Happy New Year's....

I survived most of the flies. I have heard, numerous times, that the flies will leave soon. My luck it will be the day I leave for South Africa.
Yesterday, I checked out a swamp preserve, got lost--I know, shocking, and ended up taking a huge tour of the town. I realized that Bunbury is 55,000 people. I read that somewhere and that is about the same size as the town that I grew up in. THey are similar. Kids dragging the main streets, lots of tagging and I have been yelled at more for walking than any other place. I keep hearing--Get a car, and I want to say--Why? So that I can get fat?
I absolutely love Australia and the random people that I have encountered. Good or bad, it is a trip. I mean, some people are truly genuinely friendly. Others are opposed to greeting other people and really, I think that that is more of an international thing...not the people that live here. The biggest difference between Bunbury and my little unnamed hometown, is well, the ocean. It makes a huge difference and it is amazing. I walked along ther beach last night and when I returned to the main road, I interrupted to kids "parking" and it was too funny. I mean, come on, get a room! Or, at least wait until it is dark!
Happy New Year to all of you and all of the new people that I will encounter on my journey. Be safe, have fun and enjoy. Be realistic about resolutions and this year, I will try to actually commit to one of them.
I arrive in Perth this evening and I am hoping to find some wine and a nice spot on the beach to ring in the new year! Cheers!!!

Persistance of flies and other issues...

I thought the flies in Apollo Bay were bad and they were...however, they won't die and go away. I decided to go for a walkabout yesterday and felt like a collector of flies. Seriously, I killed 15 by slapping myself and still had an entourage. I think that I now look like a victim of domestic violence, but it is all due to the flies. I went running this morning and had relief--they weren't out yet.
I made dinner last night. The kitchen at this hostel is so small and so I had cocoa puffs for dinner. Anyways, while I am chowing on cereal I hear "I like big butts and I cannot lie.." and I am laughing because all I can see is a flashback to Hailey and Cory's wedding in 2002 and dancing to that paricular track. That song was a definite improvement to some of the other music played on the radio here.
I checked out the dolphin preserve, but didn't see any dolphins. I figure that I should try to get there earlier with fewer people and distractions. I did book my flight from Joburg to Capetown and back. I arrive in Joburg at 10:50 pm and depart for Buenos Aires at 6:45 am and so I thought I would just hang out at the airport instead of trying to find a hotel for 6 hours.
Take care and i will be here for a few more days to battle the flies. And no, I can't buy a fly face mask since they are out of stock. It is really ridiculous here!

Indian Ocean

It's amazing, but I have swam in all of the oceans and it feels pretty awesome. I think later, today, i will go and absorb the sun and waves on the beach.
Bunbury is a cute town. There isn't much to see outside of the dolphin preserve and the "cappucino" strip of 3 blocks of one street. I am entertained by the people--locals and of course, fellow travelers. This hostel is small and the kitchen in unusuable at night. There are a group of 10 asians staying here and they pretty much overrun the kitchen when they come in to cook. Last night, they made dinner and then decided to make a cake much to the dismany of the other travelers. I was smart and opted to go to dinner.
It is beautiful here and extremely hot. The flies still suck, but I am learning to deal with them. Hope all is well. I need to book a flight in South Africa and figure out the kitchen here. Take care--

Destination Bunbury...

Last night, I opted to go out with the 3 guys that I met at the hostel for a goodbye celebration. We cabbed it into Margaret River and it was definitely a local bar. I suppose they had 2 bars, but not much to differentiate them from. Thankfully, they had Hoegaarden on tap which was a beautiful thing since I am not a fan of Carlton Draft.
It was entertaining listening to the 3 guys talk about relationships and women. One guy th0ught he was god's gift and all I could think of was how much he reminded me of Jim Belushi from Animal House. Seriously, this guy had no game and was full of hot air. Two of the guys were a little less obnoxioius, although, some of their stories were unbelievable. I didn't realize how superficial young men could be. The bar we were at was about 3/4 men and so there weren't many options for them to choose from. They were stuck talking with me all night as a result.
Today, I woke up early and caught the bus going north. I am now at the hostel, but I can't check in until 4 pm. They do have internet, obviously, and a decent kitchen and so I had lunch and ran into a couple I had met in Margaret River. They are on their honeymoon, traveling around Australia for 3 months--i think. They are super nice and we exchanged books the other day. I met this other traveler, named Helen, who was an inspiration to meet. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and was sad to see her leave.
Bunbury has a dolphin center and apparently dolphins are very healing for the heart. I will check it out later and familiarize myself with the general area. Seeing how busy the bus was this morning, I think my bus to Perth will be full on new year's eve.
Have a glorious day and yes, it is hot here, too!!!

