New Continent

I wasn't sure I was going to make it to Australia due to a bit of a visa fiasco, but here I am writing from Launceston, Tasmania! I could write a whole post about my ordeal, but suffice it to say I totally forgot to apply for an Australian visa and ended up spending an extra 24 hours trapped in the Sao Paulo airport international terminal since they wouldn't let me on my flight and you also can't enter Brazil without a visa. Not my finest moment and not an experience I wish to repeat anytime soon, but a good lesson learned.

I arrived completely exhausted in Melbourne after back to back 13 hour flights. The first to Doha, Qatar and then the next to Melbourne. It was dark as we flew over Doha, but from the promotional video and the flyby over the brightly lit city center it seemed like a slightly scaled down version of Dubai. The airport was immaculate and the best part was that they don't make PA flight boarding announcements so there isn't the constant blare of repetitive pages. I went through 2 sets of security screening including a full body pat down and then we were off.

It was a treat to be back in a big city and in order of importance here are the things I did:

1. Shower
2. Sleep
3. Laundry
4. Haircut
5. Eat sushi
6. Eat more Asian food
7. Sleep more

I am still trying to get the hang of things here in Australia. Remembering to walk on the left and look the correct direction before crossing the street takes a concentrated effort. Yesterday I bought a box of "Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese" (It isn't called Kraft Dinner here) to take camping. The box was very large, but it was the only size, so I assumed it was just bigger than our standard size. When I opened it up I discovered that instead of cheese powder it comes with a tin can of cheese sauce.

I happened to land in Melbourne just as the Australian Grand Prix was starting so the city was bustling and I was glad I had booked a place to stay ahead of time. I was a little worried that Melbourne wouldn't live up to the experience I had there 7 years ago, but fortunately it did not disappoint. The city is an assault on all of your senses. Where else can you sit on bean bag chairs set out on the lawn outside of the state library? There are amazing musicians busking on the street, any kind of food you could possibly want everywhere, all sorts of architecture from old to space age and nice places to sit and relax when you can't handle the crowds and craziness anymore.

My favorite stop was at the Queen Victoria market which is this giant open aired market where you can buy almost anything from food to a pot set to cook your food in to clothes to wear to your dinner party. The place is massive, there is a whole market just devoted to fruit and vegetables, another to butchered meat, a third to deli meats and cheeses and another 2 sections full of clothes, souvenirs, etc. Oh and of course a giant food court serving all sorts of food to top it all off. Needless to say I left the market with a light pocket and a heavy stomach.

After relaxing in Melbourne for two days I hopped on a plane for the hour flight to Tasmania which is a small island just south of the Mainland. I landed in Launceston, which at a whopping population of 70,000, is the second largest city on the island. I am really enjoying Launceston and the quiet here. The city has lots of neat old buildings and houses nestled in the surrounding hills. Everyone is super friendly and the atmosphere is nice and relaxed.

I have been busy gearing up for a 7 day hike called the Overland Track. Another world famous trail so I am extremely excited to get back out into the wild and sleep in my tent. It has been so much easier to get prepped here than it was in South America. One more final trip to pick up the last couple things I am missing and I will be ready to go.

I will upload photos and the details of my adventure once I return from the wild. Until then....