Day 71 Thur 06/21/2012
Stef from Darwin/Germany
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| Stef & his Toyota Troopie 4x4 |
“With hardly any sleep I get a cab to the Perth airport at 5:30AM. Scuba gear, backpack, bike box, & my small backpack with camera gear in tow. I have no job and no place to stay. From the Darwin airport I start calling hostels. They are ALL booked. I managed to get one night at the YHA Hostel but I would have to check out in the morning by 10AM because they were fully booked all weekend.
I took the bus from the airport into the city. At the hostel I did not get a warm reception. My room was full of French guys all speaking amongst themselves, so I semi unpacked and hit the showers. It’s 8PM now. I have assembled my bike, and I am thinking of going to bed. Nah! I am going to the pub next door for TWO drinks to take the edge off of why I am even here. The bar tender’s name is Kate here at Globies Bar. As I am drinking my first cider she asks me if I would like to enter the free dart tournament. I explained that I had just came in for one more drink so I could hopefully get some sleep tonight. I had a long 2 days.
She told me they needed more players and it wouldn’t take long, besides the winner takes home $150. OK I agreed to play. The game was cricket. I was playing with Clint, Jeff, and Stefan. I could not double out on a 6 to win. After the game Stefan, a German guy who had lived in Darwin for so long he was practically Aussie, said we should go for another cider at Shags (Shannanagans). OK!
Stef would not let me buy a single drink. Oh man we drank many ciders. We went to Monsoon’s next. More drinks. We went big. He asked me where I was staying. YHA for now but no plans for the weekend. Everything is booked. “You can stay on my couch for the weekend until you get settled,” he offered. Done! Thanks Stef!
Day 72 Fri 06/22/2012
Darwin Welcomes
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| Stef really liked this article |
“I got back to the YHA Hostel at around 3AM, and at 9:45AM I woke up to everyone packing up for check out. 10AM check out was firm. I threw my stuff into my bag and tossed it around the side of the hostel and made checkout. Stefan didn’t answer his phone. Probably because we crushed ciders all night long. I was so hung over and sleep deprived and I had too much gear again. Will I ever learn? EITHER LESSON!”
I went to the park and found a shady bench where I brushed my teeth and drank water. Bum! Why am I here again? The night before Stef was suppose to take his one mate to the airport and an hour later pick up his lady friend. I waited with him as he got into a cab at some ridiculous time this morning. So today I was sure he was spending some quality time with her, Mel. Once I met back up with him he told me how airport security made him throw away his beer. He had taken his beer into the airport. Haha, crazy ass.
Drinks, more drinks, Shags……
Day 73 Sat 06/23/2012
BMX Races
“No idea. Amazing butter chicken at some point. Smoking hot chick at the herb shop where Stef & Mel bought some hang over pills. Beers… Ciders… The hospitality from Stef and Mel was great. I went to the BMX races with their friend, Filip.
I had met Filip the first day in Darwin as I rode past on my Santa Cruz bike. Filip is a huge bicyclist and he hadn’t seen too many bikes like mine in this part of the world. I had met him at Globies and he was talking about going to the BMX races tonight.
We hopped onto our bikes and rode all the way back to near the airport I had come from just days earlier. Doing something physical was very good though. I really needed this. We had fun at the races. Living like a rogue is really starting to catch up with me.
Day 74 Sun 06/24/2012
Pro Couch Surfer
“Yep, I have no clue. I am living on a couch.”
Day 75 Mon 06/25/2012
Steaks
“Stef cooked some amazing steaks today. Watched TV. All of the hostels are still booked.”
Stef has a few days off before he starts his new job. Allowing me to relax at his house has been incredibly helpful in making this new transition. I’ve got a friend to hang out with and a nice place to sleep. I feel incredibly lucky to have met such a nice guy. Our steaks were great tonight. Thank you so much Stef!
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| Stef & I cooking steaks on his back deck |
Day 76 Tue 06/26/2012
Bike Ride
“OK, I am booked at the Frog’s Hollow Backpackers starting tomorrow. I went for a bike ride today. I rode to Mindil Beach, then up to Drank Inc to give my CV to the job placement company there. I went to backpacker jobs as well. Met Marco & Caroline at the Waterfront Park. I also met Danny, the infamous mooch. We went out for a little bit and then hung out at the YHA where Marco and Caroline were staying.”
