I like lists. Lists are fun. So I thought I'd put together a few random thoughts and things I've noticed on my trip so far that I haven't mentioned. Without further ado...
1) Having been up almost the entirety of the east coast, I still think that the first town I visited--Byron Bay--is the one that I enjoyed the most. Simple hostel, tasty and relaxing restaurants, and the best beach I have walked along for sure. Great sand, dolphin sightings, and clear, blue water.
2) I feel a part of a British Invasion. Almost 75% of backpackers I have met are from the UK, and they all smoke. So I'll probably have cancer by the time I get home from all the second-hand smoke.
3) Australians are obsessed with Subway. They are everywhere. Signs are everywhere. there are even signs that read "Subway, 40m back and across the street" and "Subway, 4km back on the highway." Really, how desperate can people be?
4) Speaking of weird food obsessions, Australians also love McDonald's. They even refer to it as "The American Embassy"...except now Australia has a higher percentage of obese people than America does, so take that Aussies.
5) I've been bitten by bed bugs! I feel like such a backpacker. They itched for a bit and then the bites went away after about ten days. But here's what really bothers me: many hostels and boats that do overnight trips ban sleeping bags because they fear backpackers will carry them. Then the sheets they provide for you have the bedbugs. Those sheets they say are washed and then have long strands of hair on them as you make your bed. Yeah, real clean.
6) Apparently goat meat is the most commonly eaten meat in the world. I was told this at the Kroombit cattle ranch, and I still don't believe it. Maybe I'm just a naive American, but does anyone else think it's a crazy idea?
7) T-shirts here are hilarious. One shirt, instead of saying I (heart) Japan said "I (atomic bomb explosion) Japan." And an Asian man was wearing it too.
8) Most embarrassing moment so far, which happened while meeting a Dutch guy in a hostel:
Him: So, where you from?
Me: The States.
Him: Which one?
Me: The United States.
9) Soap bushes are awesome. Take the leaves, rub them in your hands with water, and tada, you have soap.
10) Signs for Koalas are hilarious. Go ahead and google one. It looks like the Koala is giving you the finger.
11) You cannot see the North Star in the southern hemisphere (which I did not know for the first two weeks here and greatly confused me). Instead they have the Southern Cross, which points to due south. Many Aussies also have it as a tattoo.
12) I met an Irish guy named Paddy. Too perfect.
13) Once on the bus we watched "There's Something about Mary." At the end in particular there are two very American jokes, one about football team rivalries and another about the pronunciation of Brett Farve's name. I laughed loudly at the jokes. No one else did. Not awkward at all.
14) While walking into an internet cafe the man who owned the place, before even saying hello, says "Are you Israeli?" I said no, caught off guard, and he eventually explained that he was expecting a large group of Israeli guys shortly. Sure.
15) I've gone on a reading spree, having read four books over a couple of weeks. Everyone should immediately read The Kite Runner if they haven't, and I would also recommend Khaled Houssini's other book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I think is better. Running with Scissors is quite good, and now I've started a kick of reading classics with Of Mice and Men. It's nice to have time to read a lot again.
No comments:
Post a Comment