The Great Ocean Road, pt.1

April 13th

We are at a complete standstill, the line of cars snaking out in front and behind us beyond our line of vision.

"D'you know the book Go, Dogs, Go by Dr. Seuss?" David asks me.

I tell him how it was a big favorite when my brother and I were little. That when I was about four, I memorized the entire thing, including when to turn the pages, so I could "read" it to Josh. (The event was photo-documented by my mom).

"This kind of feels like that book right now."
"Yeah."

We both knew what we were getting into. Friday of the long Easter weekend on The Great Ocean Road. Anyone leaving Melbourne heading along the coast would be on this single-lane road. And until we got past Bells Beach, where the annual RipCurl Pro competition was going on, the road would be packed.

[Go, Dogs, Go was in fact written by P.D. Eastman. Thanks, Errol!]

***

I like hanging out with David a lot. He has the uncanny knack for suggesting exactly what I'm thinking, often a fraction of a second before I'm about to say it. Which made getting our camping groceries for the weekend a breeze.

He also has this habit of saying ridiculous, frequently hilarious things completely straight, without the slightest hint that he isn't being thoroughly serious. It's compounded by the innocent tone of his delivery and the fact that he never -- never -- so much as glances to see if you're buying it. Whether you miss it, go for it, or add to whatever he's said, he doesn't let on for an instant that it's not the ultimate truth. I find it extremely impressive, especially in the times when I play along, only to get caught up in my own gullibility; it takes intense fortitude not to say, "Wait a minute, I know I'm joking, but are you?"

Sometimes, I think he does it just to check if people are actually listening, and not absently agreeing to whatever is being said.

***

We stop at a hardware store near Angelsea to get some shellite [fuel] for David's camp stove. One of the old guys at the cash asks where we're planning to camp. We tell him we aren't sure yet, past Lorne though.
"Just wanted to know where the fire will be coming from."

***

It's quickly getting dark as we set up camp at Parker Hill. We've neglected to bring a lamp or a proper flashlight and are trying to make due with my cell phone and David's pocket flashlight. It's not long before a small child from the site a few meters away comes over to offer one of his family's lanterns.
"Just give it back to us one day."

***

The tent is up and it's down to the business of dinner. David lights the element of the camp stove and the flame jumps over to the small fuel tank, which has apparently been leaking and promptly catches fire.

In the moment before I get my brain together enough to hear David telling me to grab the water, all I can think of is hardware store guy wanting to know where the fire would be coming from...

That night, we have a dinner of crackers, chocolate, and wine under a brilliant full moon.