I’m confused. It’s all different. The sun is in the north and runs the opposite way I expect it. The moon: way too high in the sky for what I’m used for, right on top of me. It’s a half moon right now, but not half as in left-right, but tilted, so it looks like a boat… Or, as they call it ‘the smile of the moon’.

It’s still spring here, but it’s weird that by 5.30 the sun’s down and the beach empty, as by 6 it is dark (while it is warmer than a Brussels summer…) So somehow I expected to have daylight up to 10 pm….

I realize it’s all due to the fact that I’m in the southern hemisphere and relatively close to the equator, and hence the perspective has changed, but I have a hard time with that. When I’m lost, I do navigate by the sun… being always south! Not north.

As for the stars: no Polar Star. Orion is there… but it’s upside down! The big and little dipper? Look like hats. As for the constellations’ names, it get’s a little exotic, too: the Toucan, the Flying Fish, a Lizard, a Dolphin… or technical: the Drafting Compass, a Sextant, an Octant, a Microscope and an Air Pump?? I guess they ran out of antique stories and heroes.

I’ll visit the planetarium once I understand their website. I want to learn more about the southern hemisphere’s stars.

I want to see the Southern Cross that is depicted in the flags of Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, all countries of my trip.

While being none of the classical greek star constellations, it was known to the Greeks, but had since then drifted out of sight for Europeans due to Earth’s axial rotation. It was only rediscovered and identified in the 16th century by the various seafarers on their way around the world.

Anyway, enough astronomy. I just love looking at the stars and get upset when they’re upside down. But I guess that won’t be the only thing that’ll be turned upside down during that trip. One hopes.