Kangabums: May 2012

People Postcard

I love people postcards. I wish I had a really good camera like the National Geographic photographers so I could do a proper photo shoot of interesting people we meet. I would have clicked a few dozen happy snaps of Ray. Let me tell you about Ray...

Read his shirt. It says it all.

When you check into a caravan park, you never know what to expect. Not that I'm an expert by any means, because this is the first time we've ever travelled in a four wheeled home. Each caravan park has its own ethos and you can only discover it by visiting the bathrooms. Upon arrival, you check in, either with doubtful uncertainty or excited anticipation. But, after a few different stays in both kinds of caravan parks, we stayed in 'The Grand Pines' caravan park, on the shores of Botany Bay, Sydney, New South Wales. This is where I met Ray.

We landed at The Grand Pines, and Emma and I were quick to spot a black and white rabbit hopping around a motorhome, which looked well inhabited as the grass was growing up around the tires. I quickly ran into our moveable home and grabbed some salad leaves. We snuck up to the camper and tossed the lettuce around to the bunny who was more than happy to indulge. Then we snuck back to our cement pad and watched.

Soon,the black and white bunny was nibbling away and the campervan door opened. Out came a rather diminutive man to check on what was fed to the bunbun. My family gets quite fed up with me on many occasions because I wander off and talk to people and they are usually waiting for me. I wandered over to make sure the rabbit wasn't on a restricted diet started chatting with Ray about 'Bugs' and how he was left by someone, so Ray became his new keeper. Bugs was rather shy and only really lived under Ray's trailer.
I started to ask him about where he was from and it turns out that he in on a 47 year long road trip, but decided to stay parked in Sydney for a few weeks to get new glasses and take care of a few things. Ray has travelled to 98 different countries, lived on hippy communes, visited most of the U.S. states, moved through the Middle East and beyond. He is a doctor by trade, so many people invited him to stay with their packs! Hey, who can argue with free health advice! In finding accomadation, Ray buys a new campervan each time he goes and lands. He is quite the connoiseur of caravans. The U.S has the best ones, he says. But the quality is declining and now Oz is holding first rank! In any case, Ray has stories to share and travelling wisdom that should be recorded.
Ray also looks after a rogue batch of top knot pigeons and rainbow lorikeets that seem out of place in a trailer park. But, they have the best time flitting around, waiting for their morning gruel. Ray creates a lovely mixture of fructose, water, and high energy bird seed and puts it out into a converted pop bottle. The gathering of the lorikeets is a pleasure to watch because they are playful scoundrels that roll and goof off. I was watching them in the dead tree branches and the first to land on the branch is pushed off the end by the next to land. They take tiny steps, nudging until all of the birds drop off the end and then they get the best spot at the end of the branch. Then, every so often a bullying pack of giant cockatoos swoops through the park and sends everyone ducking for shelter.

Our happy home

Lorikeet Party before the arrival of the Cockatoo Gang

Ray was also a hero at giving directions. I asked him how to get into Sydney from the caravan park and he told us exact directions for buses, subways and ferries, times included. That saved us considerably because having to drive the Britz through Sydney, find parking and navigating the roads would have been akin to eating peanut butter slathered saltines--slow and painful! I didn't have much time to chat with Ray after our arrival because we would get up at 7:00 am and get the hell into Sydney to do as much as possible...

Sydney

Wonderstruck. That's what happens when you first see the Harbour bridge and the Opera House. It's like the first time you see something that you have imagined for a long time and then finally meeting it. Starstruck...You just stand there and go,'Oh my God! I am really seeing this!' After the initial sighting, you breath. Then you think. Wait a minute?! Is this how I imagined it after seeing the Disney movie Finding Nemo? After watching the 2000 Millenium Fireworks on TV? After the Sydney Olympics? Uh, yes and it's even more magnificent. It's beauty does not lay in it's vastness. It lays in the exact opposite! I thought the Opera House would be isolated on a peninsula, standing alone. It's sitting comfortably close to friends, the bridge, a beautiful causeway, facing stunning old residences on the other side and coves. It's as if these famous structures are just having a quiet tea together.
All we could do upon arrival out of the subway was to immediatly start the photo frenzy! Quick take a picture of that! And that! As if it would disappear within seconds. It was a common sight we noticed after 20 minutes. The visitors to the Circular Quay all experience the same effect. Stop, drop and stare...and then start the photo frenzy. Soon we decided to follow along with all of the crowds as we had no idea where we were going. We ended up going to the Rocks.

