The Driest State on the Driest Continent

Mon Jan. 26 - This was Australia Day as well as Chinese New Year! I spent the day at my friend's friend's barbeque. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. This is what Aussies do....they welcome strangers and treat them like one of their own.

Tues Jan 27 - I went back to the centre of Melbourne to take the RSA course (Responsible Serving of Alcohol). Having this certificate allows you to work in establishments that serve alcohol. I paid $60 for a 3-hr course about the laws and how to deal with intoxicated customers. Then you do a test in the end and get your certificate the same day. I am now officially qualified to work in a bar in Australia!

After the course, I got some quick food and made my way to the bus station. My bus for Adelaide leaves at 8:15pm and arrives at its destination at 6am the next day. (Adelaide is 30 minutes behind Melbourne time). Although I booked with Greyhound, I went on another carrier. The bus was a Firefly bus and it was a double-decker. I was assigned a window seat on the lower level. In Australia, you have to check in at the desk so they can assign you a seat (unlike in North America where you go wherever you wish). There are also seat belts! the bus driver told us we had to because if the police come on board, they will fine you (the passenger) if you don't have the seat belt on. Secondly, it's better to have it on on case a kangaroo jumps out into the road. This happens quite frequently around dusk and dawn. At the beginning, we had the radio playing and then there was a movie. The movie was Bad Company, with Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins. It was ok. The seats had a lot of leg room too.

Wed Jan 28 - I arrived in Adelaide at 6am which was too early to check into a hostel. So I stayed in the bus station (nice and clean and safe) for a while. When I went outside around 9am, it was HOT!!! It turns out that today is a record high of 45.5 C (last time it was this it hot was the 1930's). Later, I heard from someone it was in the 50's. It's like an oven and thankfully a dry heat. South Australia (SA) is known as the driest state on the driest continent. How did I spend my day? Going to the SA Museum (which has the largest Aboriginal collection of artifacts in the world) and Migration Museum (which showed how exclusionary this country used to be). Both museums are free and air-conditioned! There are also 2 bus services (tram?) that go around the downtown for free. (Melbourne had a free tourist tram too). I also went to the mall to buy extra toiletries since I was warned that everything on Kangaroo Island (off of SA mainland) is more expensive since everything has to be imported. I'm heading off to Kangaroo Island tomorrow morning for my next wwoof at a wildlife sanctuary! I can't wait!

In the food court, I got 2 sushi rolls for under $5 and a MCd's ice cream cone for 50 cents. That was my cheap lunch.

Another way to keep cool is to go on the internet. I chatted with my German roomate from the hostel in Melbourne. She told me that the guy in the bunk above hers (the one I used to be in) came back with a girl and had loud sex. They were shaking the bed too. Ohhh, my poor roomate! That is against the rules and you get kicked out for that. But he checked out the next morning. That room has 2 sets of bunk beds (so normally 4 occupants). How rude. Ahhh, the adventures of hostel living!