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Here we are on St Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

Once a Danish possession, it was purchased by the United States in 1917 as a base for the navy, during WW1.


This was the first time we had Wi-Fi since embarking because we economised on the ship's 'extras'.  Other passengers have been complaining about it. When do people not complain about Wi-Fi?  But I think we may have been taught a lesson - it's hard to do without.

St Thomas was previously Danish so, like Denmark did long ago, they drive on the left.  Yet, as in the US, the cars here are left-hand drive.  It's a reverse of taking an English car to the Continent or in Myanmar where they drive right-hand drive cars, from Japan, on the right.

It's strangely disorienting, and not very safe.

It's a small island and not a big job to reverse the traffic lights.  On September 3, 1967 the whole of Sweden, road tunnels and all, switched sides overnight.  Even Myanmar switched overnight (the wrong way).  Yet something about the US psyche resists change. They can't go metric either.  

The island seems idyllic but it was far too hot.  While Wendy shopped, I just had to find a bar and sit in front of the fan, drinking pina coladas ?.

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Travel

Central Australia

 

 

In June 2021 Wendy and I, with our friends Craig and Sonia (see: India; Taiwan; JapanChina; and several countries in South America)  flew to Ayer's Rock where we hired a car for a short tour of Central Australia: Uluru - Alice Springs - Kings Canyon - back to Uluru. Around fifteen hundred kilometres - with side trips to the West MacDonnell Ranges; and so on.

Read more: Central Australia

Fiction, Recollections & News

The new James Bond

 

 

It was raining in the mountains on Easter Saturday.

We'd decided to take a couple of days break in the Blue Mountains and do some walking. But on Saturday it poured.  In the morning we walked two kilometres from Katoomba to more up-market and trendy Leura for morning coffee and got very wet.

After a train journey to Mount Victoria and back to dry out and then lunch in the Irish Pub, with a Cider and Guinness, we decided against another soaking and explored the Katoomba antique stores and bookshops instead.  In one I found and bought an unread James Bond book.  But not by the real Ian Fleming. 

Ian Fleming died in 1964 at the young age of fifty-six and I'd read all his so I knew 'Devil May Care' was new.  This one is by Sebastian Faulks, known for his novel Birdsong, 'writing as Ian Fleming' in 2008.

Read more: The new James Bond

Opinions and Philosophy

Electricity price increases

 

 

14 April 2011

New South Wales electricity users are to suffer another round of hefty price increases; with more to come.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has announced that electricity prices for the average New South Wales resident will increase by 17.6 per cent from July.  Sydney customers will pay on average about $230 more each year, while rural customers will face an extra $316 in charges.  IPART says it is recommending the increases because of costs associated with energy firms complying with the federal government's Renewable Energy Target (RET).  The RET requires energy firms to source power from renewable sources such as solar or wind.

What is this about and how does it relate to the planned carbon tax?

If you want to know more read here and here.

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