Maarten Vangramberen and Bavo Mortier have arrived at the finish line in Wollongong. However, race is not the main topic of conversation between our two reporters. Octopuses, the local climate and their relationship with the Kazakh delegation are.
Just after the arrival of the promises Maarten and Bavo rush to the finish line to record their diary. Our reporters are still exploring life in Wollongong.
Bavo dived into one of the famous “rockpools” this morning. “I had seen that on the images we had made with the drone. I should have taken a dip in that,” says Bavo.
That morning dive did not turn out to be very pleasant. “It was very cold. My shins hurt a lot,” Bavo says. “And everything is starting to shrink,” Maarten adds with a wink.
The cold isn’t the only danger of the rockpools. In addition to one of those pools, Maarten also noticed a striking sign “Beware of the blue-ringed octopus”, it reads.
“That is a small octopus with yellow spots, but if you hold it it turns blue. And that is the sign that it is going to sting. If you are not intubated within half an hour, you will die,” says Maarten.
There is no central heating here. When people come home, they put on their coats instead of taking them off.
It is not only the Australian fauna that requires adaptations for Maarten and Bavo. The lack of central heating also creates practical issues. “It is colder here than in Belgium. And when you enter somewhere, in a restaurant for example, it is freezing cold there”, Maarten has experienced.
“In fact, it’s often colder inside than outside. When people come home, they put on their coats instead of taking them off. And professors who teach at the university in winter even wear gloves,” he adds.
The brand new world champion, Yevgeni Fedorov, is a hotel mate of Maarten and Bavo.
Rendering greasy butter and sweet pancakes
Just before the recording of the diary, Maarten and Bavo saw the Kazak Yevgeni Fedorov sprint to the world title. It may not have been Belgian, but our reporters still feel a connection with the Kazakh.
“We see Fedorov every day at the table. We are at the hotel together with the Kazakh delegation. We already knew Lutsenko, but now we also know Fedorov,” says Maarten.
Bavo immediately hopes to benefit from their connection with the brand new world champion: “We hope that he will now treat us to a beer.” Maarten has already sent the supervisors of the team that they are waiting for a treat.
In the first episode Maarten and Bavo had criticized the food in the hotel, but Fedorov has now proven that there is nothing wrong with that.
“We said that the butter was too greasy and there was too much sugar in the pancakes, but now someone who has eaten the same becomes world champion… So maybe we should bring something for the Belgians on Sunday”, Maarten concludes.
