December 28 - Christmas in Australia

I must apologise for the lack of posts over the past ten days. You might think that it was because of Christmas activities, but actually it was all because of technical difficulties with the Internet. The technology challenges we have experienced while travelling has made us even more appreciative of the ease of coping with computers and the Internet we experience when we are home.

Lyle and I are now in Sydney where we have spent a wonderful few days with family. We have also spent time trekking around the various sights of the city itself. The harbour is one of the most beautiful in the world and if I can say with only a minor amount of bias perhaps the most wonderful. However, at this holiday time of year, many, many people were also out and about to enjoy the area with us. It was challenging to use my cane in the crowds.

I don’t think that I have successfully mastered the art of using my cane in a crowd. Sometimes I think that I might just use Lyle’s arm to guide me, but then I come to unexpected slopes, dips, bumps and steps and I miss the safety and anticipation that the cane provides. 

The crowds of people were especially thick on Christmas Eve when we decided to visit the downtown core of the city and experience some of the last minute shopping frenzy. I have added a picture of Lyle and myself taken in the Queen Victoria Building, a large complex leading from the underground rail station to the upper streets. My sister, Jill, raced ahead to snap the photo of us. I’m not sure that my white cane is even visible in the picture, being swallowed up by the throngs around us. Because of the mass of people and the speed at which everyone seemed to be walking, I doubt that my cane served as identifying me as visually impaired either. It was interesting experience but one that I didn’t repeat for the Boxing Day sales two days later.