Lost in Melbourne and the $200 oil change!

Started of the day getting up early to drop off my car at the auto shop to get my oil changed. Said it might be a couple hours till they get back to me with an estimate after they do a thorough inspection, said I only wanted an oil change but they said the inspection was included... Handed the keys over and out the door I went. Wasn't sure where I was headed but I still managed to get lost... Eventually found myself at the queen victoria markets again, but it was closed today, like a ghost town! It was one of those open air markets that took up like 2 square blocks or more with merchants yelling out specials, old women pushing around little carts full of fresh veggies... But today nothing but a couple of the produce stands open, actually wanted to look at the shoe stands for a deal on hiking boots, my shoes suck. Since the market was closed I decided I would just hop on the free bus which stopped there... Well not till 10:30! So I wondered around a little while, sent a couple emails, booked my Adelaide to Darwin trip and finally hop on the bus... Destination unknown! Just the way I like it. Decided it was a nice enough day to check out the royal botanical gardens, stop 14 :-) and just before I got off the bus I got the call from the car place, I need new tires, new shocks, a couple bulbs, wipers... Stopped him before he said any numbers and said ok just the oil, bulbs and wipers today... How much? Bla bla bla, No, just that... Well $225!!!!woh?!? $75 for the oil change, $50 for the oil and filter, wipers, bulbs, more labor... What could I do? But hey this is the 1st thing besides gas I've had to spend so I guess it's fine. So on I went into the gardens. Much better weather than the day before, a little chilly and cloudy but dry. It being the end of fall not many flowers in bloom but it was still a nice way to spend the morning, it was big enough that it took me a few hours to explore most of it. Hopped back on the bus to check out something else... Maybe federation square? But before I could get there, the car place called and said it was ready for pickup....umm now where was that place. Took the bus as close as it got to where I thought it was and started walking, quite aimlessly. It was at the edge of town so the city maps I had didn't show it. But eventually I found it, paid and drove the car back to the hostel. Got ahold of Ryu and Sarah to see what there plans were for tonight, said they were thinking of heading to the casino in a little while so I said I'd meet them there, beside I still wanted to check out the funky modern art buildings at federation square which I though was really close to the casino. I don't know how I did it but I found the hotel for the casino but took a wrong turn and got lost again! Ended up in the back alleyway. Basically circled the entire building which took up like 5 blocks. Met up with my friends, had a beer...hoegarden! And we hit the casino... Well we just played the slot machines, 2c ones mostly, but I did play a 5c one and ended up winning $35! In the end I think I was up about $25. It was about dinner time so we headed out, all quickly agreed on one if those sushi train places in china town. And guess what happened we all got lost! Wondering around and around, finally finding a place but it was way too expensive, like $4 for 2 pieces. So we just wondered around and around china town looking for a good deal. We ended up finding a place they saw the night before which was a dumpling house in a scary alley, but the place was packed which is always a good sign. Food was awesome, little pork dumplings, fried and steamed, steamed buns and a round of tiger beer. Next we headed out looking for this place that they said had $10 jugs (pitchers) well after 3 pitchers trying to figure out which one it was, we left...paying full price for all if them hahaha. They needed to find a place to stay for the night so we wondered around a little more... It was starting to get late and streets were filling up with the young crowd looking for fun. On one street corner we met a Latino cutie that gave us tickets to a new dance club, ffour club or something like that... Well it was a hell of a party...Coronas, tequila shots, mojitos, long island ice teas... And all 2 for 1 pricing. Too bad the mojotos were $16 a piece, so $32 for 4 and a little light on alcohol and heavy in the sugar but the long island ice teas later made up for that. Glad I didn't buy that round.
All that drinking made my walk home very very interesting...haha and to top it off my phone was dying to I couldn't use it to navigate me home. I know sad. But I made it. I wanted to head out early in the morning and possibly make it all the way to sydney but wasnt feeling too hot. Slept in till check out time, hopped in the car and well, got lost. Lost lost lost all morning, i was trying to avoid toll roads so I just stayed on main roads headed east...but!!! Should have been heading north, grrr, seriously. Thought I needed to take the Princes Hwy but should have been the Hume Hwy. Did I mention I was staying in the north part of town?
Finally after an hour and a half got out of the city and was back on the open road. Weather was perfect, drive was a little boring, nothing really to stop and look at or do. Stopped for lunch in the town where ned Kelly made his last stand (need to resaerch who that was, they mentioned him also during the Melbourne tour when we passed the jail) I did see a little of the damage from recent bushfires.
Im in Canberra, australia's national capital, at the moment, stating at a hostel aka backpacker aka I'm sleeping in a room with 9 other stinky travellers! But hey it's only $30 and the kitchen is always open.
So anyone got the pig flu thing? I keep thinking I'm going to get stuck on Tasmania because it's going to start taking over and I'll be one of the remaining survivors because I was isolated on the small island... And yes, I will help repopulate the world!
Ok bed time, sweetdreams!

-- Post From My iPhone