Adventures Down Under

Another rule of traveling is to be a seat hog.

I learned this the hard way on my flight to Paris from Madagascar.  Magically, I was left with the entire center rule – 3 whole seats! – and was planning to take them over after lift-off.  But my big plans crashed when a rather large French lady (French women can get fat) sat at the other end.  And then she brought her baby over.  And then all her stuff spilled into the middle seat.

My flight to Malaysia on the way to Perth also left me with an empty row of 5 seats by some dumb luck.  I was uncompromising in my take-over of 3 of those seats, even when a lady sat at the other end.  Amid glares from everyone around me, I got my delicious few hours of airplane sleep.

And then again on the Indian Pacific railroad on my way to Adelaide.  It seems symbolic that I almost always have an empty seat next to me – especially on the train, which was reminiscent of the Amtrak ride I took with Mom to Chicago and something she would've enjoyed joining me on.  Whatever the significance, though, both seats were mine.  There were empty threats of having to give it up when new passengers boarded.  A guy I talked to complained about having to sit next to a smoker.  But no, I was going to enjoy my extra seat.  

And I did.  Somehow, among the loud whispers and incessant snoring of the older crowd and the creaky sway of the train, I didn't wake up until they started playing cheesy power ballads and 70s music that tried in vain to break the obvious age gap in the train.

I got into Adelaide yesterday, mid-way on my short 2 weeks through Australia.  So far it's made me homesick more than anything, since it's so much like home, with the outspoken, friendly people, beautiful California-like weather, organic food, stunning sunsets on the beach...

Aussie baobabs!

I spent my first few leg of my Aussie adventure in Perth on the west coast, enjoying the beautiful botanical gardens and the European-style architecture.

Speaking of dumb luck.. I managed to lose my hostel key right on my way out the door (of course).  After spending an hour searching and re-searching through my stuff, the lady at the front counter said, "I'm sorry, but that'll be a $20 fee".  I was expecting some astronomical amount that would cover changing all the locks, so wasn't too disappointed.

But the tables turned.  I left the hostel and hopped on the Indian Pacific train, which takes 2 days and nights to cross the Outback at a pace similar to Amtrak (does a train really have to go slowly through deserted countryside?).  The train crew handed out optional surveys, which would be used in a raffle.

Ghost town in the Outback

I never win raffles.  There must be one lucky person in the world that attends every raffle and wins each one, adding yet another flat screen to their collection of cars and priceless artwork.  I'd like to be able to say that I won a flat screen when the crew announced my name, but, honestly, I was happier with the $20 voucher for food in the restaurant.

As my Grandma Val would've said, there are no coincidences.  But at least it was a nice way to recoup the money I lost for losing that darn key.

I have no idea who this is, but thanks for the amazing shot!

Or when I went to Cottesloe Beach to enjoy the sunset on the Indian Ocean.  The sunset was absolutely gorgeous, turning from pastels to brilliant orange against the deep cerulean blue of the ocean, reminding me of the one I saw in San Luis Obispo when I decided to take this trip in the first place.

I decided to head back to the train station early, only to find everyone there in a state of confusion.  It turns out that that night - and only that night, of course - they were doing work on the tracks and the last train would leave at 7:10 pm.  It was 7 pm and everyone was having trouble getting tickets.   The machine wouldn't take bills, and it required exact change.

War memorial statue in Adelaide

The train pulled up and a young Japanese couple came up to me, asking what was going on.  "I think this is the last train!" I said, and we all jumped on.  As luck would have it, I didn't see one ticket collecter, and when I reached Perth again, all I had to do was explain the situation and got through without a fee.

In Madagascar, I got used to things being cancelled or postponed - it's just how things work and there's no way around it.  Perhaps it's superstition or a healthier, more positive and patient outlook, but all these signs have helped me realize that I'm doing exactly what I should be doing right now.

Sunset on Cottesloe Beach