Blue Mountains

Anticipating the alarm clock to buzz, I was up five minutes before our 5 AM wake up call. We had an hour to be on the Milsons Point platform, then change trains at Central for the Blue Mountain Line scheduled to leave promptly at 7:18 AM. Before making it to the platform, we still needed tickets. We could not purchase them ahead of time, so we stood there freezing to death waiting for the ticket window to open. As we waited, we were entertained by an elderly couple who apparently needed one ticket but did not want to wait. Scott and I witnessed the 70 or 80 – something year old woman crawl on her hands and knees under the gate stall. It will not open unless you have a valid ticket. We could not believe our eyes. We made it to our mountain locomotive with enough time to spare giving us an opportunity to select the perfect deserted train car for a peaceful two and a half hour ride. Five minutes before we depart a large group of LOUD Asian tourists piled into our coach. So much for the early tourist gets the best seats! ;-)
We were welcomed with gorgeous, cloudless blue skies coupled with the slight bitter breeze of crisp, cigarette smoke filled mountain air. Yes, here we are in the beautiful Blue Mountains, getting away from the city smells, only to find those foul smells have followed us here. It was COLD. The high for the day was 42. It had snowed a couple of days before. And you haven’t felt cold unless you’ve had to go to the bathroom so bad that you will but your warm bottom on a cold steel toilet seat. Their public restrooms are not heated. Poor Morgan cried in pain. It was painful, especially when we had to wash our hands with cold water, and there were NO towels. I was the only one without gloves. Needless to say it was our first purchase of the day. Despite the cold, cigarette smoke, and rude tourists, we had an incredible time. Our photos and video don’t come close to showing the beauty and grandeur of what the Blue Mountains offer. Though Scott and I will quickly admit the Smokey Mountains are more spectacular.