Bonnie enjoying a taste of a smooth melted chocolate drink

The Rocks is one of the oldest places in Sydney. It was the first place convicts were dropped off and left. It's a rugged looking area, rather steep, but has been settled with great winding alleyways to wander through. We stumbled upon a terrific market that was blocks long and full of interesting art work, clothes and food. Emma was trying on a few new looks here. We couldn't decide which face suited her best. Any suggestions?

Shopping at the market

Just up ahead is the bridge. You actually have to walk a few blocks out of the way to get onto it. We were going to do the Bridge Climb, which you can do for a mere 200.00/person! But, after we looked into it, we realized that we'd rather just walk across it and go to fancy restaurants with the money. These climbs last about 3 hours and you are basically tied into a chain gang line and tethered to different parts of the bridge. People are not allowed to bring ANYTHING over the bridge! No cameras, cellphones, sunglasses. Even if a coin dropped out of your pocket, it could drop and hit someone causing them serious injury. We saw groups heading up onto the various points of the bridge and wierldy, it made me think of convicts! We did walk the bridge a few nights later which was extraoridnary! It was warm, and starry and suddenly while we were halfway across, fireworks started going off.

See those itty bitty people on top?

Sydney Opera House

Well, you know you are in a preeeettty spectacular place when the bathrooms are probably the coolest thing you ever seen, and to take a tour is a mere $50.00 per person for an hour. But, every minute was worth it! Our tour guide snuck us through each of the 4 theatres,the opera theather, concert hall, and smaller drama venues. At the concert hall, we got lucky and saw the Australian Ballet practicing for their opening night with the symphony. We got to go into the recording studio that Cold Play had been in to record an album. And, the Opera Theatre was a marvel to see. There are all sorts on little stories about things in the building, like the royal purple carpet that lined one of the foyers. The was laid down for the grand opening in 1973, with the expectation that Queen Elizabeth would walk up the staircase ceremoniously. But, in fact, they ended up using another foyer for her arrival. Also, over 1 million tiles are covering the sea shell shapes.

These tiles have only been washed a few times, once being for the opening of the Sydnye Olympics in 2000. The guide told us that in fact, the rain washes them completely clean each time it falls and that they are clean enough to eat off of.

The Opera House was designed by an architect from Denmark, but he actually never made it to see the finished masterpiece. He was basically forced to resign as head architect after the plans, money and time were building in frustration for the Australian governement in 1965, almost a decade after the building started. It was completed in 1973. Two decades later, there were some changes made to the building, and Jorn Utzon had a reception hall named after him. He never made it to see the building and died in 2008.

By Night

In front of the Harbour Bridge

The very unusal domes were challenging to say the least. The engineers had many different attempts of creating these semi-domes. In the end, it was Jorn, who presented them with a semi-sphere and showed how he invisioned the shapes to have been all cut out of it, like a round cake.

I want this as my next birthday cake shape

Dymock's

Emma caught this on camera during the storm

Darn it that Superdry wasn't opened!

There's an awful lot of temptation in Sydney, food, shopping, beaches. We hit a great time to be there because the first night we got caught downtown when a GIGANTIC lightning storm hit. It was totally crazy running with all of the other groups of people from one awning to another. Luckily we hit this amazing 3 story bookstore called Dymock's. Bookies beware. This store will cause your eyes to glaze over just window shopping. I ended up buying a bunch of books from Steve Parish. He's a photographer of all of these crazy and totally endearing animals that live here.The Cheeky Kookaburra is my favorite right now. Sometimes the best literature belongs to young kids. But hey, I'm not proud. I'm going to have to start sending them home in envelopes because to bring the whole set at once could be a BIG BILL~!

