Outback adventures part 7 - Atherton and the end

- australia
In Atherton, I climb Mt. Baldy, and finally find out the name of the trees with the pretty purple flowers that I keep seeing. Also, I realize that I can’t withdraw any cash from the ATMs (cash machines) anymore. So far, I’ve either paid with credit card or withdrawn money using my credit card. The amount of money I can access per month is limited, and for the first time since I started traveling, I have reached that limit, two days before the month is over.

The problem is that I have only little cash left, which I need for the bus to Cairns airport, and after flying to Melbourne, for the bus to my hostel, as well as for the hostel. When I arrive at my hostel, I can only pay for one of the three nights I have booked, and leave my passport as a security deposit for my room key instead of the requested $20. I’m left with $10 cash and no idea how to get any money to pay for next night’s bed.

I call my bank, Sparkasse Uelzen, where I’ve been a loyal customer for 14 years, and ask them to increase my credit range. First, I incidentally talk to someone who’s not in charge of my account, but whom I know personally from old times, and we chat for a bit. He says he’s gonna make sure to help me out.

Once I finally reach the right bank lady, Ms Popp, a quite young one I believe, she already knows what this is about and only needs some information from me. My job and my income. Apparently, “world traveler” is not a job! Who would have thought? Seeing this, she has to ask her supervisor for an exception, which I can understand but don’t like nonetheless. We keep scheduling times where I can call again, because I can’t be called back on Skype easily. And that means that I have to stay up quite late to eventually get a positive answer. I am very happy about it until Ms Popp tells me that my credit range will be increased in a few days.

Unfortunately, a few days doesn’t help me at all, since I won’t have this problem anymore two days from now anyway! I don’t know how to pay for my room tomorrow, that’s the problem. But eventually, they make the impossible possible, and the next morning I pay my dues, and seriously rethink my spending.

Jacaranda tree.



Comments

oh ho and I thought you might end up dancing some charlston in the streets to earn some money.;-) - Kat