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Hi Everyone,
Before you ask, the photo has absolutely nothing to do with Adelaide, well not to my knowledge, it okay though, don't you think?
Arrival in Adelaide was quite pleasant, it is a very nice City, I don't know why fellow Australians snigger about the place, certainly not you Melbournites (those out in the Burbs anyway). It has a very European flavour to it and a very pleasant climate, more Mediteranian than anything else, the architecture is very French / Italian / Colonial - ish.
We settled into a YHA hostal, and brave little soldier that Staphane is, he opted to share a Dorm with me. Now this was great to have some company because we are now the only two single males on the trip and the girls have abandoned us, well we can take a hint. Kidding. Staphane and I made our way to the allocated room and opened the door to be met with the immediate smell of dirty feet or socks or both. The person who appeared to be the culprit was asleep under my bunk! My friend had the top bunk next to the window and opened it as far as it would go all of about 6 inches, unfortunately. There were also three lads from somewhere in South East Asia who at various stages brought in food and ate in their bunks which, apart from having stinking feet, is one of the most inconsiderate things you can do in a dorm. If YOU do this Hadley - DONT!!
Needless to say we didn't spend much time in there and all went out for the evening. the girls, all of them, got dressed up!! I could only change into something slightly less dirty but was a far cry from being 'dressed up'. They all looked gorgeous anyway any attempt I might have made would have paled in anycase. The good thing about the evening was that James and I partnered up on the pool table and wiped the floor with everyone in the pub, Good one James, we were on fire that night.
Our day at leisure was taken with Suzie, Stephane and I getting bikes and cycling to the Adelaide Museum which is excellent and well worth the visiting. It contains so much about Australian Culture and is recognised as the best Cultural exhibition in Australia. it also covers South Pacific tribes and their respective impact on the Continent. Coupled with Meteorites, geology and dozens of sea life exhibits it is very impressive. We moved onto the local chocolate factory called Haiges. Now up to this point the most excited I had seen Suzie get was posing for photographs but when we opened the door to the shop floor the aroma was sublime and the poor girl went into ecstacies! It was lovely, a cross between walking into a Belgium chocolate shop and Thorntons, it played havock with the senses and immediately made you want to taste what was on offer. We did indulge a little with the freebees, looked around, saw where it all happened and watched the workers making the finished result. We returned to the shop, made our purchases and then tried to get Suzie out of there. I've tried getting girls out of shops before but there was no moving this one, she was too far gone, so I was off and went swimming leaving them to it.
Fortunately not only is the bike hire free in Adelaide but they also have an Aqua park with an Olympic sized swimming pool and I had a lane to myself. It was the first proper exercise I have been able to take for far too long so coupled with a few miles cycling as well I felt a lot better. That afternoon we said a very sad 'Goodbye' to Linda who had been an absolute joy to be with and around during this trip but she was now off on another journey. It was very sad to see her go but she left with all our best wishes for luck to the future.
That evening we went out with Wombat and had a depleted group meal to say 'Goodbye' to him also. The following morning was another early start but not before I had an encounter with Mr Smelly-Socks. You see I had returned to the dorm after swimming and found him in his bunk again. He jumped up (something I was getting used to in the night time) and started talking about being a mineral surveyor. Okay, I realized straight away that something was not quite right, but I have an open mind, you can be what you like. It all became a bit disjointed when he told me that he was onto Billions (Dollars). I stupidly (you never learn Winnie!) asked who he worked for. Reasonable, I thought. I then received the full story about being owed Billions of dolloars by the Government (presumably why you have to stay in Hostal's, well you would if you hadn't been paid!) and that he had found Billions in resources and that if no money was forthcoming, we would all die anyway! Oh, okay then, says I , is that it? 'Yep' - Great, thanks for the warning. Well none of it makes sence now and it didn't at the time, but I was handed a business card, which I happen to have kept. It gives a comprehensive resume of all jobs and work undertaken by this fellow, but most interestingly he signs himself and I quote, " The Great Khan - Son of Hanover ", on the reverse is the C.V. and includes small titles for example Prince of Wales, Pontiff, Devils Advocate,!! Actually I have met the Prince of Wales and even I know that this was not Him, HRH that is. No, we had the 'nutter on the Bus' as Jasper Carrott used to say and joy of joys he was twiching under my bunk. So with the threat of death hanging over me if the Aussie Government dont pay up, I imparted this information to Stephane just before he was about to go to bed. To say that the poor lad was 'spooked' is an understatement. It was perhaps a little unfair of me to have done this just before lights out but I felt that if he had woken during the night to find Mr.Smelly-Socks trying to do him in that would have been an even bigger shock! I had visions of him trying to squeeze through the six inch gap in the window to escape, which made me smile I have to confess. Actually I didn't sleep well, Pontiff or not there wasn't much 'peace' in that room that night! In the morning I got up about 5.00am and was as quiet as possible. When I returned from the shower room I was just doing the straps up on my pack when Mr. Smelly-Socks jumped up from his bunk, lurched toward me, looked straight at me, did something to his bag and got back into bed, I'm convinced he was still asleep. He didn't say a word. Just got back onto his bunk and was snoring again in seconds, I was glad to leave.
I need to take abreather to recover - see you soon,
Chris
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