Today I slept in, fought the showers again (I some how won today, managing to squeeze enough hot water out for a 3 minute shower), skyped with the parents for over an hour, then talked on the phone with the grandparents for another hour. I didn't really get my day started until almost 1:30pm today, which was ok, since I was planning a low key day of foot recovery and free museums (no brewery- it was a 40 minute walk according to google maps, and my feet said no thank you). I had eaten some brekky early (some of my "rice bubbles" I picked up yesterday; I didn't even notice they had a different name because they still had Snap, Crackle, and Pop on the box), but it was gone by the time I ventured out. I debated eating a lat lunch or just snacking and then getting a early dinner. After seeing a sign for milk shake malts, I decided to be really bad and get a milkshake. I walked to the museum, just about a block farther than the mall on Elizabeth street. it was free, so I wasn't expecting much. Boy, was I wrong. The first exhibit was a room full of Aboriginal artifacts and stories. There were lots of shell necklaces; they were beautiful. The were made by very tiny shells, so they were very intricate and time consuming to make. There was also examples of the baskets they weave, as well as stories of their ancient and more modern history. The other exhibits included, but were not limited to: wildlife of Australia (including dead specimens of birds, insects, crustaceans, marsupials, and snakes), rocks and minerals and precious stones, an exhibit of furniture made from my new favorite tree- the Huon Pine, paintings and sculptures made in the 1800s, an exhibit on the convict history and Port Arthur, an exhibit on ships, an exhibit on ancient tools, an exhibit on ancient Chinese pottery from the Qing Dynasty (for some reason?), an exhibit on Antartica (including a 3D film and real ice demontrating the shape of the continent), and an art gallery of Australian and Tasmania artists. Oh yeah, and inexplicably, an Egyptian mummy, that was stuck under a stairway next to the gift shop. I was dumbfounded that this was a free museum. I paid $10 to get into the Sydney museum and saw 1/12 of what I saw today. I kept moving from room to room, expecting it to be the end, but no, it was something new. Bravo Tasmania, or whoever provides the grants for this museum.
I took a few pictures (illegally, even though I didn't know it was illegal until I left the museum and saw the sign at the front), so enjoy.
Platypus Pelt. It was so soft! Except for the tail.
Huon Pine Furniture.
The museum closed at five, and when I checked my phone, it was 4:45pm when I finished. I ran a couple errands, including picking up some of those Dr. Scholls (actually just called "Scholls" in Australia, apparently he hasn't gotten his degree yet), foot gel pads in hopes of coaxing my arches into behaving a little so I can explore in comfort.
Tomorrow is Cadbury Chocolate Factory (yay!) and cruise (double yay) and my day starts about 7am, when I once again go into battle against shower stall number 3.
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