Montagu Bay, Hobart - Tasmania

Alright, ive been in tassie for three days now, still trying to get used to the biting cold weather here, but first of all, i wanna talk about recent events that have taken place...

So i left Carlton last tuesday and headed to Mentone/Mordialloc by train...the train system in Melbourne has gotta be one of the best in any metropolis, they just bring you to anywhere outside melbourne!

Ive been buying concession tickets ever since i was caught by the ticket inspector for not possessing any tram tickets...damn, i was scared to death when she asked me to produce my ticket, because i havent got any! luckily enough she didnt write me a summon (the fine is $100) when i acted stupid and told her im backpacking in the country and havent the faintest clue that i was supposed to buy a tram ticket...haha...i know that sounded lame but she bought it....such a narrow escape..

Sorry for the digression...i arrived in Mentone and stayed with these two girls (one aussie and the other Uruguayan)...and my, they are like the craziest host ever...so full of mischief and naughty ideas, and how much fun we've had! the house is located by the bay so i spent two days sun bathing at the beach...it's still too cold to swim so i didnt get to display my speedo... :p but it was indeed lovely to have a picnic on the beach after spending days in town...

On thursday, i left their house and went to stay with Kew in South Yarra, yeah, im back to town again...kew is staying in this luxury town house of Punt Hill group, and i indulged myself immensely having a proper home again...they have dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, totally so-not-backpacker style...but i can definitely get used to it...

Kew has gotta work during the day, so basically i have the entire house to myself, sleeping in every morning, laid on the bed for hours reading my book, cook myself to some hot meals using the oven, and yeah, watching TV on the bed as well....enjoying myself to the fullest!

In the afternoon i would walk down Chapel street and window shop for the most part...Chapel Street is like the fashion street in Melbourne, and it kills me for not able to buy anything because im backpacking, im not about to add extra loads to my already heavy backpack...and the neverending sales in all that boutiques didnt help at all, in the end, i bought two sweaters from CK Jeans...yeah, i succumbed to the power of temptation....

When evening comes, Kew would bring me to the famous eatery in town, to date, ive already tried cuisine from differrent countries, namely Chinese, greek, vietnamese, italian, mexican, american, nepalean, japanese...to name just a few...

it was hard when i forced myself to be on the go again, i was getting very complacent in Melbourne and spending way too much money, and that was totally not in my travel agenda...so i left heaps of clothes with Kew and flew in to Hobart on the 26th.

My second host is an American boy (he's 21), he's an exchanged student in the university of Tasmania, and we clicked instantly when we first met...His house is HUGE, three storeys with a fantastic view of the bay...and geez, this is a student house too, and all seven tenants are from different countries...let me see, we have American, Aussie, German, Poland, Bolimian, UK and another doctor from Ecuador...such a mixture of different cultures...all living harmoniously under one roof...it's amazing...

Nima has to go to school during the day so basically im exploring the town on my own...at night, he brought me to check out the local bars and pubs, two nights in a row! it was funny because he kept insisting that he is not a big drinker, and he kept getting jugs after jugs of beer...i would have loved to stay longer but my time in tasmania is short, so i only limit myself to stay a couple of nights with different hosts each time...but im very sure i will visit Nima in Maryland when i go to the states...damn, i just cant wait...

and now, im staying with a lovely tasmanian at Montagu Bay...she is living here alone in a big house, so i get to have the guest room fully equiped with couches, fridge, and a bathroom....and yeah, my own private garden with sea view...i cant believe how lucky i am...i can definitely save some money in accommodation!

oh yeah, ive gotten my ipod but somehow didnt do much with it...i was so gung ho bout it at first but now i realized is just another mp3 player....though i can play games on it now, but who has time for that?

Im loving tasmania alot, the mountains and rivers and lakes totally suit me to the utmost...wish i could live here someday...

life's good...