Skypes, Foot Recovery, and Free Museums

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.

Airwalks, Bouncing Bridges, and Shrinking Hallways

Today I had a tour in the Huon Valley. This included an airwalk, which when I heard about this, at first I was like "nu-uh." But if I can't airwalk, I will never be able to hot air balloon, so I looked at it as training. I had my alarm set for 6 am. I figured this would be plenty of time to wake up, allow the shower to heat up, shower, get dressed, and eat something before they picked me up at 7:30am. I let the water in the shower run a good 20 minutes, but there was no improvement whatsoever. I always feel so awful if I do not shower before a full day of activities, so I did my best to wash myself and my hair without actually fully going under the freezing cold stream (yea, it was interesting.) After freezing to death in the shower, I still had plenty of time to ready myself. I went downstairs about 7:15, because you never know if 7:30 am means 7:30 am, 7:15 am, or 7:45 am. I sat out on the front stoop, it wasn't really that cold, so I knew it was good weather for this today. After a few minutes, a red headed girl joined me on the stairs. She was from England, and was traveling in Australia all year; she only had about 2 weeks left. She was catching a tour too, and was actually a tour with the same company, so we were picked up at the same time. She gave me some suggestions of places to see in Western Australia when I explained I needed to narrow down the list. She had been driving around in a camper with another girl that was in Sydney now. We parted once she was instructed to board her bus for Port Arthur, and I met the rest of the people on my tour. There was a couple originally born in Sri Lanka, but were from the UK (but still had thick Sri Lankan accents), a couple from Spain that didn't wait outside their hotel so we had to pick them up later (they spoke almost no English), and a couple from Adelaide, originally from England. So I was on the tour with 3 couples, but it wasn't so bad. I ended up talking to the couple from Adelaide. Their names were John and Lynn. They were very nice, so I spoke to them throughout the trip and had lunch with them during our break. They asked questions about hurricanes and tornadoes in North Carolina. Anyway, I snapped a whole mess of pictures on the way to Huon Valley. It really impossible not to, the views are so amazingly breathtaking, and even though you are wizzing by them in a tour bus, you still are able to capture at least some of the gloriousness of it. We stopped first at a very large and very old tree. When I say very large, it was 87 meters tall, and when I saw very old, it was 800 years old. These trees live to be 1000 years old, and many were chopped down for ship wood or lost in one of three forest fires that affected the area (oh yea, I forgot to mention, this badass tree survived at least 3 forest fires). Anyway, it's just insanely humbling to see a tree that had lived 800 years, and will live at least several hundred more after I die. It took a thousand years to grow a forest of those trees, and men showed up, mumbled "hm, big," and chopped down a lot of them. Yep, sounds about right.
Our next stop was Geeveston, a tiny little town that I didn't even take a picture of. It mostly exists to sell tickets to the airwalk, but it was cute and quaint and had very nice view of the mountains surrounding it. Wee then departed for the airwalk. I saw how high up it was and wondered what I was thinking. For some reason, I think I am not afraid of heights, but I definitely am. I guess I see this as training for the hot air ballooning that will occur on Thanksgiving, haha. Anyway, I walked out on the airwalk, holding bars on both sides, and doing my best to listen to the guide and not look down. Every once in a while, we would be on a more solid surface, and I felt safe enough to detach from the railing and take some pictures. The airwalk ended at the highest point that jutted out over the river. It was a suspension portion, not anchored the same way the rest of the walk was, but hanging. I didn't realize this until I followed my group out onto it and it began swinging around. John stopped dead in front of me. "This feels weird," he said. Me, him, and Lynn managed to make it to another solid platform and watched the rest of the group walk all the way out to the end (insane people). I was wiping sweat from my brow, not from heat or exertion, but from nerves. The people and guide walked back after a few minutes and asked if we were going to go. "I am, I just want to wait for this girl to come in," I said. Other people on the walk was what made it shake. I went out on the highest point with John and took some pictures of the fork in the river and upstream. He told me I needed to not hold onto the rails, it makes it worse. I said, "yeah, but it's like a security thing for me. If something happens to my feet, at least my hands are right there to grab on!" Lynn didn't come out, but I was glad I conquered fear and did it.
The next trail had hanging bridges over the river. We were told these bridges do not swing, but I think the guide was just saying this to us so we would shut up and go. We walked about 20 minutes through woods and trees and finally came upon the first bridge. It wasn't too high, but as soon as you stepped on, it bounced. A sign warned us to stay 10 meters apart, I wondered if this was for safety reasons or so-the-bridge-won't-collapse reasons, but I didn't test it. I did my best to move along the narrow walkway, not thinking about the bouncing or the fact that a thin net of string stood between me and falling sideways into the river. We (me and my crew of elderly Adelaidians) managed to make it over all the bridges, despite the fact that our Sri Lankan friend insisted on stopping every 2 feet on the bridge and taking a series of shots of every single angle of the river, twice over. We finally made it back to the starting point and were given lunch- sandwich, apple, brownie, and apple juice. I was starving and ate all of mine. The sandwich was a half each of two different sandwiches. One was real turkey with lettuce, mayo, and a little red onion. I think I was hungry, but it was delicious. The other was a ham and cheese sandwich with tomato and KETCHUP?? They put that stuff on everything, I swear. But I ate all of that too (did I mention I was hungry?). John and Lynn gave me their juice and apples to take back with me because they said they had apples back at their hotel and didn't care much for juice (or maybe they saw the way I devoured my lunch and assumed I hadn't eaten in days). We loaded up on the bus after lunch and set out for Peppermint Bay. We stopped to take pictures and John let me use his binoculars to see the fishing hatcheries on the river. We then rode back to Hobart; we had made a complete circle around the southern region below Hobart. I told my new friends goodbye and was dropped off in the mall area. I picked up dinner for a couple of days, as well as some rice krispies, yogurt, milk, and bananas for breakfast. I came back to the hostel and was downloading all the pictures from the day when I struck up a conversation with a German girl who had been here about a month as well, but only had a few weeks left. She had been to Perth and rode the train three days to Adelaide. She said it was quite an experience, but she didn't get a lot of sleep. Today was her birthday and she offered me chocolate. I asked if this was her substitute for birthday cake, and she said, "no, I'm going to get one! But I'm too drunk to drive right now." It was about 3:30pm, and she didn't seem drunk at all to me, but whatever. We talked more, and she explained that Australia, at least the region the train went through, has received more rain in the past 2 years than it had in the previous 10, so the red desert one was supposed to see on this train ride was very green.

