Brr we experienced a pretty frustrating day actually. After we had a quarrel with the mechanic who fixed our alternator we made an appointment (for Friday) with a different garage as there’s still a problem with a sensor somewhere. Because of that no indicators on our dashboard work. So as we already knew this sensor needed to be replaced we wanted to give the garage a head’s up so they could already order the part and then fix it on Friday. However, as a backpacker here, you’re quickly labeled ‘poor’ so they didn’t want to order the 10$ part because they didn’t trust us. Sick and tired of this nonsense we went to a Toyota center, where we were welcomed very friendly, however when the advisor wanted to check what the problem could be, our car didn’t start anymore. 

In 2 minutes he had seen that the original problem was probably an oil leak, which destroyed our alternator and because that wasn’t noticed, now our new 670$ alternator was also kaputt. I freaked out because I just couldn’t handle this injustice, if the first mechanic wouldn’t acknowledge this was his fault, we will end up paying more than 1500$ just because we were unlucky to have gone to the wrong mechanic? Luckily the mechanic sounded reasonable on the phone and agreed to take a look and fix it for free if it was indeed his mistake.. 

In such situations I’m easily desponding, so there I was, ready to give it all up and depart to some other country. Luckily there’s always my sweetest husband to put things into perspective. So for now, we’re stuck in Darwin waiting for our car to get fixed. I know, it will all be fine eventually but let’s say I became a little less of a ‘no worries’ person. 

Oh and a small sequence of the sandfly-bites story, I went to the doctor’s because I couldn’t handle the itch anymore. Guess what, I’m on steroids now! I didn’t fully understand it when the doctor said it, because the doctors I’ve seen here are usually non-natives so I googled the medicines afterwards. I’m on antibiotics (& probiotics), corticosteroids & the antihistamine pills I already took. I have to wear long legs & sleeves in the mornings & evenings (which is quite the challenge in these temperatures) and continuously put on insect repellent & soothing cremes. YAAAY lovely to be me 😉 

Fun fact of this week; someone left an adult coloring book (that sounds so wrong actually) in the camp kitchen. In caravan parks it is a custom that people leave stuff they don’t need anymore behind in the camp kitchen like herbs oils, cups etc. so other people can use them (or at least that’s what we hope they’re meant for). So now I can go coloring again, I always loved that! 🙂