pointed up toward the high
rain forest canopy, providing beautiful indirect lighting. We
sat in high back wicker chairs in the pleasant night air while
being served by a La Femme Nikita look-alike (Peta Wilson, from
the TV series, who just happens to be Australian). I noticed a
little animal (perhaps a possum?) scamper off behind me. But after
that nice long nap, I was relaxed and unconcerned. I had a scallop
appetizer before having duck as the main course, while Jean had
a coral trout which was infinitely better than the one I'd had
the night before. Hers was a full coral trout, breaded, and presented
upright and curved around elegantly on the plate. I'd never seen
a cooked fish stand up like that before. It was delicious.
We enjoyed a relaxing dinner while neighboring tables snapped
photographs of themselves. I guess people want proof that they
were at the same restaurant that a U.S. President dined at. There
are two levels to the restaurant, which helps improve the intimacy
of the restaurant. We were on the upper level. Above us we could
see the giant folded up tarp which they must unfurl when it rains.
Eventually the diners filed out and we finished up our dessert
and had the restaurant call a taxi for us.
We took the ride home and settled down for more sleep.
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