Glitzy Glenelg - Night 125

Late morningish I took the tram out to Glenelg, the Oceanside suburb where the rich Adelaidites go to play (or so a brochure said). I was expecting a quaint beachside community much like Byron Bay, instead I got high rise resort hotels and condominiums. It looked like what Puerto Penasco would be if the Americans and not the Mexicans controlled the Bay of Cortez. All glitz and glamour aside, it was a very nice, calm beach, though granted it was a Tuesday afternoon. The southerly breeze cooled any ambitions I may have had to take a swim.

The Glenelg Beach

Prior to leaving for Glenelg, I perused the Lonely Planet guide at the hostel. The author recommended stopping by the Glenelg Book Exchange because of their “large selection and friendly staff.” I don’t know who wrote this, but I think Lonely Planet ought to send out some fact checkers. The Glenelg Book Exchange had neither a large selection (and the books they had were garbage) nor a friendly staff (the single old man was an ass). While I’m ranting about bookstores, I would just like to say that I have yet to come upon a decent used bookstore in all of Australasia. Every secondhand shop I’ve been to is nothing more than a collection of trashy fiction books along with huge selections of Australiana or New Zealandic literature.

A Wee Creature

Quality non-fiction books in a second store seem to have gone the way of the Tasmanian Tiger or the Moa in this corner of the globe.
After returning from Glenelg, I traipsed through the Rundle Street Mall collecting goods for my upcoming sojourn to the Outback. As if finding a hoodie to buy on a 90 degree day in the middle of summer wasn’t hard enough, it seems that neon, especially pink and yellow, are in fashion down here at the moment so nearly every hooded sweatshirt I found looked like something out of Cyndi Lauper’s closet (who by the way is playing in St. Kilda this Sunday). Finally, I found something to suit my needs, as I expect it will get cold in the desert at night, at Ed Harry (the name of the store) and returned home triumphant. .

What I Learned Today: Do you ever have those days where you are incredibly excited about life?....yeah, me too.

written by

exumenius on February 12, 2008 from Adelaide, Australia

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

Send a Compliment

comment on this...