Four Wheels Scare the Cockatoos
Trip Start
Aug 23, 2007
1
16
60
Trip End
Jul 17, 2008
Melbourne,
Australia
Monday, October 1, 2007
I arrived in Melbourne on the 25th of September, one month since I boarded the plane. I arrived late and had to deal with foraging in the dark for my bed in the hostel...not my favourite part of the trip, but woke up early to meet my roommates. I headed out to the Queen Victoria Market and found a beautiful cornucopia of living colour. I bought some dried wild figs from Iran and considered a gorgeous pair of Asics running shoes for only 80 dollars...they wouldn't fit in my bag so I set them free. In the end I came home with gifts for my friend Angela and her family and a package of wonderful Greek food: tzatziki, kalamatas, spicy dolmades and fresh Feta..mmmmmm!
I was finally in touch with my friend Angela who had just arrived home from a three month stay in her husband's homeland of Albania. Her children were active and a handful. Sofi, Erion and Adrian ages 4.5, 3.5 and 1.5 kept us busy with all their antics along with her father, but between the three of us we managed their demands. We read stories and made puzzles, drew pictures and kept everyone fed. In that time, Ange and I had our long overdue visit. I met Ange in Europe when I was 24 and she visited Canada two years later. She has been trying to get me here for years, but never expected that I would show up three children later and upon her return from abroad. No chaos, only fun!! Her brother and his wife had us over for a real Aussie Bar-B which was wonderful and we managed to get out for a coffee one night. She dropped me off at the Melbourne Hostel tonight after lunch in a downtown cafe. Tomorrow I will leave from the hostel early (EARLY!) in the morning, but I will be back at Angela's for my last week of my Australian tour.
Today I managed to squeeze in a trip up to the lookout in the Rialto, a 360 degree high rise view of the city with a movie to inspire the laziest traveler. I was also able to get into the Koorie Aboriginal Museum where they had a good combonation of everything Abo. Saw some amazing artwork and found that the history of these people has incredible parallels to our Native people in Canada. For instance, their children were taken from them and placed in government run schools that eventually failed and the kids were separated and sent to foster home after foster home. They used to have giant gatherings of tribes that were intended to unify the people, but were eventually banned by the government...similar to the outlawing of Potlatches on the west coast. They eventually went through a long process of establishing their political rights within Australia and through peaceful marches and demonstrations won some political power. Of course, this was long after their traditional lands had been taken from them and they were placed on reservations. This story was too familiar and tragic.
Tomorrow I head off to Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road, a side trip to the Barossa Valley where I expect to enjoy a variety of local wines, and then a three day trip to Tasmania. I will fly back to Melbourne for a nice visit with Angela and end my trip here....hmmmm? I feel a moment of reflection coming on!! Cheers, Allison
