Today started out bright and early (and rainy, again). It was sunny when I looked out the window of the room, but by the time I got downstairs for brekkie, it started. We left Sydney around 8am, a coach of 11 of us en route to the Blue Mountains. We went through the Sydney suburbs and Monday morning commuter traffic, passing the spot where many Olympic events were held. Our driver was entertaining enough, he had us all introduce ourselves. The only other single on the bus, a gal from London, also works in HR. She's not too friendly, though... and she's my roommate (along with two other younger gals from Cologne. They're friendly!)

We started off the sightseeing with Echo Point and The Three Sisters. The weather and visibility all the way up was good... until we got near Katoomba. Then the fog was something like out of the moors! I did get an interesting photo of The Three Sisters, just coming out of the clouds. We then went to do the world's steepest inclined railway. That was a rush! We went down into the bottom of the Jameison Canyon on a cable car, then back up on the railway. Wow. Down in the bottom of the canyon, there's a temperate rainforest with 250 year old fern trees! Definitely something out of the Jurassic period. There were three or four sulpher crested cockatoos feeding from a bird feeder at the top.

We had lunch at a deli in Blackheath, then it was on to the 3 hour hike. 250 - 300 meter descent into the bottom of the Grand Canyon, a 5 km walk along the bottom (more like a rock scramble than a walk), then the 250 - 300 meter ascent. I was fine up until that part! But since the only other way out was a 3 day hike and a 600 meter ascent, this way looked to be the easiest. At the top we were rewarded with a Rosella, posing for photos. It was just about this time that I realized my memory card was full! Two of us got dropped at the hostel here in Katoomba, and I immediately went out in search of a bigger memory card. I'm happy to say I have one, now I just gotta figure out what to do with it. I did a bit more shopping, some silver charms for my charm bracelet, then came back for a shower. Back out again for pizza, and back here for the night. I'm bagged!!

Tomorrow it's the Jenolan Caves. I hope there are no big climbs! My quads are killing me.