Last night I met up with Robyn and Tom, my friends from Sydney by way of Malaysia and Hong Kong. We got Malaysian food and walked around and giggled and I got lots of inside tips to the city. It's the friends and trees and river that make it feel smaller and more manageable :)
Then today I had the most wonderful and completely unplanned day. Had my first couch surfer meeting with Nikki and her friend Will. Nikki showed me her wonderful home and we basked in the sun and they cooked me lunch and we went for a drive to drop off Will at work. Then it turned out he works at Mount Coot-Tha, a beautiful getaway just outside the city. So after taking our photos at the top, Nikki dropped me off at the bottom and I stumbled through the forest to find my way back to the top again.
My walk involved a 1.5-km aboriginal art loop which included paintings on logs and rocks arranged in certain patterns. The section of the forest had a prehistoric air and an ancient feel to it. I felt lucky to walk through an area rich with so much history but it was also a little Blair Witch, so I was happy when I re-emerged at the top of the mountain and headed for the cafe.
After a splendid chocolate caramel tart and some unsuccessful haggling for a faded beach towel, I jumped onto the last bus headed back into town (purely because I saw a city bus pull up in front of me) and soon found myself in the hustle and bustle of Queen Mall. The Aussie Target experience was quite disappointing and after some price tag browsing in higher quality shops I determined that I am not, in fact, buying a going out outfit, especially when I can eat sushi to my heart's delight at a fraction of a price. So I have been taking a well deserved break from pasta and peanut butter sandwiches!
I had spotted the Ferris wheel before dinner and decided to try and walk there afterwards. I realized that I should have saved my appetite for the night noodle house that takes place near the Ferris wheel, but there is always tomorrow night! While enjoying my aerial view, I saw several boats dissecting the river and decided to go there next! When I got to the ferry stop, I had a nice chat with two women from Calcutta and the Philippines who helped me find the free boat that does a round trip in the river. After enjoying a 30-minute peaceful night ride, I got off at a new stop and walked back home (past a bottleshop with imported beer, obviously). Great success!
Not planning the shit out of this trip has definitely been a personality challenge for me, but it's paying off because I couldn't have planned a day like today if I tried!
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