CAN I GET A STUBBY? - CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - DAY 2
I took the early morning shuttle to the airport in hopes of changing my flight to an earlier one and was denied. I stayed at the airport eating meat pies for 5 hours until the plane was boarding.
Most of my day remained on the plane. As we were approaching Cairns, I have to admit, I was utterly shocked.
When I did my research for Cairns, I expected a beach town, kangaroo sight seeing, and deserts from when I was looking up our hostel. WE LANDED IN A TROPICAL RAINFOREST. And a BEAUTIFUL one at that! I feel like I’m in a Jurassic Park movie. This is not the first tropical climate I’ve ever been to, but certainly the first rainforest. We are fully in the jungle, and it’s awesome! I endorse this park!
I fumble around a bit trying to get my bearings. It's obviously hot and humid, so the airport sells flip flops through a vending machine. I pass baggage claim, and see a shuttle outside. It’s the primary option that the majority of people are going with, and I speak to the driver. He tells me I need to go back inside and buy a ticket to which I do. I speak to the guy at the desk...
GUY: What's your name?
ME: Emilie.
GUY: What's the address to your hostel?
ME: The Backpackers Hostel at XYZ address.
GUY: *Does another thing while typing, and gets distracted. How do you spell your name?
ME: E-M-I-L-I-E.
GUY: *Types more and gets side tracked. Sorry, what was the address again?
ME: XYZ address.
GUY: *Keeps typing, and answers a phone call at the desk. And your first name is Emilie?
ME: ...Yes. *Stares- Blinks twice with intention.
GUY: And the address one more time.
ME: *Doesn't break my gaze. X-Y-Z. Address.
GUY: Cool, sorry about that.
This takes a while. I eventually get my ticket and to my great surprise, the shuttle is WAITING for me!! It’s full of people and the driver is so nice, he holds everyone up for me- The straggler. I apologize profusely, explain to him what happened, and then thank him a million times as I hurriedly and sheepishly board the van, being careful not to make eye contact with any of the onlookers.
We begin to head for the city, and my eyes are wide. I’m gawking at the jungle forest that surrounds me. Heavy rain clouds loom through the skies. This must be what Hawaii is like. *(I can't remember it from when I was 3 weeks old). Long-tailed birds are flying just outside our van window, and the sunset is simply breathtaking.
We come into the city, and it looks a bit like a deserted beach town. The buildings are a bit rundown, and the locals seem bored with nothing to do here. Regardless, the nature is magnificent.
I eventually get to my hostel, apologize and thank the driver again. I come in to the reception, and meet Rachel. She’s not dead from traveling yet, and we get free pork, salad and potatoes for dinner in the hostel! It tastes free, so we each buy a beer to wash it down and have the adventures begin.
We catch up on stuff in the East Coast, and talk about our careers in male-dominated fields. It still blows me away that she's an Aerospace Engineer...Literally, designing and launching satellites into space. Impressive shit. Then we detest the idea of talking about work, and discuss our travel plans and how excited we are for this adventure. Rachel reminded me of something that I had forgot to mention in my previous email. We are seeing a completely different night sky every evening because we are in the Southern Hemisphere. I actually noticed this when I was photographing the Opera House yesterday, but it completely slipped my mind to tell you. I’m REALLY looking forward to the astrophotography here and in NZ.
We finished our beer, (mine was called a “stubby” because it was in a bottle), and Rachel hit the wall. We showered and are in bed for a VERY early wake up call to meet up with Ashley and her boyfriend George to dive in the Great Barrier Reef, (or what's left of it). I haven't seen Ashley in 8 years- Since we graduated high school in 2010, and I went to University and she went into the military! Wish us luck!
-eM
