We also saw some things like a neckerchief, but they were really only fabric tubes.\u00a0 These had what seemed like a couple of grains of some gel stuff in.\u00a0 The couple behind the stall said that you soak it in water for about 30 mins, the gel swells up, and then you wear it around your neck to keep you cool.\u00a0 We bought one.\u00a0 I was finding it a bit warm after the sudden change from Perth\u2019s winter.\u00a0 David put some water into the cup that had had my mango drink in, and we soaked it for 15 mins or so.\u00a0 Sure enough it swelled up and I wore it around my neck and it kept me cooler.\u00a0 It was the best $10 that I spent on that holiday.\u00a0 One good soak kept it cool for 3 days and I wore it constantly.<\/p>\n
We walked around the Botanical Gardens for a couple of hours.\u00a0 There were lots of walk-trails, and we walked around most of them.\u00a0 There was a natural brook which had some man-made assistance at the beginning to make a bigger waterfall out of the first lake.\u00a0 There were so many different kinds of palm that it was amazing.\u00a0 Some of them were really fascinating in their shape, and varied from quite tiny plants to very tall.\u00a0 There we were again with our heads bent backwards looking skywards!\u00a0 There was a rain forest walk, and a palm walk and a shadehouse with orchids and bromeliads in.\u00a0 We saw some boab trees too.\u00a0 There were drinking fountains everywhere, but our best find was a refrigerated one near a little \u2018museum of the park\u2019.\u00a0 We drank<\/span>.\u00a0 It sure beat the water we were carrying which was starting to get a bit warm.\u00a0 Then we looked around inside the little building at some posters and displays, and went for another cold drink.\u00a0 We had pretty well seen the Gardens by then, so took the back exit which wasn\u2019t on our map and just guessed our directions for a while until we were back on the map again.\u00a0 This way we saw some more of the local scenery instead of back-tracking and going home the same way.<\/p>\n By now we were getting a bit tired and my sandals were starting to cause a blister.\u00a0 I took them because they were my most comfortable shoes but I\u2019d had some repairs done to them and there was now some stitching under the ball of my foot near my big toe which was rubbing.\u00a0 I took them off for a while and walked bare foot but had to put them back on whenever the pavement was in the sun because the floor was hot.\u00a0 We got back to the hotel before too much damage was done, but we both felt half crippled from the distance that we\u2019d done.<\/p>\n We sat in the lounge next to the foyer and guzzled down several glasses of iced water and a cup of coffee each.\u00a0 The coffee was freely available down there, and went down well… and frequently.\u00a0 Then, nicely stiff because of sitting still, we hobbled off to the lift and our room to get rid of unnecessary luggage before venturing out again.\u00a0 We decided to go and have a swim in the hotel pool.\u00a0 This would be our first swim for two years; we really are not swimmers by nature.\u00a0 Neither of us are much keen on too much wet stuff, but we really enjoyed a few cooling laps.\u00a0 I got my share of stares.\u00a0 I have my own way of swimming.\u00a0 It\u2019s a very careful breast-stroke which causes no splashes what-so-ever and I keep my glasses on.\u00a0 I hate water being splashed on my face and never swim with anyone that I don’t trust not to splash me.\u00a0 All the other people were lounging in long chairs, sipping long drinks and looking posh.<\/p>\n We then got changed and walked back into town and looked at all the eating places to decide where to have dinner – not only that night but possibly others too.\u00a0 We also found a small, late-night market and bought a T.shirt each for the boys.\u00a0 Men are harder to buy for than girls aren\u2019t they?\u00a0 After a reasonable exploring session of the CBD, we found ourselves back in the road behind our hotel.\u00a0 We had not realised that it had a back entrance.\u00a0 Across the road from here was a restaurant called Delicious Blue.\u00a0 The menu outside offered a promising variety of foods from all over the world at not too bad prices, so we asked if they could accommodate us in about an hour\u2019s time.\u00a0 Then back to the hotel via the back door to try to make ourselves look suitable for a restaurant.<\/p>\n We were struck by one feature of all the restaurants that we\u2019ve never seen in Perth.\u00a0 They had ceiling fans under the verandahs!\u00a0 There were a lot of restaurants with outdoor seating as well as indoor – we\u2019re used to that, but in Perth being outdoors at night is usually enough.\u00a0 The weather in Darwin was really excellent the whole time.\u00a0 32\u00b0C most days and 20\u00b0 minimums at night.\u00a0 Truly easy to handle!\u00a0 We\u2019re told that it never rains in the dry season, and in the wet it rains hard at 2pm every day for an hour or two.\u00a0 They can practically set their clocks by the start of it, and then when it finishes, it evaporates so fast that it\u2019s almost raining upwards.<\/p>\n Back to the restaurant.\u00a0 We had a lovely meal, served by a beautiful<\/span> teenage girl – we thought perhaps part Asian, part Western.\u00a0 David had asked if we could pay by credit card and she said \u201cOnly if it\u2019s legal\u201d, so she had a lovely, bright nature too.\u00a0 We went the whole hog because it was Sunday dinner and had 3 courses, alcoholic drinks and coffee.\u00a0 We both had prawn cocktails, then David had a Bombay chicken curry and I had Thai chilli seafood.\u00a0 All were delicious!\u00a0 Then David had deep-fried coconut icecream and I had a white chocolate mud cake, which they called a \u2018snowflake\u2019.\u00a0 Mmmm yummmm.\u00a0 During coffee 6 guys \u2018wearing\u2019 guitars and long black cloaks turned up and serenaded everyone.\u00a0 They all had varying numbers of badges sewn to their cloaks – the type of embroidered badge ones that tourists buy on their travels.\u00a0 One of them was waving an upturned cap around for donations.\u00a0 They sang South American type songs like \u2018Guantalamaya\u2019 [or whatever the word is], and had gorgeous voices that blended so well together.\u00a0 Then they flagged down the \u2018$2 taxi\u2019* and went off again.\u00a0 We lingered a little longer, and then it was home to bed for 2 tired bodies.<\/p>\n *\u00a0 $2 taxi.\u00a0 A 15 seater mini bus that cruised the CBD [central business district, in case the term is not used elsewhere] and for $2 will take you anywhere in the CBD that you wish to go.\u00a0 With Darwin being fairly small it was a super idea and probably made a nice enough living for the owner.\u00a0 There were probably a few of them doing the rounds as they were never too far between.<\/p>\n Next page\/…<\/a> Or, please feel free to leave a comment in the fields below before leaving this page. 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