Today I wake up at an ungodly hour so that I can get an early train to Katoomba. I am going to spend the day in the Heritage listed Blue Mountains. At this point, I have been to more UNESCO sites in Australia than I have been to at home.
I'm not sure what to expect in Katoomba, since I didn't book a tour or a bus, but it turns out to be surprisingly easy. I tear a map out of one of those free regional magazines next to the train station, and walk into town. At the tourist information office at The Echo Point, the guide tells me I can do the cliff walk from Katoomba to Leura and it will take a few hours. I hadn't planned on hiking because my legs were so knackered yesterday on my walk, but I'm feeling good now, and plus, I have a nice size food bag that is filled with bread and peas and chocolate.
The Blue Mountains are spectacular. The cliff walk follows the edge of one mountain as it curls around and winds its way to the other side of a huge valley. Every lookout is stunning and it reminds me of the Grand Canyon. The mountains are heavily forested and looking down is like looking at a thick, green, carpet. Several faces of the surrounding cliffs are free of vegetation and the exposed red, striped rock shines in the sun. I take about seven hundred pictures. There are waterfalls, and eroded rocks, and dripping vines, and hollowed out cave-like curves. The mountains are steep and the lookouts are scarily perched on overhanging rocks. On my last hurrah, I climb 388 steps from Siloam's Pool to the cliff top in Leura. Yes, I counted.
I walk from 10am to 4pm and am utterly exhausted by the end. I sleep the whole train ride back.
On my last Australian evening, I shower, pack, make noodles, and read Seven Years in Tibet, which is FANTASTIC. It is the first real book I have read in a month (the rest have been total crap writing), and I can't put it down.
This is when I notice that my watch has broken. On my LAST NIGHT, the screen is mysteriously blank. Not so mysterious when I consider that I accidently showered with it earlier, but it claims to be water resistant up to 30 meters, and a few minutes of shower sprinkle is less than 30 meters, right? WRONG. I can't bring myself to buy another one for bucks for just one fucking morning. I walk around the neighborhood checking the 7-11s, but non of them sell cheapo alarm clocks. I ask two separate roommates to wake me up in the morning and go to sleep.
(I woke up at 5:45, in case you were wondering.)
Australian thing of the day: Nothing. There is nothing left in Australia that I haven't eaten. It is time to go home.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
bron-tee, bon-dee, coo-gee
So my mom does this Kabbalah stuff and met this Australian woman who also does Kabbalah stuff and then they emailed each other and my mom told her that I would be in Australia and she emailed me back and invited me over for lunch. Only it was really difficult to arrange the actual lunch, because I don't have a cell phone here, and my schedule has never been totally set, and she only checks her email once a day. So finally, in my final days, we agree to meet at a cafe in Bronte under her flat.
The bus ride is uneventful until the bus rounds a curve and tops over a hill to give a glorious view of Bronte, a little beachside suburb of colored buildings and a rocky peninsula and white sand, and it is just PERFECT. I'm early for our lunch, so I actually walk back up the hill to where the bus turned so I can take some pictures of the picturesque area. I can't believe I haven't been here sooner.
I meet Orna, and she tells me that we are having lunch with a visiting Kabbalah scholar, which I find weird. I'm pretty sure that she knows that I don't study Kabbalah and I would hope that she knows that I didn't come to Australia to meet any visiting scholars of anything, but I don't say anything. We take a gorgeous walk along the beach to get to Bondi, and meet Zohar. He is actually quite funny and I'm glad he's there. When we get to the cafe, his friend Shuli meets us, and she is even cooler. We talk about crazy southern Christian Fundamentalists, and Aboriginal cultures, and the ultra orthodox guy that was just caught selling body parts on the black market. Shuli and Zohar are quite interesting and I'm actually enjoying myself. The highlight of the month comes when Zohar asks me where I'm from because HE THOUGHT I WAS AUSTRALIAN. AN AMERICAN GUY THOUGHT I WAS AUSTRALIAN. I can't help but adopt the accent when I hear it all around me, and I'm THAT GOOD. He doesn't believe me when I say I'm from LA until I list some streets in Beverlywood that he is familiar with.
After lunch – a very delicious spinach/pumpkin/feta/tomato/pine nut salad, we part ways and I take the cliff walk all the way to Coogee. It starts out well, with the brilliant ocean on one side and the eroded sandstone ledges on the other – all of Australia is made of sandstone, basically – but I get tired quickly and Coogee turns out to be MUCH farther than the 5k that Lonely Planet promised. By the time I get there I have only the strength to buy a frozen coke and plunk my tired butt onto a bus.
