Market Day

Day 143
Hobart

If it’s Saturday, it must be Salamanca. The market takes place every weekend throughout the year. You can get just about anything you want or need from over 300 vendors. The area was very lively by the time we arrived this morning. We worked our way passed fresh produce, Tasmanian handicrafts and coffee carts. Chris couldn’t resist the apple turnovers or the Dutch doughnuts – not surprising. I really enjoyed all of the live music. The melodies wafted through the air like the smell of a nice hot mug of cappucino. The people who provide the entertainment are called “buskers”. One “busker” in particular caught my attention. He was a boy of no more than 12 or 13. He was getting crazy on his acoustic guitar while playing The Knack’s “My Sharona”. His performance definitely had some passion. It was great to see a young person developing a talent rather than hanging out at McDonald’s and talking on a cell phone…
The rest of the day has been spent getting the bikes cleaned and packed. We normally have limited area, cleaning supplies and tools to do a proper job. Not this time – Tildy gave us full run of “Beruit” and furnished soap, rags and a hose. We’ll be sending a whole case of Twinkies to our host when we return home.
We’re only two days away from our next country. The excitement has been building for awhile. I’ve definitely felt nervous but now I’m just psyched. New languages, new food, and new cultures. It sounds thrilling and daunting at the same time. At least we’ve got the riding part down so far. This is actually the part of the world that I have been most eager to travel to. Thinking ahead also makes me think back to the initial planning stages for this trip. One reason we chose to bicycle tour was due to a book I purchased a few years ago. I used to buy guidebooks at the Eagle Library periodically; hardbacks for a buck and paperbacks for a quarter. I suppose I was always in the process of getting travel ideas. One day I found “Cycling Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam” and a light bulb went on. Hmmm…I guess the rest is history.
LK