Putting the "ho" in hosenträger

This photo tells a thousand stories... in particular about the end to this night!!! Hmmm....

Muy poco dinero por America del Sur... will she survive??

So here I am. Sitting in a friend's apartment in central Vienna. Hair wrapped in a towel, trying desperately to dry after its first wash in over 2 months (well, I wasn't about to bother during my 2 months at the camel farm!!), and kinda hoping I don't have to leave this place until tomorrow morning on the way to the airport. Just so tired.

Was looking forward to one last ride today but as it turned out, the friend giving me a lift to Vienna (and a place to crash) had to leave earlier so I whisked myself out the door, gave a farewell hug to a teary (I think) L and said bye to G via phone (ha! Always on a mission somewhere, that woman). L tells me she went riding solo on my favourite horse after I left, something we could've done had I known I'd be leaving earlier and miss our lunchtime ride. The weather was the nicest it's been since I got to Austria. But oh well.

So now, as I sit here, I am pondering just how I am going to surive in South America on as little money as I have. Seriously. Only about USD$1500 in cash and less than 800 pounds in the bank. There. You have it. I am broke. And attempting to travel through South America for 4 months. Wait, wait, I was wrong. I am broke AND stupid. But up for a challenge.

You heard it here first. This rambling white rasta woman is taking the scariest step so far in her crazy gypsy adventure, and I am not gonna lie, it is gonna be tough. But if I keep faith in the life that has so far delivered AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, I know whatever happens will form one of the most (if not the most) insanely inspiring chapters in the most memorable year of my life. But it ain't over yet. Turn page now...

Draaaaaaaaaaaaag that farewell out

Mentally prepared to leave shortly after this morning's stables. Stayed up later last night to get my Spanish course finished, pack my bags, etc etc... all the find in the morning my lift had changed her mind and was now leaving much later in the day.

This, of course, is good news for me in terms of riding as it means I get one last whoop-di-do on my favourite spotty little four-legged friend (I am ASSUMING she would not give me any other horse today!). And, if I'm lucky, maybe another ride on the camels. Maybe this will be my time to fall. Imagine that... I get to the end of my 2 months here and on the last day... haha...

Bad news, however, in terms of me having to keep helping out around here. I know it sounds lazy, but when you've prepared yourself to do your last work in the stables in the morning... then to have to tackle the mountain of leftover dinner dishes, and the rest, it's a little annoying. At least G is out and we can chill a bit before she gets back and starts the riding.

The weather has turned much more autumny lately (like an Aussie winter), sun out n shining and actually making the air a little warmer. Down to wearing just one pair of tights under my joddies and not even my big, heavy jacket all the time. Ease me into that heat... thanks Austria.

I have a little care package for Vienna and the plane, including (of course) CHOCOLATE!! Don't know how I am going to pull off a Brazilian bikini but hey, no one knows me there so I can look like a beached whale safe with the knowledge that I will never see these people again. Or maybe I will. While dancing on a street pillar in the middle of a Carnival party. One can only hope.

Last sleep in Eitental

My final night in Eitental. Wow, I can't believe it's finally here!! Not in a bad way, but it has been a whole two months and I've been so looking forward to going to South America, the thought of it just one sleep away makes me all funny in the tummy :)

Today was interesting... I spent a large part of it trying to give L some space as I thougt she was in a shitter of a mood - maybe because of something I did, maybe just fed up in general - but when I brought it up, she said she was gonna ask me the same thing! So then it was all OK.

Regardless of moods - existant or not - I wanted to make sure I did as much as I could today to make the rest of the week easier on L before she also left (for Germany though, not the sunny sands of Sud Amerika!!). And luckily G wasn't around much so we could do things at our own pace - and even fit in a cheeky sauna in the afternoon! My last one... aww...

We had a quick ride, me on Gnom who fought with me momentarily (when he thought he could win) and managed to give me a little blood blister on my Rottweiler dog bite scar. Dammit, I can see that thing is going to be a problem if I'm on any more crazy horses. Worst position ever. Blah.

Had a quick lead-ride around the yard on Sky, the oldest camel in the bunch and also the most comfy, before we put the animals away for the day. Then we got ourselves ready and started to prepare for my farewell dinner. It is interesting when you have a farewell dinner that you also have to completely prepare, cook and clean up after. The life of a helper. Sigh.

L was brilliant, my right arm with everything and totally great when I was stressing we wouldn't be ready in time for everyone's arrival. But it all went swell in the end, I got to practice my Spanish during the meal and everyone loved the poem I wrote, my Helper Handbook I finished for G and L's photo montage (very profresh looking!!). Good times all round. But I am not looking forward to the mountain of dirty glasses awaiting us tomorrow morning...

Speaking of tomorrow morning, I have a lift arranged for Vienna so I am happy. No lugging mi mochilla (backpack) and its 20kg aroung the U-Bahn. Sweet! Although it now means I am leaving earlier than expected and will probably not be able to ride tomorrow. Or wash my hair. Well, I can always do that in Vienna.

Will be sad to leave here, I have grown to like it, but I am ready for some SUN! And a tan... wow, can't remember the last time I had one... But for the record, as excited as I am, I am NOT expecting too much from Rio. Sun, yes, but EVERYONE says it is dodgy and I will be mugged so I am totally expecting it. And I imagine the city itself is dirty, overcrowded (the population of Australia in one city?? Methinkso!!) and full of the wrong types waiting for Carnival... but hey, it's a new adventure and I am ALL up for them!!

Clarity through the smoke

OK, so there's been new developments in the saga that was last night's dramatic ending. Apparently part of what I can't remember in the toilet with my friend's hot bf included smoking a joint. NOW it makes sense why I went into the damn bathroom in the first place!! I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the hell was going through my brain, because I was clearly not going to sleep with my friend's bf, no matter how hot and fun he was, or how drunk we were.

Now if it involved weed, then yes, I believe that could be a perfect explanation. He says we did kiss in the bathroom, which I thought I remembered but couldn't be sure - now with his confirmation it must've happened. Well, at least HE can remember!! I don't feel bad about kissing him, though, because about 5 minutes earlier I was kissing his gf in front of him! haha... useless. Actually, she told him I was a better kisser than him... bahahaha. He was gutted.

Sooooooo......... now the self-punishing phase of my day is over and I can truly start to enjoy this wonderful above-zero sunshine. I think it's reached about 10 today, for sure, which is so weird considering yesterday's sun was matched with -12 degrees. But hey, I'm not complaining!!

More on last night... we got off to a great start after an expectantly scrumptious feast at E's with several glasses of sect and wine. Already tipsy, we arrived at the pub where J had convened most of the people I'd made friends with through her during my time here. So sweet of her to organise it! We kept drinking, and of course the tequila shots came out. I told everyone there was only 1 way to do it - the Australian way (salt on chest/breast, lemon in mouth) - so that sufficiently amped things up.

Donning our matching hosenträger (braces) - and looking mighty fine, might I add - we then moved across to the Roadhouse which played more rock music but was full of 16-year-olds so we had a drink, a boogie and left. L managed to fall ass over tits on the way to the next bar - and yes everyone saw, poor girl - then we were back at Friends, the bar we went to last time that let us basically do whatever we wanted.

I ran into some guys I'd danced with (to no or little recollection) last time, most of which even remembered my name (oops) but some of which worked behind the bar so were giving us shots etc. In fact, I don't believe the stream of drinks stopped once, at all, during the evening. I think I came away having spent less than 10 euros. Somehow. Generous people. Got plenty of photos so stay tuned for some tasty treats!!

