Arrived in Cairns (or "Cayyyynes" as Aussies would say it) this afternoon. I almost felt like I was flying home when I was on the plane from Sydney. This vacation is actually pretty exhausting (not in the mocking "whoa sitting on the beach all day is tiring" sense). I'm planning everything 1 day ahead and constantly making sure that I have everything in order and not getting lost and it's starting to catch up to me. I'm looking forward to when I can just sit in the tv room at the hostel and share stories with other backpackers, but as it is I have to research accommodation and activities in my spare time. And blog too of course!
I bought these "I heart baggage handlers" luggage tags right before my trip because I thought people would get a laugh out of them, which a few of them have. When I checked my bags at the Sydney airport today, the guy at the counter looked at the tag and said, "These don't work you know. What about the check-in people?" I laughed it off. When I got to the Cairns airport, I got my bag 10 minutes ahead of everyone else from baggage claim and thought I was pretty lucky. When I went to unzip my bag in my room at the YHA, I noticed that not only did I have an official "business class" luggage label attached (even though I was only sitting in economy), but the guy had handwritten on the business tag: "Just for you, XOXO." Awesome! =D
Staying at the YHA in Cairns, in my double room by myself, which I thought was going to be an upgrade from Sydney, but the room is so small I nearly tripped over the bed when I opened the door. And the room is right by the jacuzzi. RIGHT by the jacuzzi. I can hear whenever they turn on the bubbles and they've been blasting pop radio all day in the pool area. I felt tempted to sit out there, but everyone smokes so it's not so pleasant. The bathrooms are also open like they are at a beach, which is probably a nicer idea in theory than it is in execution here.
And finally today, I got to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams to hug a live koala, and it was everything I thought it could be. It was so cute! And small! And warm! And it was smiling in the pic! (And yes the claws were digging into my back but it was all worth it). I wish I could show you the picture (and little Pelita) but of course they had to give me just a hard copy. I actually had to buy this Australian children's book on flower fairies so that I can put all these souvenir pictures between the pages so they won't get bent.
Tomorrow I'm heading with Great Adventures for some Great Barrier Reef snorkeling action. It's gonna be an all-day trip, and that will be my last full day in Australia!
P.S. I got my memory card put on dvd today, so there are a few more pictures in my album right now.