I wanted to show you all a little of my hostel. These two areas seem to channel specific movies, see if you can guess:






This one is The Shining. I had this thought late one night walking back from the bathroom- not the best time to be thinking that your hostel is a lot like the hotel in The Shining.


















This one is Willy Wonka. If you cannot tell, the walls get closer and closer together at the end of my hallway until they are about a body width apart. It's funny to me.









Anyway, looking into going to Cascade brewery tomorrow. I didn't reserve a tour today, but I'm hoping it will not be a problem to call in the morning.

Exploring Hobart!

Today daylight savings time started in Australia, so I had to remember to add an hour this morning, and this will be thoroughly confusing when trying to figure out what time it is at home, especially once America "falls back." Despite losing the hour, I slept in, because I was still so tired from the trip over and was up later than expected because I started a Saturday morning g-chat with my parents. I had decided the plan today was to explore Hobart. Since I had froze last night, and was still a little chilly in my room, I almost wore really heavy clothing out. I'm glad I opted for the lighter clothes with a jacket because it was a warm and lovely day! I walked in the general direction of the waterfront and was struck by the fact that no matter what direction you turn, you seem mountains off in the distance. It creates a glorious backdrop to just about any part of the city. I walked down to the Salamanca Market area on the waterfront and realized it was around lunch time and I hadn't even eaten breakfast. I decided to splurge on a nice meal at one of the nicer restaurants on the waterfront area. I went to a restaurant and ordered the lunch special- an appetizer of artisan bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar reduction, a main of Tasmanian smoked salmon caesar salad, and a sauvignon blanc. It was soooooo good. I then walked the waterfront area. I saw starfish in the bay! I was shocked to see them there, and really wanted to jump in and get one as a souvinier. I spent some time lounging in the Parliament Park area, just basically a small grass park with some benches and trees. I decided I needed to seek out this place mentioned in Fodor's called Arthur Circus. It was houses being best preserved in Hobart, most dating back to the 1840s and 1850s. I walked back up the streets I had come down originally; this town has some hills that rival San Fransisco. I finally reached the Battery Point area and walked up to see Arthur Circus. There was a round-about of really cute and small cottages. There was a small park in the middle of the round-about, so I sat under a tree to take some pictures. It was around 4 pm, so I decided to head back toward town, maybe pick up dinner for later. I was really craving ice cream or a milkshake, but I couldn't find a single shop that would sell something like that. I walked past David Park, it kind of just appeared, so I snapped some shots of the park and stopped to use the restrooms. I was struck by the number of mobile phone numbers were on the back of the door, so I took a picture, and was also careful not to touch anything in that bathroom, haha. Once I reached the main strip of Liverpool Street (which is where my hostel is), I walked bak toward the mall area because there are tons of shops and resturants that way. But nothing was open! It was around 4:30pm on Sunday, but almost every store was closed. I saw a KFC and a crappy pizza place that was open. I stopped in the pizza place and used change to pay for dinner (figuring I needed to eat a cheap dinner to make up for lunch). My feet were killing me (I'm seriously going to scope out some Dr. Scholls or something- do you think they have that in Australia? It's like my boots are trying to reform my foot), so I decide to head back. I lay down to read a while, with the intention of going downstairs for dinner to at least be semi-social. I end up falling asleep on and off for a couple of hours. I don't feel so hot when I wake up, so I eat my cardboard pizza upstairs and go into the antisocial world of the internet. It's not my fault I'm not feeling good and in a room by myself made for six people. It's a recipe for being antisocial. So I decided to turn in early tonight anyway, I have to get up tomorrow around six to catch my 7:30 tour to Huon Valley.

On a different note, I just discovered, since I have officially had to charge everything I have brought with me, that I did not need the voltage adaptor I purchased. Everything I own was made in China or somewhere else, so it can take currents ranging from 100-250, which is what Australia has. It was only about 7 bucks, but weighs like 5 pounds, so I am thinking about ditching it here.

Also, for those of you following the near constant state of sickness I am always in (or if it was given a soap opera name As the Lung Turns), I took my last antibiotic today and have been feeling pretty good for about 3 days, so hopefully I am done with that stuff.

