Uluru

I've changed directions. Watching a clip of an aboriginal man doing some form of blessing on an in- flight video evoked strong feelings in me. I kept coming back to the memory of that 60 second glimpse into native life, so I decided to explore the possibility of going to Uluru, also called Ayer's Rock.

I didn't even consider it before because people from all over the world travel there, and it's not easy to enter, either logistically or economically---usually, you need advance planning and plenty of cash to do it. I knew that finding a place to stay under $500 a night would be difficult. I thought finding a place at all would be hard.

Also, frankly, I was intimidated: traveling to what is often called the most sacred aboriginal site in the middle of the country all by myself seemed pretty ambitious.

But my internal GPS said, "Try".

"Are you kidding?" I asked it. "Uluru? I don't have that kind of luck/money/guts. I can't even get good Internet access."

"Try," it insisted.

I dragged my feet, but got the number for the only reasonably priced accommodation---a hostel in Ayers Rock resort, with only 20 beds available in the women's dorm. At $37, not $500 a night, it fills quickly

"Yeah---right," I thought. "I'm really gonna get in".

But when I called on a borrowed phone, they had an opening on the three nights I could spend there. And when I looked for a reasonable last minute flight on a borrowed computer, there was one.

The Rough Guide says that there are excellent local guides who run tours, and I can find them if I show up at one particular shop. They are aboriginal guides: native stewards of the land. It says that there are lesser trod, highly rewarding trails for those who can stay longer and commit to walking them.

I'll find out, because I am flying to Uluru, and staying for three days.

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