australia 2007 - day 6

I still had no interest to explore Alice. Thoughts of walking around the desert gardens (and I really wanted to) in 100F heat wilted me where I stood. Australia is not an inexpensive destination and Alice Springs' centrally located isolation compounds the cost of doing anything. I remained indoors continuing work on my dissertation, washing our filthy clothes, and redistributing our gear since I would be departing for Sydney the next day and needed to travel light.

Meanwhile, Jeremy was thoroughly enjoying his conference.

For dinner, we decided to stick to the hotel and dine at Hanuman's, a Thai and Indian restaurant. The food here was quite good, but gets an excellent considering it is in Alice. We started with a softshell crab appetizer with a spicy and sweet dipping sauce. We shared two mains: barramundi in a passion fruit and ginger sauce, and Moreton Bay bugs in curry. Moreton Bay bugs are a kind of slipper lobster and we had never tried them before coming to Australia. I think Jeremy just likes the idea of eating "bugs".

The service was timely and professional. We noticed that the restaurant filled up quickly. Reservations are recommended. The desserts were better than average, but a bit too much for me. The meal was ten times the quality of Overlanders from the night before and about the same price.