131 - ON THE ROAD XVI

Nullarbor, before crossing to Western Australia

The funny thing is that when we decided on this route a lot of people looked at us strangely and asked us why we didn't do the usual one, the other way, that is, going to see the beaches along the pacific coast and that there was nothing to do in South and Western Australia and it was easier in a lot of ways for two women. Boy they were wrong. While we are sure it's gorgeous, we were dying to see the desert of the Nullarbor and the coast in WA; less people, less known, more of an adventure (as much of one that you can have nowadays). It was high summer, hot in ways I've never experienced, and more than a few people kind of scared us. 

We didn't shower for days, ate strange vegetable and pasta salads and peanut butter, sweated throughout the van seats, made the most horrible complaining noises when we got out of the van (it was like a slap of hot unbreathable air), drank gallons of water because we kept sweating like crazy, despite the AC (which we hated with a passion, but it was necessary), we had headaches that burned our eyes, and the impression that the dry gum trees were clawing a path to our brains… but we still think it's one of the best things we ever did. 

I still remember the woman we met on our first night with our new (and free!) van, in a camp site in Kimba, with whom we chatted for a while when she asked us what route we wanted to do and why… after hearing us, she smiled and said "good girls!". She knew we were going to love it.