Ancora Imparo -- We are all on our Ls

I got my “Ls”

It's short for "Learner's Permit." When a student passes their written driving test they say they got their "Ls." A year later, they can pass their practical test and then they get their "Ps," which lasts for 2 more years.

When they drive they are required to display a large black "L" with a yellow background on the back of the car. This lets everyone else know this driver is still learning. Perhaps you can give them extra distance. Maybe you'll be more cautious about tailgating if they are going slower than you like. Maybe you’ll try to demonstrate responsible driving. Or maybe you'll just resist the urge to honk and get angry when they make a mistake.

It made me think, what if we all walked around with an "L" on yellow square? Could it remind us to give others some extra space to grow? Would we be less aggressive in our interactions? Would we try harder to set a better example? Maybe we would hold back on angry responses when something they do annoys us.

My mom loves this phrase, "ancora imparo." It means, "Still, I am learning." Michelangelo is purported to have said it when he was 87 years old.

Of course we are all still learning. But we tend to not allow that same continued learning for others. We are disgusted or judgmental if someone makes a mistake or has a setback. We dismiss them as being incompetent or immature, insisting they master items on a timeline and in an order more convenient for us.

To "L" with our judgment. We are all still learning.

In 1 Samuel 16:7 it says, "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." I may have trouble seeing into the heart of everyone, but if I picture them with a big yellow "L," it will probably remind me to see the best in their efforts. I can leave the deeper insights up to the wisdom of the Lord.

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*In Australia the process for getting a driver's license is much longer. 

At age 16, you can take a written test to get a learner's permit. They can drive under supervision of someone who has had a license for at least 4 years. When driving, a large black "L" with a yellow background must be displayed on the back of the car. 

When they are 17 and have completed at least 50 hours of driving, and it has been at least 6 months since obtaining their "Ls," they can take a practical driving test to qualify for a Provisional License that lasts for 2 years. A large white "P" must be displayed with a red background for 6 months, and green background for the remainder of the 2 year period. 

During this time of training the blood alcohol content of the driving cannot exceed 0.00%, even if they are old enough to legally drink. The legal drinking age in Australia is 18. So if the student is getting their license as early as possible, for that year that they are 18 years old there can be NO alcohol at all in their system while they drive. 

Broome Summary

This is the shorter summary of our 4 day trip. If you want to experience it like you were there, start here. It will save you heaps of money. :)

Broome Day 1

Cable Beach was named the third best beach in the world this year by TripAdvisor! And since the other two are not in Australia, that means this is Australia's BEST BEACH! 

I've been to 10 of the first 30 Best beaches in Australia! Most of them are in Western Australia. (Have I mentioned how much I love it here?)

What set it apart for me was not just the beautiful color, but the steady water. The slope of the ocean floor is so slight that the waves just roll, they don't cap and smack you. It looks so still, even a long way out, like it's just been painted the same shade of light blue. It doesn't really get darker in the distance.

Then it was time to ride the camels into the sunset. The "address" for where to go said “north end of Cable Beach past the rocks.” 

The rocks are beautiful. And it’s so covered with shells that I forget to look up. 

The rhythm of the camel was calming.

The moon rose over the bay on our left while the sun set over the water to our right. 

While Henry polished off a dinner of fish and chips, he said, “thank you for planning this trip.” 

No offspring has ever said that. 

We all loved it. It was a great day. And we had three more coming! 

We started Day 2 with a 3 hour bus tour around Broome. My plan was to get a lay of the land along with some interesting facts I wouldn't be able to pick up from plaques or brochures, like this charming tidbit about the community: 

Heavy rains make having gutters pointless and letter boxes on houses a problem. So no homes in Broome have mailboxes. Everyone goes to the post office to collect their letters and parcels. A few years back they considered putting in letter boxes but the people decided they enjoy the social experience of going to the post office to get their mail. 

Gantheaume Point

The lighthouse here no longer needs an attendant. Only the fireplace remains of the caretaker's house. 

There is a private residence there where a man bought the land and built a house and pool for his wife who had arthritis very bad. The salty ocean water was good for her pain. He carried her everyday down to the pool. That is LOVE. Now the house is vacant. It was up for sale at some point but was only in a price range for the extremely wealthy. 

The man who brought his wife here for the therapeutic properties should have used this natural pool instead of building one. But I suppose it would have been hard to carry her here. 

Just behind Henry were a few steps down to a flat area that looks like a perfect jumping point right into the ocean. 

This was at high tide. If it was at low tide, we’d be able to walk quite far out to see dinosaur tracks. Instead they have some replicas up near the path. 

These are dinosaur track replicas. The actual ones can only be seen at very low tide. The difference from low to high is about 8 meters! 

Simpson’s Beach

This is where the harbor is for exports. 

Henry got to see this frilled-neck lizard run across the lawn on its back legs at the Japanese Cemetery and crawl up the tree. 

Courthouse Market

Just after exiting the bus tour, I met Ahmat Bin Fadal at the Courthouse Markets. He sells silk scarves his wife makes. He told me he’s been in Broome for 63 years and used to do pearl diving. After hearing the stories on the bus tour, I felt like I’d just met a celebrity! 

That’s him in that clunky scary looking diving setup

He said he nearly died once. I’m sure he nearly died everyday because it was a dangerous job. It was really cool to meet him! He told me his story was online so I looked it up. 

This beautiful large Boab tree was at the Courthouse Markets

 

After a quick lunch, we went to the Malcom Douglas Crocodile Park. 

