Tête en bas

I needed to take a break. Rachel, Cassie and the other are amazing. But I met to many people on the last weeks. To many amazing meetings, just before leaving Melbourne. To many amazing meeting during the trip to the festival. To many amazing meeting during the festival. So yes… I needed a break. Sometime, just for me, when I would stop being social. My body confirmed that I need a break, as I start monday morning with a cold, and a brain who was unable to work for a whole day.

I left the festival, quickly as a thief, on monday morning. I was planing to take my time, relax, and probably help to clean the site. I changed my mind. I needed to go. To be alone. I apology to everyone. Say goodbye to anyone. Take my two backpacks, and leave. Thumbs up.

I arrived in Alice Springs little bit later. There’s nothing like an hostel when you want to be anonymous and alone. I took my computer, with nothing else in mind than taking it easy, trying to find an internet connexion to update my blog.

I like Alice Springs. A lot. I found there what I liked in Bali. What is, I think, common to every city where the weather is always nice. People living outside, in a very open city. Really green too. I was feeling well. It was a nice place to rest.

Jacques helped me to do some fencing before the festival. He’s french, and seems to be traveling in Australia on a motorbike. I didn’t ask him more detail. I met him again at the hostel. We had a short chat. Not so much. A little bit later, he came back with a friend. She told me “allo”.

One word was enough. No need to recognize the accent. No need to ask any question. I know only one country where people say “allo”. Her name is Gabrielle, and she’s from Montreal south shore. She’s been a little been surprised when I “laugh” at her because she was a 450. But she understand quickly. Yes, I’m what I pretend to be. A montrealer, with a different accent.

We met again the next day. Well, it’s pretty easy to bump into people you know in Alice Springs. We took sometime to talk. And… well, Gabrielle is traveling with a violin. I like people who travels with musical instrument. It allows a lot of unexpected mix. During the Wide Open Space, we manage to have a didgeridoo, a japanese, flute, an indian flute and an accordion playing together. Four musicians playing instruments from four different continents. As usual, I like that…

We sat down in the Todd River (dry) bed, sharing chat and musical improvisation, in a really simple and amazing time. With short break to talk with aboriginal people coming by. I know, I haven’t say anything about aboriginal people yet. It’s coming. Soon.

Gabrielle reacted when I told her that I was hitch hiking south, before coming back to Alice Springs and hitch hiking north. She’s looking for a travel mate, to hitch hike too. She’s thinking to leave Alice in two or three weeks. The timing might be good for her. We might have fun together, so… why not. Maybe… Well… Rachel was also looking for a travel mate. For a little bit later, after working a little bit in Alice. Should to the same thing, at sometime… and I just get news from Hripsine. She’s planing to leave Melbourne early June, for an Adelaide – Alice Springs – Darwin – Broom – Perth road trip. As she knows that I have the same project, she’s offering me to go with her.

All that remind me that I was looking for a break… that for the last three weeks, I was saying that I wanted to be alone, in the middle of the desert. I’m saying that I need to relax. To stop meeting people. To be alone. I take my decision. Tomorrow, I’ll leave Alice Springs. Going south, to Coober Pedy, slowly. Alone, finally.

It was without taking Cassie into account. She’s been working for two years in Alice as a tour guide. She loves the city, she loved her job. She’s back. In one day, she finds a new job. “I have a group, leaving tomorrow morning, for three days. Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon. I might have a seat for you. Not sure yet, I’ll only know tomorrow at 5:45 AM”. Perfect for me. All my bags will be ready tonight. I’m leaving the hostel tomorrow. To Uluru, with Cassie. Or somewhere else, with my thumb.

It’s wednesday morning. It’s 5:45 AM. My phone rings. The big red thing is waiting for me. As my first experience in a tour group!