get lost – 2009 World Tour Progress Report

[Original post by Elliot Mogerman – Transferred from yahoogroups.com]

You can never be lost if you have no destination!

We had to check out of Rob’s mom’s house today and went over to the bmw dealer to ask about crating options and costs if we need them for New Zealand. For lunch we stopped at a Chinese slash Japanese restaurant and it wasn’t half bad. Wasn’t half good either. Afterwards we went to a hotel so we could have internet. Mike did research and I relaxed by the pool. Found out why I have another ear infection. The molded ear plugs I wear all day while riding and all night while I try to drown out the noise from certain snores, the plugs have not been cleaned in a sterilized fashion for a long time. So the dirt on them creates a nice environment since they are in my ear all day and night. So I will now be cleaning them weekly with alcohol wiping pads and try not to wear them all the time. I can switch off with the disposables I have left.

Australia day is like our Colombus day where captain cook founded Australia. We were invited to Neil’s house for a bbq. Mike, Rob, and I rode up to what is very similar to the nicest parts of Paradise Valley back home. The lot was recessed down from the street and contained a large house, yard, tennis court, a few garages and nice scenery. For most of the day we drank beer and helped Neil with some chores around the house as he just moved in not too long ago. I built a shelf for the kitchen, and moved tons of wine boxes down to the cellar. We played tennis, and ate sausages for lunch and steak dinner with his new family.

At night we left and met up with Robs extended family who invited us to stay at their flat for a new nights on St. Kilda beach. I guess a famous tv show was filmed on the rooftop patio of his building. It overlooks the beach, luna park, and the palais theater. They have clever ly hung pieces of odds and ends, including furniture, as art around the place. The celings in some rooms remind me of Italian plaster and designs. Both Tim and Luke are around my age and well traveled. Tim speaks Chinese and Luke is a travel writer. At night we had a bbq on the roof with them, Richard and his wife and kid. They also brought, for dessert, aussie lamingtons. OMG these are delicious, they are like moist, soft white cakes with chocolate covering sprinkled with coconut. After dinner and a lovely sunset we went to the main walk for some hot chocolate.

Tonight we are leaving the beach flat and heading up to Rob’s brother’s house, Richard, and will be staying one night there. I think we will throw some prawns on the Barbie. For the remainder of our stay in Oz, Neil has invited us to stay at his Cabin with his family and Rob. He will bring his boat, we will stay right on the river and go wakeboarding, skiing, and basically wear board shorts and sandals for a week relaxing and barbequing on the river in his cabin. On Monday we will be riding our bikes to the airport for the transport people and going back to the cabin until we leave Thursday or Friday of next week. If I don’t text, write, or call for the next two weeks, it’s not because I don’t love you, but I’m not sure if there are available services out by the cabin.