EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore: Cairns = "Canz"

I actually started giggling. Little bursts of uncontrolled giggles. This was after getting off the phone with Dawn, from the hostel we're going to be staying at in Cairns. Our conversation ended with "see you in two weeks" and it hit me that I WILL BE IN CAIRNS IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS (the two weeks was rounding up).

I called to get details on the tours they book. Wanted to know whether they're private, "I've got a deal with this hostel" tours that are party trips and a bit dodgy, or if they just do your personal bookings for you after recommending tours that suit you. Turns out it's the latter, which is wonderful. Dawn was incredibly friendly and told me about all sorts of tours, all of which she's done herself so she knows what they're like. She was as excited as I was about my trip. More excited even. The thing that really made me smile though was when she was reading where one of the tours went, paused, said "oh, this is new. This town has a place with the best yogurt. If you go on this tour I'll give you some money to pick some up for me. The have the most amazing mango yogurt, and there's even plum yogurt."

Total friendliness, total trust. It's all so wonderfully laid back, don't-you-worry-about-a-thing, you're going to have a great time. And I'm completely confident that Dawn will remember exactly who I am when I arrive. Even if the hostel isn't the most beautiful place to stay, the people who run it will more than make up for it, I'm sure.