Tales of Trips to Tassie, A Spotting of the Illusive American, and To Say G'day or Not To Say G'Day

I'm finally in Tassie. It has been quite an unusual and eventful ride...
I spent my last day in Melbourne in St. Kilda again. I laid out on the beach and spent a lot of time in the grass near Luna Park. I actually ended up getting burned on my face, but it was so worth it. I slept in the grass a while, which wouldn't have been possible had I not locked up all my bags with my hostel prior to checking out. So I didn't have to carry them around all day, which really freed me up. I got my bags out around 4:30 and hailed a cab.
The cabbie was very interested in The Spirit of Tasmania and had lots of questions. I did my best to answer most of them, explaining that there is a website he can go to and reserve the tickets if he wants. He finally dropped me outside the waterfront. I wandered around until I found what looked like the entrance for passengers for the ship. I checked in and was told we weren't to board until 6pm- almost an hour away. I dragged my stuff and sat down, noticing the giant TV. They were playing MASH. I looked around. There were families, older couples, the occasional backpacker, and several random rough looking types. There were two guys who looked like they were in a biker gang because of the jackets they were wearing, and one guy who just looked homeless. He reeked, the kind of stench that comes from more than just a couple days of not showering, and he couldn't sit still. He was pacing all around the waiting area, and every time he moved, he left a trail of his stench behind him like that Pigpen character from Peanuts. I just knew I would end up with a seat next to him.
Finally, they began boarding. They do not have x-ray machines like every other form of major transportation these days, so the line moved very slowly, with them checking every single bag from every single person. Stinky was a couple people behind me in line. I detected his presence and looked to confirm. After assuring them I was not carrying fruit or explosives, I was allowed entry to the ship. I walked around at first to explore the general area. I noted that there was no secure storage in the ocean recliner area, so I would have to carry my 2 bags around where ever I went all evening. I walked the length of the main floor of the ship, then decided to have a drink. I got a glass of wine and grabbed a chair in a lounge area. I was getting ready to pull out my computer and blog when I was approached by someone asking if the other seat at my table was taken. I said no, and I wasn't very interested in being social, but I kind of knew what was ahead. His name was Paul, he looked older, maybe in his forties, and was on his way back to Tasmania from visiting his mother and sisters. We talked about wine and bands and like 5 other things. He took a couple of phone calls during conversations, making sure to turn so I wouldn't hear him. It was around 8 o'clock, and I didn't want to be stuck with him all night, plus I needed dinner. He offered to buy me another drink when he got off his second call, and I explained I needed to go find dinner, thanks anyway. "Ok, shall we?" he said. So I guess he decided he was joining me. We paid a ridiculous $24.50 for one plate of cafeteria quality food, then took our seats. We talked about Tasmania, he kept bringing up hillbillies that live here and making reference to Deliverance, not the best picture of your home state. After dinner, he offered to give me a tour of the ship, since he'd been on the ship so many times. We went to each level and the top 2 decks were basically deserted, save for a few sketchy types of people up there all alone. The chairs swivelled around like ghosts were sitting in them. I was like "no one is up here, I'm going back down." Around this time, I started feeling sick. I don't know if I was sick because I couldn't shake this guy, or if I was getting seasick, but I chalk it up as a combination of the two. He wanted to watch Pirates of the Caribbean, which I've only seen 212 times, but we did. He tried to hold my hand most of the time, and kept asking if I was feeling better. "Nope, still nauseous." Isn't this a pretty clear signal? After the movie, I told him I was going to bed. I thought I'd be free, but he followed me. I went to my assigned chair, and him seeing that no one was in the chair next to me, decided to take that chair. I slept maybe 2 hours because recliners are not the best sleepers and I had no arm rests, so my hands kept falling asleep. They turned on the lights about 5 am to wake everyone up, and my suitor was still right there beside me. He stuck to me the rest of the time on the boat, and offered me a ride to Launceston. ***Red Flag!*** Since I didn't really want to become human skin clothing, and I had already purchased my bus ticket, I politely declined. He was called first to get off board because he had a car on the ship, and gave me a hug goodbye, AND SAID "I LOVE YOU." I almost puked. You what? How could you possibly say that? You've known me like 6 hours, you're twice my age, go away. Uh, weirdorama. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea, at no time was I in any danger or anything, it was just more of an annoyance. If I had been in a worse mood, I may have had to just tell him to beat it, but as it was, he wasn't really harming anything or getting too fresh (haha), so I kind of just put up with him.
I got off the boat, almost convinced I had caught the kavorka from Seinfeld (google it) or something (I mean, what is the deal? I wish you could just hold up signs that said, "yes, come socialize with me" or "no, just having a glass of wine, I want to spend my evening alone exploring the ship and taking pictures." It would be so easy), when a girl asked if this was the area to collect checked baggage. "I assume so," I said, because I was wondering myself, and had just started standing with everyone else. I noticed her lack of an accent, and wondered if I had once again happened upon the rare American traveler. I began talking to her- it turns out we were taking the same bus to Hobart. Her name was Anna, and she was from Oregon. We talked about our experiences on the boat, and she had an almost identical story about a guy she couldn't get rid of! "I can't believe the same thing happened to you," she said, which makes me wonder if these locals ride the Spirit of Tasmania in hopes of picking up lone travelers, haha. She explained she was able to escape because a very kind person that worked on the Casino area on board had offered to upgrade her from an ocean recliner to a room. She got her own room to herself! "I kept hearing that the ocean recliners were where the farters and snorers slept," she said. I laughed, and decided on my return voyage, I would do my best to befriend someone who worked on the ship in hopes of an upgrade (as well as be thoroughly involved in something if I am alone at the bar, or maybe just wear a sign lying "I have a boyfriend, sorry.") We got to talk a lot about what we had experienced so far since we sat across from each other on the bus for about 4 hours. If you ever want to experience what it is like to drive from Devonport to Hobart without flying over 24 hours, just hop in your car and head about 4 hours west. The area we drove through today, at least this time of year, is a dead ringer for Appalachian mountains. I'll show you some pics as I continue to explain about Anna. It turns out she landed in Sydney the exact same day I did. She was on a flight that I had heard about that was detoured to Brisbane because of fog. She had been to Cairns and Alice Springs, and was taking a Tassie tour 5 days now. She was only to be here for 6 weeks. Anyway, I was glad to have another recharge from an American, as well as validation that I wasn't the only person with a creepish stalker on the ship. I don't know why finding Americans to me is recharging, but it is. I think it's because they are so few and far between. It's like spotting an elusive creature that only comes out several times a year. Everywhere I've been, I've felt like a novelty. Just tonight, one of the guys in the hostel asked me where the showers are. When I was answering him, he said "Aw, you're American?" with a smile. I smiled back, because this was better than the average reaction, and said yes. "Aw, that's so lovely," he said. I think I like this hostel so far. For one, I have a private room, which was supposed to have up to six people in it. But there aren't a lot of people here, so I have it to myself. Two, it's old, but in a cozy way. It's not new and efficient like the Base hostels, but it feels like an old cabin. There are even several wood fire stoves, which I am actually sitting by to type this because I am FROZEN. This afternoon after check in, I ventured out into the community to check things out and get lunch because I was starving. I got some sushi and fried rice, but turned out not being as hungry and I thought I was (I think I was confusing hunger with sleep deprivation?), so I boxed up the rice for dinner tonight. I shuffled around their outdoor mall area, got a recharge for my phone, picked up some more cheap postcards (if I see them under 50 cents each, I buy them), and then decided a trip to Australia wouldn't be complete without seeing what their Target was like. They had 2 stories, but better than that, they had some serious quality clothing. Lots more fashionable than Targets I've seen. I was so tired from no sleep and walking that I brought my dinner back and put it in the fridge. They have these little labels for food here, there must be a problem with people eating unlabeled food. So I labeled it with my name, the date, and my room number (I guess in case someone needed to come check with me and make sure it was indeed my fried rice). I spent the rest of my afternoon basically observing the other people in the hostel. A lot of the boys seem to be younger than Nathan, but there is a french girl, an English guy, and a guy from Kuala Lumpur that I've been watching the most. They were watching the footy match this afternoon, and were also at the TV tonight when I was heating up my dinner. I had gotten a Victorian Bitter to go with dinner, and was watching Mrs. Doubtfire, because that is what they had on. They started debating on what movie they wanted to watch (they have a lot of movies available here at the hostel). I kept hearing them mention really involved films like Saving Private Ryan and heavy stuff I was not interested in processing. They finally picked 8 Mile (yes, we went from the critically acclaimed Saving Private Ryan to Eminem's breakout role in 8 Mile). I wasn't too excited, but I was basically killing time till it was acceptable for me to go to bed (did I mention I'm tired?). The little Asian guy kept trying to rap throughout the movie, and kept saying stuff like that he trained Eminem to rap. He was hilarious. I kept laughing at him too even though I wasn't really involved in the group, and he kept looking over when he said stuff, I guess to make sure I was amused. Anyway, to update you on the grand final rematch, Collingwood crushed St. Kilda, it was like 108 to 52 or something ridiculous like that. It's really a shame, I wanted St. Kilda to win. I tried my best to watch the whole match, but I kept dozing off. Speaking of which, I will probably read about 3 pages of my book before I pass out and start drooling (I wish I could have done a better job of that last night, might have scared that guy away). Tomorrow I want to find a market I have read about that occurs on Sunday, and then maybe pick up lunch to have in the Botanical Gardens (yes, every city I've been to has at least one.)
One last thing- I sometimes don't know how to respond to things Australians say to me. When they ask "How are you going?" this loosely is translated to "How are you doing?", so I usually answer it as such: "I'm fine, how are you?" But am I also supposed to say "How are you going?" It just seems ungenuine (is this a word?) to me. Also, I cannot say g'day. For one thing, my pronunciation of it is off, and it just makes me feel like one of those people that go to Mexican restaurants and try to order off the menu and roll their R's to try to feel like they are really authentically communicating with the Mexican waiter. It's not natural for me to say "g'day." Someone said it to me today and I responded with "Hello." Do you think this is ok? I just feel like it's my normal response, and I feel like such a faker trying to say it their way.