Back in Sydney, I have a long time with the check in guy about the best junk foods here. He has some very strong opinions. He also has a routine in which he eats strictly healthy 6 days a week and then on his day off from work he pigs out on junk food. The other workers sitting at check-in nod and shake their heads to let me know that he actually DOES consume junk food all day long Sunday. He shows me some of his favorites online. We agree that Tim Tams are amazing and then I go off to Coles to buy about 15 packs of them. For you. All of you. (And some for me.)
I meet Georgina the Irish and Hannah the Finnish back in my room, eat dinner, and finish my ninth book of the trip. Luckily, this YHA is stocked and so I load up on 5 more books, just in case.
Australian thing of the day: ME. (almost)
The bus ride is uneventful until the bus rounds a curve and tops over a hill to give a glorious view of Bronte, a little beachside suburb of colored buildings and a rocky peninsula and white sand, and it is just PERFECT. I'm early for our lunch, so I actually walk back up the hill to where the bus turned so I can take some pictures of the picturesque area. I can't believe I haven't been here sooner.
I meet Orna, and she tells me that we are having lunch with a visiting Kabbalah scholar, which I find weird. I'm pretty sure that she knows that I don't study Kabbalah and I would hope that she knows that I didn't come to Australia to meet any visiting scholars of anything, but I don't say anything. We take a gorgeous walk along the beach to get to Bondi, and meet Zohar. He is actually quite funny and I'm glad he's there. When we get to the cafe, his friend Shuli meets us, and she is even cooler. We talk about crazy southern Christian Fundamentalists, and Aboriginal cultures, and the ultra orthodox guy that was just caught selling body parts on the black market. Shuli and Zohar are quite interesting and I'm actually enjoying myself. The highlight of the month comes when Zohar asks me where I'm from because HE THOUGHT I WAS AUSTRALIAN. AN AMERICAN GUY THOUGHT I WAS AUSTRALIAN. I can't help but adopt the accent when I hear it all around me, and I'm THAT GOOD. He doesn't believe me when I say I'm from LA until I list some streets in Beverlywood that he is familiar with.
After lunch – a very delicious spinach/pumpkin/feta/tomato/pine nut salad, we part ways and I take the cliff walk all the way to Coogee. It starts out well, with the brilliant ocean on one side and the eroded sandstone ledges on the other – all of Australia is made of sandstone, basically – but I get tired quickly and Coogee turns out to be MUCH farther than the 5k that Lonely Planet promised. By the time I get there I have only the strength to buy a frozen coke and plunk my tired butt onto a bus.
Back in Sydney, I have a long time with the check in guy about the best junk foods here. He has some very strong opinions. He also has a routine in which he eats strictly healthy 6 days a week and then on his day off from work he pigs out on junk food. The other workers sitting at check-in nod and shake their heads to let me know that he actually DOES consume junk food all day long Sunday. He shows me some of his favorites online. We agree that Tim Tams are amazing and then I go off to Coles to buy about 15 packs of them. For you. All of you. (And some for me.)
I meet Georgina the Irish and Hannah the Finnish back in my room, eat dinner, and finish my ninth book of the trip. Luckily, this YHA is stocked and so I load up on 5 more books, just in case.
Australian thing of the day: ME. (almost)
back to sid-nee
My overnight bus landed in Sydney at 8 in the morning and I was ZONKED. The YHA didn't check in people until noon, so I took all my crap up to the lounge and had a nap. When I could finally check in, I had a much needed shower. THEN I WENT SHOPPING!!!!!!!
Well, I kind of walked around the historically important Rocks area, but mostly I was shopping. I bought a big, cozy, gray sweatshirt/sweater that I will not wear for several months in LA. I walked across the Harbor Bridge and it was cool to see the whole city of Sydney below me. I went shopping at Coles supermarket and bought what I thought was enough food to last for the next few days.
In the evening, I watched Milk at the hostel. It was incredibly moving and reminded me of all the protests that went on this year against Prop 8 and the gay marriage ban. I felt like I really had to discuss that with someone but absolutely no one in the room (or in my hostel room) was American. It was pretty frustrating.
Australian thing of the day: My new fleece sweatshirt! Or the eighth McDonalds soft serve of the month!
