Yesterday we left Liz’s auntie and uncle’s place in Kansas. After 3 weeks of the most generous hospitality, Overland Park, Kansas City really feels like a second home and we’ll be heading back there for Christmas. Thanks to Liz’s uncle, Jim for building us the most awesome 5 ply wooden bed for the back of our van. And thanks to her auntie, Lois for the 21 day Scrabble Competition - we’ll need to get that 50 year old dictionary updated before the 2010 Christmas Scrabble Major League kicks off. (AKA the 2010 CSML)
From Kansas City we headed to Boulder, Colorado - about 45 mins NW of Denver (at the bottom of The Rockies). The trip took us across the entire state of Kansas. Don’t get me wrong, Kansas is a beautiful place but once you’ve seen 2 miles of prairies, the other 600 are a big of a grind. There’s one interesting stop along the way though; the world’s largest prairie dog. Liz and I never had the pleasure of checking it out, but apparently it’s a 15 foot statue of a prairie dog. You can also go out there to check out rattle snakes, baby pigs, the six legged steer (that’s right - 6 legs; the same as a bumble bee), and a whole eclectic mix of farm animal mutants. As you can imagine, Liz and I were devastated that we didn’t have time to make the detour.
Once crossing the border into Colorado the scenery doesn’t change much; that’s until The Rockies emerge from the horizon in all their grandeur. I can’t explain how huge they are compared to that speed hump in Australia, Mt Kosciuszko. They go on forever, each one higher that the other, and snow capped even in the height of summer.
We’re staying in a hostel in Boulder, which is a university town. It’s probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Our hostel sits among the frat. houses of rich university kids who drive around in their parents’ Audis and range Rovers. The main street is a bustle of bars, restaurants, street performers, and music. For a town so abundant in wealth, there is a massive homeless population which I found both strange and sad.
Today Liz and I took the bus from Boulder into Denver. We checked out the art gallery, the famous 16th St Mall, and the Museum of Nature and Science. They had that Body Worlds display on, where all the human bodies are dissected and pulled apart. Definitely worth the look. Another interesting thing that was happening in Denver this weekend was the Denver Pride Festival - support and advocacy for Colorado’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population. I saw lots of interesting stores and received lots of curious pamphlets. I wish I had a camera because there was one guy sitting cross legged in the park, who was the spitting image of Elton John, and was eating a sausage - no bun, no sauce, just one big, plain sausage. I think a photo of him would have wrapped up what the day was all about. I would have put his photo up with the caption, “Denver Pride Festival” and there would be no need for questioning.
Denver is a great place, and I’m so glad we stopped here.
Tomorrow liz and I head bush!!…….for a bush walk. That’s not still talking about the Pride festival. The day after we head into the mountains to Estes Park. This is the next leg of our trip.
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