Had a tumultuous drive home with D screaming and sobbing hysterically in the back while I was out of arm's reach in the front seat, and then I passed out for about an hour before getting up for the stable work. L somehow beat me out the door and I was confused when I saw the feed already ready to go to the horses and some things already done... turns out the machine had yet to go to bed and was just pushing on through the stables! What a trooper. Even after breakfast she stayed up on the internet before going to bed.

She had to drag her feet out of bed when I asked about riding... at first it was a no then after looking out the window, reconsideration turned it to yes and she begrudingly came out to help get the horses ready. I swear I've never seen someone take so long to saddle a horse. Haha. She perked up a little after the ride (horseriding tends to lift the spirits) and the weather/riding combo was even starting to peak some sunshine through my cloud of depression.

Now just to get my head together enuf to finish this damn poem for G's farewell present!!

Shit hitting fan & spraying everwhere time

Feel like shit today - but not because of last night's alcohol. Largely related, my pain is instead caused by stupid actions last night that caused someone else a great deal of pain. So, accordingly, anything shit that happens today is indeed worth dealing with.

What makes me upset today is the fact that I caused drama - as only I seem to do - and most probably ruined my new friend's relationship with her boyfriend. Not that it was the most healthy of relationships to begin with, given he was so easy to indulge, but still she was so very upset...

I've mentioned this guy before... he is probably the hottest Austrian guy I've met since being here, and of course he is my friend's boyfriend. I happened to tell him this last night, and of course the inevitable heavy flirting ensued. To the point that I ended up in a bathroom with him - memory gets fuzy at this point - although I'm pretty sure it was more innocent than I'd like to think. Definitely remember having a normal conversation with him... particularly cos my hosenträger (braces) were still intact when I walked out of there. To run smack bang into his gf waiting to accost me. Aye aye aye. And thy shitteth hath hitteth thy fan.

Seriously, why do I continue to do this damage to people?? Is it something inbuilt in me that just loves to see other people suffer? I just don't know. All I do know is that I need to grow up and start taking responsibility for my actions. Although with Rio Carnivale around the corner, that plan will probably be sidelined for the moment... Dammit.

-12 and up a horse's bum

This morning the mercury dipped to -12 - burrrr - but thankfully we didn't feel it much during the morning stable work. Us busy little bees! But BOY did we feel it during our morning ride................................

Now officially the second coldest horseride I've ever been on (still can't beat that hectic snow-storm bareback expedition in Germany last year), we ended up with frozen fingers, toes and faces. And I'd forgotten my scarf. The only upside was that the sun occasionally peeked out from behind the valley and reminded us that warmth (well, the Austrian winter equivalent) was on its way.

Also, the fact that it was the first time we were riding just with the two of us, so of course I took the opportunity to career Creo into a new, random route complete with bush-bashing, gallops and unexpected twists n turns. My specialty. Not sure what poor L thought of it all, though. Was her first horseride with me at the helm.

I spotted a shivering Wolga during the stables and after putting a rug on her, G suggested that she may be sick and promptly showed me how to take a horse's temperature. "Just pop the thermometer up the ass like sooo - wait, just put a little spittle on the end to lube it up - yep, just ever so smoothly..." I stood behind her and chanced glances at L. Was I really next in line?

Yes, yes I was. After lunch (thankfully not before), I was instructed to check her temp and so I limbered up for some rectum probing and deftly managed to avoid touching the "area" during the whole exercise... until of course when G told me to wash the thermometer afterwards. Ew. BUT I suppose we shovel it up all day anyway, so what's the difference if it's in or out??

So now we are chilling out, before doing some more elastics work, and I am using the opportunity to get in the mood for South America via some samba tunes on Grooveshark. Woot! Tonight we need to schusch ourselves up for a final farewell night out on the town with the new friends we've made here. We managed to score more hosenträger (translation = braces) from the elastics factory, and we've planned to all wearing matching pairs. I have black, bright purple and lime green stripes, L fluro green, J fluro pink and D red. Dressing up time, wooooooo!!!

Dinner before being dropped at the pub should be rather grand, a final feast with G's friend E - mouth drooling at thought of what she has in store for us - trying not to eat too much in preparation. But, knowing me, I am still eating. Good god, someone put a cork in my mouth!

A Pregnant Future

Brrr. Getting a little cold in the office here. Even though the sun is loud n proud today, it's still got a winter chill to it. When we were driving in E's car today, her thermometer said it was -10 outside. Eek! I don't think it was that accurate, though, because while it was cold, I don't think it was THAT bad. My little nose hairs were freezing up in there, though, I tell ya...

We had a busy start to the day - I volunteered to give L another crack at doing the camel and horse feeding today while I mucked out (thought I'd remind my muscles what they were designed to do), and things went pretty smoothly. I was quite impressed with how well the camels reacted to L, her calm demeanour is probably a nice change in pace to the rambling little coddling/alpha style I tend to project. Yeah, you try to work that one out.

Mainly today I have been in a happy, bouncy mood, sliding down the supermarket aisles in my cowboy boots, thinking about the adventures soon to come in Rio (and practising my meagre Spanish with G's sister) while trying NOT to think about my lack of funds whilst there. After we sat in on her English class this morning, E had taken my miniscule amount of euros (mostly comprising of the money I was paid to stay at the camel farm) to the bank she used to work at and got me a mega good deal with exchanging them to USD. I was almost too scared to look at the final figure sitting in my pocket. Sigh.

But, chin up! I have been having a fair few dreams that involve pregnancy lately (my friends, not me), and I did a bit of research to see what it means. As I guessed, it is a signal for new beginnings, a creative, fresh start, new ideas... etc etc. PERRRRFECT timing considering I am soon to embark on my 4-month South American journey. Who can GUESS what I will end up doing there...

We have a final supper feast planned for Sunday, which - as the title suggests - is my final night before heading out on my ownsie. W has promised to crack open the champagne (to toast my departure or my arrival??) and I'm sure it will be a fitting farewell to my time here. It will be sad to go, but I just cannot say no to summer :)

Tiny kitchens make for tiny bitchin's

If I said nothing particularly interesting happened today, would you keep reading? I forgive you if you don't. So. Nothing particularly interesting happened today.

We did the stables in the morning, sat in on G's weekly English improvement gathering with her friends, went on the computer a bit and did some more of the menial factory work with elastics that we were shown yesterday. It's more fun to do after the factory workers leave around lunchtime, as it means we can pull out L's laptop for some crankin' tunes! I just have to remember to blow out the candle at the end... oops.

Late morning I looked out the window and saw there was fluffy little snowballs blowing around, soon growing to a frenzy of snowballs. I let out a few little delighted gasps... to which the secretary replied with a groan and something that sounded like "nichtmare" which I assume means nightmare. Meh, I don't have to drive in it, so I'm gonna enjoy it!

Despite not having a helluva lot to do, we still managed to be a little disorganised with the stables today - but I put that down to our normally "toight as a toiger" routine being disrupted. Without distraction, these days we're finished in about 1 1/4 hours. That's the same as if G did it with one of the factory workers. Super sweet.

Riding in the afternoon was fine. Just fine, though. Not much fast pace, the ground was really hard so probably best for the horses. Also, the weather slowly turned from cold to extremity-freezing during the first and second rides (first on Creo, then jumped for Gnom - didn't want the super pedestrian Optima, thanks), and it was really distracting me from my nice snow-frosted surroundings.

After the rides, we got stuck into the afternoon stable work straight away as it was dangerously close to dinner time (how dare they!). We smelt flavour-flav comin' from the kitchen and got all excited, only to discover G's husband had devoured most of it (we should've known, she only really cooks for him on the rare occasion she cooks). He was still chatting in the tiny kitchen with the girl we rode with, and so we deftly manouvered around them trying to cook a little extra to eat with the deer meat. I gotta say, we're quite good at hiding our frustrations when we need to!

