Fun Facts Down Under

I'll try to pop in with a proper travel update soon, but my internet connectivity is a bit unreliable at the moment since I'm camping my way from Cairns to Alice Springs. (Woot!) In the mean time, here are some random tidbits on my travels Down Under.

• McDonalds & KFC are everywhere here. I've also seen Target & Baskin Robins, and Burger King is called "Hungry Jacks". But on the food front, the most exciting news I have to impart is: THEY HAVE KEBAB! I was so addicted to Kebab when I lived in London and yeah, baby, Australia has it! They grill it (weird) and use all kinds of different sauces (though they have the traditional red chile sauce, so I'm okay with that), but it's kebab, y'all. My glee, it is massive. Unfortunately, there is a distinct dearth of Mexican food. Which is not surprising since we are, in fact, rather far from Mexico. I never realized how much of my diet consists of burritos until they are wrested from me. (Woe. Woe is me.) So Food Utopia = That Mystical Place Where Burritos and Kebab Coexist.
• There are these man-made lagoon things where people swim that are situated less than ten feet from the actual ocean. At first I thought this was crazy, but then I thought about the sharks, and crocodiles, and box jellyfish... and okay, cool idea, lagoons! They are insanely crowded, but really beautiful and from what I've seen often part of an "esplanade" walkway thing with gorgeous outdoor features, shops, restaurants and activities. The esplanade in Cairns has trapeze artists teaching people to "fly" - seriously. Very cool. (Note: I haven't been swimming in a lagoon, but I did swim in jellyfish infested and I-don't-kn0w-what infested waters on the beaches.)
• Australian Icon Update: Sydney Opera House - seen from the outside, waaaaay too long a line to go in. Great Barrier Reef - seen it, swam it, glass bottom boated it. Ayer's Rock - on the agenda for next week.
  
• Australian Wildlife Update: Croc in the wild - seen! Turtles at the reef - seen! Kangaroo - do road signs count? Koala - road signs? no? Wallaby - bunches. Cool birds whose names I do not know but do not exist in the US - lots.

More from the next connection point...