Australia Nov 21, 2012

Today we landed in Sydney and it is our first day off the ship.  We stored our suitcases in the hotel we will be returning to and then headed to the train station with minimal bags and left for the Blue Mountains.  It was a gorgeous day today with sunshine and cloudless skies temps in the 70s.  The train ride was very smooth and quiet because it is an electric train.  It is about a two hour ride from Sydney to the Blue Mountains.  Upon arriving in Katoomba we made arrangements with a hop on hop off bus to take us to the hotel and drive us around for two days to do some sightseeing.  We decided to travel the circuit at least once before planning our stops.  Since the bus service was ending by 5 we only got off at one stop which was echo point.  It was a beautiful overlook reminding me of the magnificence of the Grand Canyon.   The areas we saw were deep canyons but not as deep as the Grand Canyon.  The plan is to go into town and catch the bus again tomorrow morning and do the whole circuit. It is our first day to not have unlimited food and service all around so it has become a bit of an adjustment, both good and bad.  The blue comes from the haze of the Eucalyptus trees of which there is and abundance