Merry Christmas from the Beach....

Margaret River is an impressive beach. I am staying, literally, on the beach, with a hostel full of surfers. They walk about 1 mile to their beach and I can walk about 5 mintues to get to mine. The water is a bit cold, but I am enjoying the Indian Ocean for the first time in my life. It's awesome.
Yesterday, I had a chill day with fellow travelers. I have befriended a scots man, one from the UK and one German. We seem to gravitate towards each other at meals and breaks. There are two guys from Alaska sharing my dorm room. They are quite nice, but they snore--LOUDLY--and a lot. There is also a german lady in our room, too. I have loved the beach and the calmness of the area.
I went on a wine tour on Christmas Eve and wasn't too impressed by the wines. Not to mention, I ate kangaroo at lunch and it didn't agree with me. I suppose that I should stick to things I know while traveling in Australia in preparation for South Africa and South America. Anyways, I was able to enjoy a nice blend from the Barossa Valley for xmas eve and yesterday, I opted to just enjoy the beach and reflect on life. It was nice to get a tan, too.
I can finally view my blog from this hostel and so I wanted to update you on my whereabouts and future. I leave for Bunbury tomorrow, which is also on the coast, south of Perth. I will be there until New Year's Eve and then I will bus it up to Perth in preparation for the celebration. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the beach, sun and life. I hope that you are all warm and safe and that you have enjoyed the holidays thus far. I can't wait to return for a proper thanksgiving dinner, xmas eve green chile and of course, my month long venture of mexican food. Take care!

Perth

Last night, I got to the airport early so that I wouldn't be scrambling around. In Adelaide, they have one terminal which services both international and domestic flights. I guess you can imagine how small the airport is. Anyways, as long as you are flying domestic, you can bring in food and water from outside. I was reveling at that concept. I remember what it used to be like in the States...I digress. They postponed my flight by an hour. It wasn't too bad since I had arranged for a room at a hostel in Perth. I arrived at 11:30 pm, just in time to sleep and turn around to consider new accomodations. They have a hot tub here which is a huge attraction for me. I decided to stay until Sunday when I relocate to Margaret River. I am still deciding if I should rent a car or not. I guess I like the idea of the freedom it will present me. Plus, I believe that Margaret River is easier to get around by vehicle. I think I am going to do it.
Enjoy the last minute shopping/christmast parties/snow. Finally, yesterday, it felt like a true summer day. I love the heat!

Onward to Perth

I checked out of my hostel and decided to be honest about some of the staff there. One guy, Darren, was awesome. He let me check in early on Sunday morning, let me change rooms (twice) and booked a tour for me. His co-worker, that works nights, sucked. He told me that he didn't want to book a tour for me since it wasn't worth the commission to call and inquiry about a possible stay in the Barossa Valley. He suggested that it would be just as easy for me to do even though I didn't have a phone. Disappointed, I e-mailed the company directly and arranged for my tour. I wanted to mention the man's lack of assistance since they consider themselves tour travel help, too. They advertise that they book tours and really, how difficult is it to make one phone call? I understand having bad days or even not wanting to be bothered--I know that I have been there with some of the customers at the Bull and Bush--but, how hard is it really to be compassionate? I pose this question to you as I have pondered it the last few days.
In my note to the establishment, I didn't lie about what happened or call the man a name. Instead, I wrote what happened and how it affected my stay at the Blue Gulah Hostel. Darren told me that he was relocating to Sydney because he was tired of his co-worker, who also happens to be a part owner. Of course, he is! Some people should take vacations more, or find a reason to be happy in life. Truly, it is too short to be so unpleasant.
Enough complaining...I leave for Perth this evening. I should, hopefully, be on the beach tomorrow morning and explore the western state of Australia. It has been a beautiful experience so far.