Brisbane

I walked to the bus stop this morning without any trouble.  It only takes about 20 minutes if you don't get lost and keep back-tracking.

I paid $6.90 each way to take a bus into Brisbane.  Based on the driver's suggestion, I got off at Elizabeth Street.  I had no plan, so I just started walking.  Brisbane does not have the European feel like Melbourne and Sydney.  It is a city of corporate headquarters...more like Dallas or Oklahoma City.  The city does not cater to tourists as much as Melbourne and Sydney, either.  You see a lot of corporate types walking briskly to their next important meeting (or lunch).

The Queen Street Mall is several square blocks with no motor traffic.  There are many, many shops with nothing I want to buy.  I found a place called Oasis Juice Bar and ordered a large Jamacan Juice...watermelon, orange, apple, and more.  I sat on a bench to rest and drink my juice.  I chatted with the young man sitting next to me, and found out he is 21 years old, from Columbia.  He is studying in Brisbane for a year and hopes to return to Columbia and have a career in the Columbian military.  He questioned me if I knew where Columbia was.  Thank God, I knew somewhat.  He seemed to be close to his family and told me that he has a brother that has a son.  Then he asked me about my family and about the United States.  An interesting question he asked, "Are the cities in the United States as quiet as Brisbane?"  I told him Arkansas is a small state and our capital, Little Rock, is quiet.  He could hardly believe that Little Rock could be smaller than Brisbane.

I found a little news agency and bought a $2.00 map of the center city.  In a second-hand bookstore I bought a book called The Birthdays by Heidi Pittor for $5.00.  I need something to read because I haven't figured out how to turn on David's television.

Lunch was at a place called Yash Indian Cuisine.  It was a vegetarian meal of rice...half covered with Dhal Makhani (a bean dish) and half covered with Vegetable Khorma.  I also got a vegetable roll.  It was delicious, but  I had a stomach ache before I got out of the mall.

I rode the free hop on hop off City Circle Bus around to figure out what I may want to do next.  Then I caught the bus back to Capalaba.  At Mango Mick's I bought grapes, watermelon, and a bottle of water.  David was gone to work, so I showered, dressed for bed, and got on his computer to check on everything at home.  Supper was grapes, watermelon, and nuts.  It was a nice quiet evening.  I finished reading Pomegranite Soup, and I played Free Cell on my phone until I couldn't stay awake.