Melbourne Old Gaol and just one drink 21/2/3
Feeling ever so slightly groggy after my extended champagne breakfast yesterday, I finally went into Melbourne for a bit of an explore.
It was raining and really muggy so it was a bit crappy to walk around outside. The Melbourne Science Museum had an exhibition on all about Mars so we went to that. Saw various space artifacts including some spent rocket parts, some asteroids, Newton's telescope and was able to touch a bit of Mars rock. What should've been grand and humbling was mostly lost due to my bleary state.
It would appear that too much alcohol can be bad for you??
Went back to the hostel then went out for the Night Tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol, a model prison from the mid 1800's where they hung Ned Kelly. Call me crazy but I'd figure a night tour would involve some kind of spookiness or fear. Instead the host (who appeared holding a single candle on the top floor once the lights went out) was more Eddie Izzard than Edgar Allen Poe. I couldn't see in the shadows but from the way he was strutting, I swear he had high heels on.
When he was asking us (the audience) what Ned Kelly's last words were, I honestly expected him to say 'Jam.'
Far more interesting and scary though was that Melbourne Gaol was one of the leading centers for studying phrenology at the time. Phrenology is "the study of the structure of the skull to determine a person's character and mental capacity." ie. Can you spot a criminal from the shape of their head.
It was wierd to see such perfect moulds of long dead people.
This is Tom (from Romford), Mel (currently from Melbourne) and Jason (Northerner).
Me and Ned Kelly... Or is it Phil Collins??
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We went out for a quick drink in town afterwards, I swore to everyone I was only going to have one.
Which to be fair I did have. It was just one in each round at the pub then one in each different bar in the casino...
then one in each round at the club (a sort of uber-Hollywoods) Then there was the green stuff so we only had one of those at once...and the vodka red bulls (just the one at a time)...
...did I mention we got to a huge casino at about 1.30am? bad news... im meant to be a poor backpacker.... drinking is bad... but good.... oh and when we got out the cab outside the hostel at 5am we saw a possum which ran away and up a tree...
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Anyway, Im off on a 3 day Oz Experience trip to Adelaide tomorrow so I'll upload some more stuff whenever I can.