day 13 and 14 of 24 - crikey

---

day 13

We're all grumpy. sleeping in the car is swampy, uncomfortable, and now smelly from 3 unwashed blokes. We managed to completely waste last night, a saturday night, in what should have been one of the funnest places to have a beer. We try not to dwell on it.

After a brief walk along the main beach and watching the surf comp, we go to cafe le monde, aj's old work, and get some breakfast. We decide to get out of town. We can't imagine what else we can properly see (given there's still so much to see) and we fear we may run out of money and housing. We decide to hit the road - head south to byron bay. Every backpacker we run into raves about this place.

On the way, we see signs for steve irwin's australia zoo. aaron goes nuts, and wants to see it. So we do. A real tourist trap. And expensive. I've already seen a zoon this trip so remain quite unexcited about the whole affair.

Before too long we're underway again. We approach surfers paradise. It's a foreign thing seeing skyscrapers and skyline across the beaches in australia. Surfers reminds me of miami. contemporary. beauty. fakeness. We do a brief stop, grab a kebab and have a walk down the main street. We then head off in hopes of getting to byron before nightfall. Of course, we are interrupted. We see a hooters. The first one any of us have ever seen outside of the USA. aj is adament we have to stop for a beer. So we do. Eerily, its exactly the same. Even the menu. There's 3 in australia (all in new south wales). Apparently they expect to have 60 stores by next year. crazy.

We get to byron, and night has settled. We start looking for a place again. There are backpackers everywhere, and so far all of our choices have been booked solid. Aj's getting grumpy and we're afraid he's going to throw in the towel again. Eventually we find a place thats a lot more expensive than we'd prefer. Its a backpackers, but effectively we're sharing a flat with 4 other englishmen. They are a hoot, albeit, difficult to understand. We were resolved to hit the town that night. Aaron had started drinking goon on the way out from surfers, and considering his weak constitution, it was no suprise that he was now beginning to come out of beligerance and into zombification. Nevertheless we get him to come out. I am hobbling around still with my foot in tatters.

The night scene is busy, despite the fact its a sunday night. We hit one of the bars, but it seems apparent the other guys are too fatigued to get really into it. I started txt'ing red at this stage. Her message are erratic and abnormal, and it seems clear that she's under the influence of something. Its in these moments where the bad seems worse, and i feel a sweeping sadness in my soul. I pray and hope for more. i wonder if she'll ever grow out of it, and stop living in a weakness she can conquer. I try not to think about it. I have another drink and head back to the flat with the boys. We settle down for the night. It's hot. There's no a/c, and i'm pretty sure this snooze will suck. Good thing i had those extra drinks i think to myself.


day 14

its sticky and we all have an uncharmed look on our faces. We get breakfast on main st. Again the streets are just littered with young backpackers, of which many are attractive girls. We decide to do our own separate things today. I need some time alone. I think the other guys are dissappointed, but with my foot i'm just slowing them down anyway. I was hoping to get some time to think. Some time to be alone.
I call my dad. He reveals some rather shocking news and realities that bring me into a lost state.

To be honest. I completely forget what i did the rest of this day. I know i spent some time on a beach for awhile. Then ate fish and chips. Then drank with some riley englishmen. OH! i did get kicked out of the main pub. That was great. I lit up a cigarette and apparently its illegal in most of australia now. I tried to explain to the bloke that i've been away for 3 years and am unaware of the laws. He doesn't care. I'm out on the street. Alone. Feeling like this is one of the worst days ever. I sit to myself and drink goon. Hoping this day will end soon. I end up sleeping in the car listening to music and wanting to crawl under a rock. bleh.

---