Canberra, November 8: Botanical Garden and Arboretum

When I asked the young guy at the front desk for suggestions of things to do in Canberra, he recommended the Australian National Botanical Garden and the arboretum. He also thought they were open until 8 pm and would be a great place to watch the sunset. So, we took our time getting there.

Instead we arrived at 4:28 pm as the gift shop and mini museum were closing, and 32 minutes before the vast botanical gardens were closing. As the trip from downtown included a hike up a hilly road and we had no sense of where we were in Australia, I felt a bit deflated. 

Now what?!

The ranger looked at Don and loaned us an ECV. A small form to fill out with a promise to return it in 30 minutes. A map. An incredible flyer put out by volunteers every other week with pictures of what is in bloom. And a no worries. 

For the first time since the accident that Monday, Don had the freedom of movement. At first his excitement took over and he zoomed up the hills. Then he realized he was supposed to be enjoying the experience, or maybe it was my huffing and puffing behind him reminded him, and he slowed down to try to sniff the flowers.

The gardens are divided into different ecosystems representing all of Australia, including the red rock of Uluru. With more time, we would have enjoyed the biodiversity. I would have matched the flyer with what I was seeing. On this trip we mostly had eyes for the adorable water dragons (yes, I still miss Glinda, but do not want to replace her).

When we caught up with ranger more than 30 minutes had passed. Our worries about overstepping his generosity were shrugged off. He said, that's part of the fun. 

Oh how I wish I could embrace this attitude!

We called Didi for a ride to the National Arboretum, which we were also told was open late. Well, the grounds are open late, but the visitors center and bathroom closed at 4. There was a Roaring 20s charity event being held. The fancy flapper outfits reminded me of the last gala I planned, and how I envisioned the room filled with zoot suits and flapper fringe, but there was a disconnect between my vision and the reality of the organization. This wasn't the first time or the last time, but enough to push me to leave.

Along with Uber, Didi is another Australian rideshare company. I have apps for both and can compare prices and timing. Uber allows scheduling in advance, which is great when you have an early morning flight. Didi often comes in cheaper.

Our Didi driver took us to the top of the hill, and we walked down to the main building. The next Didi driver picked us up there and took us to our hotel. There was no mass transit anywhere near the arboretum.

I did see a 1960's Holden. Holden was owned by General Motors back in the day. It did not fit the Roaring 20s theme.

After a rest for Don's leg, we walked to Londsdale to look for dinner. On this Friday night, most places were bars with restaurants and bouncers making sure we were over 18, and loud music. We ended up at a Greek restaurant similar to Chipotle. No nearly as fancy as our Afghan lunch, but functional.

The traveling and lack of mass transit made for an exhausting day.

Don hopes more places have ECVs he can borrow. (Spoiler alert: this was the only one we borrowed.)