T minus 6

Today I proudly presented all the documents I'd gathered to the government office that sent me out to get them. But, like Dorothy presenting the Wizard of Oz with the witch's broom, I was met with the response, "Not so fast!" They forgot to mention one more document that needs to be obtained. That document cannot be obtained without several steps and it won't be obtained "so fast" because we fly before all the steps can be completed. Crikey! (a useful expression -- in Australia, which is where we'll be when the document can be obtained -- which most likely it won't be until we're back home).

Today I converted some New Israeli Shekels into Australian Dollars and obtained a supply of US greenbacks. I couldn't get any Singapore Dollars. As for Fiji Dollars, don't even think about it. Except for the Rupees we already have and the Pounds we potentially might spend the one night we are in London, every country we visit on this trip calls its currency by the same name: Singapore, Australia, Fiji, USA and Canada -- all call their currency "the Dollar."  As of this writing, the AUD is worth more than the CAD, which is worth more than the USD, which is worth more than the SGD, which is worth more than the FJD. (You'll be tested on this later).

I found myself feeling a little giddy today over a call I made to Australia. One of the fantasies I have held onto for this trip is to soar above the Australian outback with Razelle in a hot air balloon. I called Alice Springs and arranged with a concessionaire of the "Outback Ballooning" outfit for us to go up in a hot air balloon while we are there. His authentic Australian outback accent and his tendency to repeat, "Good on ya'" made me want to pinch myself. This fantasy is on the way to really being fulfilled . . . if the volcano in Chile doesn't interfere.