Six Pack

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Well, the Salmon Gums hotel eventually opened in a half-hearted, wish I wasn't running a pub, sort of way.  The owners are desperately trying to sell the place and couldn't be less cut-out running a pub if they tried.  'What time is dinner please my good lady?'........'dunno mate, depends when my bloke gets back from Esperance!'.

Our dining companions were an interesting lot:

A brummie who has been bumming around on a bike for 5 months.  As well as being monumentally full of shit he entertained the bar by ordering his meal then, without a word, opening up a complex medical apparatus and injecting himself with something or other.

A pair of £10 poms who emigrated there in the 70's.  She was born in Brentwood (my home town).

An Ozzie who was spectacularly inebriated.  The only words we could understand were the very worst profanities but, in one of his rare slightly lucid moments, I think he was explaining that rugby players are f@#$ing p@%fters.

We slunk off to bed fairly early and were consequently up and out at dawn's crack and all finished (65 miles) by noon.  We are now in Esperance which, with a population of 15000, is the biggest place since Adelaide.  Even the wardrobe seems busy here! 

It will come as a bit of a surprise to most of you, but Neil and I are not averse to a small fermented beveridge after a ride.  This exposes us to another very poor aspect of life down under.......buying beer.  Firstly, and I can still scarcely believe this, you cannot buy beer anywhere other than liquor stores (bottle shops as they are known locally).  In small towns this is just the bar at the local pub where, with absolutely no competition, prices are alarming.  Secondly, there is a ridiculous price scale based on volume which massively disadvantages anyone (such as a cyclist) who does not have a pick-up truck.

We plan to stay a day in Esperance so, rather than buying some beer today and more tomorrow, we upsized our order, thus reducing the unit price by about 30%.  Carting it all back to our cabin involved creativity, balance and bungee straps but we are fixed for beer!

Our laundry is in the machine and we are looking forward to a day doing little but lightening our load!

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