Today was stinking hot. And humid. I woke far too early and enjoyed a bacon sarnie for breakfast/lunch followed by an absolutelty divine chocolate cake laced with raspberries. Will someone please explain how Dion is not someone’s wife yet? A PhD student with a great sense of humour and the ability to bake and cook circles round Delia – and she reads comics. My thanks to mein hostess for the last couple of days!
Dion gave me a lift to the station via a milkshake and chips at a cafe and I suffered the sweltering journey – more uncomfortable than Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, I swear – before arriving at the Town Hall stop in Sydney and strolling to the xBase backpackers’.
After checking in, I walked to Hungry Jacks and wolfed down a $5 meal and several refills of Coke. I desperately needed the fluids. Got to love a country with free refills on soft drinks.
Back at the hostel a lovely American girl called Sarah fed me spaghetti so she could use up some of the food she would otherwise be chucking out – and gave me a Dean Koontz book I’ve not read yet. Thanks, Sarah! Enjoy the WWOOFing in Byron Bay!
I’d booked into the same hostel as Delphine and Sophie who I met in Tasmania, and I met Delphine in the lounge for a natter. Lovely to see her again, though we were both exhausted. With any luck we’ll catch up again before I shoot off back to Canberra.
At that time I intended to crash in bed, but Lorna (an Italian girl in my otherwise German dorm) convinced me to go out for a beer. It didn’t take much convincing, I’ll be honest.
The bar at the hostel was closed for two nights, so we started walking towards the harbour. After five minutes, I stopped a random man and asked if he knew where there was anywhere open to get a drink. I chose my source of information well – the man turned out to be a Geordie so was obviously very capable of locating alcohol.
We ended up not far from the Bridge in the Oldest Pub in Sydney. As we enjoyed our single bevvie, the rain started. It had been threatening on the walk down with flashes, flickers and sheets of lightning showing through the clouds and buildings. The rain was torrential, flowing down the gutters and splashing up onto the pavement.
Fortunately, most of the walk back was under awnings so we didn’t get as wet as we otherwise would have, but it still makes you wonder why this place has water problems. In fairness, this is one night of rain after two days of scorching sunshine, but still. The rain was welcome, though. Ignoring the amazingly loud thunder which would disturb my sleep if I cared, the air is now a lot less humid.
