Wakki…

Oh, but before I say more, Melbourne was fun.  Got to visit with Jack (my dorm mate at CSU) and wander around Melbourne with Ben the Hitchhiker (an ice friend), Ruthiebaby88 (American traveling nurse) and Chris (English significant other of Ruth).  Even got into the Aquarium for free (YAY!).  Indeed we (Jack and I) hung around his house with his flatmates, a German and Indian, while doing some cultural exchange.  (Lots of beer exchange too, and I found I’m so-so on King Fisher the Indian beer, and okay with German beers, I think I’ll stick to ginger beer). 

 

I spent 2 days in Sydney, 3 or so days in Melbourne, I’ll be in Waikiki for 2 days and all of it seems like it’s not enough time.  Next time, I’m wandering a lot more and spending a lot less on random computer/radio toys and next time I’ll bring my back packing gear.  Sleeping bag would make couchsurfing drastically easier!  Oh, and I’ll have to tout the concept of couchsurfing.com and hospitalityclub.org on behalf Hitchhiker Ben, both are how and where to make traveling fun and cheap.  You get to meet locals, eat cheaper, and get the best local sites! 

 

In any case I’m here in Waikiki and walking along the beach in the rain.  Yes it’s raining like it would when your here for only 2 days.  Ah well people are still walking around in boarder shorts and bikini tops.  The water is warm and it’s still a beautiful place even in spite of the 3 to 1 tourists (including me) that exist.  Did I mention that I’ve acquired a taste for sushi somewhere between here and Christchurch?  Yea, strange I love smoked salmon, raw fish, and especially EEL!  Dinner was a plate of sushi on the beach! yum. I still find it strange when they put 3 buffalo wings on a platter of sushi, but I’ll take sushi however it comes. 🙂

 

Needless to say I’ve crossed the international date line and am now back in the "proper" hemisphere (whatever that means).  Spring (or in my case the tropics) is back in flow and I’m 2 days away from being back in the continental US or about 2 weeks from denver so I’m looking forward to seeing you all.  Game night when we get back!

 

Rich