Missed Tours, Housekeeping and Retainers, Booked Up Opal Oasises, and Free Sausages..

Ooooops... so my day started in quite an interesting way. I had earplugs in and thought I heard the distinct sound of someone knocking on my door. Twice. But I was in the stage between sleep and wake, and wasn't too concerned because I didn't see open flame, so I passed it off as being someone knocking on one of the door on either side of me and returned to dreamland. Fast forward to around 9 am, and I shot up suddenly in bed. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach about the tour I had scheduled for tomorrow- that was the knock at the door for my tour, it was scheduled for today! I quickly turned on my computer- I was right. I had scheduled it for the 30th, tomorrow, even having to make the change several times during the booking (the computer kept changing it to the 29th), but I hadn't checked the confirmation closely enough. It was scheduled for today. To be fair, they didn't send me the true confirmation voucher until last night at 9:30, so I didn't see it until this morning (I am supposed to have a printed copy of this to present when picked up). So today, I have been trying to see if I can reschedule tomorrow or sometime a week from now when I am back in Melbourne. The tour wasn't cheap, and I doubt I will be allowed to reschedule at no charge, but I did really want to go on this tour, and I guess I would be willing to pay double for it (of course, I would prefer not to, but if there is no way around it, I do want to experience the Great Ocean Road).

I decided not to let it ruin my day, so I got up, got ready, and set out in the opposite direction on Carlisle Street. I walked into town. As I walked, I began to notice something very distinct about the majority of the town people around me- they were Jewish! I knew this because of the yamakas on almost every head, the distinct dress and hairstyles, and the fact that many of them were speaking a completely different language- Hebrew or Yiddish or something, I don't know enough about it to tell you for certain. I began looking around- Kosher Bakeries, Kosher Butchers, "Jerusalem Gifts," all around the shops told the story too. It was really cool- I walked right into a micro-community without even realizing it.

