So I'm home now! It's a relief and unfortunate at the same time--but describing my journey and arrival home will be the next post. My last few days in Australia were fantastic. On Sunday I went to Cairns weekend market: Rusty's, which is a permanently enclosed market filled with vendors selling produce, coffee, jewelry, souvenirs and knick knacks. I got a nectarine for 20 cents and a bag of cherries to commemorate the summer, knowing full well that there won't be any tropical food or weather back in Chicago.
Then I ventured to the Botanic Gardens again. It was just so beautiful to be immersed in the rainforest, jungle and swamp habitats so close to the town! I got a bit freaked out though because a sign said there would be crocs near the edges of the waters, but sometimes the paths were so narrow that the water was a meter away. If they were around, I safely avoided being their meal.
That night I went to dinner with my new roommate Asha from the U.K. It was nice to have the hostel room to myself for a couple nights, but whenever I had a roommate I had a guaranteed dinner partner--so much better to go to dinner with someone than alone. I ended up going to a massive bar/club that night to listen to a live band. I met tons of people that night from all over the world.
So Monday was a late start. I took a bus to Palm Cove to eat my lunch and tan on the beach. I took a swim in the warm water as well--30 degrees! Then I headed to Cairns Tropical Zoo, a very clean zoo with active animals. There weren't that many though, so I stayed for all the free shows: free-flight bird show, croc feeding session and reptile tour.
Tuesday was my last day in Cairns! I took a day tour to see the waterfalls and tablelands of Queensland. I saw and swam in Josephine Falls, Mila Mila Falls (which doubles as the town swimming pool) and Lake Eacham (a crater lake formed by a volcano!). I also journeyed into the rainforest to see some wildlife and a Curtin Fig Tree, a massive form of multiple trees that fell and grew on each other for many years. It was awesome to be in the rain forest that is older than when dinosaurs walked the Earth: +120 million years old!
After a long day I proceeded with another long night. It was trivia night at the same place I get my free meals (via the hostel)! A group from the hostel went together, and we got in second place! That night I celebrated with people from France, Spain, Germany, Holland and Australia. I ended up not going to sleep and just trying to stay awake until my 4:00 AM taxi took me to the airport. I almost fell asleep waiting for my plane.
I arrived in Sydney desperately seeking a coffee. After I dropped off my bags at the hostel, I found the Starbucks (it didn't do well in Australia because of local cafes and Gloria Jeans) and savoured a Caramel Frappucino, grande--for $6.10. I walked through Hyde Park, past the museums, cathedrals, hospital and streets of Sydney to the bridge to snap some photos. Then I took a ferry to get a better look at the city skyline--the landscape was absolutely gorgeous. That's when I met a twenty something German named Fery, with whom I conversed in German. Because he was on holiday (studying English, staying at a homestay in Sydney), he agreed to take me through the Royal Botanic Gardens and to Manly, another city (island?) to have my last dinner in Australia: seafood. We found a bar and I had Cajun Barramundi with Greek Salad. Delicious--especially compared to the free spaghetti I'd been eating every night at the Woolshed.
And before I knew it the sun went down and I desperately needed to get home before it got too dark to walk in the city alone. I took the subway to Kings Cross. It was really warm and dirty, the former which I wasn't used to because Sydney was quite cold, the latter which describes Sydney perfectly. There's bird poop and cigarettes everywhere, along with the tourists with their cameras. It reminded me of Europe instead of the other Australian cities; I missed walking barefoot in the town.
My last night in Australia I went to The World Bar, an interesting, 3 story club that's more vertical than it is laterally spacious. I went with people from Uruguay, Spain, France, Germany, England, Holland, Australia, Brazil, Portugal, Canada...it was fantastic of course. I got back in time to take a quick nap! That morning I toured Darling Harbour and Cockle Wharf just in time to catch my shuttle to the airport. The rest is full of airports, lines, disinterest in food, tears of sorrow and joy to leave and return, respectively.
More on my arrival next time! I'm adjusting still.
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