Firstly, the roads. They were all paved (that we used; there are certainly ones not paved but we didn't even try them). The only problem is that they were very narrow in places. I was driving over 80 miles an hour for much of the driving ( because the distances were so great; we wanted to get there). I started out so tense because I was watching for kangaroos everywhere and we didn't see a one! Once I got more relaxed about that, the driving got better but the steering on the camper was pretty dodgey and I didn't want to take even one hand off the wheel at any time.
We also got a real kick out of several of the road signs. Our favorite was the sign about a speed camera. The roads are pretty straight and go on forever with NOTHING around, and they advertise that they have speed cameras -- AND I WAS GOING THE SPEED LIMIT!!!!
Another impression we had was from the grocery stores. When we went to the one in Alice Springs, there were Aboriginal people all around. These were obviously the displaced ones and many were living on the streets, but it was very apparent that there exists a strict dichotomy between the abos and the whites. No one talked to them and even the check-out people ignored them when they were talking directly to them (although, to be fair, we don't know what they were saying and they could have been rambling). The main thing that stands out to me is that I had no idea that body odor could be SO strong and sickening. It actually kind of put one off of shopping for food! I wanted to buy deoderant and hand it out.
About the camper itself: we got an upgrade -- for whatever reason, we don't know -- and we got a bathroom in it. At first we thought "we'll never use that" but we did, especially in the middle of the night when we didn't want to trek to the toilets at the campground. But the space, as roomy as it was, got a little cramped with 2 of us trying to pass each other when getting dressed or preparing something to eat. Usually, Jay went outside while I fixed breakfast just so I could move around. It was also pretty big (on the outside) for the narrow roads. It was pretty slick, though, and we realized we would have packed very differently if we were going to camp for the whole trip. Every night we had to slide my suitcase under the bed and Jay's was relegated to the space under the bench seats -- but even that was a tight squeeze because we had 2 large-ish cases plus backpacks. But it was great and allowed us to travel around that area more efficiently.
Now we're exploring Adelaide and enjoying it. The food has been wonderful and we've talked about the fact that we are eating extremely well for much less than these kind of meals would cost in the U.S. Last night I had handmade ravioli with shrimp that were 6 to 7 inches long! There was a ricotta mixture in the ravioli and a wonderful sauce over everything. Then the potatoes had this crunchy stuff sprinkled over the top and I took one off separately to try to figure out what it was. They were capers but not like the ones we get. These were still in their casings and then it looked like they were cooked to be crunchy so when you bit into them, there was that salty flavor with the crunch. I loved them and would love to get some more! Jay had Tasmanian beef -- really red in the middle -- but also delicious. He had 2 glasses of wine and the total bill was around $80!! Pretty good. We're headed to the Central Market this morning because there is a place they advertise for breakfast (brekkie here) that all the locals use. Then we need to find another antiquarian book store that the guy yesterday told us about. . . It's amongst antique stores and other stuff and we go through a courtyard and through some bushes to find. Just up our alley!!!
Yesterday we did some souvenir shopping and visited the museums. High points were the South Australian Museum (very eclectic, great exhibits on aboriginal culture and on geology, esp. Pre-Cambrian) and the Botanical Gardens (founded 1855, trees of amazing size & variety). Disappointments were the National Wine Centre and the Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute - both were in transition and had mostly empty galleries. Also visited an antiquarian bookstore - see above. Adelaide has a free bus service - convenient but the bus stops are somewhat widely spaced - about 4 or 5 long blocks. we usually miss the next bus, too, and have to wait a half-hour or walk.
More later!
 | |
| Adelaide - North Terrace, near our hotel |
 |
| Rundle Mall - pedestrian shopping mall |
 |
| Adelaide Arcade - like Burlington Arcade in London |
No comments:
Post a Comment