Adelaide

16 October;

My last full day in Adelaide. I was quite a little sad about that, but had an awesome day.

After spending most of the morning waiting for my uncle Pete and watching kids shows with Ivy, we set off to Central Markets for lunch. After finding a table and after I did a few laps of the food court, I settled on prawn wonton laksa. Totally have no idea what's in a wonton, but I don't like them, so I wont order one of them again. Apart from the wontons, the laksa was delicious and filling, and not overly spicy. Uncle Pete decided he wanted to pay for my lunch, so he handed $10 over to me, which I then went shopping with. Katie and I went into one of the many Asian supermarkets, and I bought strawberry cream filled pretzels (not too sure how they are pretzels, as the picture on the box does not resemble a pretzel - I can report back after I've opened the box and eaten them), a bag of grape jellies, and strawberry Japanese Zappo. And Katie bought Pocky, as I've never had it before, and she wanted me to try it. We walked through the HUGE awesome Central Markets - this place is amazing - and I bought a chai latte from a tea cafe, which name I cannot remember (it's a bit like T2, only they also make tea and coffee and milkshakes, and you can buy sandwiches and cakes and stuff).

Uncle Pete, Katie, Ivy and I all walked back to the car, full of food, to drive to the Japanese Gardens. It was really pretty in there, small, but pretty. I liked the peace garden, where all the sand/gravel was raked into really straight lines, and circled around large rocks, which are meant to be like islands in an ocean. There was also a duck pond, in which Ivy and I were looking in for fish (no fish were seen). After it started raining, we went back to the car and drove through the middle of the city to get back to uncle Pete's place.

Once at uncle Pete's, I met his array of animals - Henny Penny the bantem chook, Oscar the large, white cat, and Jesse/Silly Boy the dog. My favourite is definitely Henny Penny (who likes to eat weet-bix).

Ivy and I watched Cars (and I drank some more wine), while uncle Pete cooked burgers and homemade chips for dinner. Yum yum yum! Love Actually was on that night, so we all watched that, and went to bed, till it would be time to wake up at 6 am, to make it to the airport in time.

I got about 3 hours of sleep. I don't know why, but some nights I cannot sleep, and that was a night I could not sleep. But I still managed to get up and get ready in time to leave for the airport. Ivy was excited as! She loves watching the planes, and I think she was more interested in watching the planes, then saying goodbye to me. But she still gave me heaps of hugs and kisses before I went on the plane, and Katie took some photos of me and her watching the planes together.

Adelaide

15 October;

I decided to venture out into the city today. The weather was looking a little more friendlier, and I wanted to do the touristy sight-seeing, and hopefully do some shopping.

I got directions to the train station from Katie, plus a few extra directions to places of potential interest, and off I went.

Train stations in Adelaide are weird (from NSW train stations). You buy your ticket on the train, and all tickets (including bus tickets), have to be validated after you have bought them. Which totally confused me (I even have an un-validated bus ticket from my first day in Adelaide).

Made it to the city and walked up North Terrace, to the Museum, admiring the really old, gorgeous buildings on the way. The Museum was awesome! I'm not sure if my favourite was the whale and dolphin bones hanging from the roof (from real animals, most that had been beached, and then died from not being able to make it back out to ocean), or the Egyptian room. There were actual mumified cats and a human mummy in there. It would have been ten times better if the room was bigger then my mums bedroom, and had more things to look at. I also enjoyed the 4 level deep sea squid, which freaked me out, thinking how something that large and scary looking is swimming about in the sea. Would never want to encounter one of them. Ever.

After the Museum, it was time for lunch, so I went out looking for a vegetarian cafe Katie had raved about that morning. Of course I didn't find it, but did lust after most items in the Sass and Bide store, and then found a cafe and had the HUGEST bowl of spicy bean nachos with guacamole and sour cream. I love nachos, but that bowl was just too huge for one meal.

After lunch I browsed the mall, and walked up the other end of Rundle Street. After walking around pretty much all day, I decided it was time to head back to Katie's place, in time for dinner. (After making a stop at the bottle store for more wine.)

Adelaide

14 October;

The weather in Adelaide was awful. So cold and windy and rainy, so I just lazed about Katies house, with Ivy, in our pajamas, eating yummy food and watching the television and wishing for better weather.

It was a lazy and uneventful day, but I enjoyed it. I was on holidays. I can stay in my pajamas all day and not leave the house and still have fun.

Heaps more talking and catching and getting to know whats been happening was done again all day. Ate some toasted sandwiches with left over veggies from the pizza for lunch and more wishing for better weather.

Katie introduced me to a new type of tofu for dinner. Id only eaten tofu in laksa before, so the tofu tasted like the laksa, and it also had a bready coating, but tonight, Katie cooked some tofu cooked in balsamic, with a salad and pita bread. It was different, but I rather enjoyed it, and would definitely eat Katies balsamic tofu again. We drank more and talked more and I enjoyed Ivy's chattering and asking questions and being fascinated by my tattoos until it was time for bed.

Adelaide

October 13;

3.30 am wake-up and a big hug with my cat, who decided it was time to give my cheek a clean, thanks Meg! 

After getting ready, and nearly forgetting my deodorant, it was time to go to the airport in time to check in for my 6.35 am flight to Adelaide. Made it with plenty time to spare and got my boarding passes to Sydney, and to come back home (which saved time at Adelaide airport before I went home).

My mum got all excited at seeing the Krispy Kreme store, and then got let down it was closed. Had some yogurt and muesli for an early breakfast with mum (I have never eaten breakfast at 6 am before), and then went to wait for my plane.

Sucked majorly, as I didn't get the window seat, but the aisle seat does have it's advantages. And I finally conquered my fear of airplane toilets! (Although I did jump at the sound of the toilet flushing, so it may not be 100% conquered.)

Made it to Adelaide in one piece! It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but I like turbulence, for some reason, it reminds me of roller-coaster rides.

Got lost in Adelaide airport. I was looking EVERYWHERE for the bus stop, and was going to catch a taxi to my cousins place, when I decided to try the upstairs exit. Disco! Found the bus that goes to North Terrace!

After the bus ride into the city, I got lost again. I couldn't find the bus stop that would take me to Katies. I was walking all up and down North Terrace looking for this bus stop, till I get to the train station, so I cross the road to go to the train station, when I see a bus stop that the bus I need to catch it. I was on the wrong side of the road the entire time. about 40 minutes of looking for a bus stop, when all the time I was on the wrong side. I suck at directions. 

After waiting for about 40 minutes for the next bus to come (in the freezing cold wind!) I finally got onto the bus to take me to Katies. Yay!

Made it to Towers Terrace and waited for Katie and Ivy, about 3.5 hours after I actually got to Adelaide. 

It was so good to see my cousin again!!! I can't remember the last time I saw her, but it had definitely been a loooooooong time (it had been 12.5 years since the last time I was in Adelaide). And I finally met Ivy! My gosh, she is soooooooo CUTE!!! (And she looks like me, too, alot like my when I was that age.)

We got some lunch, and then went home to Katies place, where we at lunch and caught up and I got to witness the joys of a three year old, eating too many tim tams and getting a sugar rush.

There was so much catching up to do, and so much learning about my family and I loved it.

After thinking the rain had finally let off for the day, Katie, Ivy and I got a taxi to the shopping centre to get some food and lots of wine, and then back home to drink the lots of wine, and eat amazing pizza (balsamic caramelized onion, roast pumpkin, roast carrot, tomato and cheese - amazingly yum!)

After drinking a few too many glasses of wine and being awake for sssoooooooooo long (and gaining an extra half hour or so to my day with the time difference) it was time for bed.