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Alice Springs is a city right in the middle of Australia and the starting point for most travelers going into the outback. This city is the heart of nowhere and as far as you can get from anywhere. As one English bloke put it: "This is the furthest I have ever been from the ocean'.

In this city, the heat can be unbearable. Hotels and hostels have swimming pools where you can chill and cool off during the day. I found that most people in my hostel stayed in their dorms (equipped with AC) for most of the daytime and would only come out early in the evening. As a matter of fact, the whole city pretty much operates the same way. At night, everyone leaves their shelters and hit the bars, pubs, and restaurants in a much comfortable 30+ degree weather. At night, the city really comes alive.

Since I knew I was not going to stay in this city for a long time, I decided to venture out around 11 am the day I arrived. On my way downtown, I noticed there was not a soul out on the streets. It was extremely hot and the whole place seemed deserted. I walked into a few souvenirs shops not necessarily to buy anything, but rather to benefit from a brief reprieve from the heat. The whole place seemed so bizarre, almost like a ghost town. On my way to Todd St. Mall, I passed a Saloon Bar that reminded me of old Western movies.

After walking around lone streets, fighting the incredibly persistent flies and heat, I ended up by chance at the foot of Anzac Hill. This is a war memorial right in the middle of the city, and from where you can get a good view of the city and its surroundings. So I followed the path up the hill. When I got to the top, I found an obelisk flanked by the Australian and Northern Territory's flags. I was beautiful! There was nobody there; I had the whole the city to contemplate in its full plenitude to myself.

So after walking around and snapping a few pictures, I sat at the foot of the obelisk to enjoy the the view. Suddenly, I looked up and saw the sun in its full bloom zenith, right above me crossing the tip of the obelisk. And I became aware that I was on top of this hill, in the middle of the city, in the middle of Australia, at mid-day, half way through my trip!!!!!! I looked around and saw in the distance the MacDonnell range against blue, blue skies, the austere unforgiving company of the desert, its hot shivering wind and the unbearable solitude of nothingness. At that moment, I felt I was in the middle of everything, and for a few brief moments, I experienced one of the most intense and sublime moments of my trip...

After spending 40 minutes on top of Anzac Hill, I made my descent to the city...

So I took a walk to see the Todd River. As you can see from the pictures, the Todd is dry for most of the year and only floods in rare occasions. As a matter of fact, it is so rare to see water on the Todd that if you see it flood three times, you are considered a local.

Then I decided to visit the Alice Spring's Reptile Centre and got there just in time for one of the inofrmation and petting session. I was not sure if I was going to like it, but I am so glad that I decided to drop in. I met Steph the centre's keeper who gave us a great lecture about the outback's crawly residents. There, I handled a python, and a few big lizards, and got great tips on what to do if I ever come face to face with a Taipan, the most venomous snake in the world. After listening to Steph's advice, I was more at easy about my outback outing the following morning. If ever in Alice Springs, the Reptile Centre is a must see.

I have also added some additional pics of my trip to Uluru, the Olgas and King's Canyon.

The outback is a very harsh place for all living things. I am glad I decided to go there because it gave me a tremendous appreciation for the ingenuity and resilience of the aboriginal people that call the outback their home. Aboriginal people are the oldest living culture in the planet.

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