Having a blast!
Well, I’ve been here for 2 full days now, and I love it! I went to the beach again yesterday w/ Lana and her best friend Samantha (Sam) to lay in the sun. We were only laying out for about 20-30 minutes and I’ve already tanned quite a bit. We also took a swim in the nets. (It’s stinger season, so you can’t swim in the water where there aren’t any nets up.) The water was really warm, and the waves are really good for boogie boarding so Lana and I are going to do that one of these days. I swallowed my first mouthful of salt water, though… haha! We spent the rest of the afternoon at Sam’s swimming (in her pool–no salt!) and on the internet. I was so happy to be able to talk to some of my friends on msn, but it was so hard to keep up with 10 conversations!
Last night I went into the city for the first time! Mark and his ‘mate’ Jim took me and Lana to the movies. (We saw 8 Mile because it just came out this weekend, lol!) Then we went downtown for an hour and walked around. Most of the shops were closed but there were a lot of people about in the outdoor cafes, pubs, and clubs. Oh, and of course, McDonalds. (Doesn’t matter where in the world you are, Micky D fries taste the same–except here they are called chips.) The city itself is a lot different than I imagined. A lot of it is pretty spread out, but the main downtown lasts for several blocks and it’s really touristy. The sidewalks are really wide because most of the restraunts have outdoor seating. It’s cute and has a lot of character. After we walked around for awhile, we went to a suburb called City View. It’s called that because it overlooks the entire city of Cairns. We drove over to the main looking point and it was incrediable!! Since it was night, the entire town was completely lit up and the lights went for as far as you could see. On top of that, it was a clear night so the sky was filled with stars. It was beautiful! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of it, but I’ll try to remember to take my camera next time I go. When we finally got home, Gordon and Tricia were already asleep so Lana and I went right to bed.
Today I went to the esplanade with Tricia and a few of the day care children. (They are so cute and they talk with little Australian accents! One of the littls boys is named Oscar…hehe!) The kids played at the playground while I layed out on a blanket in the shade of all the palm trees. Then we had a picnic. It’s no wonder most of the little kids are so fit and healthy here–most of them aren’t allowed to eat any junk food such as chips or cookies and stuff. They all eat a bunch of fruit, saltine crackers, and sandwiches. (Vegemite sandwiches seem to be the most popular - ugh…) But anyways, the esplanade was very nice. (In case you don’t know what it is–it’s like a ocean side park with sidewalks going along the beach and a playground, public bathrooms, picnic tables, and fountains.)
We were going to go on a walk in the botanical gardens, but Tricia decided that the kids might get too tired so she said that she will take me and Lana there another day. We did drive by it though, and just the outside of it was gorgeous. I can’t wait to take pictures of it!!
I’m going to downtown Yorkey’s Knob in a bit to watch Lana dance and make a visit to the IGA and the post office, so I guess I’ll be going now. Thanks to everyone who has sent me emails! I will reply to all of them eventually, but it will be easier once school starts and I can use their computers. Hope everything is going well for all of you. Have a great day!
