Down Under

This morning I was walking through gardens and Gothic cathedrals set upon the river Avon; funny how quickly your environment can change when you travel. I miss New Zealand already.

The Kiwi customs officer I talked to upon leaving the country was hands down the nicest of his ilk I've ever dealt with. In Australia it was the first time I've ever been detained by customs and had them rifle through my stuff.

I got off the train at Central Station to find myself once again loaded down with far too much weight on my shoulders, standing in a city I've never been in, with no idea where I'm going. Since my arrival was so late I picked a hostel off the net that was close, so I knew I wasn't too far away. It was dark, muggy and raining, and judging by the homeless, drunks, and prostitutes I wasn't anywhere near the Sydney Opera House.

I find my hostel on a grungy off-street, just a staircase leading up into a cement wall. The "office", an aluminum roll-up, is closed with a note to call for late check-in. There's an arrow pointing up the street to a payphone. I swing into a bar to get change for the phone, but the bartender gruffly says I have to buy something. Fine. "How much for a pint?" As luck would have it the beer is $5 and I happen to have one five dollar bill and a couple of fifties in my pocket. "I can't break a fifty" the bartender informs me. He's rather slowing at comprehending that if I used the $5 bill to buy the beer I'm no closer to making a phone call than I was before; though perhaps my nerves would be a bit more placated.

I find the 7/11 in front of the payphone to have more options in changing my five. Then I find that the payphone is broke. My final discovery is that people here aren't very helpful; Apu has no idea where another phone is.

I finally get into my hostel to find it looks worse on the inside than out. The kitchen is filthy, the air is stale, and they put me in the wrong room. I give up for the day, a bed's a bed. Perhaps the town will treat me better after some sleep.

This is still better than work.