Be Casso-wary....

This is probably my last post, well my second to last post, before I depart Australia. I was under an impression, that appears to be false, that internet is available everywhere in Australia. Instead, it seems internet connections in Australia are much like they used to be in the U.S. about 10 years ago. Internet cafes abound in Cairns, but I am fundamentally opposed to paying for internet by the minute. We've moved out of Cairns, and into nearby Mission Beach. We've rented an apartment rather than a hotel room, which has made for much easier living in the addition of a kitchen (not to mention a washer and dryer, much to the SO's relief). Tonight, for example, I'm making bbq chicken. There are some oddities to the Australia palate and naming scheme that I can't quite get over. As an example, if you buy bacon in Australia, you get ham, which brings to mind the question "what do you get when you buy ham in Australia?" (THIS DOES NOT BEG THE QUESTION, because begging the question is something entirely different. Go Look It Up.)

In answer to the question, you get ham.

It's a strange world we live in.

I should also note that Australia is more expensive than I anticipated. Not on an overall scale, but a cheapest meal you can get eating out, is about 15 dollars. Per person. For breakfast. So, a kitchen is actually a money saving measure.

Now to the important question:
Some of you who pay attention may have noticed that the title of this post is "be casso-wary." If you were feeling ambitious, you went out and googled it. If you didn't, allow me to give you an introduction. A Cassowary is a tall, flightless bird, presumably much like an ostrich or an emu, with these notable exceptions: first of all, it lives in the rainforest. Second of all, it is apparently the only mode of transportation of many rainforest fruits because it eats them whole and then poops the seeds out. Thirdly, it is black and fourth, it apparently likes to cross the road. This leads to the caution in our ever helpful guidebook to heed the signs to tell us to be casso-wary.

By and large, tropical Australia is very nice. I do not feel like I have gathered the authentic Australian experience, as I have not seen a wild kangaroo, been in the outback, or played a digeridoo (however, I missed my chance whilst all the other japanese ISME tourists played a lively jig themselves). Tropical North Queensland is nice, however, with rainforests, waterfalls, and beaches galore. Most of the beaches, however, have been unvisited by yours truly, since it has been cloudy and windy nonstop since we got here (ask me later to get details on the sandiest day ever). Instead, we have been exploring the tropical rainforests and waterfalls and driving along the Bruce Highway (ask me what I know about bananas).

Days in Australia: 10?
Sunny days in Australia: 0.75.
Waterfalls visited: 2
Beaches visited: 2
Number of crevices I found sand: countless.
Number of people in this apartment complex with unsecured wireless: possibly 2.

Time to go before they turn them off.