30th January

I'm writing about the last two days. The 28th and 29th as well.

Our plan changed - the perth booking was full, so we got the Indian-pacific to adelaide, and we leave there on the 4thfeb for Darwin, on the great Ghan, which takes longer than sydney to perth anyway, comes in at total of 3 days and 2 nights.

I was excited as hell to be finally leaving sydney. Collected my pay from frankie for the last week, $569, so happy. Later found out on train from an interesting black kid that the guy had been underpaying me, i'd been on $12, whilst minimum pay was $14; it was because pay in hand is illegal... But the legalities of the shop and most of its product are highly suspect anyhow!

Anyway, for the train, we obviously booked economy-class. It wasn't that busy the first day so both me and has managed to get two seat rows each. Even this wasn't long enough for me, the seats go back a little way and thats how one is expected to sleep. I had no pillow, no sheet, sleep didn't come easy that night, I took aload of towells from the shower and used them as pillows/sheets.

Anyway, back to the end of sydney. My luggage is far too heavy, I've got three bags and was struggling like hell. Im gonna get rid of some of it. I've got so much shit I dont need. Theres an oxfam up from the hostel in adelaide where Im going to donate socks and stuff, if they'll take them! Bringing socks was a heavy overthought nonetheless.

We boarded. Sydney's suburbs went flying by. We went through Newtown, which I managed to have a look at the day before, its like camden on a lesser scale.
There was a mixture of run-down parts and nicer bits. When we got out of sydney to the "greater" parts, there was a large mansion with its own golf course, looked like a rich farmer or something.

From the Emu plains onwards you have the Blue Mountains everywhere, trees right next to the window obscuring your view. Nonetheless theres great views. There was interesting commentary about notorious sydney criminals who were romanticised by the presenter. The Mount.s where much larger and extensive than I realised. There was a wide valley that I got a camera shot of, with little ribbon lakes and pastoral land, farming I gathered. Even after you great through the main expense there are still leftovers, clumps of trees in grassland, showing the sheer length of the eucalyptus' domiance. I went to dinner,which was a terrible burger. I met this mercurial character from New York who had travelled extensively, spilt me stories of when he was living in hackney, one was memorable; he went to a pub, the guy said where you from? - new york", barman - bet you think your hard being from newyork - the bar man then smashed a glass on his bar and started to eat the glass infront of Darcy(thats his name!) He said that he saw the guy puking up blood in the toilet a halfhour later. He had a canadian wife who was a film director/documentaries. They were gettin goff at Broken Hill, a mining town. The scenery outside was amzing, rolling hills, but much grander and larger than Uk ones, cracks in the earth seperating two parts of grassland, funny shrubbery, dried trees, but mostly affluent greenery. The sunset was spectacular as well. Some farmland.

Then came the night, went back to seat. Smuggled on some cheap wine that would help.
Drank plenty of that and read to help sleep. Managed to get somewhat comfortable, slept a couple hours at midnight, crank in my neck. Then got a couple more but couldnt sleep much more after that. My IBS hurt - but not intensly.

Morning arrived, the land was remarably different. I went to have breakfast. Theres nothing like having breakfast whilst arid land rolls past your window. I've never experienced anything like it. Red, arid with soil with yellow grass poking up, growing where it could. It struck how even when the chips are down life still manages to beat the odds, this grass was living proof. There was bits of green shrubbery here and there. The only signs of humanity was the oil pipe running parallel to the track and
telegraph poles. There were groups of sheep, sporadically placed, like little furry buddhas, staring blankly back at the train.
I went back to my seat, the land had risen on my side. Chunks of mounds of the arid land, jagged edges, moving up and down; as one went down, another rose behind it. There were wire fences. We got out at broken hill, chance to stretch legs, bid farewell to my NYork friend. The journey was behind schedule as it had hit livestock in the night. Some pretty girls had got on at B. Hill. They were going to Big Day Out in Adelaide, we couldn't get our tickets in the end.
We arrived and the heat was like nothing I'd ever felt. Apparently the wind can burn you here, the actual wind is hot itself!!
It was 41 degrees.

We got taxi and went round aload of hostels; many were nice but didnt have beds. One was real cool but we would have had to spill out $60 for a twin room. In the end we found small one, theres no aircom in room, so a real seaty hot night. But apart from that gd facilities, Im using their mac to write this now. I like the location as well. Theres loads of bars and eateries down our road and we're near the shopping district. Its just hot as hell. Need to catch bus to get to beach. probs do that tomos. Had to go to doctors to get more mebeverine, would need it defintely for trip to Darwin. Doctor told me because its the wet season, even though its about same heat there as here, its 100% humidity there. Going to be constantly hot, wet and may get trenchfoot! The way my shoes have fallen apart I wouldn't put it past happening. Was gonna try and catch Nadal match at bar later.

Adelaide's a real kl city though. Its only 1mill ppl, so has a real relaxed, uncrowde vibe, I really dig it. Its got eveything you need as well, good restaurants, good pubs, the only prob is price of beer bit steeper than sydney.

Anyway take care allxx