Adelaide

I left Melbourne yesterday and what an adventutre that was. Phil took me to the train station and I got a train to the Southern Cross Station in the city. Then I got on a bus that took me to the airport. I was there with time to spare, so I walked around and read a little. We boarded our flight, got out to the runway and then there was some mechanical difficulty, so we headed back to the gate. After 10 minutes, they told us the flight was cancelled, so we all had to go to baggage claim and then head back to check-in to get rebooked. Luckily, I got there fast and was able to get on the next flight out - which was in 15 minutes. So I had to rush through security (it is much easier than the US) and almost run to my flight. Of course once I got there, they hadn't even boarded yet, so I had plenty of time. We were about 30 minutes late, but atleast I got to Adelaide. All that tired me out though, so I checked in and went to bed at 9:30!

Ahh, to be back in a hostel. I have to say, I didn't miss it much at all. I feel very out of place in my room because the other 5 people in there are all from Germany. Mom, I so wish you taught me the language while growing up. I felt like I was in a nail salon - everyone talking in a different language and you can't help but wonder if it is about you!

Today I woke up and found a trail along the river running through town, so I went for a nice long run and explored some of the city. I enjoyed this run because once I start my outback trip tomorrow, who knows how long it will be until I get to run again! I left at 7:30am, so it was still cool out, but very sunny! It is so great to see the blue skies and sun again. The temperature was supposed to get to 25 today - and I'm sure it did because it was quite warm all day.

After breakfast and a call from Lisa (yeah!!! I was so happy to hear from her and talk to her -I miss my roomy!), I headed out on "The Walking Tour" my Lonely Planet book suggested. It was nice to walk around the city and see all the old buildings, gardens, government houses and churches. They call Adelaide the "City of Churches" and now I know why. You know how Starbucks is on every corner in America?!? Well some type of church seems to be on every corner here in Adelaide! It is a very beautiful town though - much smaller than Sydney or Melbourne. I saw most of it within 3 hours. Another great thing about this city is that the Art Gallery and SA Museum were both free, so I spent a little time in each. It was neat to see all the Aborignal things and read a little about the history of the people. Getting me ready for this week!

So on a side note, annoying thing happened today. I bought this camelback type thing in Melbourne and the stupid bladder inside the backpack kept leaking on me all day. So when I checked it in at the museum, they must have laid it down flat and when they gave it back to me it had leaked all over the place. It was funny, but I felt stupid when the guy handed it back to me and water was dripping all over the place. I guess I can laugh about it now though, so all is well! Hopefully I can fix it before I leave tomorrow.

After the Walking Tour, I got on the tram and headed down to Glenelg - the local beach. It is a short 25 minute tram ride, and very cheap. What a sight though when I got to the beach. The water was so clear and green and blue and all different colors. I could see for miles in each direction. It was beautiful. The sand was so white and grainy. Nothing like the sand at our beaches in San Diego. I spent some time laying out and reading and listening to music and it was just so peaceful. I wanted to go in the water, but it was actually cold. This better just be a south Australia thing because everyone keeps saying how warm the water here is, but I have yet to find it. I think I may have gotten a little sunburnt...you can't reach all the spots when you are alone! Hopefully it won't be too painful tomorrow. After sunbathing, I walked around the area and did some more sightseeing. There is the University of Adelaide in town, so you can tell the majority of people in the area are students. There was a lot of student housing around and most of the other people on the beach were students - it is Tuesday though, so I don't know why they weren't in school! :)

I took the tram back to the city and walked around some more to find somewhere to eat. I wanted something easy and lo and behold, I found a Mexican Take Away place. It is just like Chipotle, so I got their burrito thing and enjoyed every bite of it! I doubt I will get any Mexican food the at least the next 6 days, so it was nice to indulge.

Now I'm off to shower, pack and watch movies before I go to bed early. I have to get up at 5:45am for my tour tomorrow, so it will be a very long day. Because I will be in the outback, I have no idea how much internet or phone access I will have for the next 6 days. Don't fret if you haven't heard from me...I will catch everybody up once I get back to civilization.