I picked up some cheap post cards and followed a sign that said I would be going to the St. Kilda Botanical Gardens. I found a nice place in the sun and wrote some post cards, then strolled around the length of the gardens. Continued my journey back to the grasses around Luna Park, and decided to stop for lunch. I got some Singapore Noodles (it's official, I'm addicted) and a Coke Zero. After consuming a half pound of noodles, I thought it was time for those siestas I have become so fond of. I walked back to my room and discovered the housekeeping had been in. They have been dying to re-sheet my bed all week (I don't know why), but each day when they've tried, I have been in bed sick. So I guess today they got their chance. I looked around to make sure everything was where I left it. They had given me new towels too and cleaned my bathroom. But my toiletries were missing... I looked around, and finally discovered them hanging under my towel. They had zipped up the bag and hung it on the hook. I turned around and discovered- my retainer! They had for some reason moved my retainer and set it on the top of my lamp beside my bed. I felt confused and kind of violated- why would anyone want to touch my retainer? And why move it to the top of the lamp? I quickly returned my retainer to the ledge above the sink, righting the wrong. I spent the rest of my afternoon on the phone or the internet. It turns out that I will have to completely re-book the Great Ocean Road tour since they held my seat. I hope my empty seat enjoyed it's day.

I also found out my room at the Underground Hotel is booked for the day I wanted to arrive. I only had to push it back by one day, but it just seems to fit in with the theme of the day. I also sent an email to a contact I have in Adelaide that offered me a place to stay a while back. Hopefully, the offer still stands, because I am bleeding money. I will still have plenty for the rest of the trip, I just seem to be spending large amounts at an alarming rate. Before the trip, I probably had never spent more than a couple hundred dollars in one day. Now, having to book planes and tours and things, and doing it all at one time, I am spending much more, and it freaks me out. I'm trying to decide if I should go to Coober Pedy by plane or Greyhound. The only advantage of Greyhound is it is cheaper by a couple hundred round trip. The plane has a better flight times (Greyhound I arrive in Coober Pedy at 5:30am, and cannot check in until 2pm), and the flight is of course shorter (a few hours as opposed to an overnight drive). I suppose I will book next week, I can't think about spending more money today. I did manage a free dinner tonight, my hostel is having it's weekly free BBQ, so I didn't have to pay for my food tonight- yay! I have lots of fun stuff in Tassey booked for next week, and now I am checking and double checking to make sure I know what days are what. Tomorrow I will probably sleep in again, and then pick a different direction to walk in. I may accomplish more by having some general goal, but I like just wandering too, and I will have plenty of goals next week.

Lovely Morning at the Beach, Followed by a Siesta, Followed by Sushi and Cakes...

Today was my first really productive day in Melbourne. I got up, got ready, and set out on a mission to DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING! I was still coughing, but not enough to keep me inside another day. I went to the pharmacy first, to get the next five days of my prescription filled. After turning it in, I went to find brekky. I found a little shop right outside the pharmacy and ordered a crepe with ham, cheese, and tomato, and a hot chocolate. It was glorious. I picked up my antibiotics after brekky, then grabbed a couple of things from the Coles nearby. My next stop was a post office. Thinking I remembered seeing a sign up the road, I walked back up to find the post. I dropped my post cards from Brisbane (yes, I know, I'm behind) in the post box, then went inside. I found a box on the shelf and filled it with various gifts I was sending home because I had gotten tired of carrying them around. It was 36 dollars in shipping! But I suppose it was worth it, not to have to carry the stuff around anymore. When I walked out of the post office, I was in front of the amusement park, and I sensed that the ocean was nearby. I had been here almost a week, and not walked around. It was a sin. I walked up the parkway, and could see the edge of ocean over the horizon. I sat on the edge of the cement, let my toes curl in the sand, and snapped some shots of the views. It was very chilly, and I could tell by the way the clouds looked that there was a small rain storm out in the ocean not too far off. After sitting a while, I walked over to the pier. I was taking pictures right as the rain cloud rolled in. Cold rain fell in the wind for about 5 minutes before the cloud had moved on. I stood with my umbrella sideways, the only way to shield the rain without the umbrella turning inside out. Before leaving the pier, I saw a huge, dead jelly fish, one of those that can cause you to go into cardiac arrest. But it couldn't get me, because I was on the pier, and couldn't be paid to set foot in this frigid water. I spent a few more minutes on the beach, then walked back to town. I went by Luna Park, and took a look inside. It looked like lots of fun, but not something I would want to do by myself probably. Plus, the median age was maybe 14, so I just felt out of place. I went back to my room and took an afternoon nap (I think I would really fit in in Spain with the siestas over there.)


It was COLD and WINDY at the beach!

This afternoon, I decided I wanted sushi for dinner, I had spotted a couple of places that looked good. I went and ordered the sushi and sushimi platter (I have been much more adventurous with my sushi lately, going for less mayo and avocado, more raw fish, haha). It was glorious also, glorious meal number 2 for the day. I decided to negate my semi healthy dinner by stopping at one of the three ridiculous looking bakeries on the way home and ordering a small box of cakes- a chocolate layer cake, a pecan tart, and a chocolate twist. I sampled a small amount of each before deciding I had been thoroughly gluttonous for the evening.


I think crepe + beach + nap + sushi + cakes = great day.
I think anyone would agree with that math.