My comment at the dinner table (the other dinner table, where we weren't competing for space) that I wondered if he'd ever cooked or cleaned up for himself made us laugh later, when he asked L what "that bottle was". Detergent W. For washing dishes.

Annnnd we're back to freezing...

I got to the stables this morning and heard nothing. Unusual, given we're right by a usually gushing river. One look confirmed it had frozen overnight. Then I realised I somehow forgot to put jodphurs over my tights. So it was going to be one of THOSE days, was it.

Well, it wasn't. While it WAS quite cold (definitely below zero as everything has started to freeze if sitting outside, including ourselves), we did a fair bit indoors and also didn't ride for too long in the morning. So it was bearable.

Riding was interesting, though, given that we took the camels out for a run, then left them to get new horses and when we came back to take them home, failed to count them. This meant that, on the home stretch, I happened to hear a crashing through the bush on the other side of the fence, and poor old Sky was trying desperately to get to us.

So we put the others away and went back up to get him. One narrow escape from L's horse (she was on Creo today and me back on Barack, who was being quite well behaved), who she accidentally stepped over a broken piece of fencing - this girl must attract accidents, I swear haha - and we were back safe n sound with Sky up front bolting towards his clove-footed friends.

We were then given instructions on how to do some menial task for the factory, "a great help" according to G but no real surprise for me - she is gonna milk this last week with us all she can. While she didn't push us to do much of that work, we did get some done in the afternoon - AFTER A REST - and even managed to enjoy the dullness of it thanks to L's random iPod shuffle. One minute Finnish metal and jazz standards, the next Eye of the Tiger and Dude Looks Like a Lady. Brilliant.

Some sights of Vienna

 

Vienna w/e pt 3: embassy maze in thirsty haze

Unfortunately I forgot to turn my alarm off for this morning so I was greeted, at 6:10am, by the familiar shrill of my phone and stumbled across to find it in my jacket. That was after my first stumble to get some water - drunk before bed means PARCHED early morning - and then afterwards hearing F press snooze on her alarm for about an hour. So the morning was not so restful.

We had to get up at a reasonable hour so F could get her train back to Hoftgarten (the other side of the country) so we fumbled about laughing at ourselves for getting so randomly wasted the night before, and eventually got out the door not too long after we'd promised ourselves. Had a goodbye hug that lingered a little too long from I and, after F told me he'd been staring at me sleep in the morning - I started to wonder just what we'd spoken about the night before...

I had all the signs of a post-drinking body - minus the pounding head, thank god - and hence spent the day wandering in semi-stupor, parched no matter how much I drank, and fighting to keep my stomach behaving itself. This did not help my mission to find the Brazilian Embassy to pick up my passport.

I have already been to the embassy so I thought I'd remember how to get there, but with a stubborn refusal to catch the U-Bahn (metro) because I could sneak onto the tram without paying, I sent myself in spirals around the city, increasingly frustrated that I was following a series of dead ends. What I really needed was Google Maps.

Eventually, I asked a man (who I assume was deaf from his voice and requests to write down what I was asking) for directions and, bless him, he whipped out his phone and found that where I wanted to go was just 5 mins down the road. Hallelejuah! It had almost gotten to the point where I was crumbling from the stress of maybe missing the embassy opening hours and therefore trapping my passport inside forever.

But all was not lost - I strolled into the embassy and Edwardo was there, smiling and holding out my passport as soon as I walked in. My little Edwardo. Then, having also found Lush to buy some more shampoo soap (my hair STINKS of camel and I embarrassingly didn't realise it was so bad until the very public dance class - feel so sorry for the people next to me), I headed back to Westbahnof to get a train home.

Back home, I met a weary-looking L who told me tales of the camel-riding adventures they'd had over the w.e. While I'm sad to have missed THAT, I would surely have traded a sleep-in if given the option. Apparently she fell off Mustafa when he started to canter - that would've been funny to see, although I don't envy her poor bruised body. Maybe all is not lost and it'll be my turn next time. Eek.

So. One week and I am OUTTA here. It will be kinda sad to leave but I think when the time comes, I'll be ready. Already organising trips to Copacabana beach with my new CS friend that I'm staying with, and I gotta tell ya, just imagining the hot sun on my back makes my skin tingle.

Vienna w/e pt. 2: butterflies & kebab store raves

I woke up at 10:30am. I could've died then and been happy because of this. My alarm did not sound. I was not lurched into consciousness by tolling church bells. No hungry animals were angry that I slept so late. I was... free. And it felt good.

I bounced out of bed and got some tips from E about where to go on a budget tour of Vienna, and F and I headed in. We walked around for a while, and I just can't describe how beautiful this city is. Words do not do it justice. We wandered into the first district - I can't believe I hadn't been there yet - and it was one glorious building after another. Even with the cold, overcast weather I was smiling.

F and I were snap happy, catching horse-drawn carts sidling past 1000-year-old monuments and ancient trees adorning grounds once trodden on by aristocrats and royalty. Then finally we found the butterfly house (schmettlingerhaus in German, hehe) and went inside to get some piccies of the pretty winged creatures flying about the humid enclosure. Gotta admit, not AS many as I'd have wanted and less bodily contact with them than desired, but there were the odd moments we had one land on us.

We then headed back to the apartment, made some food and then got ready for another dance class. E had a headache so didn't join us, probably a good thing since it ended up being the most random of drunken nights possible. The dance class was not free, as E had thought, and the thought of shelling out 35 euros ("Tell her she's dreamin...") was a little too much to handle. So we left and turned into the first random pub we saw.

Turned out to be quite funny... we got a table a little out of the way and the locals just kinda stared at us for most of the time. Then we got a little drunk playing darts (me losing every game - score!! haha) and the locals started buying us Jager shots. Aye aye aye. And it was all downhill from there...

Actually, if the evening WAS a hill, I guess this would've been where we grabbed a couple of pieces of cardboard and flew headfirst down the slope, arms flailing and legs kicking in all directions. We then would've landed in a kebab-flavoured bush at the bottom and munched our way out while also cutting some mad dance shapes.

Let me back up a little. After a while, the first pub we went to closed and we were bitterly disappointed, so the owner and some regulars took us around the corner to another local, and the owner basically used the night's earnings to shout us drinks. And it comes full circle. Haha...

After a drink there and some disconcerting looks from the Hungarian wife of the customer we were with (serving behind the bar), we left feeling drunk and fairly satisfied that we'd had a totally unexpected but fun evening. But the night wasn't over yet.

On the tram home (gotta love these trams, free tour of the city... naughty naughty) we made friends with some randoms, then I started complaining to another random black guy that they were trying to pick us up when we just wanted to talk, and by that conversation's end he was all, "So... you wouldn't give me your number, then?" Ahh, FUCK'S sake.

Before going back to the apartment, I was defo in need of a kebab so the randoms took us to his mate's kebab stand and we made him turn the music up so we could have a mini-rave outside the stand while we cooked my kebab. Possibly the reason the kebab took a million minutes to get ready. It would've been the most action his stand had seen in a while. He quickened up, though, when I stormed the stand and demanded he cook FASTER. Haha... would have LOVED me.

I survived the walk home with just one bash into a wall and one mistaken front door, and F swiftly took herself to bed while I cooked dinner for myself and the other flatmate I. We had some good chats and then I ordered F to take out her earphones and sleep. Didn't get much resistance there. I think it was still before 10pm at this stage. Ahh, the beauty of starting early...