Well, I kind of walked around the historically important Rocks area, but mostly I was shopping. I bought a big, cozy, gray sweatshirt/sweater that I will not wear for several months in LA. I walked across the Harbor Bridge and it was cool to see the whole city of Sydney below me. I went shopping at Coles supermarket and bought what I thought was enough food to last for the next few days.
In the evening, I watched Milk at the hostel. It was incredibly moving and reminded me of all the protests that went on this year against Prop 8 and the gay marriage ban. I felt like I really had to discuss that with someone but absolutely no one in the room (or in my hostel room) was American. It was pretty frustrating.
Australian thing of the day: My new fleece sweatshirt! Or the eighth McDonalds soft serve of the month!
Saturday, August 01, 2009
last day in mel-bin
Other than some random shit like going to Coles several times and wandering around the CBD again, today is movie and shopping day. First I go to acmi, the Australian Center for the Moving Image. They only had one exhibit open on a guy I've never heard of (Len Lyons), but it was entertaining enough.
Then I saw a movie in the Melbourne International Film Festival! Rough Aunties tells the story about this organization in South Africa that helps women and children who are victims of abuse. There is a lot of raping and beating and sadness going on, and I cried nearly the whole time. It was very moving. Information about the organization, Bobbi Bear, can be found at http://www.roughaunties.com
I think the most touching part of the film was when one lady's son drowned in the river, and everyone is attending the Zulu funeral, and the main Bobbi Bear woman stands up to do a eulogy. She calls out, gesticulating wildly, “Over here, we are all waving to him and saying 'Goodbye, we will miss you,' but on the other side, there are crowds of people clapping and shouting, 'Come! Come to us! Welcome!”
After that I wandered around some more and went shopping and finally made my way to the State Library just as its exhibitions were closing. Oh well. Back to the hostel to eat dinner, collect my things, and get to Southern Cross station for my overnight bus to Sydney.
Australian thing of the day: Fleece sweatpants from Supre. Australian sweatpants which I plan on wearing daily in several months when it gets this chilly in Los Angeles. Before that, I'll probably wear them straight through from now until I land in Los Angeles.
Then I saw a movie in the Melbourne International Film Festival! Rough Aunties tells the story about this organization in South Africa that helps women and children who are victims of abuse. There is a lot of raping and beating and sadness going on, and I cried nearly the whole time. It was very moving. Information about the organization, Bobbi Bear, can be found at http://www.roughaunties.com
I think the most touching part of the film was when one lady's son drowned in the river, and everyone is attending the Zulu funeral, and the main Bobbi Bear woman stands up to do a eulogy. She calls out, gesticulating wildly, “Over here, we are all waving to him and saying 'Goodbye, we will miss you,' but on the other side, there are crowds of people clapping and shouting, 'Come! Come to us! Welcome!”
After that I wandered around some more and went shopping and finally made my way to the State Library just as its exhibitions were closing. Oh well. Back to the hostel to eat dinner, collect my things, and get to Southern Cross station for my overnight bus to Sydney.
Australian thing of the day: Fleece sweatpants from Supre. Australian sweatpants which I plan on wearing daily in several months when it gets this chilly in Los Angeles. Before that, I'll probably wear them straight through from now until I land in Los Angeles.
real people day
It's real people day! I meet Gavi, long time family friend, and we walk to Queen Victoria Market together. Gavi was traveling in China for a month and stopped over in Australia to visit some friends from college who live here. It's a total coincidence that we're here at the same time, and we wouldn't even know it if our parents didn't blab about us so much! I haven't talked to Gavi for years, and we catch up on the walk and while swiping fruit samples at the market.
She is an experimentor just like me, so we buy a bunch of foreign fruits and have a tasting! The quince is large a yellow, and feels and tastes like a really dry apple. It is clearly not meant to be eaten plain. Next is a passion fruit, which is so pretty and round and purple/green on the outside, and then crazy orange and goopy on the inside. This particular passion fruit is really sour, so we pour sugar over it (quite liberally) and then it's really tasty. Too many seeds for me, and also, I'm not into fruits that require utensils to eat. Third is the golden kiwi, which looks like a normal kiwi from the outside, and then a little duller on the inside, but tastes very little like kiwi and very much like banana. I like it, and it doesn't make my mouth pucker. Last is the mangosteen, which I have gobbled down freeze-dried from Trader Joes, but never had fresh. From the outside, it looks like a plum, but the part you eat inside is white and soft and comes apart in chunks like a head of garlic. It is wonderfully delicious, like a mango/bananaish berry flavor. I will get more of these in Sydney.
