Summer Time and the livin' is easy

I am writing this entry in Mission Beach, Queensland, sitting in a small haze of DEET, glass of chilled Chardonnay at hand to ward off any originators of the weird noises from the Tropical forest behind our room. It’s been a tough few days, deciding whether to laze by the jungle pool or on the 5km stretch of golden beach, bordered by a palm lined shoreline on one side and turquoise ocean on the other. Decisions, decisions…
I’ve had reverse culture shock since coming here from South America. Where Peru was rough like 3 day old stubble, Australia is smooth like a freshly waxed leg. Apart from the ease of getting around and speaking English, the most exciting things I’m enjoying again are: having cereal for breakfast, (if I ever see flatbread and strawberry jam on the breakfast table again I won’t be responsible for my actions), knowing that wherever I go to the toilet there I’ll be able to sit down, flush and have a plentiful supply of loo roll, being able to brush my teeth using tap-water and sing in the shower without expecting a dose of the plague as a result.
The master plan of landing in Cairns within 2 hours of Mike worked surprisingly well. He flew via Singapore and Darwin and I flew via New Zealand and Sydney. Mike’s bag flew via we’re not sure where but spent some time in Sydney, had an extended stay in Cairns and eventually caught up with us yesterday. I was as thankful as Mike to get it back as he had my summer gear with him and I was getting desperate. My convertible trousers had been zipped off into cargo pants and shorts, but no matter how I zipped and re zipped, I failed to convert them into something clean to wear. All sorted now though and I just have to figure out what more I can shed from my rucksack in order to get the new stuff in. Tomorrow, Magnetic Island.

PS: Today, actually Magnetic Island. Finding it more difficult in Australia to get internet access than in Peru. Peru, despite dodgy water, taxis and random protests had free high-speed broadband in everywhere I stayed. I had this blog written and saved on a USB key and it’s taken me two days to find an internet café with a computer with a USB port. Still ended up using my own laptop and a wireless connection fee, which is more than if I were using the Internet café computers – go figure!