Vienna w/e pt 1: shake that ass!

Finally, the time had come for my weekend away in Vienna - and more importantly, my first days off since I arrived in Austria at the beginning of the year. That's over forty days ago, in case you can't count.

I was pumped for a sleep-in, as well as the fact I'd be reuniting with an old school friend I hadn't seen in at least six years. I could tell it was gonna be a crazy adventure, just like old times.

I arrived late morning, and met my new Couchsurfing friend E at the dance studio where she said there were free classes for that week (good timing!). I was actually feeling fine, after my worries that the previous night's drinking would land me in a pit of fiery hangover hell, and keen to get my groove on to this bellydancing fusion thing.

The class was really fun, went for 1.5 hours, and I felt I did a good job as ass-shaking and hip movements are more my strengths when it comes to dancing. But I swear they make the mirrors fatten you up so you think you need more classes!! Maybe I'm just fat actually. Anyway, we followed up the first class with a stretching class which was also really good. Love a good stretch. Am hideously unflexible but it still feels good to get the muscles moving.

After, I split from E to meet F at the train station. From the moment I saw her, I knew nothing had changed. She looked exactly the same and as I soon found out, had all the same little quirks and characteristics as when I last hung out with her. It was kinda like no time had passed at all!

We headed to a restaurant straight away as we were both famished, and got stuck into the beers. A walk around the shopping district (and a new skirt - why, why am I spending money I don't have??!) later, and we headed to E's place to drop our things off and get ready for a night on the town.

E lived a 10-15 min tram ride from the city centre, so pretty convenient. At first I felt she was a little standoffish with me but at home she loosened up a bit, and we met her flatmate who was not meant to be there and now had to sleep on a mattress on the floor while we shared his bed. Felt so bad!

When we headed out, our first stop was the dodgy little pub with a pool table down the road. Love a dodgy pub. We had a flat Kaiser beer, played a game of pool on the miniscule table and I fought a turbulent stomach. Then we moved back into town and went to the bigger billiards hall.

After waiting longer than they told us we'd need to for a table, we gave up and went walking on the main strip looking for somewhere else to go. Well, this turned out to be a task not so easy, and before we knew it, we'd idled down to the end of the main road to a part with - although pretty buildings - absolutely no nightlife. It's like all the bars saw us coming and shut up shop. Weird.

My stomach was still doing somersaults and we were both a bit wrecked, so we decided to call it a night. A little disappointed we didn't find anywhere good to go, and also surprised, but in the end I prefered going home to pushing ourselves to stay out, spending more money and being more tired the next day. And plus, a warm bed and non-existant alarm was waiting for me back at E's place...

Yeeeee-haaaa - the mighty Mustafa!!

Now it's MY time to kick HIM!!

Dancing my way to Vienna

Despite yesterday being largely lazy and relaxing, I still didn't get time to blog, so here we go. G left early in the morning and wasn't due back til the evening, so we did our stable work and then settled in for a chilled-out day. A good thing, really, as the previous days and coming days were due to be quite busy.

We continue to pile our dirty clothes onto the newly re-installed washing machine (feel sorry for the worker who does it) - now that our bathroom (with new shower for helpers) is almost finished - and I use the opportunity to get EVERYTHING clean. Including the jackets I'd have thought were dry-clean only. Because the worker who washes them seems to know how to handle any material, thank god. Who knows when I'll get this chance again.

My temper has settled a little, after we learnt that G was perhaps a little more stressed lately because of troubles with the elastics business and also because I realise she has been making extra effort to give us camel rides, training, etc so I am not going to bitch. Or at least try. Also, we found out she has ALWAYS had people cleaning up after her - from housemaids as a child to workers and helpers now - so that's probably why she doesn't think to clean up after herself. I just can't imagine that kind of life, even having grown up with my OCD cleaning mum ("You finished with that cup" "Actually, no I-" "Good, I'll put it in the dishwasher").

We used the quiet time also to have a sauna, probably the last one we'll get to have, and it was bliss. I could feel the camel smell pouring from my pores... and afterwards, that feeling of being in a cocoon of warmth... just divine. Like I could walk into the Austrian winter totally naked and still be warm.

Today we also don't expect much work, but G promises to get back in time for some afternoon riding so that's a plus. I am therefore trying to knuckle down with my Spanish (have now memorised all the 200 verbs in the little book G's sister gave me), organise my travel insurance claim forms for my broken camera (long story) and organise Vienna for this weekend. Have arranged a meeting place for my Couchsurfing friend, and then we're going straight to a free Belly Fusion dance class. Woot woot!!

Also, the countdown to Rio continues... Just 10 days to go now. I can almost feel the warm Brazilian sun... almost.

Tonight, however, we have a dinner party at J's house where I'm sure the alcohol will be flowing. We should set a curfew for ourselves (and stick to it) but I know myself too well... as much as I try to the contrary, I WILL choose a good, drunken time over a pounding head and extra early wake-up call tomorrow. Sigh. Maybe these dance classes won't be so fun after all.

Ride 'em camels!!!

When I woke yesterday, I did not think that by the afternoon, L and I would be perched on the two biggest camels at the farm, riding them all on our ownsies through the deer park. Nor did I think we'd finish the long day a little drunk after several bottles of wine at J's house for a belated bday celebration for W. But, as so often happens here, it turned into a wonderfully random day enjoyed by all :)

Having started the day extra early (urgh) to make the English class G wanted us to come along to, and having had a shitty sleep from a certain someone's alarm clock going off constantly from 3:20am for some reason... I was in no mood to be ticked off. G unfortunately decided today was the day to trick me into thinking she'd accidentally tucked into the cake we laboured over yesterday for J and W, and I stormed off in a gust of frustration, putting that extra bit of force into each pile of horse poo I shovelled... Only at breakfast did we check the cake to see it untouched - G said, "I was joking haha!" Not funny.

Things got a little better after that, jumping into the car to head to M's house for the English get-together. We had pastries, tea and cake (already things were looking up) then some sparkling wine. Boom. M's house was gorgeous and her two dogs were so cute. I miss dogs.

Afterwards, we went to E's house for another tantalising tour of the tastebuds, this time her homemade spag bowl, and of course the inevitable dessert (she whipped out the profiteroles again, knowing how much we loved them last time... choc sauce poured over, whipped cream... just divine) and more sparkling wine. G had joined us again by this point, and swiftly took us back to the farm after it all.

I was hoping we were going to ride a camel today because she'd moved the special stairs out the day before, but I didn't want to expect too much. It was only when she asked us to get in just 1 horse from the paddock that I knew we weren't riding horses today... And we could not stop the smiles stretching to the corners of our faces.

I warned L that it would probably be just a leading expedition, with G up front, but nevertheless we were excited just to be going out into the forest on the camels. I guessed at Halif (the safest one) and Sky (old and reliable) being our steeds for the day - slightly off target with Sky, instead G asks me to put a halter on Mustafa, the biggest one and also the one I'd recently had an alpha battle with (former stallion, y'see). I crossed my fingers hoping I'd be on him.

I got my wish, and soon enuf we were slung over the camels, reins in one hand, whip in the other, and looking down to the ground about 2m below. Strangely, I was not one ounce scared - probably just too excited - and just wanted to get moving!! We went through the deer park, led at first, then got the go-ahead to go solo - and we went wild, hollering, whipping, kicking... in the end, G had to tell us to be quiet! haha... good times.

I have to say, although it's comfy being nestled in between the humps on what is more like a woolly mammoth than anything else, it does get tiresome digging your heels into a giant teddy bear that really does not want to move. Sometimes I forgot I was on a camel at all, and at one point G asked if I was suicidal because I was just about to wander down the path unaided by her, that the camels usually run down. I didn't know!