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| Stef wearing his German Futbol top & Marco being Marco |
My bike ride to Mindil Beach was great. The weather up here at the moment is very hot. I like it. If I can just find some work so I have something to occupy my time here other than drinking at the same three bars. Marco and Caroline are two friends I have met at the YHA hostel. Marco is from Luxembourg, and every time I see him we have a funny interaction. From the first time I met him I told him my name was Michael. In his accent he says Michael just like Marco. So he tells me HIS name is Marco. But it sounds like we say Marco, Marco, Marco, back and forth.
“Hey Marco,” I say.
“Marco! Good to see you,” He says. It is very confusing, but hilarious.
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| Sunset at Mindil Beach |
Day 77 Wed 06/27/2012
Check in at Frog’s Hollow
“I am finally getting out of Stef’s hair today. We went and had brekkie at the little place above Monsoon’s right by the Crocosauras place. I remember it was fantastic food. I went to check in at the Frogs Hollow. Stef drove me there in his Toyota cruiser troopy.
There are 12 people in my room. Some are very cute chicks. Very nice. I went back to the Waterfront Park to swim with MARCO, Caroline, and Rens. Water aerobics and one race.
Marco gets us into the water to race to the barrier across the water that keeps the crocodiles out. Three, two, one, GO! We take off. I take a peak back in mid stroke and realize Caroline and I are smoking Marco and his mate. Half way to the finish I realize that the two jackasses have made it over to the beach and are taking the shore to the barrier. They must have swam hard left from the GO and walked the bank as we swam. Hahaha good one. They won.
Tonight there was a billiard tournament at Globies and we all joined.
I really was excited to get into the hostel and give Stef his place back. The hostel was a few minutes away from all the shore front and the bars. There was Frog’s Hollow Park across the street. They had a swimming pool with trees surrounding the water. The area was very peaceful for the time being at least.
After our tasty brekkie Stef was kind enough once again to help me out by giving me a ride over to the backpackers. If I remember correctly I left my scuba gear there in his storage space so I would not have to worry about it being left at the hostel. Which reminds me. At some point in those first few days I threw my scuba gear into the bushes somewhere for a few days. Crazy times.
Day 78 Thur 06/28/2012
Mindil Sunsets
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| I didn't realize the older couple in this picture was holding hands until later and I was upset I hadn't gotten this picture to them somehow |
“I did more job hunting today by calling the pearl diving companies to see if I could get on with them. I met Stef, Rens (Holland), and Caroline down at Mindil Beach for some sunset photos. I ordered some oysters with cheese from one of the kiosks. So good! Flat tire on bike again. My second one in Darwin. I had to walk the bike home again. Germany was playing Italy this morning at 4AM for the Euro Cup. Italy won 2-1. Stef was not happy.”
I had no luck with the pearl boats. The season was either out or they were on the tail end of it and not hiring. We had a good time down on Mindil Beach though taking photos of the sunset. Darwin is known for hosting amazing sunsets because of the red clay dirt from inland that floats out over the horizon. This dust always creates a beautiful sunset with red layers.
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| Eating Oysters at the Sunset Markets |
Going down to Mindil Beach for the sunsets is becoming a daily thing. I am so glad I have my bike here. Everyone would take cabs from the hostel down to the beach or take a long walk. I, on the other hand, could jump on my bike and be there in 10 minutes. I did have more flats in Darwin than all of AU though. Usually I found glass with my tires. The Sunset markets were going on now every Thursday and Sunday. Stef liked getting the oysters from one of the kiosks down here, and these were some top notch oysters. Four cheese and Thai were my two favorite. We would pig out on oysters every time we came down.
Day 79 Fri 06/29/2012
My Spot by the Pool
“Today I ate Dutch Curry & Rice (Cup O Instant Soup) with a white wine matched cheese platter while I sat by the pool in my favorite sitting spot and did my best to catch up my journal. I have a small table over in the corner by the pool and no one can see me sitting over here. I am going to get my journal up to speed before I go meet Marco & Caroline at the YHA. Lady Gaga is coming out with me tonight.”
