It was raining when I got up this morning. And it was late. I hurriedly checked out and caught two buses and a train to get back to Brisbane.
Friendly Aussie
On the bus I ran into an Aussie bloke I'd met yesterday. Jim O'Connor was from Cairns, Queensland and was in the pipeline manufacturing business. He had an authentic Australian accent and seemed to be well-travelled and informed about the world. He knew lots about Iran which impressed me. We talked for the whole journey. It's true, Aussies are a friendly crowd. I got his contact details this time.
Walking in Brisbane
Having arrived in Brisbane at 1 PM, I didn't have much time to see things; offices would close at 5. So to save time, I did the "Walking Tour" from my marvellous guide book, Lonely Planet. I saw all the main attractions in 5 hours. The highlights for me were: Brisbane City Hall where I took in the history of Brisbane, Shrine of Remembrance where an eternal flame burns in remembrance of Aussie soldiers in WW1, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Queen St Mall which was full of extravagant brand name shopping, several buildings with classic European architecture, the Queensland University of Technology campus, and the waterfront south of Brisbane River.
St. Stephen's Cathedral was a magestic church. A man was playing the massive organ in the church for rehearsal. I sat on the benches and listened to it. Although the music was mostly discontinuous, when he put all the pieces together in a final run, the songs were really beautiful. The music was so relaxing (and I was so sleepy), I almost fell asleep on the bench.
South of Brisbane River, the view of the city centre was quite scenic. Victoria Bridge was alive with bright white lights and the well-lit tall buildings nearby added to the glamour of the skyline.
I'm writing to you now from the State Library of Queensland where internet access is free! This library looks modern and brand new. Queensland is obviously a wealthy state. There's good weather here too with 300 days of sunshine every year. Interestingly, about 1000 Australians pack up to move to Brisbane every week!
I'll be walking over Victoria Bridge to go home. I'll have to plan the remainder of my trip tonight and decide how long I should extend my trip for.
Here's what I saw in our hostel's corridor when I went to use the bathroom at midnight. Backpackers love their alcohol!
Posting Komentar