Going with the flow
Sometimes while traveling, certain things happen that don’t exactly fall in line with the day’s plan. In fact, most of the time, the day’s “plan” normally deviates before it even starts. Regardless, not all aspects of travel seem to work out how we envision them, but that doesn't mean the day has to be a failure. Sometimes you just need to open your eyes and realize the possible mishaps are just opportunities to see something new.
On a visit to Australia, I found myself drawn to buy a car and head up and down the east coast. While many people warned me that my lack of knowledge about cars, mixed with the amount of scammers trying to sell you a lemon is a recipe for disaster. While happily ignoring their advice, I frolicked along the path to purchasing a 1993 Suzuki Hatchback, aka Zuki Zoo, on the Australian equivalent of Craigslist. After a few days and a few hundred Ks, I ended up getting pulled over outside of Sydney for doing a U-turn (this is apparently illegal in New South Wales). After evading a ticket, when I turned the key, my car wouldn't start. In fact, the engine wouldn't even begin to turnover. I started to think that maybe my impromptus buy wasn't the best decision after all.
A clutch start later (my friend and I actually pushed the car the wrong way down the street, then up a hill), I was back on the road looking for a mechanic to hopefully fix my new whip. The first place we stopped at didn't have the answers, but a lively conversation and a friendly push had us jump-starting toward the answer to our problem.
The first mechanic sent us down the road to an electrical specialist in a small Sydney suburb known as Pendle Hill. The mechanic was a middle-aged man with a friendly grin, and before even beginning to look at the car, asked us about our trip. He was thrilled we were American (surprisingly) and had actually just taken his family to LA to see Disneyland. His son, “loved American burgers,” and he himself enjoyed the offer of unlimited refills of soda at restaurants. After our conversation, he quickly diagnosed Zuki Zoo’s ailment. The price wasn't too high, and he promised he could get us back on the road in a few hours. This left us with time on our hands to visit the less-than-tourist attraction town of Pendle Hills.
While our initial trip into the town didn't leave us with reason to believe Pendle Hills had much offer, our walk into a small shopping district changed our opinion. What we didn't know was that this small suburb was home to a pseudo little India/little Sri Lanka. The quaint shopping center near the city rail stop was home to two long strips of Indian and Sri Lankan markets, restaurants and corner stores. The markets offered a myriad of exotic spices and brands and the local restaurants served up authentic cuisine from the city center price. There were also bright colors and offers of the latest Tamil and Bollywood movies.
Our walk ended at a small hole-in-the-wall Sri Lankan restaurant that had smelled too good to pass up. For $5.50 you could get three vegetable curries and rice, or add an extra dollar and get some meat as well. They also give you some pompidou. I opted for an extra lamb curry puff. The food was delicious and the bench where we ate in the middle of the town was a great vantage point for people watching.
After lunch, our excursion back to the mechanic was met with a roaring start of Zuki Zoo’s engine. The car sounded 10 years younger, and ready to rip down the southern coast of New South Wales. Our car purchase, along with a new starter motor, and the price owed to the Australian government to switch registration was still cheaper than renting a car for 20 days. The Australian sun shined bright on our excited bodies.
Before leaving, our mechanic friend called us back into his garage. He said we looked like we could use some sweets, and gave us an entire Tupperware container full of lamingtons a customer had brought him earlier in the day. We graciously accepted, thanked him and were on our way. The final hours of our drive were spent in awe thinking about how a day’s mishaps could turn into something so special.
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