It was a glorious, drunken, sad and celebratory afternoon/evening on my last day in Singapore. Though not as crowded as it once used to be, we 'made merry'.
The reprobates
Jay, Kate & Aaron
A few remaining LK'rs
When it was time for me to finally leave, and all the final hugs and goodbyes had been exchanged, I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door as the group of them gave me a standing ovation. As if it wasn't already hard enough to leave.
And then, suddenly, the next morning.....Melbourne...
I don't normally do the B 'n' B thing. When I travel, particularly if I'm travelling by myself, I prefer my anonymity and the idea of coming and going as I please. Also, since I don't really do breakfast either, the idea of chatty holiday-makers or hosts interfering with the serenity of my morning coffee gives me shivers of horror.
That said, I was more or less forced to go the B 'n' B route in Melbourne because my trip happened to coincide with The Melbourne Cup, a gigantic horse racing event during which the entire city goes party mad, and hotel rooms, when available, are eye-poppingly expensive. I discovered a website called Airbnb which offers various home-stay options around the world, and that is how I met my charming hostess, Robynne.
That said, I was more or less forced to go the B 'n' B route in Melbourne because my trip happened to coincide with The Melbourne Cup, a gigantic horse racing event during which the entire city goes party mad, and hotel rooms, when available, are eye-poppingly expensive. I discovered a website called Airbnb which offers various home-stay options around the world, and that is how I met my charming hostess, Robynne.
Robynne a single woman who runs her own consulting business from her little house in the beautiful, bohemian neighborhood of St. Kilda. She's also a foodie, has a social conscience and loves a good chin-wag over a glass of wine. Long story short, we got on like a house on fire. I can't say that I'm a convert to the B'n'B option now, but in this case, it was meant to be and really added a lot to my stop in Melbourne.
Near St. Kilda Beach
Love that Aussie humour
Melbourne reminds me so much of Vancouver: the constant shift between rainy drizzle and mostly-warm sun, the tree-lined streets, the architecture. And then there's the people: lots of hearty, outdoorsy types in cycling gear on a constant hunt for organic-gluten-free-preservative-free bottled water, skate punks, emos, granola-munchers, business-types, artsy-types, bums, starving musicians and Japanese tourists all rub shoulders with the dog-walkers on clean streets lined with boutiques, bakeries and pawn shops.
They speak Singlish here
The one thing I noted in Melbourne that is sadly lacking in Vancouver is a thriving theatre culture. Several grand, old, well maintained theatre palaces play home to all kinds of shows.
(Apparently, neither does Andrew Lloyd Webber)
I took a deep breath and bought a ticket to "Love Never Dies" and, while I think it's got some problems and is probably the most over-designed show I've ever seen, I didn't hate it as much as I expected to. In fact, I admit to actually sitting up and paying attention once or twice. The set, however, is so massive, complex and kinetic that I just wanted it to stop moving for five minutes !
Next stop, King Island, in the mystical state of Tasmania...
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