Fireworks over Opera House

On our last day in Sydney, we jam packed as much as possible into our 14 hour day. We shopped, then took a ferry out to Manley Beach, had lunch, came back, took a bus to Bondi Beach, went back to the harbour to go through the Sydney Contemporary Art Museum which was TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS and Brian actually loved, then China town for dinner, and we decided to hop on the monorail which goes around above the streets. They have every kind of transportation you could imagine there and buying a ticket for the day definiately paid for itself over and over. Buses, Trams, Subways, Ferries! Anyway, we did have to pay for the monorail ticket and were happy to jump on into our own little compartment of 8 seats. The first time we went around, we took pictures and were pretty quite as we were tired. Then, having forgotten where we got on, we went around again. Suddenly at one stop, a WHOLE bunch of girls and moms got on. My head said, Field Trip class, Car of Eight SEATS, GO AWAY! But, it turned out only to be 6 multiaged girls and their moms who were on term break, as we were. They had come into Sydney for the day and were also doing a marathon tourist day. In the end, we had such a great time, that we decided that we should order pizza at the next stop, get balloons and streamers and wait til we got kicked off! Too much fun! But, we did eventually get off because we still had one thing left to do.
Walk over the harbour bridge. It was a warm and clear night so walking across was very pleasant. They have secruity guards that peruse the bridge around the clock. In any case, we hit the halfway point and suddenly fireworks started going off from the Opera House. Just as were watching, a security guard sauntered back and I asked what was the special occasion for the fireworks. He said it was because we were there! I'm glad that they realized we were important!

Beaches, Beaches and MORE Beaches

Me, making a full course dinner of Spaghetti Bolognese in the Tin Can

GO ANNA! Well, she' s 4 foot long goanna that we found wandering in a campground!

I won't lie. Because that'd be mean and wouldn't be telling you the whole truth. Australian beaches are a Canadian's DREAM! We hit quite a few on our Tin Can excursion. Rough, rugged, placid, peaceful and altogether amazing. Empty of people for the most part, we had them to ourselves. I liked it though when we met people and dogs. I do think that dogs and maybe babies are the tickets to striking up a chat. On one beach, at Bonny Hills along the coast of New South Wales, we met a lovely couple with two special dogs and their owners. Now, these two gentle dogs have a story to share. They are not Australian born pups, but come from Vancouver! Their owners, a wonderful semi-retired couple, moved to Bonny Hills from Oregon and are staying put. The doggies had to spend 2 months in quarantine in Canada before being shipped first class doggie compartment, to Sydney, only to spend another month in quarantine before breaking out to freeeedooom! I think they know that they are special!

Children here, God bless them, give their weary teachers chocolate bunnies, boxes of chocolates and chocolate Easter eggs the day before the term break. I think this tradition should be started in Alberta! But, you have to remember that they don't get the luxury of overdose candy mania at Halloween here. In any case, I toted my stash along and placed it in a secret compartment in the Tin Can and pulled it out on Easter Sunday. Then we met up with a family from Quebec, notw stationed in Sydney and their Croatian Home Stay student at the BBQ pit.

Chocolate Easter bunny sharing Festival

We decided to meet up on the beach when the sun set to share our Easter Chocolate Collections with each other. THen we all went for a late night swim!

Every morning when we went to the beach, we'd find these odd little structures in the sand. I was fascinated and dedicated my time to figuring out what they were. As nothing was coming out of the small holes, I began digging and to my surprise, they are each a home to a little crab. But, I couldn't figure out how they were making these sand balls until I felt the wind sweep up. It turns out, that they dig their little tunnels each morning, and pile the sand up around it. By no way are they master ball builders. It's the wind that does the work. The wind blows the small particles of sand around, and just like you build a snowball at home, the sand sticks and soon makes balls. Hmm...I wonder if those crabs know how to build snowmen!

The Blue Mountains

Bonnie helping the Moon come up

Okay, I admit, I'm a Rocky Mountain snob. Being born in the Rockies in Montana, then having the pleasure to live with in driving distance to the rugged sharptoothed Albertan Rockies, I've been spoiled. So when people suggested that we go to the Blue Mountains, I had to adjust my steering, in my brain that is. Yes, mountains can be beautiful in other places, and no doubt, the Blue Mountains make it into the Mountain Hall of Fame. These mountains, albeit not the tallest and sharpest, have a distinctive quality that cannot be found elsewhere. For, they are blue. The eucyluptus leaves on the gum trees emit a shiny oil that makes a purplish blue tinge in the air. AND, to boot, they are rainforests in the lower regions! We camped a few days in Katoomba and Blackheath. When you arrive at the bottom of the Blue Mountains, you are in for an upward climb of towns! There is a train line that runs up to each of the towns, pretty much parallel to the main highway. I suspect many people use this as a commuter train to Sydney.

