It was going to be a day spent at St. Kilda beach, just a short tram ride south of the city. But as I awoke to the drip drip drip of rain INSIDE as well as outside my room, I figured that plan would have to take a rain check. After putting a bucket under the leak and tossing and turning till I felt like it was time to get up, I had a granola and strawberries breakfast (though I have been craving Wheatabix lately). The German working here in the hostel, with whom I was supposed to go beach tripping that day, suggested a free city tour with free internet at the state library afterwards. So we boarded the free city circle tram, an old cable car that goes around the inner city and talks about the buildings, not completely advertising free. After one and a half loops, we got off at the library and spent a good two and a half hours in the net. It had finally stopped raining, but was still a bit too cold to be outside for too long. Funny enough, Melbourne doesn’t seem to be equipped for cold and rainy late afternoon, since all museums close at 5pm and even the free city bus tour which we found departing in front of the National Gallery of Victoria, does its last trip at 3:45pm. So although we explored the city and its indoor possibilities, none of them could actually be done…A fun afternoon nonetheless
After getting home, I felt like s***. Head pounding with every step I took, heavy eyelids, shivering and sweating and a sore throat. Just great. And no better, more like worse, the next morning, when I had to get up and out of bed to check out and check into another room. A morning trip to Cole’s supermarket to buy lemon, ginger, honey and some nutritional essentials and to the pharmacy for lozenges, a gargle and more Kleenex, seemed like the only trip I’d be able to take that day. However, after a throat-burning cup of ginger and lemon tea and a few hour nap, I felt a bit better and decided fresh air would probably not be a bad thing. Too bad the rain didn’t seem to agree with these plans…
Though the weather pretended to be nice in the morning, Thursday turned out to be yet another unpredictable day when it came to occasional showers and gray clouds darkening or lightening (never disappearing though). In Germany I guess you could call it typical “Aprilwetter”. It was then when I had to admit to myself that I should have listened to my mom and packed one of those wind and waterproof shells (no matter ho ugly). Instead, I spent the afternoon shopping for a jacket that will keep me warm and dry and not end my trip early because it drained my funds. My short trip into the North Face shop left me leaving dizzy and perplexed about how a jacket can be worth more than the entire contents of my suitcase. But after checking out the “cheaper” brands and making a fun game out if the search for a reasonable priced jacket - guessing before my tingling fingertips picked the price tag out of the jacket pocket - I had to come to the conclusion that, in general, it is cheaper to just stay indoors or spend time in warmer climates. In the end, I managed to find one on sale in Macpac that set me back only about a week and a half worth of accommodation.
Late afternoon, my fellow German and I decided that it was dry and bright enough to head down to St. Kilda Beach, just about 15mins outside the city by tram. A girl in my hostel told me that she had spent a few weeks in Melbourne in summer and visited the Beach almost daily. In winter, it is empty and windy, the sea is gray and rough. But with dark clouds not quite touching the horizon and the sun fighting back after the days of oppression, the light was quite magical. The ocean smells different here, reminding me more of trips in the north of Germany than of beaches in the Philippines, but nonetheless, it smelled like somewhere I wanted to be. The sand, the water the sounds of the waves crashing release in me that feeling of being liberated, of being able to jump up and not having to come back down, like I can inhale and exhale time… After a walk down the empty boardwalk, joined only by the occasional jogger (tough Aussies in shorts and tshirt!) and wandering tourist, watching the colors of the sky and ocean change, we walked down a long wood pier which ended in a rocky pier. To one side the waves, sporadically chilling us with ocean spray, to the other the calmer waters tinted pink by the setting sun, anchored sailboats and the lit up skyline of Melbourne. The rocks are home to an Australian water rat (which we could not spot) and the Little Penguins, which show themselves around dusk. We saw a few and heard a lot. I never knew penguins could be so noisy – especially such small ones! It is quite an experience seeing them in the wild… And whilst starting to shiver on the windy walk home, I had a large smile on my face.
Note: Museums close early here. Being sick is no fun, no matter where you are. Penguins make funny noises.
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