I have been thinking, well, actually, I started thinking about it last night, and was encouraged by my Aussie partner in crime, Matt, that I needed to figure out some way to explore Western Australia instead of hopping a plane in Perth to be dropped safely in Darwin. There is so much in between those two towns, so much desert, so many little towns with their own personality, so much to miss if I don't try to see it. Well, this idea started scratching. And then, I decided I would rent a camper by myself and drive it in 2 weeks. What??!? Drive a camper, by myself, across 1/3 of the country, in land area that many a more equipped and fit explorer with the actual job title "explorer" has failed miserably and died? "Yes!" Matt said. "Do it!" Excited by the idea, I did research. Financially, I could probably swing it, but I think I am too much of a chicken to do it, at least by myself. Not to mention my parents and grandmother would have to know nothing about it until I was safe in Darwin, because they would be just as likely to kill me as the heat and the dingoes if they knew I was attempting to do it by myself. So what now? Hope I find a group of semi-sane people in Perth that I think I can spend 2 weeks in a small metal box in over 100 degree heat? Maybe... But I also considered looking into Greyhound to transport me from town to town. Yes, I will still see less than if I was in charge of the driving, but being by myself, once again, has ended up limiting me in my choices of what I can do. But if it's the only way I can work out to see real 'Stralia, it's what I have to do!

Fairy Bread, Cherry Ripe, and A Debilitating Coughing Fit

Today was a less than productive day, though it's original intent was no for that. I slept until about 8:30 this morning before I started waking up. I ended up having a coughing fit that lasted about 2 hours, including showering and blow drying my hair. After this, I was too exhausted to do anything but collapse back into bed. I ended up sleeping until around noon. When I awoke, I was breathing easier, so I decided to re-start my day. I did research online as to when I would be doing something besides being an expensive hermit in Melbourne, and tried to book some activities. None of my cards were working to be booked, and it was still Sunday in America, so no answers to this would come until tomorrow anyway. I submitted for the website to contact me to book on the phone (after I called and was on hold for about 10 minutes). I ended up not running any of the errands I planned on running today, not getting anything booked because of my card, but at least I had a plan.

Something I need to bring up and educate my American friends about: Ok, the first week, well actually, the first day I was in Australia, I was at Coogee Park with my hostel having a barbecue on the beach. There was a class of children nearby, and they had snacks they were running back to eat between games. I noticed one of these snacks looked like white bread with sprinkles on it. I dismissed it as me being uber-jet lagged, I mean, I know I am in a foreign country, but who would feed white bread with sprinkles to children? I didn't think about it much again until about a week later when I was at the South Bank in Brisbane. There was another group of children, these were older, around middle school aged girls, but I noticed they also had a stack of what looked like was sprinkled bread. Maybe this was a real dessert after all? I mean, I couldn't still be jet lagged and imagining, although, I was beginning to get sick, maybe I was hallucinating? Anyway, I kind of forgot about it until today. I saw a bread commercial on TV. And the last frame of the commercial was a small girl eating a slice of bread with sprinkles on it. What the hell is going on!? Deciding I would finally get to the bottom of this, I did what I always do when I have questions about the world- I googled. What do I type? I hesitated, then typed "bread with sprinkles." I clicked on the Wikipedia page about sprinkles. I saw they had an entry talking about fairy bread. I clicked on this entry, and it explained than in Australia and New Zealand, children eat bread with butter or margarine spread onto it, then "hundreds and thousands" (what they call sprinkles) covered on the top. This is a real food. I am not losing my mind. Ok, this is very strange to me. For one, I can't imagine that being very appetizing. Sprinkles don't have that much flavor, so I just don't think it would be that good. Also, I thought my Nilla wafer sandwich cookies I used to make with canned icing and sprinkles was a ghetto dessert. But no, this is ghetto dessert. I just don't see it getting any lower class than using white bread, butter, and sprinkles, and calling it dessert. But I won't completely condemn it until I try it. I mean, I gave Vegemite a chance, right? (**shudder**)

I did have something today that was rather good. I had gotten this candy bar back in Sydney because it was called "Cherry Ripe," and me being the sweet sister I am, I thought Nathan Cheek would love it, if it was a cherry flavored candy bar. I hadn't gotten around to trying it until today. As it turns out, I think it is more a candy bar for my mother than my brother. It is basically a 'Mounds' bar, but it is flat and has slight cherry flavor and a couple of slices of cherry throughout, but the overwhelming flavor is coconut, not cherry. It was good though, but I do think I would name it "Cherry Ripe." Anyway,I guess I am done criticizing Australian desserts for the day, haha. It was good, just mis-named, I think.

Footy Draws, Stolen Tram Rides, "Ozzie" Vanilla, and Skyping Chicken n' Dumplings...

So all this build-up, all the anticipation, the thousands of people flocking to this city, the parades, the parties, all for the grand final, has resulted in a... DRAW?! I watched the grand final yesterday, the clashing, both metaphorically and very literally as well, of two Melbourne footy teams. I watched these men crash and run and kick and fight for several hours, blood resulting in several plays, lots of muscle cramps needing to be massaged out. It was looking like it was the Magpies' game, but without notice, the final quarter, the Saints very quickly started racking up points. The teams tugged back and forth on the lead for several minutes. Before anyone could figure out what was happening, the game was called, and neither team had scored more than 68 points. It was a tie. Players collapsed on the field, children in the stands cried, the roar of the crowd fell to an eerie silence. No one really knew what to do. The rules stated a new game had to be played in a week's time. It was 2 hours of blood, sweat, and tears resulting in another game next week. I just felt sorry for the exhausted players. Melbourne, I am sure, doesn't mind in the least to have another grand final next week. It means more money, in so many ways, for their city. But it's just weird to watch such a bitter fight result in no winner.