Beautiful rainforest at the bottom of Blue Mountains

The Australian Aboriginal Legend of the Three Sisters

Bookshop in Katoomba

Me and a chilling out dog in Katoomba

Katoomba is like walking into a hippy village. The main street is a VERY steep uphill climb, and there are probably as many pipe smoking stores as chemists. Great place to walk and find inner peace and solitude...if you get my drift. And just outside of Katoomba, there is a very different scene. It's called Scenic World! So very strange to see this, although they have done a great job of keeping it free from a Disney atmosphere of unreal superficialness. YOu see, there are 3 jutting peaks, reaching out of the depths of the Blue Mountains, called the Three Sisters.

The Three Sisters, Blue Mountains

The Three Sisters, in Alberta

Two of the Three Sisters in the Australian Aboriginal legend

Hmm, we Rocky Mountain lovers may see a coincidence to the Three Sisters in Canmore? So, the Australian story goes, that there were three sisters in Katoomba's tribe that fell in love with three brothers from another tribe farther away. The dad was mad, as most would be, and turned them to stone. Speaking of which, there's this plateau in Southern Alberta that looks suspiciously like Ayer's Rock!

Ready to drop 400 m in a cage

As you wander into Scenic World, you have your choice of taking a taking a cableway, a railway or a tramway to see the Blue Mountains and the rainforest below. We decided to do all three! The railway takes you down 400 meters at the steepest railway incline in the world, the CableWay takes you back up through the rainforest and the Tramway takes you across a 270 drop clear bottomed sky tram. But, the best part was definitately winding your way down on the walking 3 km trails to go through the rainforest, seeing the different kinds of trees and plants and then realizing there were no toilets!

It used to be coal mining territory, but they realized thankfully that the environment was too precious and stopped the nonsense!

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Going over the skytrain was like walking on clear ice. It has a plasma screen in the bottom that is opaque when you get in, but then once you are out over the valley, the guide says, Look Down, and the bottom clears. The trees from up there looked like broccoli batches!

The original rail ride that took miners down

The warning going down the railway

Jamison Valley, Rainforest below

Vines from the rainforest growing on Emma's head

Bonnie found this land bound WW2 submarine in a small town where we stopped

These are cockatoos. What do you call a group of them?

Beautiful sunset.

Emma waking up after choosing to sleep under the stars

Our two week trip felt like we drove to Russia and back, but really, we were never more than about eight hours from home. The whole experience was like going into the Phillipsburg Candy Shoppe in Montana. Do you indulge all of your money in one place, savoring the delight and flavour being satisfied that you've seen one place completely? Or, do you quickly fill you bag with all kinds of treats, but only getting to eat a bit? I know that I could have eeeeeaasssily filled one week in Sydney along. Oh well, next time.

As close as we got to One Direction

So, travelling in the Britz Tin Can had it's advantages and also it's challenges. Eleven days on the road often left for crabby space seeking travellers and frustration levels mounted. Thankfully, one could always escape to the beach or nearest bathroom facilities. As the girls have always wanted to travel in a campervan, they finally had their chance. I think perhaps I will never be a Snowbird as I like to leave my snail shell at home and be able to freely move about. But, in the end, it cost us, we figure, as much as a four nights stay at the Four Seasons Hotel on the Sydney Harbour Waterfront where the crazy frenetic British Boy band was staying, One Direction. Of course, this would have been Bonnie's choice. But then again, I was kind of getting used to eating one course dinners, salad wraps and drinking wine from a plastic cup.

Back on the Home Front

Shepparton has STALKERS

Don't be alarmed. The stalkers I'm talking about wait for me to get out of bed. They are watching from outside this beautiful floor to ceiling windowed house, waiting for the slightest movement inside. As soon as they see me, the take down begins! I stealthily sneak into the kitchen without turning on the lights. I can make coffee quietly and without too much movement now. But NO!! They've spotted me! They zoom over and start tapping on the windows. Ok, they are my friends the magpies. Now I admit that I have a soft spot for these pumped up chicks. The four of them love me, or love the cheese I give them. I can see how lonely bird people start thinking that they have friends in birds. They are loyal, watch out for you and make nice sounds. Ya, all in the name of cheese.

