Today was my first full day in a city that must be what Seattle is like. Cold, wet, and rainy, especially during the winter season. I woke up this morning in my small room that reminded my of a fancy prison cell. That's what most hostels tend to be like: cold, uninviting design that is a simple step up from the grungy underbelly of a gaol (Australian spelling for jail - weird, I know). After my flight here and hauling around a suitcase weighing in at 26.6 kg, I knew that I would have to rearrange what I was taking along. This meant finding a post office, a simple task as it was perhaps a five minute walk to the nearest location. I bought a box with tape, threw my clothes in, and decided to make the return, drop off the package, and to take the next tram into the city.
Having spent very little time actually planning what I was going to do, I headed in with little idea of what was on. I first decided to head towards St Kilda, a suburb known for its beach. I went there and was instantly freezing, as the wind was billowing in from the sea, making for a chilly walk onto the pier. I only made it halfway, stopped in a overhang, made a couple of phone calls, and decided to head back to the main drag. Wasn't all that much to do in St Kilda, after all. I picked up a Boost juice before jumping on the next tram, with my next destination Crown Casino, which I've heard is a big deal.
I hopped off the tram right in front of the casino, and wasn't let in. I had to check my bag, and ended up getting lost in the maze of advertisements and lights, with a mall and food court tossed in there as well. With little desire to actually head into the casino, as I see gambling as a giant waste of money, I headed out to cross the Yarra River, and ended up using the Sandridge Bridge (reminding me of Sandbridge). It was a bridge built in honor of the Aboriginals and other people who live in Australia, as there glass panes listing what country people are from, how many are there, and what languages they spoke. An interesting experience. With no destination, I decided to take advantage of my daily pass and just jumped on a random tram which was heading towards Malvern. 'Sweet', I thought to myself, 'a town named after a suburb back home', which I know isn't true. I was on the tram for awhile, then decided to just jump off and head back towards town. I got back off near the Domain, which is like every other domain I've been to in the southern hemisphere: a big park. Across the Yarra, I could see Rod Laver Arena, along with the MCG, two iconic images of this city. In 1956 Melbourne had hosted the Olympics, hence the name of this area being Olympic Park. I had read about an Australian sport museum, and being slightly interested in athletic events, made the decision to try and head there when I could.
First stop was Rod Laver Arena, home to the Australian Open. It was dead quiet there, although a door was open, allowing me to walk around in a circle. Since it is the offseason, there is a monster truck rally going on, not tennis. I declined the idea to book a guided tour, and instead walked around the rest of the tennis centre. Before that, I bought a ticket to the Melbourne-St George NRL match, which was going to take place just a few hours later. There wasn't much to see around the tennis centre, so I walked towards the MCG. I found the sport museum pretty easily, and took about an hour looking at the history of sport in Australia, although it was very Victoria-centric, focusing mostly on Cricket and AFL, the two big sports in these parts. After that, I was hungry, and headed to a decent pub for some fish and chips. I killed time there, having a coffee and trying to warm up.
By the time I had finished my coffee, the weather had gotten worse. With lack of a better phrase, it was freakin' cold out. I bought a stupid beanie with the Australian flag on it, which ended up being a good call. I then found myself back on the tram, ready for some rugby league.
The game was underwhelming. I'm not a huge fan of the sport, but had decided that it would be worth checking out. And for $12, it wasn't terrible. Until it started raining. That was not good, although the hat paid dividends, keeping me warmer than I would have been. I left early, as even a mid match fight didn't hold my interest too much. The Storm dominated as well, providing even less entertainment. It took me about 30 minutes to make it back to my hostel, where I sit typing this latest entry. Only 5 flight to go til I am back in the US. Hot dog.
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