Still on our high, we ended the ride and thought that was it for the day but no, we saddled up some more horses, I jumped on my fave, Creo (which I now know means "I believe" in Spanish - cute), and we went out again into the forest. Horses are so easy to ride after camels!!

Mucking out the stables afterwards, I was called by J who asked when she would come over to pick us up. Having kinda forgotten about our arrangements, I stuttered and said, uh 7pm (45 mins away). I waited a little to tell L then casually said, "J is coming in half an hour". "Half an hour??!" she said arm-deep in camel poo balls. haha... I'm so cruel.

J came, G asked to meet her, I felt like I was introducing my new boyfriend to my parents, then we left giggling like school girls for the next village. G had warned us on our way out "don't get drunk" (yes mum), but we laughed it off... a few hours and bottles of wine and beer later, and I guess she was more right than we knew. Haha... mid-week piss-ups rock.

Covert cake-baking

So I'm sitting here, idling time away dreaming of an extended holiday to Granada should things surprisingly turn out with this Spanish boy... distracting myself successfully from actually learning more Spanish - really, I am hopeless - but all the while waiting for a phone call from J, who earlier invited us to her house for her boyfriend's bday.

The invitation actually came from my joke to come round as she mentioned she had cake when we spoke on FB chat... seems she was keen to bring us over after the family all left, so I jumped at the chance. As you can tell from my previous post, I was all for getting out of the house!

Well, what do you know - she JUST spoke to me on FB chat as I wrote this post and said W is too tired tonight. Oh well. All I'm thinking of is the cake L made for the bday... now it will be all ours, mwah hahahahahahaha!!! Unless we see her tomorrow of course... but maybe we can make another cake and this will just be the trial one?? We're planning a possible meet-up tomoz, so we'll see what happens...

The cake-baking was so cute, L slipped out of the bedroom when we were chilling and I had my earphones on practising Spanish. I didn't think where she could have gone but then I came down to the kitchen (as I frequently do), and there was a cute little cake sitting there filling the room with all sorts of wonderful aromas! I helped out with the icing and now it's sitting in the fridge, beckoning me, sweetly serenading me with its cakey goodness... would be rude to ignore it, wouldn't it...???

Kitchen rant

I think my time here is starting to wear thin. I am still not succeeding in controlling the evil thing that is my mental temper, often catching myself barking back snide comments at orders that are barked to us (in my head, of course). It is mostly because, now that she's healthy and back to order, I think a lot of the things she asks us to do could be done herself.

And the kitchen!! Oh, that room... every time she or her husband go inside, it's like a hurricane has hit it! Feel like I'm back in Australia... For how long they have had people clean after them?? Seems to be a while, given their lack of ability or thought to even move their dirty dishes from the table to the sink. Even just that smidgen of thought would go a long way. Instead, we come in feeling like maids, having to sort through the rubble and debris to make sense of it all again.

This morning - pieces of bread on the ground, on the table, plastic bags strewn about... which is important, which is empty, who freaking knows!!! Then to tell me I'd moved a bag to the wrong place, I felt like turning around and bellowing, "Well, then grow up and learn to put things away!!!!" Feel like a mother always chasing after her children.

BESIDES THAT, I have enjoyed today. We did more riding with the camels, which I know G is doing to give me training but it's also good for her camels to get exercised so I refuse to believe she's selflessly sacrificing the hours. It's give n take in this situation, and I will continue to believe that - which is why it grates on me so much when it's take, take, take.

For lunch, we accepted G's invitation as that meant we didn't have to cook. It meant, however, that we had to set the table and ready everything... not so bad, unless you have continual orders to do more, more, more! I don't think it was that bad but she gets us when we think we're having a break, so to be asked to do so much to just have something to eat... well, let my just say that we regretted saying yes.

I swear I could almost hear L's teeth grinding as we tapped our feet to get out of the taxidermy-laden dinner room (which we never use - would rather NOT look at stuffed animal heads while I eat, thanks). I was certainly counting the seconds. Should NOT let this get to me like it is...

Tonight I think I will decline the aerobics class, my wrists need a rest and so does my head. Just Spanish and relaxation will do for now, thanks. OH, and big news - I am back on top with the stallion! Yeeeoow!! Can now do all the work without help again, which puts a big smile on my face. Hate the feeling of letting myself down like that.

So, if you've survived reading to the end of this rant, congratu-fucking-lations. Guess I won't be seeing you around my blog too much again then, eh??

My first time leading a camel!!

This morning's routine was disrupted by an eletricity blackout, making it nearly impossible to see the muck we were meant to be cleaning and actually impossible to put the feed through the machine. So, we did what we could and left the rest til later.

Then came the riding. Not one ride, not two, no no not even three, but FOUR rides later we were finished!! Albeit they were shorter rides, but we basically needed to start getting the camels out into the bush again after the winter months break - also, because I'd mentioned to G that I wanted to get my own camel in Australia, she was keen to train me on leading a camel.

First we went out with her leading the youngest, most untrained one (Aladdin) then she took out 2 of the others, then two others, then it was my turn to get a camel! It looked simple enuf, and what do you know - it was simple! I am sure she gave me the best behaved one (which happened to be the one that spat in my face last time I was hungover and trying to feed - cunt) and went the easiest route, but still I had fun.

Hopefully the weather stays middle of the road as it is - not too cold and icy, not too hot and muddy - so we can go out with the camels more and actually ride them instead of just lead! No doubt G won't actually give us reins, just lead, but still, how fun!!

After the riding, we were told to put the horses out and give the animals lunch, then it was free time!! But before that, it was just little things - do this, do that - and it started to grate on me. At one point, I actually snapped at G, when she came into the kitchen as we finished lunch asking if we'd cooked her anything. Sometimes it gets to me... when we're meant to be helpers with the yard, in the kitchen, in the house... But I know it's just my temper. We had some good riding so I should be grateful. And this training is so good for me.

Earlier in the day, G had asked me if I wanted to come to the aerobics class she taught and, as I had done several times before, she assumed I would bail by the day's end because I was too tired but this time I was pumped for it. It was just in Melk so not far. Well, the class was... interesting. Unusual kinds of movements... that's all I can say. Definitely the first time I've ever come out of an aerobics class without sweating (maybe the gym was a little colder), but I think I got some good stretches in. And I DEFINITELY feel more fit and muscular than before. Finally!

Hangover head

After snatching a few quick winks of sleep through the day, I felt kinda human (despite the subtle gritty taste behind some of my teeth, no matter how much I brushed them). Then, as the day wore on, I had a growing pain in my head. I knew I hadn't drunk enuf water during the day but it was hard.

It got to the point, during the second of 2 horserides this afternoon, that I was really not good. I hadn't really told anyone how I was feeling, hoping it would go away on its own accord, but after the ride I had to fess up. Of course G was worried about me, but I assured her it was just a headache. She thought maybe I was lacking minerals because I had gotten new muscles since being here. At that point, I heard L snicker behind me and say under her breath, "You don't need minerals for a hangover!" Cheeky cow.

Made some veggie soup, threw down a couple of Nurofen and trudged off to my room to wallow in my own self-pity til the pills took effect. Really don't like taking pills like that, feel it's so unnatural, but I was aching. And I needed time out from anyone asking me to do anything. For just 10 minutes. Hopefully tomorrow I will keep my temper in check, even if today it was only inside my head.