After the market, we half walk, half tram to St. Kilda by the beach, walk along the pier as the sun is setting, and see a mini penguin nesting in the rocks! There are many picture attempts, but we are not allowed to use flash because the area is protected, so instead we and a bunch of people silently huddle around a clump of rocks and whisper to each other when the penguin moves. Everybody is very respectful of the animal and no one wants to disturb the peace. It feels very sacred and special and it's nice to share the experience with this small group of strangers.
In the evening, we go to dinner and party with Gavi's friends, Claire and Cameron. And thirty of their closest friends and relatives. It is Claire and sister Bridget's birthday. I eat dinner in a real pub! Which is called a Hotel! And I know I'm not entirely objective because I haven't had a restaurant meal in over a month, but my sun-dried tomato grilled onion cream and tomato sauce pasta is SO FUCKING GOOD. We talk to Claire's friends and it's nice to have a conversation other than how long were you in Cairnes or did you do self guided or tour group on Fraser Island. Gavi and I are the youngest by 10 years and I'm definitely the scruffiest in my jeans and t shirt, but it's still fun. After dinner, the party moves back to Claire and Cameron's flat and we drink long island ice teas and eat delicious rasberry birthday cake and I'm social some more before I have to leave and catch a tram home. I tell one fellow who we talked to all evening that I was happy to hang out with “real Australians,” and he responded that he was voted Most Australian in his class in high school. (He grew up here in Melbourne, in Australia.)
Australian thing of the day: Real Australians.
She is an experimentor just like me, so we buy a bunch of foreign fruits and have a tasting! The quince is large a yellow, and feels and tastes like a really dry apple. It is clearly not meant to be eaten plain. Next is a passion fruit, which is so pretty and round and purple/green on the outside, and then crazy orange and goopy on the inside. This particular passion fruit is really sour, so we pour sugar over it (quite liberally) and then it's really tasty. Too many seeds for me, and also, I'm not into fruits that require utensils to eat. Third is the golden kiwi, which looks like a normal kiwi from the outside, and then a little duller on the inside, but tastes very little like kiwi and very much like banana. I like it, and it doesn't make my mouth pucker. Last is the mangosteen, which I have gobbled down freeze-dried from Trader Joes, but never had fresh. From the outside, it looks like a plum, but the part you eat inside is white and soft and comes apart in chunks like a head of garlic. It is wonderfully delicious, like a mango/bananaish berry flavor. I will get more of these in Sydney.
After the market, we half walk, half tram to St. Kilda by the beach, walk along the pier as the sun is setting, and see a mini penguin nesting in the rocks! There are many picture attempts, but we are not allowed to use flash because the area is protected, so instead we and a bunch of people silently huddle around a clump of rocks and whisper to each other when the penguin moves. Everybody is very respectful of the animal and no one wants to disturb the peace. It feels very sacred and special and it's nice to share the experience with this small group of strangers.
In the evening, we go to dinner and party with Gavi's friends, Claire and Cameron. And thirty of their closest friends and relatives. It is Claire and sister Bridget's birthday. I eat dinner in a real pub! Which is called a Hotel! And I know I'm not entirely objective because I haven't had a restaurant meal in over a month, but my sun-dried tomato grilled onion cream and tomato sauce pasta is SO FUCKING GOOD. We talk to Claire's friends and it's nice to have a conversation other than how long were you in Cairnes or did you do self guided or tour group on Fraser Island. Gavi and I are the youngest by 10 years and I'm definitely the scruffiest in my jeans and t shirt, but it's still fun. After dinner, the party moves back to Claire and Cameron's flat and we drink long island ice teas and eat delicious rasberry birthday cake and I'm social some more before I have to leave and catch a tram home. I tell one fellow who we talked to all evening that I was happy to hang out with “real Australians,” and he responded that he was voted Most Australian in his class in high school. (He grew up here in Melbourne, in Australia.)
Australian thing of the day: Real Australians.
I heart mel-bin, day II
When I wake up, I notice that there are two people sleeping in the bed opposite from me! Freaky, since I am the only other person in the room! Gross, stop it!
