Another one of my memorable moments when I was up in the Blue Mountains was on the first night when I befriended a kindly German chap from Stuttgart. It turns out he is the owner of a quaint café called Muk (which is his name, by the way) in the town of Stuttgart. He specializes in making a special kind of muesli (yes, he actually does!) and good coffee. He is very firm about using organic products and being kind to the environment. It was funny when I bumped into him while doing some grocery shopping in the Katoomba town. He waved and invited me to cook dinner together! It was great fun and he had a good bottle of wine to go with our sumptuous garlic prawns and spaghetti dinner. It was brilliant. I was so glad I had someone who could actually cook – so I learned a thing or two… (As you know, I’m quite helpless – or rather, hopeless – in the kitchen.)

I also met a lovely, lovely Brazilian chicka’ in my hostel room. I initially thought she was only 25 years old – she looked 25 alright! But it turned out, to my utter astonishment, that she was 42 years old!!! If I managed to get a photo with her, I would show you. She is incredibly youthful-looking and youthful-sounding. Turns out she is also a Christian and a singer by profession! It was a wonderful encounter chatting late into the night with someone who shared similar values in life and who also had a taste for solo adventuring.

On one of my last nights, I decided to go out for a sunset walk to see the Blue Mountains at dusk. Before heading out of the hostel, I met a chatty German girl who was an avid rock climber and a nurse by profession (brilliant combination, I know). She was also going to see the sunset! So we decided to go off together. Well… interestingly, we got kind of lost along the way and ended up walking very far off. It started to get dark and we were still nowhere close to the lookout sight unfortunately – and I was getting quite worried! But we forged on with dogged (and rather foolish) determination. Thankfully I had my torch with me. The last of the sunset was beginning to fade just as we arrived at this deserted lookout. The mountains loomed dark and blue and ominous beyond. It was a strange moment. I was afraid – being out there with a stranger, in the quiet of the descending night. We saw the last glowing skies fade out before I hurriedly said, ‘I think we’d better head back now!’

We had a wonderful conversation all the way back, while trying to hitch-hike and get a lift back to town. Unfortunately nobody stopped for us! And a most amusing thing happened when we arrived back. My fellow adventurer turned to me with a breathless smile and said, ‘So, we have been walking for so long and getting lost in the dark and talking so much, now may I ask, what is your name!?’

Yes, suffice to say, it was a rather poignantly funny moment!