well, I've seen my sister

I made that my first priority, we get on well enough as long as we're miles apart, so I didn't visit very long, I'd already promised her that. She likes her space and solitude and I understand that because I do too.
I knocked on her door and she didn't recognise me because I had the sunglasses on, (traveling incognito, that's me), we visited on her front porch for about ten minutes while her dog went crazy in the back yard, then I told her there was a rawhide chew bone for him in the bag of goodies I'd brought her, so she unwrapped that and tossed it to him, we didn't hear a single peep from him after that.

I remembered that J is shorter than me, but not how much shorter and I'd forgotten how blue her eyes are. They're like the sky, so blue. Mum's eyes. My brother also has blue eyes, but not like this, his have more grey, while mine are brown like my Dad.

Anyway, the visit is over and while we were pleased to see each other, I think I can safely say we are both glad it was a short visit.

The town bus service is shocking, I'm not sure if there are two buses or just one on a constant loop around the town, I got a "timetable" (ha ha) from the Visitors Centre, but unless you've lived here for a while it is a bit hard to figure out. Bus stops are few and far between and the bus doesn't appear to keep to schedule. Of course, once you figure out the timetable you see that it does, just not exactly. Like the city buses in Adelaide where the one you want is always late. I found a stop on the street behind Woolworths and sat to wait for the bus, then asked the driver to let me know when we reached the school near J's house.
When I was leaving her, she mentioned there'd be a bus at 4pm. So I waited at the stop and sure enough there was a bus at 4pm, but going in the other direction. I was across the road. Waiting.
Waiting, waiting, waiting....finally deciding I'd waited long enough, I'd walk back to the Hotel. So I did. Now I'm dead. I never want to walk again. I don't want to even move.

I took a couple of photos, but most of the time I was too busy shooing away flies, remember when I complained about the bush flies in Adelaide? Well up here there are ten times as many and they all seemed to be focused on my face! There's a good reason right there to leave Port Pirie and never come back.

Tomorrow's plan is to get out and take more photos, I'll see how that goes. It's hot up here, hot and sweaty, at least there was a breeze today with a bit of cool in it.
I'm staying at the International Hotel/Motel, nothing fancy, but the room has a TV bigger than mine and airconditioning. Nearby is the old Railway Station which is now a Railway Museum, there is a lovely old restored locomotive out the front, I think that may be my first port of call tomorrow.
For now, I need a shower and food.

Comments

  1. A shower, some food, and rest.
    Glad that the visit with your sister went so well.

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  2. Short and sweet - that's the way to do it:-)

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  3. What- was that your visit? Ten minutes? Good heavens, how absurd! And now what....hit the tourist trail? Boy this is one cuckoo family.
    Next time I'll go with you, my amorous advances making it worth the fare.

    -Robert.
    Romance Corporation.

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  4. Sounds like you've got quite the offer above there.
    You get along with your sister the same way I get along with mine...the further away the better lol.

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  5. I like that you respect her need to keep things short. Some people don't understand this or choose to ignore it. At least you did get to see her.

    Now it's time to look around, though I have to say that I've never felt the urge to visit Port Pirie. Maybe your report will change my mind.

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  6. Wishing you a full happy visit. Keep warm. Laugh a lot.

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  7. Journey's end does need a rest and food to get a full head of steam up again. I hope the bus gets you to the water OK; looking forward to pictures. I love old railroads, too.

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  8. This is the best thing you've written: The meeting, barking dog, bone in the handbag, the bus that never arrives, long trek to the grandly-named hotel, huge dark locomotive.

    All dream-like. Surreal.

    Roll over Kafka.

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  9. Elephant's Child; as well as it could possibly go, given the differences in our natures, although we are both loners and prefer solitude, we are still quite different. J was very happy with the little glass dish I'd found, she didn't remember about eating peanut paste from it with a spoon, but she's happy to have it as a lolly dish, especially since I provided the M&Ms.

    jabblog; with our family short and sweet is definitely the way to go.

    R.H. definitely a cuckoo family, we all separated when mum left the day before my eighth birthday and took the siblings, they (the siblings)returned three and a half years later and we didn't know each other anymore. A few years later we were all going our separate ways again. It's only recently we've started keeping in touch. No tourist trail for this black duck. I'm just wandering around with my camera.

    Delores; he makes those offers all the time.
    I'd say three to four hours bus ride away is far enough. We write letters at the rate of about one every three years or so.

    Marie; respect is a big thing with us. I don't see my reports making anyone want to visit. Red dirt, heat, flies, flies, flies. The people are friendly though.Of course you're free to visit and make up your own mind.

    Susan Kane; keep warm? it's summer here, 40C outside. We don't do White Christmas here, we do White HOT Christmas.

    Joanne; the bus....well...I waited long enough, then I walked to the beach. I'll write about the beach when I get over the shock.

    R.H. the hotel does look pretty nice, but the accommodation is a string of motel rooms out the back. I wasn't expecting fancy, I never do, but the room has TV and aircon, that's good enough.

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  10. Well I did say "grandly-named" which often means a bomb.
    My family also broke up just before I was eight, some of the kids went to reasonable places others to a nightmare.

    -Robert.
    Cultural asset.

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  11. Great writing River. Sounds to me like you and your sister managed this perfectly (except for the bus but we can't control that aspect!). Hope you got your rest and enjoyed your short visit.

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  12. R.H. this is one reason why I never take notice of hotel names, as long as they have a clean bed, airconditioning and a door that locks, that's all I need. For a day or two anyway, then I'm itching to get back home.

    Jackie K; I was surprised to see so much of my mother in J, as children I hadn't noticed it, then we were apart for several years; it was just on this latest short visit I thought to myself, "that's just like mum was", so many times within that few minutes.

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