Today is arts and museum day. First I go to the Victoria National Gallery and see several exhibitions-- Indiginous art, clothing from Jane Austin's period, Chinese Imperial robes, chairs from the 1960s, and a bunch of Rembrandts. I also see a lot of school groups and their INCREDIBLE UNIFORMS. Teenagers are wearing matching skirts, shirts, ties, sweaters, tights, shoes. Many of the school groups have girls wearing ties. Most also have all students wearing suit jackets. Like, EVERYTHING they wear is uniform. Without exception, every girl has unkempt hair.
At the Ian Potter Center, I see more indiginous art and more hippie chairs and some Australian painting which I think is incredibly uninteresting.
I take a walk through Melbourne's botanical gardens, which are a little like Sydney's in that they are arranged in a sprawling park, but there are no signs whatsoever, and it is chilly and overcast and I'm not feeling it. I stop in at the ANZAC memorial and learn FINALLY that ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. So ANZAC day is their remembrance day. An old lady gives a boring tour of the building, and I'm not terribly impressed, maybe I would have been at the beginning of my trip but I just can't be bothered to care that on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the sun shines in a line EXACTLY at this spot and lights up the symbolic gravestone just so. The view from the top of the memorial is stunning, though. You can see the Yarra river and north suburbs from one side, and central Melbourne and the bay on the other. Here's where it starts drizzling.
What else do I do in Melbourne..... oh yeah, I go to church. The big cathedral near my hostel has an afternoon prayer service every weekday with a choir, and I can't resist a choir! Thankfully, the praying part is minimal, and the singing part takes up most of it, and it is just lovely, with all the young boys and their contra-alto voices (I think that's what it's called) and the echoing in the stone hall.
Back at the ranch, I had some veggie nugget from Lord of the Fries and watched The Notebook on the hostel telly. One point for me since this movie stars Rachel McAdams. God, I love this movie. It is a total chick cry-fest, but it's awesome. Then I hang out at McDonalds and do internet.
Australian thing of the day: Fake birkenstock sandals that I bought at Big W for $12.99. I have been looking for ones just like it at home to no avail. Yay Australia!
Today is arts and museum day. First I go to the Victoria National Gallery and see several exhibitions-- Indiginous art, clothing from Jane Austin's period, Chinese Imperial robes, chairs from the 1960s, and a bunch of Rembrandts. I also see a lot of school groups and their INCREDIBLE UNIFORMS. Teenagers are wearing matching skirts, shirts, ties, sweaters, tights, shoes. Many of the school groups have girls wearing ties. Most also have all students wearing suit jackets. Like, EVERYTHING they wear is uniform. Without exception, every girl has unkempt hair.
At the Ian Potter Center, I see more indiginous art and more hippie chairs and some Australian painting which I think is incredibly uninteresting.
I take a walk through Melbourne's botanical gardens, which are a little like Sydney's in that they are arranged in a sprawling park, but there are no signs whatsoever, and it is chilly and overcast and I'm not feeling it. I stop in at the ANZAC memorial and learn FINALLY that ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. So ANZAC day is their remembrance day. An old lady gives a boring tour of the building, and I'm not terribly impressed, maybe I would have been at the beginning of my trip but I just can't be bothered to care that on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the sun shines in a line EXACTLY at this spot and lights up the symbolic gravestone just so. The view from the top of the memorial is stunning, though. You can see the Yarra river and north suburbs from one side, and central Melbourne and the bay on the other. Here's where it starts drizzling.
What else do I do in Melbourne..... oh yeah, I go to church. The big cathedral near my hostel has an afternoon prayer service every weekday with a choir, and I can't resist a choir! Thankfully, the praying part is minimal, and the singing part takes up most of it, and it is just lovely, with all the young boys and their contra-alto voices (I think that's what it's called) and the echoing in the stone hall.
Back at the ranch, I had some veggie nugget from Lord of the Fries and watched The Notebook on the hostel telly. One point for me since this movie stars Rachel McAdams. God, I love this movie. It is a total chick cry-fest, but it's awesome. Then I hang out at McDonalds and do internet.
