Andromeda

Day 49 - Hastening South

Camping preparations ⛺ 2023/06/28

Cairns

This town is lame.

Okay, that's harsh. It isn't lame. Cairns is the Mantle of the Great Barrier Reef, the Gem of the North and Named After Tall Rock Formations, prodigal green Land of Leeches.

None of those titles contain the word 'lame'. But Cairns is also very touristy, probably as a consequence of its titles. Prices are high and good coffee shops are few. I'm aware, I'm a tourist, but I'm a tourist armed with aviator shades and a motorcycle (who prefers the term wanderer because it sounds cooler anyway) and, particularly, a hypocritical sense of criticism of my fellow tourists. Hah!

Anyway.

I bought sandals (finally)!

I'm really, really excited about these. I know, they're shoes, not usually worth excitement, but - let me explain. My all-time favorite shoe ever was the Keen Targhee III - a waterproof, good-looking leatherbound shoe that was just so, freaking, cozy, and had Never Let Me Down traction, like, everywhere.

I took those suckers up mountains, over ice sheets, forgot I was wearing them in the house (to the annoyance of roommates), into volcanoes and throughout Europe and they were fantastic.

And, turns out, these are the exact same shoe, except a sandal version! These are the prodigally named Keen Targhee III Open-Toed Sandies, and, thanks to Anaconda's price matching system, let me buy them for only 60 AUD instead of the MSRP 190 AUD since they beat the price of a competitor store in Perth by 10%.

I'm all for local business, but exploiting big business is fun sport.

Mackay

Okay - news. The company I was due to sail out with on the 28th shifted my departure to the 29th due to inclement weather. Bummer, but, it does make things less logistically complicated (i.e. storing 15L of water vs 10L), food, etc. And, it means I can take a bit more time getting south.

So, stayed in Mackay for the night at a motel.

Motels are great. Motels have "free" little travel-sized soap things and conditioner things, cozy beds, and showers where you don't have to listen to an Argentenian try to rap to his music at deafening volume in the next shower stall over.

Ugh.

I'm not bitter - mostly - but am happy to have my own room for a night to recharge devices and get work done.

Map Distortion

A quick aside - go read this article on map distortion.

Some fantastically bizarre visualizations there - though more accurate in a sense. You'd think countries closer to the equator are favorably biased but that is wrong!

And of particular abject fascination,

Camping Prep

Writing from Townsville - this might be the last time I'll have easy access to a wide variety of stores like supermarkets and camping stores - so it's a good idea to set up a packing list now.

Staying for 3 days (10:00 AM 29th to 5 PM 1st) - so, 3 lunches, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts - a total of 5 full meals, 2 breakfasts. Super lightweight, barely worth setting up a list for, but whatever. Safer than sorry. And, on that note, wisdom says I should have some extra leeway in meals just in case of storm or unforseen circumstance, so let's budget 1 more day - 6-7 full meals, 4 breakfasts.

Food

Meals:

Potential meals: (eval at store)

Snacks:

Necessary Gear

So - need to buy another fuel canister, some water and a camp set. Let's get the water at 1770 - transporting some that far on Stylo will be a pain.

Okay, gear update. I ended up just going with a large stainless steel bowl - it can serve as a half-assed pot, frying pan and, well, full-assed bowl. Also, a bamboo plate (as a topper + eating device), a thermos (tea and coffee, of course) and a reusable 10L water satchel. And a spork.

I harbor a simultaneous powerful hatred for the word "spork" and a love for it at the same time. This little device is the very embodiment of the human condition.

Updated gear list:

I'm choosing to not take a first-aid kit with me, as well as a radio - the short term nature of my stay doesn't really justify the cost, though my inner backpacker is telling me what a bad idea this is.

The College Life™, sacrificing safety in favor of frugality since 2001.

The Plan:

For reference, I am departing from 1770 with 1770 Reef tomorrow, June 29th at 5:30 AM AEST.

I'm expecting, barring unforseen circumstance, to return by July 1 at 5:00 PM AEST.

If you do not hear from me by July 2nd, 8:00 PM AEST, then try giving 1770 Reef a call and see what's up.

Now-Truths

Choose the best course of action in the present.

I've spent a lot of time getting frustrated over the differences between some imagined "ideal self" and who I am now. I've been wondering about how to resolve this - how do we balance the ambition for a better life with being content to live in the present?

Much of Aristotle's writings in Nicomachean Ethics are focused on decision-making. During my initial reading a bit ago, I was still operating under the basis that choosing and pursuing some "ideal self" was the way to go - and I now believe this basis of thought doesn't agree with the basis of virtue ethics. Rather, it seems virtue ethics are concerned with the present moment and the decisions that need to be made in the here and now.

So, pursue the best course of action right now allows for. This feels to agree much better with living a more confident life (less self criticism for failing to adhere to some godlike ideal self) and with virtue ethics.

There always is better - and better is forever out of reach. Believe that you are forever operating as well as you can.

Do you ever spend time doing something, realize "oh damnit I've been incredibly inefficient about this", and then think "if I was just slightly more intelligent / logical / rational" I would have thought of this before?

I do. I did this morning. Yesterday. Will again soon. When this happens I need to try to remember it's a fallacy! "If I were only" is wishful thinking and does nothing for you now.

Focus on being distraction-free.

Avoid multitasking when you can - it's distracting and means that every single job you do will be less quality. If you're able to invest your entire conscious mind in an issue, one at a time, it allows you to do things well rather than many things mediocrely.

Remember your inner Immortan Joe. Don't let him down!

Mediocre

By Parker Lamb

Drop me a letter at parker@plamb.com

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