So now, half a piece of rum cake and chocolate dipped-in-tea later, and I am ready to snuggle back into my bed. I hope when I wake up tomorrow I will have moved a little during my sleep and not locked my hip into an impossibly strained position like I managed to do last night. Must not have moved a muscle in my coma.

Oh, and I spoke to my little Spanish friend today on Facebook chat and I am beginning to understand more n more. Google Translate what?? He speaks to me pretty much always in Spanish, which is good. Not good for him as he's not practising his English, but hey, I need the practice more!! South America, hurry up!!

I think I found my cryptonite

Last night I greened. Yep, it was high school all over again. I guess it was my turn to go down, after L's dismal efforts last week. Was just drinking beer and then decided to have a puff - not realising how long it'd been between puffs and that this particular smoke would be quite strong (for me, at least). I think I've found my cryptonite.

The rest of the night was good, however, with some dancing and meeting more of J's friends. It was J's boyfriend W's band playing and boy, was there some good hair action with the headbanging on stage! Around in circles for ages... I just couldn't keep up!

Met some more cute Austrian boys, again the boyfriends of the friends I had just met. Dammit. Regardless, I'm sure my performance of vomiting out the side of the car would have slid me several paces back in the game. I'm just lucky I won't be seeing them again!

Our first round of drinks was shouted by an old drunk man sitting at the bar, who we avoided eye contact with until the inevitable "danke shen!" brought on a wave of winks, little waves and blown kisses from him. Shudder.

During the day yesterday, we took the camels out for a run through the deer park, me on Wolga and L on a very green Barack. I wasn't concerned that she got the young, excitable one - I was glad to have the surefooted one today. It was mud, mud, mud.

At one point, G (now also riding again because her eyes are better and she can do everything as normal) asked L if she wanted to take Barack for a run to shake his energy and she readily agreed. After stern warning from G that he hadn't been ridden for a few weeks and would be jumpy, L put a determined face on and turned to ride back.

A minute later, I heard the sound of hooves crashing back up the path towards us. "Geez, she didn't take long!" was my first thought. My, second, "Oh shit!" as I realised there was no one in the saddle anymore. G ran back to find her and moments later she was walking back, unhurt but mud from head to toe, saying she'd volunteered herself off his back after a series of bucking. Both G and I agreed that the same would've happened to any of us. I'm just glad it wasn't me this time!

We went back to the house and got some more horses, then finished the ride with the camels. After that, it was off to the supermarket for more food and chill out time back at the ranch.

The days til my Vienna weekend could not come quicker right now, I am finding it difficult not to get annoyed at the slightest thing and I think it's from a lack of days off. Today is particularly frustrating for me to have to do anything I'm asked because it is a reminder of yet another Sunday I have not had a lie-in. It's a bit late to complain now, given the weekend off is just around the corner, so I just bite my lip and try to control myself.

I've worked out that most of my annoyance stems from the way in which we're sometimes asked to do things. While most of the time G is kind and generous, her Austrian accent does put a slightly demanding bark to her orders (which do sound like orders rather than requests). And I don't know why it bugs me so much, but she often doesn't say "please". Just that one word can make such a difference. But I keep telling myself it's just me being irritable - so common the day after I party - and the feeling will go away soon enuf. Well, I will make it go away!

Drizzly, unmotivating day... wait, am I in London??

I struggled to get out of bed today... it's been a steady decline in the morning stakes since I realised how long I've been doing early morning starts. Making matters worse, it was raining (my body must've known) and dreary so we were naturally instantly unmotivated by life. In general. Felt like I was back in London.

Brandishing whip and a fuck-you attitude, I moved the camels around and succeeded in not having Mustafa make a mockery out of me today. Still got the factory hand to help me tying him up though... on G's orders, of course. I would've managed... maybe. I felt like we were moving in slow motion - maybe because each step we took was calculated due to extremely slippery conditions - but at the end we weren't finished all that much later than normal.

The boss was due back today after her 10-day health retreat, sure to be brimming with life and energy, so I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to have her back in the picture. On one hand, I was excited about having her back because she is a funny little ball of energy that always has new things to do... on the other, she could start ordering us around doing this n that every second because there are two of us now.

Happily, she was the former, mostly concerned with unpacking and settling herself back into the house than finding chores for us to do. I showed her what we'd done while she was gone, and that seemed to please her. I am actually surprised, she hasn't pushed us to do much at all, I guess figuring the weather was a bit of a dampener (bad pun alert)... or maybe the worst is yet to come tomorrow. Eeeeeeeek!

L is still praying we get to ride, I guess I am too but I know how shitty it can be when it's wet n slippery. It will be funny to see her try to move the camels but I know it takes some getting used to, so I wouldn't be surprised if she just moved around the edges silently for the first few times. I just hope her presence means less effort for me and therefore less whip blisters on thumbs.

My old school friend rang today re Vienna - seems she's still keen as mustard to come along, just looking into trains now. Would be awesome if it all worked out... Vienna is such a nice city and there is still so much of it I haven't seen. Like the butterfly nursery!! Also wouldn't mind getting some pints in with aforementioned mate, it's been a while between drinks - literally!

Defying Austria's winter atop 1000-year-old ruins

Dürnstein, Austria

Vienna's sights at overpriced heights

Not even the fact that I'd lost the alpha battle with former stallion camel (never have been good with stallions) could dampen my spirits today - it was Vienna day trip time!! J, the local friend I've been out with a couple of times now, offered kindly to drive us the hour-long trip to the big city during her holidays and I gladly accepted!

We got up a little earlier - neither L or I had trouble waking up today! - and worked hard to get the stables done quickly. Mustafa has come to find it entertaining to try and chase me, so tomorrow it's whip in hand AT ALL TIMES. Sneaky mother fucker. I will not go down without a fight.

J arrived on time, 8:15am, with her 7-year-old son (STILL can't believe she has a son at school!) and 10-year-old half-brother in tow. First stop for me in Vienna was the Brazilian Embassy, where my expectations that the famed "Eduardo" - the only English-speaking member of staff I'd called with questions several times before - would be a striking Brazilian stud ready to waive my visa and carry me in his arms across the border... well, there's this thing called "reality"...

Anyway, Eduardo was helpful enuf, after initially questioning me on why I didn't have a letter from my employee (uhh, employee??). He even took the passport photo in their little setup in his office and lingered his fingers over the keypad as he asked casually, "So what were we giving you then, 60 days or 90...?" Uhh, 90 thanks, if you'd be so kind. "Righty-o, 90 it is." *Bats eyelashes* Hmm, is it that easy then??

I met up with the others, who'd spent their time climbing hundreds of stairs in some famous church spiral (dodged a bullet with the one), and announced I was famished. So off to the würstel (sanger) stand it was. I've actually grown accustomed to those hideous tubes of god-knows-what meat with extra bits n bobs thrown in... I remember years back in Berlin when even the word Bratwurst would send shivers down my spine.

We walked around town in the lusciously warm sun, stopping at another church built similarly to St Pauls in London, and then onto Schönbrunn, the most famous castle. Or rather, its grounds. Yes, the tightass tour of Europe continues. But holy shit, the grounds were beautiful. And at the top of the hill we found the Gloriette cafe, where I splurged on some overpriced torte which I savoured as long as possible (about 30 seconds) in the beautiful surrounds.

The drive home was pretty silent, we were all beat from the day's activities, but we were all pretty chuffed at what we'd achieved. Me, I got my visa sorted FINALLY (will pick it up next w.e on my days off - man, that sounds GOOD), also got some sightseeing in, enjoyed another sunny day, and actually felt like we gave ourselves a day off! Tick, tick, TICK for that To Do list!

No way to RUIN this day!! Oh, the glory of puns...

