This morning I woke up feeling heavy, as expected. I was out of my tent around 6:00 and packed up around 6:45. I probably had about four hours sleep in total. I decided to not have my brekky at the industrial area, rather I'd head down to the supermarket where I can eat something different than my oats.
On my way down to the supermarket I stopped at the information centre. I am keen to get out for a spear and a swim so was eager to find out if Karatha had any good spots. I realise I won't be around the coast again until I get towards Broome.
They weren't open and some mine workers out the front couldn't give me much help. I got some directions to the shops and off I went.
Walking into a supermarket has become one of the most enjoyable pleasures on my trip. The cool air is very refreshing and the pure fact of unlimited drink varieties and food is a real luxury. I often look at all the isles and am stupefied by the need to have whole isles of the same product. An example is that of soft drinks - I never paid much attention to this in the past but this really is crazy. Whole isles offering dozens of varieties of the same sugar drinks only with a different company brand (often owned by the same company anyway). I scoffed down a stack of food and also bought some eggs to fry on some toast. The only catch with this is I needed to find a hidden area around town where I wouldn't get in trouble for using my little cook set.
I took off with some discounted milk, a banana, two blocks of chocolate, loaf o bread, a six pack of eggs and a block of butter.
I made a banana milkshake with the remainder of my honey and drank this within minutes. I then found a good spot at the back of a building to make my brekky. I fried te eggs then practically soaked the bread in butter and had some egg toast sandwiches. In my whole life I've never really had butter, this was possibly the first time I've bought some my self and on my first time I used three quarters of a full block. Very fattening but really hitting a sweet spot. A few bystanders walked past giving me curious looks. I realised they must of thought I was homeless (I suppose technically I am at the moment). I tried to imagine what I would of looked like from their perspective - hair half dreadlocked and frizzed up, wild beard, bloodshot eyes, a cookset in front of me with a little flame coming through the top. I assume I probably looked like a real modern day savage.
I went back to the supermarket and contemplated my next move. I started going through my phone and was about to contact an old swimming teacher I bumped into back in South Australia. I remembered she told me that she lived in Karratha so I had been in contact with her previously, to let her know I'd be passing through. As I was about to give her a call she walked passed me. We both looked at each other and soon realised who we both were.
She is a very nice lady and was more then welcoming for me to stay at hers for a night. She has a few children, roughly all the same age as me and my brothers. We actually all went to the same primary school, and one of her sons played basketball with my brother Scott.
I managed to meet a local aboriginal guy at the shopping arcade area and had a good chat with him. He told me about the background to painting and how it's connected to that particularly country your from. He also informed me on some of the different tribes in the area and some of the contemporary issues they face in the community, such as disconnected youth and cultural disintegration.
I went over to my friends house and have had a lovely night. In the house is the lady's son and his wife, plus another random couple thats sharing the spare bedroom. I was invited along to a friends house for dinner tonighit and its been great.
I feel very comfortable with these people, probably because we grew up in the same area but also because they know my family. They were certainly very surprised to hear of the condition of my brother, especially as they remembered him as a popular outgoing kid who was always involved in everything.
To my surprise the son who lives here has a boat and has offered to take me out tomorrow! I also hope to sort out a few things and get ready to shoot off the day after.
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