Another Day, Another Hostel

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Day 56, 06/11/11
The Hostel I woke up in this morning was fine but the people in it were very strange, they seemed to be druggies, drunks, foreigners or hippies. Plus the bathrooms weren't brilliantly clean and the owner was slightly strange so I decided to move. I went to a few in the local area but all were full so I ended back up at Tropic Days (the one I first stayed at when I got to Cairns). They didn't have any spaces either so I was going to move right into town but they then said they had a tent available so I took that for a bargain rate of $16 per night. I will stay here for two nights.
I took a trip into town with my CV's at hand and went into Travel Bugs - a backpacker travel shop, as there was a poster up outside saying they needed staff. I got offered the job straight away with no interview whatsoever. She gave me a hour trial to see how I was at advertising their tours and then gave me all the paper work to fill in regarding my pay and tax - I start on Thursday. The down side is that I have to work every day from 1 til 7, but at $15 an hour in one week I would've earnt $500 and then I can leave.
I bought some ingredients for dinner and then came back to hostel to fill in all the forms. I headed back into town where I was meeting up with a farmer and his Mum for some possible farm work, turns out it was potato picking. It wasn't the top of my list but was a possibility or a last resort until they said that I needed to be commited until January which was no good. I came back to hostel to cook dinner and then hit the town once more to go to the Reef Hotel (the one with the Casino) to see what entertainment they had going on in the bar outside which turned out to be Karaoke with all the holiday makers (mainly Korean). Although I was by myself it entertained me and some of the old men really made me smile with their renditions of Frank Sinatra. I got back to the hostel at around midnight and got into my tent which didn't seem so glamorous now.

Day 57, 07/11/11
Today I woke up in my tent and felt really home sick. It might've been because I was by myself, I was struggling for work or I knew I would be opening a parcel today which Mum and Dad had posted out to me. I got ready and headed into town. I went to another hostel along the beach front as it is closer to town to check into tomorrow morning and they have vacancies so I will be checking in there tomorrow. I have never been in so many hostels in one town.
I had arranged to meet Lisa at lunch time because the parcel had been posted to her and she handed it to me and then treated me again to lunch. We had sushi which I have never properly tried before and it was actually really nice; she also had a bag of food for me - bless her. I didn't take it as it was too heavy to cary and lug from hostel to hostel in the morning so I will pick it up tomorrow.
I went back to hostel to open the parcel which was lovely and reminded me of home, this made me feel home sick too. There was sweets, biscuits, coffee, chocolate, chewing gum, suncream and deodorant and I have never tasted a biscuit so good in my life. Thanks Mum and Dad! xx
I headed back into town to have a swim and sunbath at the Lagoon which was lovely as the sun was blazing and it was 33 degrees outside. At around 5pm I went to use some free internet and then was going to walk to Woolies to get some ingredients for dinner, but as I was doing so Lisa saw me as she was driving home from work and gave me a lift back to my hostel and then I took the food bag she had for me so I didn't spend a penny on food today, I just have to lug the bag around in the morning now. I cooked dinner and then hit the town again just for something to do really as there was a big BBQ on at the hostel which I didn't really fancy, took a walk around the Lagoon at night and there were still people swimming. I then went to have a quick look for torches but they were too expensive so I waited for the shuttle to come and pick me up to take me back to the hostel so I could write my blog before going to bed in my tent which is now filled with gravel from the ground where I have been walking in and out which I have had to chuck off the matress. The good thing about the tent though is that I don't have to share anyone, but I could still hear a snorer last night in a few tents away from me.

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