After the surreal footy experience, I got ready to go to dinner with the Melbourne girls. I was meeting them at an Italian restaurant named Topolino's, and I planned on taking the tram, which is like the trolleys in San Francisco. I went online and figured out the stop I needed and the tram to take. Online it also said I did not need to purchase a transport card ahead of time and that I could pay for my ride on the tram. I then went downstairs and waited patiently at this stop for my tram. Even though I had plenty of time, I was getting nervous because taxis kept passing by me and I had to keep resisting the urge to hail one and be carted away to my destination in certainty and security. I was just being paranoid, I knew I was waiting for the correct tram, and I knew it stopped at the street I needed it to stop. Finally, tram 16 showed up. I climbed aboard hesitantly, and turned to offer money to the driver. To my confusion, the driver was behind black plexiglass (a sure sign of 'do not disturb'), and there was no automated computer or anything to input my ride and pay for my trip. Bewildered, I sat down quickly, because she was pulling away from stop (I'm pretty sure it was a 'she,' I really never got a sure look). I observed other passengers to try and see what I needed to be doing to pay for this ride. All other passengers seemed to have the prepaid card that was easily scanned when they boarded and departed. I did notice one girl deposit coins in a scanner at the back of the bus, but I never got the chance to make my way back to investigate. The next stop was my stop. What do I do?! I need to get off here, but I haven't paid! Without a whole lot of thought, I got up with several other passengers and stepped off the bus at Fitzroy Street. I kept my head down, knowing the tram driver was probably taking down my description right now and calling the police. My tram finally pulled away from the platform and I had done it- I had stolen a tram ride! It wasn't my intent, nor is it anything I am proud of, but it happened. And now I am kind of scared of riding another tram, for fear that their should be some sort of "Wanted" poster with my picture plastered somewhere inside the tram.

Anyway, I arrived on Fitzroy Street and located Topolino's. I was early, so I sat outside and watched people. Most people were at least slightly drunk (it was, after all, grand final day) and I spent my time being entertained by grown men who took turns seeing who could jump and spin in the air the best (no one was really winning). The girls arrived a little later, and we got our table. We each ended up ordering a different type of pasta, and we spent our time talking about the game, my future plans for travel, and what the status of my sickness was. One girl works for the Magpies, so she had been drinking most of the day and was coming down via her meal of gnocchi. After dinner, two of the girls departed with kisses and the remaining three wanted to find ice cream. They were talking about somewhere called Cold Rock. When describing it to me, I said we had Cold Stone, and they said it was probably the same thing. We walked down to Cold Rock, and it was the Aussie version of Cold Stone, except they didn't have much of a menu to choose from, you had to make up what you thought would taste ok. The girls laughed and said that one flavor with peanut butter and chocolate would be what I would like because I was American. I said "Is that like an American stereotype or something?" I looked at all the flavors of ice cream and asked what makes "Aussie Vanilla" different from regular vanilla. One girl, rolling her eyes, said "Nothing I don't know why they call it that." Another of the girls said, "I like how you say "Aussie." We say "Ozzie." I repeated it, "Ozzie," like a child learning a new word. I laughed and said, "yeah, I guess I am just saying it how it is actually spelled." They agreed, they should spell it with an 'O' if they want it to be said that way. We each ordered, I ended up getting "Ozzie" vanilla with "Freddo" and banana. Well, I wanted vanilla ice cream with plain chocolate candy and banana crushed into it. Someone advised "Freddo," which I was pronouncing "Freido" until corrected, would be a plain chocolate candy I would want. But the banana requested ended up being kind of a banana taffy- bleck. Ice cream probably wasn't the best choice for a chest cold, because I ended up coughing a lot, and just eating the Freddo out of it. The girls offered me a ride back to my hostel, since they were 2 people lighter now. Seeing as I didn't want to chance an arrest or at the very least an ID by using the tram again, I accepted their offer. It was my first Aussie car ride! I was in the back seat behind the driver, in what in America would be the passenger seat. It wasn't so different, once you wrap your mind around driving on the other side of the road, which I have been trying to get used to in public transportation and not getting squashed when looking to cross the street. They dropped me off, and I had to make my way through the weirdly very different looking environment the hostel entrance becomes at night. There is a fenced off smoking area (they are quarantined like lepers like they are here in America too) and the automatic doors didn't do their automatic thing when I approached. I noticed another entrance to the hostel bar, and I had to swipe my card to enter the hostel. I, as per usual with this cold, collapsed into a fit of coughing on my bed from having to climb a story to get to my room. I fell asleep watching the classic American treasure "Tropic Thunder" (they do not censor movies on Aussie TV at all- hope everyone noted the sarcasm on "classic American treasure").

This morning, I knew mom wanted to skype with me at my aunt's house because my grandparents and all her sisters would be there. The only problem was, we hadn't discussed what time this was to occur. About 7:30 this morning, I began waking up and thinking about this. Like the nerd I am, I began having dreams about starting my computer and turning skype on. I do this when I am concerned about something- I dream I am doing it, when in reality, I'm not doing anything. So after dreaming about it and waking up several times, I decided to just get up. I turned on skype, and after several failed attempts with the webcam, I was in Raleigh. I got all sorts of advice on what I should be telling my Aussie doctor to prescribe me, as well as advice on how to avoid getting a yeast infection from the antibiotics I was taking (which would be just the cherry on top, wouldn't it?). I spoke to each member of the family, and my dad decided he needed to show me a plate of food I was missing (while I chewed on my granola bar). It was the first time I skyped and got to see a picture on the other end, which so far has just been a question mark face, so it was nice to see faces with voices. I had begun to get self conscious because they could always see me, but I couldn't see what they were doing. You know, skype is pretty amazing. Especially for being free!

I need a... Hug!