Australian thing of the day: Fake birkenstock sandals that I bought at Big W for $12.99. I have been looking for ones just like it at home to no avail. Yay Australia!
alice to mel-bin
Crazy busy morning! Transport! Getting food for the flight! Saying goodbye to Marjolein :( !!! We all sort of race around to shower and do laundry and buy snacks and be packed in time for our airport shuttle, which drops us off with about ten minutes to spare in the airport. Aline and I write up our Uluru trip on the plane, all while stuffing our faces with TimTams and sandwiches. We talk a lot about our guide, fucking awesome Glenno. As we circle over Melbourne, we are mesmorized by the green and the water and the skyscrapers and the urban sprawl. It is gorgeous! I haven't been around green in a week, and I haven't been amongst buildings higher than two stories since Brisbane, almost a month ago.
It is sad to say goodbye to Aline, because I could see myself being real good friends with her. I want to keep traveling together, but she has booked a jillaroo (cowgirl) course in Sydney for the next two weeks. I do french braids on her in the airport.
The airport bus driver drops me off at a random hostel right next to Flinders Station, in the middle of the CBD, and it's heaven. The hostel has a huge kitchen, lots of couches, a TV room, thick duvees, and very tight security. There are huge lockers in my room, which means I can leave practically everything every day, which is awesome for my back.
I wander around Melbourne central for the whole afternoon, marveling at the crowds and at the architecture. Several buildings on every block are built in the Victorian style, with ornate window carvings and arched doorways. These churches and government buildings and shops sit right next to other buildings with modern cement and glass construction. There are tram wires suspended overhead, and traffic lights, and traffic. The combination of old and new is charming. It feels very European. And it is not even that cold! I would say that it's the same, if not warmer, than Alice. I was expecting below freezing, given the latitude and the season.
Since the city is so far south (look it up on a map, I am right above Antarctica), the sun starts to set at 5pm, and shops all close up. I find a discount bookstore which is open and almost buy a book about Mesopotamia for my class, but think better of it. There is no shopping for work on this vacation!
For dinner, I have hot chips from Lord of the Fries with Indian sauce of creamy mango chutney. Decent. I like ketchup better. Back at the hostel, I watch a little Secret Life of an American Teenager and then get to bed at 9ish. I am EXHAUSTED from the Uluru trip.
Australian thing of the day: Vanilla malt Brekka, marketed as breakfast on the go. Ingredients include and are limited to: milk, sugar, malt, vanilla. Not a terribly good breakfast, but a nice way to drink milk. Also: Tim Tams. These are like a gift from God. Emma, from the office, says they are, “impossible to resist.” I've never met Emma, or been in her office, but she is quoted on the front of the package. I will be filling my extra duffel with Tim Tams for everyone to eat at home, they are that good.
It is sad to say goodbye to Aline, because I could see myself being real good friends with her. I want to keep traveling together, but she has booked a jillaroo (cowgirl) course in Sydney for the next two weeks. I do french braids on her in the airport.
The airport bus driver drops me off at a random hostel right next to Flinders Station, in the middle of the CBD, and it's heaven. The hostel has a huge kitchen, lots of couches, a TV room, thick duvees, and very tight security. There are huge lockers in my room, which means I can leave practically everything every day, which is awesome for my back.
I wander around Melbourne central for the whole afternoon, marveling at the crowds and at the architecture. Several buildings on every block are built in the Victorian style, with ornate window carvings and arched doorways. These churches and government buildings and shops sit right next to other buildings with modern cement and glass construction. There are tram wires suspended overhead, and traffic lights, and traffic. The combination of old and new is charming. It feels very European. And it is not even that cold! I would say that it's the same, if not warmer, than Alice. I was expecting below freezing, given the latitude and the season.
Since the city is so far south (look it up on a map, I am right above Antarctica), the sun starts to set at 5pm, and shops all close up. I find a discount bookstore which is open and almost buy a book about Mesopotamia for my class, but think better of it. There is no shopping for work on this vacation!
For dinner, I have hot chips from Lord of the Fries with Indian sauce of creamy mango chutney. Decent. I like ketchup better. Back at the hostel, I watch a little Secret Life of an American Teenager and then get to bed at 9ish. I am EXHAUSTED from the Uluru trip.
Australian thing of the day: Vanilla malt Brekka, marketed as breakfast on the go. Ingredients include and are limited to: milk, sugar, malt, vanilla. Not a terribly good breakfast, but a nice way to drink milk. Also: Tim Tams. These are like a gift from God. Emma, from the office, says they are, “impossible to resist.” I've never met Emma, or been in her office, but she is quoted on the front of the package. I will be filling my extra duffel with Tim Tams for everyone to eat at home, they are that good.
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