Either a kangaroo or an accent. The day I said see ya later to my 9th graders, they came up with all kinds of comments and requests about my trip to Australia. While one student told me he would see me at the airport Friday afternoon to hop in my suitcase, most of the others asked me to bring back kangaroos. A few even told me to bring back an accent. They would be pleased to know that today, on our walk I saw quite a few kangaroos hopping about just feet away from where I was standing, and that I am indeed picking up a bit of the slang from my students over here. After school today, Kaye, Roger, and I went down the road a bit for a walk on a path through a bit of jungle-like area and then around the coast of the harbor. It was a beautiful walk, filled with so much nature and breathtaking fews of the harbor. There was a tree that reminded me of a fall in Michigan. There was a tree that if you pulled off a piece of the trunk, it was real cork. There was a massive nest that these birds make to hatch their eggs. There was a magnificent start to a sunset over the harbor. And there were kangaroos! When walking through the jungle-like area, there are a few different clearings that you come across. In these clearings, it is very common to spot a whole group of kangaroos hanging out, enjoying their time, and then hopping away as soon as they realize people are close. It was an incredible sight, as I have never seen kangaroos anywhere besides a zoo in the States. Besides the kangaroos, imagine a 90 degree day in Michigan with 100% humidity. We have about 1 of those every summer and everyone complains, stays in the air conditioned house, and waits for the next day where it is likely to be 60. In Darwin, there's no such thing as 60 (and not just because they use Celsius). It is hot. Every day. All day. So Roger, Kaye, and I enjoyed our walk and conversation, and then after putting out a fire that had been left by some aboriginals hanging out by the water (we saved the entire forest), we drove back home to shower before heading out to dinner. Dinner was at Eat A Pizza, and it was probably my favorite meal I have had in Darwin so far. Based off of Kaye's recommendation, I ordered a pizza that was garlic based instead of tomato based, meaning there was no tomato sauce. I ordered the Hawaiian (pineapple and ham), and we each had a glass of white wine. At the end, Kaye swore by this caramel dessert, so we each had one. It was a plate of sweet goodness. The meal was to die for; so delicious. And the leftovers I took for lunch the next day were just as good!
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