16 Mar The California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences was on the to do list since a couple of weeks after I got here. From what my friends described, it was like a museum, exotic zoo and science fair combined, with booze and DJs thrown in the mix if you visited on a Thursday night; my idea of fun on all fronts. I don’t know why it took me so long to make it happen, but I finally got around to heading over on Thursday last week. The commute there was a pain, but only because it was raining so heavily as it had been that entire week. Wait about 35 minutes for a friend to arrive didn’t help either. While my night didn’t have the most promising start, my bad mood dissipated a few moments after stepping inside. Making a beeline for the bar was the first call-to-order. A couple of glasses of wine felt appropriate given the loud music and very social vibe the event and trendy-looking, surrounding people gave off.

Our senses adequately lubricated, we made our way to the first exhibit. A jungle-inspired habitat surrounded by glass walls that housed a large crocodile. While the beast would have been impressive enough had it been ordinary, it’s complete lack of pigment made it spectacular. An albino crocodile is definitely a sight to behold, and was quite effective in priming us for the curiosities to follow. I felt a bit sad when my friend mentioned that the guy had been on exhibit for close to 15 years. His enclosure wasn’t very big, the music was loud and people were gawking from every angle. It didn’t seem like the ideal circumstances for a prehistoric reptile to have spent the last decade-and-a-half.

The rest of the night involved many other amazing things, including rattle snakes, boa constrictors, and very heavenly, ethereal displays of jelly-fish. My friend wasn’t as big a fan of these as I, having been stung quite severely by one during a trip to southeast Asia about a year back.  My favorite part of the Academy, and the last thing we saw that evening, was the earthquake simulator. As bad as it sounds, earthquakes have definitely been on my mind since I arrived here, mostly because they’re not something we have to worry about back home in Melbourne. They’ve always fascinated that morbid side of my imagination a bit more than any other natural disaster. Just the idea of the ground shaking beneath me, the very platform upon which day-to-day life takes place erupting into violent and unpredictable motion. What a frightening and profound experience that would be.  The simulator was quite a laugh, especially after a few glasses of wine.

Anyway, visit the California Academy of Science, and do it on a Thursday night. It’s interesting, exciting and out-of-the-ordinary. And there’s booze. You’re bound to have a great time.