I am usually not one for hugs. I use them in greetings when people are more familiar and it feels necesary, but to tell you the truth, there are probably less than five people in my life that I hug because I want to hug them. I'm just one of those people who likes my space, you know, the "stay out of my bubble" feeling of personal space. Which is what makes it so weird that I WANT a hug now. It might be because I am sick and having to take care of myself and feeling bad that I am wasting day after day in the hostel trying to feel better when I need to be exploring and taking advantage of being in Australia, but I need a hug! And I've really never thought I'd feel like that. Even when people use that expression, in scenarios when one would like to have a hug, I rarely want a hug. If I am upset, I usually do not want hugs. People want to give you hugs when they think you're upset, but it doesn't help me at all. But I, right now, sitting sick and alone in my private hostel, for the first time in my life, want a hug. And I am out of luck, most likely. I might get a hug tonight at dinner with the girls, but I might not. I might not get a hug until Matt gets here on November 23rd! I really doubt it though, because I have gotten quite a few hugs since I have been in Australia from various people I have met, but I could, especially if I made a concisous effort, go until late November without hugging another human being. That is a cold thought. I don't know why I am trying to have cold thoughts. I'm not actually trying, but like I said, stuck inside with this awful cough and 5 channels on TV, including 2 with pre-footy all day commentary, one with music videos, and one with an Australian robotic dog, I don't have much to do but become resentful of the things I am missing out on out there. Since I don't have anything to do until tonight at 7pm, I decided to channel my energies and plan what I am going to be doing once I am well. I am not doing anything major until next week, maybe Tuesday. This completely knocks out almost a week of what could have been fun in Melbourne. I was planning on staying here longer than a week though, so I will just stay a little longer before departing for Tasmania (which I am very excited about! but need to be completely well because it will be COLD down there.) I guess this hug realization is just another way of saying I am alone on the other side of the world. That fact itself doesn't even bother me, but it's kind of a weird thought that the people that would hug me daily are the ones that are so far out of reach.

Sideways Man in the Moon, Antibiotics, Black Leggings, and Footy Rivalry

I can't believe I forgot to tell you about how amazing the skyscape looked as I came into Melbourne a few days ago. I took a taxi from the airport because the next shuttle wasn't leaving for an hour and I was sick and exhausted. We drove for what seemed like forever, me in the backseat with my bags piled on top of me, watching the fare tick by, literally 10 cents each second. We came upon a bridge that was an overhang to the city, and all of sudden- there was Melbourne. Lots of large buildings laid out below a full moon that shown down from the sky, as if a spotlight announcing it's arrival in my life. In the full moon, the man's eyes were cockeyed, as if he was laying on his side, instead of greeting me sitting up as usual. I'm sure this is because I am in the southern hemisphere- I keep forgetting until something like this snaps me back to reality. I would have taken a picture, had I thought a camera could have adequately captured the scene. But moon pictures, no matter how grand and lustrous the scene was in real life, can never be fully captured in snaps. It always ends up being this small white dot in a picture and people wonder why you took it. So I left the picture in my mind, and you will all have to use your imaginations and hope it's close to what I experienced, haha.

Today was my doctor's appointment. I had a little trouble finding the place, mainly because I was still tired and struggling to breathe and not paying attention to what I was doing. I finally arrived, snotty, sweaty, coughing, early anyway because I thought the appointment was at 8:45, when it was actually 9:15. I filled some paperwork and spoke to the doctor. He asked if I was prone to lung infections. I explained the last few times I've gotten a simple cold, if it goes to my chest, it will stay there several months and become pneumonia if I don't do anything about it. He checked me temp, my pulse, and listened to my breathing. He said I didn't have a fever, but I did have an infection in my left lung, and he would prescribe me some antibiotics to take. He gave me enough for 10 days and told me if I wasn't feeling better after the first 5, to fill the next 5. I then paid (only $60) and asked directions to the nearest pharmacy. I spent some time in town eating and shopping while I waited for the prescription to be filled. I then went back to my room and ended up napping for about 2 hours. Maybe it's the placebo effect, but I felt a little better when I awoke. I decided I needed to get out again- I wanted some leggings (I have so not fit in not having a single pair here in Australia) and I lost my sunnies (sunglasses) in the airport on the way to Melbourne the other day. One of the ladies in the shops actually thought I was an Aussie (I have been answering people in one or two word answers, using as much of an Australian accent as possible, haha). She noticed that the transaction was converting into USD, and she looked at me. "But I didn't notice you had an accent!" she said. I laughed, and said, "I try to hide it when I can." She said she liked American accents, and that she had noticed my card had my picture on it, and she didn't think Aussies had cards like that. So I finally got confused for an Aussie!
I finished shopping, and officially giving up on my "no American chain" pledge (now I guess my goal is to conduct quality control and make sure that they have the same standards as America- so far, every place I've gone, it's actually better here), I went to Mackers again (there is always one like 10 steps from where I'm staying, they're evil, I tell ya!). So now I'm back in my room. I noticed a huge difference between America's Deal or No Deal and Aussie's- America's is dealing with much, much more cash than Aussie's. The highest amount is 200,000. In America, it's 1,000,000, and lately, they've been having games that have like 13 chances of picking 1,000,000. Anyway, just noticed.

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Tomorrow night is grand final in footy, as I explained yesterday. It's Collingwood Magpies vs. St. Kilda Saints. I am actually staying in St. Kilda, and they are the underdogs it seems, so I want to pull for them.





I'm not sure where my friends from Melbourne allegiance lies, but to give you an idea of the feeling around here, it's like it is the National Championship in basketball, and the teams playing are Dook and UNC (Ohhhh, it's my dream!). It's like what is going down here, since these are both Melbourne teams, and there is a close rivalry. I don't know how to be cheering, I will probably just be taking it all in.