Today tricked me. It tricked me into thinking I was in an Australian winter. It was WAY too warm and the sunshine tickled my face in a way I am not quite so used to anymore. All in all, it made me feel warm n fuzzy in the way only good weather can. And now I want more, more, MORE!!! Bring on Rio, I say.

We spent it productively, getting picked up by a couple of G's friends after our morning schplack, and driving to Dürnstein, a quaint little town preserved in its original glory thanks to donations from the good people of Austria. And so they should donate - the gorgeous blue church it holds and the ruins atop the big hill are deserving of some good ol' tourist exposure.

We, at least, took advantage of that today, heaving ourselves up the hill to the ruin after a scoot around the town, me at least thankful I was working my leg muscles instead of my arms for once. It was a beautiful view from up there, and by that time we were pretty hot - I took the opportunity to undo both my jumper and leather jacket (gasp) then TAKE BOTH OFF (gape). It felt amazing to be standing on top of a 1000-year-old castle ruin in the middle of an Austrian winter with just a singlet top on.

Lunch afterwards was a welcome affair - having soaked up some more views beforehand me and L were well up for a bite (as always). A beer and a wine later, and I was feeling good. Beer + sunshine ALWAYS = feeling good for this one. We drove back to E's house for an after-dinner tea and, much to my enjoyment, glass of sect (sparkling wine) with elderflower juice. I know a friend who would laugh at that one!!

Driving home we spotted... no, it couldn't be... yes, yes it is... a SUNSET!! Living in a valley, we don't ever see the sun set, or really much sun at all, although I didn't realise it until today. It was so nice, a rich golden hue resting at eye level at the end of the road, soaking up all the warmth of the day's freakish winter weather (the bastard). And the cold night returns.

The gloriousness of aforementioned weather also helped me forget that I'd started continously counting the days left until I was finished here. Tomorrow it will be forty days running that I have woken at 6am to do the morning work. Until now I have just grinned n beared it (OK, no grinning but I beared it), knowing that G can't actually do the work herself for now, but it is starting to wear me down a little. Today not even the church bells could wake me up. I can't wait for a weekend off in Vienna in - wait - 10 days. Woot woot!!

Tomorrow we should have nice temps again, and the day after, before it starts going down again. Well, that's good news for Vienna then - we're up and at'em early to get into town in time for the opening of the Brazilian embassy. Finally!

Unexpected riding ahead

Had a mini bout of depression this morning, brought on by a couple of small mishaps during the morning rounds. First, Mustafa (the big stallion I had issues with yesterday) kicked me. Again. I don't know what has changed, we were so good together before... sigh as heart falters. Then I stupidly didn't open a gate when I let the camels through and the ensuing confusion caused raucous behaviour from the camels and the smallest one fell over from being picked on so much. Poor thing was bleeding on the hind leg afterwards. I've made a special note to pamper her a little today.

G called and said she will be back for a couple of hours (is that allowed at this health retreat??? hmmm...) so this means we can go riding - yay!!! I have been selected hard-mouthed Hafi, oh what joy, and I don't know how the ground is up there now the snow has melted to mud, but it should be fun anyway. The day is nice enuf for it...

We got a lot done again today, we didn't even think about "11sies"... well, I actually did but by that stage it was actually past 12. Good sign. The less eating, the better. These jodphurs need to stay done up, thank you!!

So I told W he need not take us to Vienna on Thursday, as J from Friday night is happy to do it. Now we just need to avoid telling G too much or she might make L stay home and miss out on the day trip. Boo. But it will be good to finally introduce G and L - can't believe she's been here a week and has never met her "boss"! I think this actually might be a new record for G... leaving before a new helper comes. I'll take that as a compliment.

Opening cans of camel whoopass

Had a new experience when dealing with the camels this morning. One of the bastards - the former stallion, no less - kicked me. Yes, kicked me. With it's front leg. Odd.

Although the action didn't actually hurt - with their pads, it was more like a soft thump - but the incident caused me to immediately freak a little that I'd lost the 'alpha' status I needed to be able to control them during the early morning feeding process. My reaction? Open a whole caaaaaaaaaaaaaaan of whoopass on the prick. I used what I had in my hand - a bunch of collars - and whipped him a few times until I was sure he was scared of me, or just fed up with the whipping. Then I grabbed a whip and made sure I tied him up with no more instances.

Now I don't want y'all to think I've gone crazy with power ("what's the use of going crazy without power??" sorry... Simpsons movie quote there - when you watched that one a zillion times while teaching English in Bratislava, it happens)... I really had to take charge of the situation, and if you knew how big this guy was... his humps sit about 2m off the ground I reckon. If he goes over the top of me, I am finished.

So. Besides this, today was good. Another sunny one, and we used the opportunity to do outdoorsy kinda work with the hay and oiling some of the tack. Actually, we got a lot done today, and when G called me from her health retreat (sounding relaxed, I'm happy to report), I told her we were on a break because our arms were about to give up on us. I swear L will punch me next time I ask her to get the wheelbarrow.

W asked when we were going to Vienna, and as I thought he was perhaps organising the trip for tomorrow, I confusedly said ummm, Thursday?? He said OK, then I checked my email and the girl who took us out on Friday said she could also take us to Vienna that day. So now I am sure I will be there on Thursday, no matter what. Everything will be sorted. Fingers crossed.

Fat pig strikes again

I just could not stop eating today. Well, really it's not past tense, I still am eating. A lot. It's like I'm pregnant. Except for that I'd need sex. Maybe I'm working so hard I need more energy. Except L has arrived and is doing all the grunt work to save my wrists.

So, the answer to my gluttony is simply... I am a fat, greedy pig. Before L came I felt like one, and she eats just as much as me (but is of course smaller than me) so now I feel like a fat pig with a friend. It's a good thing it's winter because the more I cover up this body, the better it is for everyone.

The weather turned on another bewwwwdiful day today, the sun was shining and it would've been about 10 degrees. Terribly unusual for this time of year, as I've said before. The locals said this part of February is usually still packed with snow and there is hardly ever wind. Today the wind was up, and the animals had to chase their food. haha.

L is doing well with the workload, we work as a good team and today managed to clean the guinea pig/rabbit enclosure (and it is a serious enclosure - an entire building is dedicated to it), a task we did mighty well, if I do say so myself. This time I didn't lift the hutch to find 3 dead guinea pigs - all were alive and well. Except the little buggers kept squarking around our feet and every time I dug the pitchfork into the pile of hay I had visions of it coming out as a guinea pig kebab. Shudder.

Before she left, G asked me what I thought about the guinea pigs and rabbits... and snake. I asked if it needed to be fed while she was away, because if so I'd prefer not to do it. She said she would do it, and was just asking to see what I thought about it all. I mean, I know the snake has to eat but damned if I'm gonna be the one to hand out the death sentence to the poor little critter.

Speaking of G, I haven't heard from her in a couple of days which I take as a sign she may well be relaxing after all. This is good. The animals are all still alive, too, on my watch. Also good. And we're still making the most of that sauna. My skin is still tingling as I write this.

Spoke to G's husband W about going to Vienna to sort out my Brazil visa situation, and he said it would be no problem. Hopefully we'll head there in a couple of days, a big relief for me as it will be there in plenty of time for them to process it and send it back to me here. It's been weighing on my mind so it will be good to get it sorted.

A whiskey-flavoured blur.

Today was a blur. But I'm pretty sure it started with me stumbling out of bed after 2 hours sleep and ended with a tour to the local whiskey distillery. What a trooper.

