Dinner with a group Jim organized at Edna’s Table, a Central Sydney restaurant establishment. Edna, looking to be in her 60s but a woman who’d never discuss her age, runs the place just like a wonderful, concerned mother, who happens to be extremely proud of her cleavage! Edna chats up her customers, replenishes wine and loves to talk to any willing ear about the loaned – ‘I couldn’t afford all of this’ – Aboriginal artwork, mostly from the Kimberley, adorning the restaurant’s muted walls. Edna is a real charmer. May she live forever.

Back in January 2000 while in London, I ran into a friend Michael Locke, who is from Rocky Mount and about three years my junior. Well, an e-mail alerted me that Michael was now in Sydney and I invited him to join us at Edna’s. I love meeting new people as we travel. In fact, I’d say that’s the biggest thrill for me. Still, running into the same hometown friend twice on this trip was just plain great. Michael’s a technology whiz and he’s studying to take a Cisco exam (first attempt pass rate is five percent, he says) in June and then he’ll sort out where to go and what to do from here. I wish him well. Perhaps we’ll meet a third time in South America…