11th July - Darwin

Thursday 11^th July

So here I sit at the Darwin Sailing Club, at a low table, hogging two power points…and I am charging: my phone, my computer, my iPad, my modem.

Bliss!

Pete has disappeared in a puff of some with our kind (Tas) friend Jason.  They are going to Bunnings to fill three gas bottles and no doubt…they will go to many other light industrial zones to do this and that.

I have very sensibly elected to sit here, in the cool club lobby, charging up my electronic gadgets, which have all been running on 3-10%.  They have all been sending me plaintive messages – LOW BATTERY!!! they scream, silently…

So what else have we done today?  Well we went to Customs, and to the Indonesian Embassy, to apply for our visas.  Other than that we have darted around Darwin on the very efficient low-cost bus service.

Eventually we ended up back here at the sailing club, where Jason was waiting to whisk Pete away to his spiritual home.  I have been sitting with some of our friends – Tania (NZ), Don (Canada), Andrew (Aus), Sue )NZ), Irwin (Aus), Jen (NZ).  They have all vanished like a flock of pigeons, off to Mindil Beach market.

This morning on our Indonesian rally radio exchange our genial host (Graham?) told us all the news of what’s going on in Darwin.  He pointed out that it is NAIDOC week, and said we might liek to wander down to the waterfront and talk to an Aboriginal person…they won’t bite you…

Ummmm well no… I can’t imagine going up to one of the very shy indigenous people I have seen in Darwin and saying, G’day, I’m from Tasmania!  Or whatever…(Mind you one not-so-shy indigenous man just came up to our table to ask us for bus fare…I was to busy with my gadgets to respond but the others all said…no…

And yes Dad we have bought an Indonesian phrasebook!!