“nothing but a dodgy fence separating you from the worst day of your life” --Dale, crocodile feeding presenter at Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park

It’s only a matter of time before there is a tragic accident at the Malcolm Douglas crocodile park. Our experience at Hartley’s Crocodile Park in Cairns 8 years ago instilled a clear understanding of how very strong and dangerous crocodiles are. So when we walked in and saw only a "dodgy" chain link fence separating the humans from the 4 meter crocs, I was alarmed. I saw the handler feeding them chickens with his bare hands, relying on his own timing to pull away before the croc ate his hand off. He also told us more than once that the crocs are more than capable of jumping the fences. And one of them did exactly that just two weeks ago. It begged the question, "Then why do you not have a more secure enclosure while you are escorting families through this area?" The answer seems to be that crocs are extremely territorial and once they settle in to life in their enclosure, they refuse to leave it. But I’d still be more comfortable with more fencing. 

And then. 

THEN. 

 

This bad boy got angry (they are always angry) and peeled back the metal panel between his side and his neighbor with very little effort. While we walked by. Do you know how unsettling it is to hear the sound of metal being reformed by a crocodile when you are 15 feet away? Look closely. That little chain holding the gate shut is no match for his jaws, much less the twisted wire the fence is made of. 

This guy is 4 weeks old. I wasn't worried about him. But he’s probably angry too. 

On the city bus tour that morning, we learned the crocodile park used to be in town, right next to a pub. Sometimes drunk guys would wander into the park after dark and that didn't go well. But one guy did manage to get in--and out--after attempting to *ride* a 4 meter crocodile named Fatso! He did lose some chunks of his leg and spent some time in hospital. 

This is Buddy. He loves human attention so I went to talk to him. I asked him to show me his tail. He bobbed his head and then took a bow.

At certain times of the year, the moon rises over a low tide in Roebuck Bay. The difference between high and low tide here is 7-8 meters in depth and creates long stretches of exposed mud. The reflection of the moon casts light on the wet mud that looks like a staircase leading to the moon. I had been asking around for things to see and do and a friend told me about the Staircase. That helped narrow down the dates I chose.

We could see it happen right from our hotel lawn. The moon came up red orange, creating the perfect backdrop for the continuous mob of bats that started flying in front of it. Our pictures didn’t do it justice, but I had already purchased a professional photo at the market earlier in the day so I could just relax and take it all in. (see below for the most stunning photo!)

The next night, we watched it from Town Beach and saw a group of people out there on the mud taking this photo, only we didn’t know what they were doing until we saw it featured on an instagram site later. 

Broome Day 3

These frangipani trees are everywhere. Some people consider them a weed because they grow and propagate very easily. 

We went to town beach to see the playground. Allen and I were really interested in the memorial about the attack at Broome by the Japanese in 1942. People were trying to evacuate by “flying boats” from Java and had come to Broome to refuel and move on the Perth. They were already somewhat traumatized, thought they had found safety, and then the Japanese attacked. The planes they flew were called "Zeros." 

Broome was heavily populated by Japanese pearl divers. The downtown area was called "Jap Town." But when they were all put in prison, they changed the name to Chinatown. 

We then went to Cable Beach to swim. We had to be sure to be between the lifeguard flags because we are in different waters here with shark, crocodile, and jellyfish. Henry really liked the water. It was warm. There was a sign that said it was 27 degrees. 

Allen and I combed the beach for shells. There were areas with huge piles. As the waves pull back it makes a sound like a windchime as they all clink together. 

I saw loads of tiny hermit crabs from the freshly retreating water as I walked further north among the huge rocks. They hide if they sense your presence, so you have to be still for a few seconds and then they start moving again. 

We came back to the hotel and Henry had a great time at the pool.

Broome Day 4

Charming courtyards inside the shopping center. 

After getting some stamps, we stood in the post office while I wrote messages on all the postcards. Henry wrote one to his best friend Max. 

We walked the shops a bit in Chinatown and then headed to Streeters Jetty. It was high tide and surrounded with creamy green water and mangroves. 

We found a spot at the corner of Short and Carnarvon street where the planes taking off flew directly overhead. We saw a large jet and two boat planes. The airport is right in the middle of town so no matter where you are you'll hear them. 

Allen and Henry got "toasties," which is a sandwich with various fillings toasted in a pan like a grilled cheese sandwich. Henry had tomato, lettuce, avocado, and rashers (ham style bacon). 

We had waited all weekend to go to Millie’s Cafe for lunch. I had a veggie burger with beetroot. I asked what is in the veggie burger. She said it’s “bubble and squeak.” I was like, huh?  She explained “bubble and squeak” is an English term meaning a concoction of mashed potatoes and whatever veggies you have on hand. 

I really loved the description of this art in the middle of a roundabout. 

FUSION: Interwoven Culture

The sculpture has a curved open form that echoes a pearlshell, a boat hull, a tear or water droplet. On each side, basketry encases pearlshells and timbers are bound with pitched rope, just like the skilled craftsmanship of traditional pearling luggers. At the apex of the artwork is a unique symbol with a symmetrical design based on ancient ideograms. Transcendent, it reaches up and beyond, to connect the earth with the sky, the ocean with the stars, family with ancestors and people with place.

It wishes you good fortune and balance in this rocky world.

A camel sculpture outside the Broome Airport

So glad we came. I was a very nice trip in a very beautiful town. 

The white circle in the window is not a glare. It's the full moon riding the sky with us as we fly home. Since we'd seen it in Broome, it was nice to at least take the memory of it with us.