Date: 2008-09-01
From: Baldplate Lean-to

To: Hall Mtn Lean-to
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

It was up over the Baldplate Mountains, and the wind was howling. I ducked down behind some rocks and steadied my nerves and decided to get up and at them. Above tree line there was a perfect blue sky and the wind was blowing me sideways, dispensed with the sticks and used all fours to keep myself steady. Once at the top the views were spectacular. The Whites in the distance to the south, rows of mountains all around, large lakes and glacial ponds. Took shelter behind a large cairn and stared out to the north and my heart sunk a little at the realization that there were many mountains still to climb, much more effort was required. The descent was crazy, straight down steep slab rock, I met a couple at the top who said they were glad it was not them going down. It was another case of trust your shoes and prey, and shake your head once again in disbelief at what they expect you to descend. I am a thru hiker, not a mountain goat. Climbed over Surplus Mtn and descended down to East B Hill Road. Took a stock take of my food and decided to skip Andover and headed on. Another climb over Wyman Mt and made it to the Hall Mtn Lean-to where I met a group from Harvard University out on an orientation hike. Many college groups have been on trail over the last week, excited youngsters preparing to start a new phase of their life, and I must say the trail is a perfect start. What I noticed about Americans is just how completely unaware they are about my country; Australia is completely off the radar. To most Americans all they know about Australia comes from the Crocodile Dundee movies, a single Simpson episode, and Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter who informed everyone that Australia has lots of dangerous animals. Just about every person on the trail asked me the same stupid questions over and over again. One of the first questions they asked me, ¢Do you like Fosters?¢ From here things just tended to go downhill, people would ask me questions that included:Did I personally know Mick Dundee or Steve Irwin? Do Kangaroos jump down your main streets?Have I eaten Kangaroo, what does it taste like?Is your country really full of dangerous snakes?Do you like Vegemite, have you bought some along on this trip, and can I try some?Does the water in the toilet bowl really spin the other way?Was I devastated when Steve Irwin died?Does my whole country love Russell Crowe?From here they would start making requests, and these included:Can you say - that¢s not a knife, that¢s a knife?Can you say - a dingo ate my baby?Can you say that word Steve Irwin always says ¢ Crickey?The questions and requests would finally run out, because basically these inquiries are the sum totals of what most Americans know about Australia. To begin with I was not so sure what to make of all this, but then I started to amuse myself with it all. I would pretend that it was the first time that anyone had asked me these questions and patiently go through all the answers in a much-rehearsed manner. Not so much for my own benefit, but for that of the Americans I was walking with. Most had asked the exact same questions upon first meeting me, and I found it hilarious to watch their faces as new hikers we met on the trail, or people we met in the towns went through the same list. Not only was I beginning to understand just how silly the average American was, but they were also starting to realize it. They would look at me and say are we really this stupid?This is only the start of it, so many others asked me even stranger and shall I say stupider questions, and here is a list of some of the best:Do you have malls in Australia?Do you drink beer in Australia?What month is it in Australia?Do you have Chinese food in Australia?At times I just did not even know how to answer such questions, where does one even start?My accent was mistaken by at least half Americans as British, Irish, and even Scottish. When I would correct them and tell them I was Australian they would tell me well it all sounds the same. Can you imagine if I said that all Americans sound the same as the Scots? Almost no one knew the capital of Australia, had no idea of the names of our states; they would always get the pronounciation of our major cities wrong. Few Americans could pinpoint my home state of Victoria on a map, most Americans it seems struggle with their own geography. They certainly had no idea who our prime minister is, and the type of political system we have, but then again most Australians have difficulty with that one. What is causing this total lack of general knowledge? Is it even a problem, I got into many interesting conversations on these matters as we walked up the trail, and it was fascinating to listen to the reasons put forth. The average thru hiker is definitely very intelligent and well educated, higher than the average American, so what would the average American do in a general knowledge test of Australia? It is frightening to even think about it.The good news is that I was able to inform many Americans about all things Australian, and I must say my very best student was Briar. He now can boost a well-rounded knowledge on many topics related to my country. It may only be one person and I have another 300 million odd to go, but hey it is a start.