Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Ain't Nothing Broke About Broken Hill
Days 17-20, Broken Hill Today is Thursday and I've been in Broken Hill since Sunday. My time here has been beyond fantastic. I'm staying with a couchsurfing family who are amazing! They have been hosting and surfing for several years now and are just lovely people. The family is: mom, Liz (mental health nurse), dad, Keith (plumber, originally from North Ireland), Daughters, Hannah (17), and Meg (13), and 3 dogs, Seth, Mazie, and Paddy (blind but so sweet). SUNDAY I arrived Sunday morning and me the gang, as well as Annette, the German girl who had stayed there a few nights. Liz, Meg, Annette, Seth and I jumped in the car and they showed us around town. We saw all the sights of Broken Hill: The living desert (sculptures on the hill), the old mines, had a picnic in primrose park (with a little petting zoo), saw a vista that is 1 of 6 places in the world to view the horizon as round and not flat, and she told about the history along the way. We also stopped in the neighboring town, Silverton where they have filmed several movies, including Mad Max. Met a guy who is the only one in Australia licensed to cut coins into jewelry and they are beautiful—see FB pix. That night, I went to the gym with Hannah and Liz and took a BodyPump class (thought of you, Becka and Shaena)! I decided to splurge and buy a 5 day pass which I'm really glad I did since investing in health and well-being is always a good thing. It's been nice to workout all week, plus I have the added bonus of people-watching and interacting with true Aussies : ) It's a workout and a cultural experience all in one! That night, we went to a bbq with coworkers of Liz. They had grilled sausages but there were plenty of salads and Liz mad a lentil salad that even I could make! It was really nice to eat healthy food since traveling doesn't always lend itself to eating veggies. Everyone was really nice and I met a couple from New Zealand who gave me their contact information and offered a place to stay when I visit! MONDAY I also met a woman at the bbq who works at the Royal Flying Dr. Service and she invited me to tour for free the next day. It's an amazing service, offered free to anyone who needs emergency or everyday treatment (medical, dental, mental health) in the bush, far from care. All you have to do is dial "000" (like 911) and they fly out to help! They are funded almost entirely by donations so I did my part to help out at the gift shop! Luckily, Keith drove me to and from the airport as they are far from town to walk. That afternoon, I did some laundry and took it easy until going to the gym with Hannah that night. We took a yoga class and it was nice to stretch out the sore muscles from the night before and spin class that morning! Oh, before the gym, Keith and I drove the dogs out for their evening run at a "commonland" (no one owns it) area he takes them to every night. While there, we saw about 15 kangaroos and lots of emus as well—fun night! That night, Liz cooked a fish stew for me and it was really yummy. She's an impressive cook with an ability to invent delicious meals from seemingly nothing. I'm sleeping on the back sunroom which gets a nice breeze at night since the door is left open for the dogs. They are also good company at night and keep me warm! : ) TUESDAY Today was a slow-going day. I decided to just spend the day in town and do everyday things. Keith dropped me off in town in the morning and I went to the post office to mail home some goodies, to the library for some internet and downtime to write letters, booked a tour at the tourist center for the next day (which was not easy since it they only go if 2 people sign up and I'm only one person---I even went to the backpacking hostel with a note to see if anyone wanted to join. I stopped back to the center in the pm and luckily, someone had joined!) The library was also having a book sale for $.10 each so I got some as gifts for the family here. Lastly, I stopped at the grocery store (Woolworths, or "Woolys" as they call it) and stocked up on healthy food and some treats for the family. Again, not cheap, but health is my splurge, always. Hannah and I had a girlie afternoon painting nails and then we headed to the gym. She and Liz did a class but I just lifted and it felt great. It's really nice to travel to a place where you don't feel like a weirdo. I'm so used to traveling to places where cultural differences make me feel like I constantly have to explain myself-- Why I don't eat meat. Why I like to run for fun. Why I like to go to the gym. Why I like to smile, laugh, be loud, and have fun with people….it's nice not to think about any of those things here and just be, little, old, LOUD me! That night, I made my favorite salad and they cooked me kangaroo to try. I broke a 17 year vegetarian streak to taste it. I put about 4 bites in my salad so I'm not sure I even tasted the meat, but I tried it anyway. It's what I imagine steak would be like (can't remember). After dinner, we sat around and watched tv, like any family. And had tim tam chocolate desserts I bought..yummy! They are such a fun-loving, wonderful family and it's nice to be in a family home. I think it's helping me to not feel lonely while traveling.