June 24th, 2014
I got to sleep in a little bit before heading out to wait for my bus. Right before I left, the hostel's fire alarm went off. I was glad I was not inside because it was extremely loud. A man named George met me and took me to the bus. He was from aboriginal descent and extremely friendly. There were already 6 people on the bus. Two I had met on the skyrail a few days earlier. We had to take care of a few things before we were off to Cape Tribulation. George explained the history of Cairns and how it was primarily for cane sugar before the tourism industry. Along the way he also told stories about his family's history in that area. Wee took a short tea stop and had some Timtams.
We eventually went to a walking trail where George explained what the plants were and what they were used for by his people.
Cassowary Fruit 
He also told stories about the rainforest animals. The forest hens mate for life and use these huge mounds to lay their eggs. George has never hunted them because the legend is "if one dies, the other dies in sorrow." He once had a man on his tour that had hunted one. He killed the male over kilometer away from his house. The female hen followed the scent of her mate to his house and for days cried outside his house. He said that he felt really guilty afterwards.
The other animal he told us about was the rainforest dragoon ^^^. It begins with a warrior who kidnapped two sisters. The sisters were promised to a medicine man but the warrior wanted them for himself. He took the girls high into the mountains. By the time he let them rest the older sister was so exhausted she fell asleep in her sister's arms and died. The younger sister cried and cried. These sisters became the rock formation near Cape Tribulation. The medicine man day after day called for the sister never to find them. He painted his breast with the red soil and flaps through the forest as a red breasted bird now. The warrior also returned to the forest as a small dragon doomed to hiding from the bird for the end of time.
I could have listened to his stories all day. I find the Aboriginal culture very fascinating, but it was time for me to be dropped off at my accommodation. I ate lunch on the most beautiful beach I have ever been to. The only down side was I couldn't go swimming because of crocodiles. I decided to just relaxed and explored the fringing reef finding so cool animals.
https://plus.google.com/107577374683880825997/posts/EYNK4nz15dr
I then walked around the hostel and through the rainforest path close by.
https://plus.google.com/107577374683880825997/posts/PaZxp8bPN3x
It was getting later in the day and I started to get eaten by mosquitoes, so I headed to the bar for dinner. I got the seafood pizza. There was mussels, octopus, shrimp, and other thing that I didn't know what they were on the pizza. I was only able to eat half of it, but there was another American there that gave me internet access for sharing food. I also began talking to Sophie and Ina. I also met a guy from UW-Oshkosh. It is crazy because the day before a guy from UW-Platteville recognised my UW-Whitewater backpack. The rest of the night I hung out with Sophie and some of the people that work for the hostel. It was a fun night and I slept very well!
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