GAGA SHIRT PHOTO
Day 80 Sat 06/30/2012
Typical Saturday
“I’m feeling pretty rough today. I sat by the pool and caught my journal up. I am going to be lazy today. Stef texted me and informed me there were many jobs in the paper today. He had a free paper for me at Shags. Yep, back at it. Had a few ciders. Met Irish Sean, cute gal named Jackie, a reggae band, and a guy as tall as Dobosh. Lizards Bar & Pub for table tennis. Ken had a wicked Star Wars shirt with Stormtroopers on it. I got the hiccups and came home early.”
Day 81 Sun 07/01/2012
Northern Territory Day
“July 1st is some holiday here. It is the only day fireworks are legal. As I sit here by the pool there are BOOMS and POPS going on everywhere. Jes is flying up today. I think Stef and I are going to cook veggie soup tonight, but I know Jes wants to go out before she gets on her boat tomorrow. Me and my rubber arms. Hah!”
Here Is a joke I heard from John in Globies bar the night of the pool tournament. A grandson comes in to the de and stares at his grandpa while giving him awkward looks. Eventually the granddad says, “boy, what is wrong with you?”
“I am waiting for you to turn into a frog,” the grandson says.
“Why would I do that,” his granddad replies.
“Well mum & dad said we are going to Disney World when you croak. So when are you turning into a frog?”
“Anyways, today is Northern Territory Day. Veggie soup at Stef’s. He transferred my movies over to his hard disk as well. Jes called and is going down to the markets for food with her friend, Matt. We took some good photos of fireworks.”
Stef always talks about his arms being made of rubber, which means he never says no to going and drinking some ciders with his mates. Today was no different I guess, even though we didn’t party like usual. I went and met Jes down on Mindil Beach where she was meeting one of her other friends, Matt. Jes was quite the rock and roll looking babe. She had one side of her head shaved, the rest dyed bright red and pink, and was showing plenty of ink. She looked good, and I remembered all of a sudden why I had left my camera on that bus back in Perth.
Everyone was celebrating Northern Territory Day today, and I can’t even tell you what the celebration represents. I do know that this is only a holiday for this territory maybe because they needed to make up another holiday to catch up with the rest of Australia. This is different from Picnic Day in Oz which is the first Monday in the month of August.
Regardless, Territory Day is the only day fireworks are legal. I rode my bike down to the beach and met up with Stef & Jes where we ate oysters while watching fireworks. I remember leaving the beach to ride back to my hostel that night and it was a complete war zone with people shooting fireworks at everyone. I also believe I had yet another flat tire tonight. I recall walking the bike upright the last bit of my trip into the hostel parking lot.
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| It felt like the 4th of July to me |
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| Barges out on the water luanched a few tons of fireworks |
Day 82 Mon 07/02/2012
Deadly Treadies
“After brekkie I met Valentina from Italy and another English couple in my room for the first time, named Luke & Betina. German Pascal has moved from below my bunk to the corner. I biked to Peterpan’s (Travel Agency for backpackers) for free Internet & applied for the jobs I had seen in the paper from Saturday.
Filip called to meet up at the Lagoon. I road my bike to get some soap and then to the waterfront where we saw Rens (Netherlands), Florencio (Italy), and his German girlfriend. Fil & I ate some Subway later.
I had ordered a new chain ring for my bike from Deadly Treadies Bike Shop, and the owner Brian had called and left me a message telling me it was in. Fil came with me and he helped me install it back at his apartment. Thanks Fil. Nice place too!
Afterwards some pool sitting at Frog’s Hollow and a shower before leaving to meet Stef and hopefully Jes over at Globies. This was an early night & I never heard from Jes.”
The English couple I mention are not actually staying in the hostel. They are sneaking in and just sleeping in empty beds because they are out of money and tired of sleeping in the hot car. They are waiting for some tax return money to get them the rest of the way or to the next job. They are a super nice couple and I end up letting one of them stay in my bed during the day when I am out.
Fil is a bike mechanic and offers to help me install the new chain ring I have ordered. I was glad to have his help because I don’t think I could have gotten the old ring off without the proper tools. We changed out the parts on his balcony while listening to some heavy tunes. His place is super nice by the way. Rich! He brought some money with him from Sweden evidently. Thanks for all your help buddy.
INSERT PICTURE OF FIL HERE
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