Brisbane
Day 1 August 8, 2005
I normally don't like taxi drivers who chatter but the one I got here was an exception. He wasn't asking me a million questions about me but rather gave me somewhat of a running commentary on what we were passing and on Brisbane in general. Although I was too exhausted and spaced out to retain much of it I appreciated his efforts at the time.
My initial sense of the city is that it is much like large cities everywhere except perhaps there are more bridges here. The route from the airport didn't afford many views of the river but what I saw looked very nice. Like large cities everywhere there is much construction and development going on here so I guess that is a positive sign of a good economy. At least I didn't see any horrible slums as I have elsewhere.
My first impressions of the hotel were quite positive. The exterior and the reception area are bright, clean and modern and the reception desk staff are friendly and helpful. I needed them to be helpful as I changed my reservations to accommodate my travels both before and after the conference. Those changes mean that I am in and out of here three times in the next seventeen days. I checked and learned that if I am able to squeeze everything I need for the short trips into one suitcase I can leave the other one here in a secure location. I will find out soon if I can mange to do that or not. I expect that I can for the pre conference trips but am not sure about the post conference ones.
My first disappointment came when I walked into my apartment. The river view I was so eagerly anticipating was nowhere to be seen. All I can see is office buildings and a pile of rubble in a construction area. From the bedroom I can see some distant hills but that is about it. My second disappointment came shortly thereafter when I discovered that I cannot connect to the internet from this room. Hopefully I can resolve one or both of those issues for the next two stays here. Apart from those things the apartment is quite nice. It is newly refurbished so everything is new and unscarred. Lots of entertainment equipment for those who might be interested (doesn't particularly include me as I do not have any CD's, DVD's or Videos with me). The kitchen is fully equipped with stove, microwave, dishwasher, fridge, freezer. The living room is large with a couch, easy chair, coffee table and entertainment centre and lots of big windows (now if there was just something to look at).
Being too tired go on any expeditions I spent the afternoon reading the various brochures about Brisbane and the the package of documents from the people who set up my tours for this week. I didn't see any point in going out for groceries for what is basically only one day here this week so went to the hotel restaurant for dinner last night. It was ok but not great in my opinion.
I began with a half dozen fresh and raw oysters and didn't enjoy them at all. They were extremely salty and had a strange taste. Next was a salad that was fine except that the pea greens were so long and stringy it was like eating three foot long noodles. Hard to show good manners under those conditions! Luckily I was there early (before the were open actually because the information in the room is incorrect) so there was no one around to see me with stems and leaves hanging out of my mouth. Felt like a cow or a camel. The final course was baramundi ( sweet white fleshed fish) and it was excellent except for the fact that the presentation was in the current mode in "fancy" restaurants where everything is stacked up with a drizzle of sauce in a circle surrounding it. Looks pretty for sure but I don't like eating my meal that way. I prefer to be able to taste each individual element and not be forced to have some of everything on my fork at the same time. To the extent that I was able to separate it the baramundi was delicious. It was served on a bed of couscous that sometimes hinted of cilantro that I detest but it might just have been parsley ground into the mixture. In addition there was a roasted tomato sauce on top of the fish and then some green spouts on top of that.
After dinner I walked for a little way in front of the hotel looking at the lights of the city and the views along the river that I am denied from my room. Back in the room I tired to read and then to watch television but was just too tired so went to bed at 7:30. Of course I was awake again at 10:30, then again at 11:00, 12:00 and 1:00. At 1:30 I gave up and got up to begin typing these journals. Today I'll see if I can find an internet cafe somewhere so that I can post them and also check my e-mail. Not sure what else I will do. I should try to get an adapter for my phone jack just in case I get a room somewhere where I can connect to the internet. I should also look for a carrying bag for all of my camera equipment as I left the other one behind forgetting that I might want it. Beyond that I might take the taxi driver's advice and ride the ferry along the river although I will have other opportunities to do that.
Day 2 August 9, 2005
Another beautiful sunny day with a high of 24 C. The morning was spent downtown shopping for various and sundry things (vitamins, camera bag, etc.) I managed to find a very good bargain on the camera bag and got one that is perfect for what I need on this trip ($9.95). Also found a fold up small umbrella to replace the one that the Vancouver winds ruined a couple of years ago ($14.95). There is a huge pedestrian mall downtown (Queen St. Mall). It is at least four square blocks with a wide range of types of stores from high fashion to souvenir shops. I went into a bank to change some travellers' cheques and the clerk told me they would have to charge a fee to change them but there was an American Express office close where they would do it for free. I thought that was very nice of him. I had to stand in line for a while at the American Express office but it was bearable. Lots and lots of people downtown, all rushing off to somewhere and many of them talking on their cell phones. Amazingly I didn't get lost and was able to find my way back to the taxi stand. I took four taxis today and two of the drivers were great the other two spoke barely enough English to understand where I wanted to go.
While downtown I saw a stand selling discount ferry tickets. It cost $5.00 and enabled me to ride the buses, train or ferry (City Cat) all day. Good deal. I skipped the buses and train but did ride the ferry the full length of its run (about an hour or an hour and a half I think) on the Brisbane River and back again. The ferries are sleek, fast and quiet. Most of the shore on both sides of the river is taken up with high rise apartment buildings but there are a few huge homes that must be worth a fortune. I didn't find it all that scenic (as you will see from the photographs) but I am glad that I took the ride.
By the time I got back to the hotel I was too tired to think about taking another taxi to a different restaurant so decided to eat at the one in the hotel again. Dinner tonight began with small seared scallops (all of four of them) on roasted tomatoes and puff pastry (that wasn't puffed in the slightest). Very tasty. The scallops were followed by a salad of baby spinach with slices of parmesan cheese. Also very good. The main course was slow cooked duck on a bed of herbed (bits of leek I think) mashed potatoes. There were some sort of very peppery sprouts on top of the whole pile. The duck was excellent in taste but a little dry for my liking. The chef needs to take lessons from the guy who cooked the goose at the Talston River Lodge. All in all a good meal if a little pricey.
Tomorrow it's off to Cairns. I have to check out of the hotel by 10:00 but my flight is early afternoon so I will go straight to the airport.