Occasionally one will come in and have a party

Here's the thing about these guys. Because the weather is changing, yes, it is getting cooler, they arrive about twice the size in the morning! They plump up to keep the warmth in, much like me. Then, they get bigger and bigger and suddenly let out the most amazing sound! It's like they explode out a huge chortle and then they settle down to the business of eating. Speaking of birds, when a flight of cockatoos sails overhead, ususally about 20 or so, the world stops talking below. Not only to stare at their grace and beauty, but because you can't hear yourself think! Bonnie told me that when they fly over the classrooms at Wanganui, the teachers just sigh and wait for them to move on. No point in trying to over talk them. They ARE loud!

Twinkies, Poptarts and Mrs. Cubbison's Stuffing
Where else can you buy these delicacies but America, as they say here? Well, look no further than the USA Store in Melbourne! Our friends the Di Petta's told us that if we were badly missing home we should go there. So, we did. We weren't missing home too much but who can resist a twinkie. So, thankfully our GPS had heard of this and we got to a little shop in a very far away place. Sadly, twinkies were $10.00/box, which I guess is just another reason not to indulge, and everything else was DEAR!! Dear here means expensive. We did buy a case of Dr. Pepper and some Frank's hot sauce though!

Astroturf Catfish
Let your brain query this for a moment...
So, the kids at Grahamvale in grade 5/6 started to run. They started training for the Cross Country race and were out everyday for 30 minutes doing laps around the various parts of their playground. First down the orchard fence, then under the undercover area, around the art and drama portables, through the astroturf, passing by the Digger James playground, and under the macadamian nut tree and then through the parking lot. On one particularly wet morning, after a HUGE rainstorm in which we couldn't send the kids home until it passed, we all headed out to the race track. First one of the kids and a teacher stopped to stare down the manhole drain. They poked around a bit and I asked what they were looking for. Catfish, of course. It turns out that when they get fierce rains like that, the water from the channel comes up through the drains and overflows. In doing so, little catfish, who are on the endangered species list here, come up as well. This also happens occasionally on the astroturf as there is a manhole in it as well! I asked some little kids later just for clarification. I said, What do you find on the astroturf area after the rain? They just looked at me and said, Catfish, and skipped off jovially. So there you go, Astroturf Catfish.

Tobacco Farming

I met Julie's mom on warm sunny day, on a highway to carry out a secret mission of a drop/pick of Frog dog. We got chatting and it turns out that they live on a farm, which used to be a tobacco farm in Myrtleford, Victoria. The Australian government decided to ban tobacco farming a few years back, which left many large plots of land empty. The problem that the McGuffie's faced was that you cannot use the land for anything now. Due to all of the fertilizers containing some nice things like arsenic and cyanide, the land was rendered toxic. She said that they aren't really allowed to grow crops for livestock food and it takes years for the chemicals to leach through. I'm no expert so my info here could be somewhat challenged. It is an interesting and yet very sad outcome to generations of farmers in the area though.

Deb's Day Out

If you are a grade 11 girl, you have a choice to make. Do you or don't you? What will your parents think? Who will you do it with? And, when you do find the right guy, he cannot decline your invitation, by unwritten rule. You may have even asked the worthy young man many years before while playing on the Digger James in Grade 6! THat my dear readers, is the Deb. Debutant Ball that is. We learned that the Deb Ball is big. Those girls who do, start early. Dance lessons, ask the lucky boy who can't say no, and then there is the dress. White, fancy and expensive!! THe hair, the beautification, the glamour and the tickets in hand, they proceed to a posh affair to share their 'coming out'. Boys where gloves too!

Dan Murphy's

A small bottle of brandy that Brian wouldn't let me buy.

I think I may have discussed this insignificant distraction to my day. That of AUSTRALIAN WINE! Oh, perhaps I have mentioned it before. Okay, sarcasm aside, I love wine here. And when you have Dan Murphy's to contend with, you have to budget both your bank and your liver accordingly. Dan's has miles and miles of wine selection. I love when you go and it's kind of like Costco on Saturday. You just hop from sample to sample. I'm wondering if it would inappropriate for me to start bringing little tupperware containers of cheese and crackers to enjoy with the sampling. Spirits galore and they even have their own catalogue to help guide you through the maze of amazingness. The Clear Skins brands are cheap, cheep, CHEAP! These are the bottles with generic labels where the wine was overstocked or something like this. They are risky for getting good Cabernet, but at 4.00 a bottle, sometimes it's worth the risk. We will be doing a Yarra Valley Wineries tour before the end of our stay.