Last night me and L had a night out on the town (my first in a month, so you can imagine how much I was SCALING the walls), getting picked up by a couple I had befriended at the last party I went to. They are really lovely, he is in a rock band and played us his music on the drive there (haha love it), and she is probably not much older than me but has a 7 year old son. Random.

The first sight I saw when we walked into the bar last night was a cute tattooed Austrian boy. He was introduced as my friend's sister's boyfriend. Dang. Fast forward a few hours and he was licking cinnamon off my chest and sucking a lemon from my mouth with his tequila shot while everyone laughed us on. What a brilliant idea *pats self on back*.

Said idea also opened the door for another good-looking Austrian - this time a girl - to open herself to a little more of a good time and I found myself locking lips with her all night at the next bar we went to. Whether this was before or after I was dancing on top of the bar, I can't be certain, but good times were indeed had by all. Oh, except L whose stomach did not agree with aforementioned tequila and projectile vomited in the toilet before cacooning herself in the car to wait for us to finish partying. She is so embarrassed today.

Seriously. Dancing on a bar in Austria. Would not have thought that would've been an option. Then again, they still allow smoking inside (loving that! NOT!) so maybe they're a little more liberated than I thought.

Stable work was a little hellish this morning, but we just powered through it in silence, me battling with temperamental camels while L got stuck into the poo. I had a sneaking suspicion the camels knew I was struggling. Then one gobbed me smack in the face. Yep, they were onto me.

I somehow agreed to this whiskey tour with G's friend knowing I'd be worse for wear today, but we pushed on and made it through another delicious lunch at E's then a drive through the windy country roads of middle Austria and to this whiskey place. Now I am not a fan of whiskey at the best of times, so today was an effort. I'm not sure when the next time I will drink that stuf will be, and I'm not sad about it.

The tour was in German, a good thing because I could easily tune out, but bad because I didn't know when it would end and it just seemed to go. on. for. e. ver. I stole glances at L every now n then, and I could tell she was deputy of Struggle Town.

Now we've done the stable work, alles gut, and we're about to make some food, brew a thermos of tea and take our poor little selves to our room to ride out the evening tucked in bed reading. I borrowed Twilight and New Moon from E... I think it's time to finally see what all the fuss is about.

Prediction: heavy head tomorrow

Today turned into an absolutely glorious winter day, a sign that weather predictions were indeed on the money. Warm weather on its way!! While I wasn't sure in the cool of the morning, when the sky held an eerie half raincloud/half suncloud appearance, the sun was soon victorious and the snow began to melt.

Things went even quicker today, with L getting the hang of how things work and me adapting my down-pat routine to work her in. We set ourselves to work, crossing off item after item on the "to do" list as we knew tomorrow would be a no go zone - tonight will be the first night out I've had since the local "ball" about a month ago. I am scaling the walls.

We managed to squeeze in a turbo-sauna before joining G's mum for dinner again, our heads spinning from the recent blasts of heat as we graced the table to make polite and simple English conversation with the 89 year old sweetie.

Now it's all about getting back to my room and slapping on some makeup to disguise my hippiness, and then it's off to the pub with some younger friends (younger as in less than 50) I made at the ball last time. I am just glad G isn't here because tomorrow morning we will be worse for wear. Just a feeling...

Let's do lunch! You can sit over there...

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday as I spent much of the day readying the place for the new helper (yay!) to come... and, without realising it, would spend several hours sitting alone at a cafe waiting for her call.

The way it happened was... After some confusion about who exactly was picking up L from Melk station (it turned into a way bigger drama than it needed to be! Just give me the damn car keys), G's husband said "OK, let's go have lunch in Melk and just wait for L there. You want to do that?" I'm all up for some lunchsies, especially if I don't have to cook or pay for it.

What I didn't realise was that his version of "us" going out to lunch meant us walking in, him seeing his friends (intentional or not??) and promptly directing me to "that table over there" while he pulled up a chair and sat with his friends. Now I don't know about Austria, but where I'm from, that would be the height of rudeness. BUT, ever seeing the brighter side of life (or trying to!), I realised it was for the best, seeing as I don't speak their language nor have any interest in their conversation or game of cards. And I could do with a rest from making conversation. So I amused myself by flipping through Austrian magazines mindlessly for a few hours and thinking about South America.

After a while, I wondered where L had gotten to then got a call from G saying she couldn't reach my number and was waiting at the station. I jumped eagerly from my seat and went to meet her, glad to be out of the smoking section of that cafe for a little while. Seriously - putting a non-smoker in there? Urgh.

So we got along straight away, she's pretty chilled out and was just trying to take it all in as I prattled on about all n sundry, glad I could talk once again at top speed and not have to repeat myself all the time. I showed her around the farm and taught her about the nighttime work, thus reducing instruction time for the early morning shift.

And that was a good thing, since this morning she just got straight to work and with me hard at it as well, we were finished 45 mins earlier than I had predicted for the first morning. Woot woot!! We have kept it pretty easy today, don't wanna work too hard straight off and to be honest, I have been working hard for weeks now. Time to relax.

And relax we did. When we were shown the private sauna in the house and told how to use it, we wasted no time after lunch to jump in and sweat ourselves stupid. I can't believe I've been here a month without doing that. G had mentioned it before but said her husband probably wouldn't want us using it - it was, in fact, him that showed us the ropes today. I have the sneaking suspicion he likes showing off a little to the young girls. Like taking out his nice 70s Merc for a topspeed spin to pick up L yesterday... sure, "just had to check something out" my ass... haha

Getting in touch with the ships of the desert

 

Free hotel, private airport transfer in Rio? I'll take that!

So it seems an oversight by my travel agent has turned out rather well for little ol' gypsy traveler here... by incorrectly booking my flight and having to move it 2 days earlier, I have now been given 2 nights accomm in Rio and could cancel my original Vienna - London flight so she could rebook another one, thereby getting back a small refund on my ticket.

And it gets better. My Couchsurfing friend in Rio - who I dared not ask to stay a FURTHER 2 nights on the already-generous 10 he committed to during Carnival - suggested a hotel near his place and I forwarded that onto my agent, not really knowing much about it. At the same time, I asked if it was possible to get a hotel transfer from the airport as I get in late (and on my lonesome, with an inconveniently heavy backpack in tow). She came back saying none of it was a problem, and she'd book me a private transfer as well.

I then Googled said hotel and found it was 4 stars, and the price I would've paid for those 2 nights is about 265 euros. Sheizer!! So that's pretty snazzy. Just hope I don't spend too much more in those extra days on food etc than I would've at the camel farm. Speaking of food at the camel farm, last night I had knödel, a traditional Austrian potato dumpling... mmm mmmmm so tasty!! Had the leftover 1 for lunch today.

The weather today continued to be ball-freezing, I tried to stay indoors as much as possible but it was hard because every time I was outside I'd find more things that needed doing. Such is life! G was busy running around, more stressed than usual because this is her last day before going away for 10 days. So I just did my thing and kept out of her way, on the times she was actually here.

The morning was pretty hectic, though, and I ended up having breakfast 4 hours after I got up. Late for the amount of energy I exude until that time.

I had to exercise the camels before their big break... now horseriding G doesn't usually count as work, more play, but today I tell ya it was WORK! The lazy fuckers didn't want to move more than a walk, but I gotta be honest, my joints were also beginning to freeze up with the cold. G went off to do other things and I swear she forgot about me out there, because I ended up having to call her and ask her to come back to help me move the camels back almost an hour later as my chin, toes and thighs had gone numb.

Was thinking I was alone for Vienna, but my old school friend says she's still in... this is a good sign. Very good. Considering the tomfoolery - oh, the tomfoolery! - we used to get up to back in the day...