Another Post on My Book

Call me obsessed, but there is a certain thrill about seeing your book in a bookstore window. That thrill is compounded when you see it in a bookstore window in a non-English speaking country. I found it in this Libri International bookstore when I stayed at the bed in the box, but the picture was so large on my phone camera, I could not e-mail it to myself. Finally, here it is. May I add, it is the only Frommer's book they carry!

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We Bid Adieu to Adelaide

Well, I think I have learned that close to five weeks is my limit for a vacation. We have traveled on planes, trains, taxis, shuttles, trams, subways, buses, monorail, boats, ferries, and foot. After numerous tours both out of cities and within the cities we have landed, each day has been full. A vacation should include some kick back time and relaxation, but we have this constant fear of missing out on something good, so each day is a race to see/do as much as possible; the exceptions being places like Cairns where there is only so much to do, but you are stuck based on airline tickets purchased before you knew better. After getting Ron to agree to a natural awakening this morning, one of the few with no alarm clock set, I was awake at 6:00 am, so read in bed until he stirred. We did our breakfast thing in the well equipped kitchen in the hostel. One of our goals was to try out the O-bahn bus/tram. We went down to the transportation information office to find out where we caught it. There are over a dozen, but we were given ideas about the best choices. One ticket for $4.20 was good for a round trip if we returned within two hours. Getting on the J1 bus, we rode like a regular bus through the city, but then it enters a track area, where the special wheel attaches and the bus goes on its own. The driver does not need to steer, and the bus travels at close to 65 mph with only two stops at stations before reaching the end of the line. Our end of the line was a mall. We browsed around for a short time, noting that Kmart and Target were the anchor stores. Both are popular in the cities we have visited. Taking the bus back, we first sat in the back seats to take pictured, moving into the front late for more photo opportunities. For more info, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway. The rest of the day was browsing used bookstores, stopping for cold drinks with the heat running in the 90s, and stopping for a snack at an Irish pub, where we ordered nachos. Go figure! It saddens me to leave Australia. This was a trip I had planned fifteen years ago, but it was diverted by a new relationship. After fifteen years into that relationship, we, not just I made it, making it worth the wait. I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much if I had done it back then and alone. So to recap, we visited five of the six states of Australia, but neither of the two territories: Adelaide, the capital of South Australia Melbourne, the capital of Victoria Sydney, the capital of New South Wales Cairns in the State of Queensland Hobart, the capital of Tasmania and a whole lot of places in between. What we missed: Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, and Western Australia. Australia is the world's smallest continent, but the sixth largest country in the world, based on size, not population. Current population estimates for 2008 were 21,007,310.

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My Birthday - Sydney

The best thing about my birthdays is that we are always away on vacation when it comes around, so it makes getting older a little less distracting. Today is my day and I am supposed to decide what we do, but it is also our last full day in Sydney, so there are a few things we have not done yet to fit in.

Our first agenda item was to go to Bronte Beach. We had heard it is lovely and should not miss it. We found the correct bus to get there, but when the bus pulled into the bus station after a number of stops, we thought it was the end of the line. We also mistook what we though was a pedestrian street for a corso, or street leading to the beach. Being wrong on both counts, after walking a bit, we wandered into a Borders bookstore. So very similar to the States, this gigantic bookseller has shelf after shelf of tomes I would like to own, but the thought of lugging them holds me at bay. One difference here is the selection features a number of Australian writers, as well as American and British. So many books, so little luggage capacity on the airlines.

Ripping ourselves away from the store, we went back to the bus station to catch the bus to complete our journey to the beach. It actually was the same bus we were on, we just did not stay on it long enough. Bronte Beach in reality is like a picture postcard that you see and dream about visiting. A small piece of paradise, the water ranges from cloudy sky blue to rich hues of greens married to blues. The swimming area is small, but manageable with it roped off for safety. There are little coves with ocean water for the little ones and further along the rock line is a larger cove for the other children to swim safely without parental worries about sea creatures dragging their offspring off into the depths. After an hour, we tore ourselves away and took the bus back to a district where we found some used bookstores.

The bookstores were really a touch of Bohemia with little restaurants inside. Both sold new and used books. Ron found another book of his latest favorite Australian author. Everything I found was new and in hardcover, so it stayed on the shelf.

After returning to the hotel to drop off the books we purchased, we went to the State library, which had an exhibit by George Caddy and his photos of the Jitterbug. http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/exhibitions/2008/jitterbug/index.html What was more incredible were his photos in the same exhibit on Bondi Beach. They were unbelievable what those people did. This was called Beacharobics. We spent a good two hours looking at each photo and then Ron ran into a man who happened to be on our New Years cruise and remembered him. This gentleman was the curator of this exhibit, so gave him more background information.

Our hotel is also a micro-brewery. We stopped there for a beer brew, arranged for the airport shuttle $12.00 per person, and then out to dinner. We wanted to return to a restaurant we had eaten at a couple of nights ago, but it was closed. They had 300 gram steaks for $5.00. Delicious!

We made it an early evening since we fly to Cairns tomorrow morning on Virgin Blue Airlines, one of the budget airlines in Australia. We were told that until they started up three years ago, Qantas has a monopoly allowing them to charge exorbitant fees. Now they can no longer gouge the public; they have a choice.

Surprisingly, Sydney has a void of free WiFi connections just as the other cities so far. Budapest is so far ahead in this arena when you can find a couple on each block. Each time I went into Gloria Jeans to check my e-mail using the connection I had paid for, I felt a little obligated to buy something since I was sitting there. Disappointing!

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Funny Brits

I have noticed for years that Brits make statements or answer questions with questions. I was in the used English bookstore, Red Bus and overheard this interaction while looking over titles. There was another man looking at the shelves next to me when a younger man walked in who he knew. The younger man had his arm in a cast and sling. Older man: Duncan, what happened to you? Younger man: I fell off of my bike and broke my arm, didn't I? Older man: I did not know, I wasn't with you at the time now was I? Younger man: Well, it was bloody scary going over handle bar in a busy street, now wasn't it? Older man: I am not much help in emergencies, because I panic, don't I? Younger man: Well I bloody well better go, hadn't I? Older man: I don't know what your plans are for today, do I then? Younger man: The only reason I popped in was because I wanted to say hello to you when I saw you standing here, didn't I? Older man: Well that was jolly good of you, wasn't it? Younger man: Yes, it was, wasn't it? Older man: Well have a good day than, won't you? Younger man: Yes, I have some great fun scheduled with friends don't I then? And then he left, didn't he?

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