Nora in Australia
This one was dated 8-22
...
Well, I have the flu. Lovely. Yesterday was rough,
had four interviews and a reader's lunch, then the
flight to Cairns and the drive into Port Douglas.We
called to confirm our reservations at the hotel
here, and discovered the travel agent hadn't booked
the kick-butt suite we'd requested but a package
room.
Turned that over to Renya and she got us the
Presidential Suite. LOL. Bill and Hillary slept
here.
Got through the day in a kind of haze, but got it
done. Had a drink in the lobby bar with Renya, her
dh and little girl who'd come in for a family
holiday. Many hugs, then we head to the airport. I
don't feel nearly as bad at this point as I had
earlier. Maybe just knowing work was done for a
bit. We have a limo meet us and head to Port
Douglas. Too bad it was dark. I'm told the drive
along the coast road is a beaut. Very winding,
country dark, and I can see the moon--full but for
a little nail scrape off the bottom--come in and
out of the trees. You can hear the ocean.
Lovely.
We don't get in until after ten. The place is huge.
While we're checking in I can hear the lounge
singer in the sunken lounge on the other end of the
lobby. Like something out of a bad movie. <g>
Bellmen takes us around in a golf cart to see the
suite, and a villa so we can make our choice. The
villa was nice, but the suite was fabulous.
So....We're in the suite. Huge living area with
entertainment center. All done in buffs with deep
colors in the sofa and chairs. Huge glass topped
tables on bases of caved rock. Many tropical plants
in big brown marble pots. A wonderful covered
veranda off the lr. There's a powder room and a
kitchen, complete but for stove. Nobody who stays
here intends to cook. LOL.
Big bedroom with wide windows. All the windows
overlook the lagoon that winds all around the
hotel. There's a pretty little waterfall. But the
bath is the best part. Enormous. Double sinks, huge
glassed in shower, long counters all in the brown
marble. And glory of glories, a big sunken spa tub
surrounded by wide ledges of that marble and edged
with plants with another huge window looking out on
palms and bamboo.
First thing I did was pop a bottle of champagne,
fill that tub with a mountain of bubbles and sink
in.
Slept well, but woke up feverish, aching, stuffed
up and just plain sick. Called for a doc. Cute guy,
took one look at me, had me stick out my tongue,
felt my head and told me I had the flu. Gave BW a
script for antibiotics. I fell back to sleep while
BW went into town to get it filled.
Decided I needed to get out. Took a long shower,
then walked down to the beach with Bruce. The
water's a pale blue-green, surf's gentle, breeze is
very cool. Sat in the sun by the pool for a bit,
then went for a walk. The gardens are amazing. I've
never seen most of these plants. There are paths
that wind here and wind there through wonderful
trees and bushes. Weird birds and something that
looks like azalea but isn't. Papery flowers in
tropical colors. Really lovely. Then there's this
stuff that hangs down and reminds me of Stevie
Wonder's hair, only in dark green.
I ran into Isabel and Steven. Is has a cold, but
nothing quite like my Aussie flu. Steven's a
doctor, told me to keep taking the Nuprin and to
try to sit in the sun a bit more. He diagnoses I'll
be better tomorrow.
They took BW off to look at some rain forest and
drive around. I got myself a manicure and pedicure.
God, the foot massage was worth everything. I know
how nails done in a bright coral. Pretty cool.
Got some fries and a margarita at the pool bar, but
as the sun's gone behind clouds decided to come
back inside for a bit. I may nap. I feel much
better than I did this morning, so I think the
antibiotics are going to work.
We've got a booking for an all day snorkeling trip
to the Barrier Reef on Sun. I won't go if I don't
feel a hundred percent, but I'm going to be very
pissed off if I miss it.
After a very poopy start, today seems okay after
all.
Nora
Also dated 8-22 ... she's still in Cairns ... on
vacation.
Feeling better today. I think I'm definitely on the
mend. Got a call from Amy. Apparently they want me
on Larry King Live. Don't know if we can work this
out while I'm below the equator, but we'll see.
Went for a long power walk, took a turn onto the
beach. Fabulous day here. Sky's very blue and clear
and it's going to be hot. I'm going to keep baking
these germs until they're gone. The beach in long
and flat at low tide, and the sand crabs leave
these incredibly pretty designs with tiny beads of
sand. It looks like someone embroidered on the
beach. And there are these huge great palms with
ferns growing right up the trunk. Lots of
bougenvillea, which is likely misspelled.
I've got a facial at noon, after which BW and I are
going to do some shopping. Want some souvies, and
BW wants a bush hat. <g> That's as ambitious
as I intend to get.
Nora
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