Day 28 - Austin

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Arrived early Thursday morning and made my way over to the local hostel - there’s only one in Austin. After securing my bunk for the next few nights, I made my way down to Barton Springs Pool.

A man-made recreational swimming pool located on the grounds of Zilker Park. The pool exists in the channel of Barton Creek and is filled by water from a larger spring. Water temperature ranges from 20 to 22 °C. It's the perfect remedy to a hot ass Texas afternoon.

Spent a couple hours cycling through the many modes of relaxation - a quick swim, soak in some sun, dive in and float around, soak in some more sun and read. It’s a hard life.

So far, hostel life in America has been different to what I originally expected. It’s nothing close to how things are back home in Perth - it’s a lot quieter and people aren’t drunk and rowdy.

A number of the guests here are actually from other US states. Most are either taking some time off from work while others are unemployed and have decided to make the move to Austin in hopes of finding work.
I spent the remainder of the day downtown before heading up to the Texas State Capitol building for some photos.

Hoping to tuck into some BBQ over the next few days.

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Photos

Barton Springs Pool
The guy with the underwater lawnmower is actually removing the slippery algae buildup along the bottom of the pool.
They originally applied a chemical paste to the surface floor but stopped doing that after discovering the Barton Springs salamander. It's supposedly an endangered/threatened species and only exists in the pool and a few surrounding environs.

Comments

[gia]

Good Post
I really like your pictures and simple blog. I live in Texas and this is on my hit list. So the Hostels aren't bad, huh? I might try one in my next adventures. Thax for sharing!

[The Travelling Cue Ball]

Thanks for the comment. The hostel in Austin (the only one at this stage) was quite good. The environment is very relaxed and staff were really helpful and friendly. It's really a mixed bag with hostels (anywhere in the world) - best to read up on hostel reviews prior to booking your stay.