Hello again everyone. I've officially spent my first week in Cairns and it's been quite the experience. I feel like I'm melting every sinle day since the humidity is so high and the temperature is usually in the low 90s. Heat indexes are ofter around 105 or higher. Since we are in the wet season, there are quite a few storms that pass through for about an hour or so and they help cool down the place a little bit. However, the storms can put a damper on my fitness classes, but so far it hasn't been that much of an issue.
I'm still just working for my accommodation, but it's working out quite nicely. I have heaps of free time to explore and relax. I even have time to write and figre out my life. The former has happened significantlty more than the latter, and still not that much. I've successfully discovered which street to avoid becasue of the bats. I love the flying foxes they have here, they're huge, cool and are quite boisterous. However, you do not want to have to walk under the trees that they commonly frequent. The smell is terrible. It's a mix of rotten fermenting mangoes and bat guano. In other words, disgusting. Luckily my main route in toward the esplanade and lagoon go around these locations, I have learned my lesson.
I have been able to make it to almost every freee fitness class they have on the esplanade. Boxfit really killed me as it was the first activity I did and I haven't been to the gym in ages. My arms are still a bit stiff, and that was almost a week ago. I attempted aqua zumba, which is close to the most impossible activity there is. Luckily no one really cares and everyone basically laughs through the whole thing. The yoga class was quite relaxing, except for when there are poses where your head bends below your heart, normally theses wouldn't be a problem, but as my body has decided to aquire a sinus infection, it feels like my head is going to explode any time blood rushes to it. Regular zumba was another good workout, however, it was cut short this week when the power went out in the whole city. It was quite comical to hear people mutter things about the apocalypse. If that were true, I'd be screwed since I live on Terminus street. And after all the stress I've put my body through, I'd be hard pressed to run away from any zombies coming my way. I almost made it to an aqua aerobics class, but they asked if I wanted to pick up and extra (read PAID) shift at work, so I agreed. Mo' money equals mo' activities for me to partake in.
I haven't managed to do any of the big sightseeing things so far. I've been out diving on the reef the last time I was here, so I'm looking at something a little different. They have ferries that depart to Green Island, a little island about an hour offshore that has great snorkeling and rainforests. I think I will do that a little bit later. There is also a botanical garden with some rainforest hikes nearby. I'm saving that for when it starts to sort of cool off, possibly in March. As far as other big trips to look forward to, I will be skydiving on my birthday (US time anyway), and hopefully they'll let me take my GoPro on the jump. I also discovered that my rugby team, the Gold Coast Titans, will be playing just down the street at the end of February. So, yeah, I'll probably get tickets for that.
Enough of what will be, on to what was. Other than working and exercising, I have done a few other notable things this week. I've apparently become quite the local as I've helped about 3 different people navigate the city to their desired locations. I was only wrong once. I've had plenty of time to scour the night markets. I haven't purchased anything yet, but one of those $15 massages is totally on my list. The hostel I'm at puts on quite a few activities for the guests here. On Wednesdays, they have a big Aussie BBQ and then invite some local fire dances to put on a show. The show was very cool. Though a lot of it is optical illusion they confessed, that didn't distract from how impressive it was. Afterward, they even had lessons on how to spin the balls - without fire of course. I attempted, and though I was able to do both hands seperately, I was unsuccessful when I tried to intertwine them. I would have kept going, however, the rope had already worn of bits of my hands from the friction.
After the fire dancing and BBQ, there was also a didgeridoo playing competition where the winner would get a $20 bar tab. One of the hostel owners, Steve, an Irishman, demonstrated all the proper techniques to playing a didgeridoo and we all wached expectantly as the poor selected souls gave it their best. In the end, between the French, British and Americans, the British took it, though they were all a laugh to watch. They also put on a few movie nights, and the latest one was an Australian movie called "Red Dog", a true story about a red Kelpie affectionately called "red dog" by the locals that helped being together a small mining community in Western Auustralia in the 70s. When red dog's chosen owner, John, hasd died, red dog waited at John's house for days for him to return. Eventually, he went out to look for John and spent the next three years or so traversing the continent. As far South as Perth and as far north as Darwin, he even managed to catch a ride on some fishing shipsp up to Japan and back. Eventually he returned to his hometown. They made him a member of the Union and had him registered. After he has died in 1979, the town had a memorial statue errected in his honor. It was a cute little movie, full of Aussie humour.
I continued to prance around looking for different live music in the area. I found a band at the casino called Sweet K that consisited of three members: a female lead singer who controlled all their electronic tracks, a backup female vocalist who played the bongoes, and a backup male vocalist who also played guitar. I only stayed for one set, as they started later. They played a lot of reggae style and sfter rock/alternative stuff. It was the first band I'd sen that relieid so heavily on the use of prerecorded music/tracks. Back at the hostel, someone with a dog was visiting, so I got some much needed dog patting time in.
On Saturdays, they have markets along the Esplanade as well as free music at the lagoon stage. The markets are basically a small scale craft fair with some unique Aussie style merchandise. If you happen to find the shade of a tree, the heat and humidity is amost bearable. You don't havhe sweat streaming down you at any rate. I as able to chill out an listen to the band for an hour or so before taking off back for the hostel to relax a bit and tend to some of my sunburn I managed to get, despite my application of SPF 50. And here we are today. It was super humid today and there were only two of us working when there are usualy three, so we had to move fast. By the end, my shirt was more wet with sweat than dry. Luckily one of those nice little storms drove through and has been hanging around a bit, so it's keepig things quite cool. I manged a quick trip to th markets where I was able to get some relly sweet deals before they closed up. $2/kilo for drangon fruit, a bag of 5 passionfruit for $2, and a bag of 8 peaches for $1. I think my body is happy for the fresh fruit as it is a stark contrast to the ramen I normally consume to save money. I also must say, that I believe passionfruit has just kicked out dragonfruit as my favoite fruit. The juice s heavenly and turn your tongue yellow afterwards. However, they are quite acidic like kiwis and you could probably only have one per sitting.
That is all the excitement that has happened this week. I'm just waiting now to see what their movie of choice is for tonight as I continue to plan the back half of my trip where most of the exciting travel adventuring will be happening. (Melbourne, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Darwin, Perth, Tassie, Auckland and a return to the Gold Coast). Well friends, here's hoping you have a good week.
Cheers,
Celina