Bunny Nation

I remember when I was in grade 5 and the teacher was talking about oscillation of animal populations and how the rabbits in Australia took over. Well, we found out where they live. Behind the channel, there is a forgotten graveyard of cement construction supplies. After one particularly tiring day, I needed some nature gazing, so I took Frog across the channel bridge and illegally trespassed onto the farm paddock behind. Within seconds, the grasses started swaying and my first thought was SNAKES! Frog wasn't fazed by the rustling but then suddenly a burst of bunnyhood hopped out from all directions. I rather enjoyed the show as they darted hither and tither to holes in the cement. But, later when I told Julie about our adventure this is what she wrote, word for word:

Bunny Nation also known as Snake Gully. Sent a shiver down our spines hearing that you went there. Hope you wear big boots and make lots of noise!

The kids at school told me that snakes would be hibernating now. Guess I won't be going back there to find out.

First of May is Hats OFF DAY!

Beauty leaves

And other seasonal disorientation problems. I still can't believe that back home is blooming with the joys of spring and red robins! I'm confused by the months and the changing of the leaves. The darkness falls at 6:00 pm and it's outdoor soccer season! As beautiful as the colours are, it just seems WRONG! Fall is here, winter is coming and it's getting cooler. Especially in the mornings. But, thankfully we have these lovely mattress warming machines and fleece lined tights (another couple of things I'm bringing home). But the good news for the students of Grahamvale is that they get a break from bad hat hair. First of May was 'hats off day!' The sun isn't beating down with the ferocity of January. They have free hair until the first of September, when of course, spring begins.

Another occurence is the paddock burning happening all around. When we first saw it we became worried because all summer the commericals on the radio and TV were about having a Bush Fire Plan. On February 7, 2009, 173 people perished in Black Saturday. The temperature rose to 46 degrees in parts of Victoria and with 100km/hour winds, you can imagine. We lowered the flag on Februrary 7 and had a minutes silence.

The paddocks burning though, is a controlled burn that happens all over the place in this agricultural bowl of the Golburn Valley. You can look up into the sky and see different towers of smoke. But as quick as they are there, they disappear. Here's a picture of the area behind Bunny Nation burning.

AUSSIE RULES FOOTIE

I have never been a real sport watcher, but I could be easily sidelined to sit and scream for this game. HOLY MOLY! Action packed and fan driven excitement! We had the chance to go see the Anzac game at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) on Anzac Day. Now, Anzac Day is like Remembrance Day, but it is a memorial day for tens of thousands of young Australian and New Zealanders in WW1 who fought at Gallipoli. This is such a sad story. I learned about it with the students at Grahamvale and was quite stunned at the history here. It is worth reading about.

So, the Anzac Day Game began with 86,953 people honouring the soldiers in complete and utter silence. Then the trumpet plays and the game begins. I've never been any where with that many people all focused on one thing. Unreal! The excitement and passion for the game is incredulous! One cannot sit there in and not get swept into the fanaticism! Plus, we were in the third row and there was no hope but to pick a team to barrack for and yell our faces off between bites of 4 and 20 meat pies! So, I stood proudly for the Collingwood Magpies while they beat Essedon by one point! CRAZY~!! There were supporters of Essedon with looonnngg saaaaddd faces leaving afterward. Heads in hands, while the Magpie supporters chanted the song. Loved it, loved it LOVED IT!!

This game is nonstop fun to watch! It's a mixture of rugby, a bit of American football, and gladiator style take downs. And, the whistle doesn't stop play! I'm going to start a club in Edmonton when I get back with the neighbours. Thanks Di Petta Family for taking us!

View from our seat

The girls showing support for the 'Pies

A true magpie fan

Budgie Smugglers

I cannot part without mentioning this story. We had to vote on whether or not we agree with budgie smugglers for a persuasive writing Professional Development day recently. Then they showed a picture to us all, just to drive home the point. I was shocked as I am with animal abuse of any kind. In any case, my shock turned to embarassment when I realized that a budgie smuggler is another name for Speedo, the itsy bitsy men's bikini, also known as the banana hammock back home. So, be free little budgies!

ANd just to leave you with a few thoughts...