Around the World Blog

FRIDAY, 13 MARCH 2009

It’s a rainy Friday the 13th afternoon and I’ve decided to spend some time doing laundry. Traveling with a small pack demands that I have to do laundry more often. Tomorrow will be my last full day in Sydney, so I want to get a start on getting my stuff together.

Over the past couple days, I’ve started to get a feel of what it would be actually live here in here in Sydney. My initial reaction upon arrival was that the hustle and bustle of the city life was too much for me. It wasn’t to my liking. After living for 3 years in the suburbs, I was accustomed to peace and quiet. Then something happened. I realized why I used to love major walking cities. Sydney is such a diverse city. Walking down the street, you hear so many different languages. Darling Harbour has become my favorite place in the city – a great public area that allows people of all socioeconomic backgrounds to enjoy the park and area around the harbour. You can enjoy the harbour by taking a walk, by eating at one of the many fine dining establishment, or simply getting takeaway or bringing a packed lunch and sit on the steps of the harbour. There is no need to spend money to enjoy the space.

On weekends, there are cultural festival events to enjoy at Tumbalong Park. This weekend, there was the Thailand Festival with great Thai food, muay thai performances, and plenty of information and brochures about Thailand. Other events include a ‘capeiora weekend’ and a Greek Festival weekend. Walking back from the area to the Sony Entertainment center, one can see hip hop dancers practicing in front of their reflections each evening. There is a determined hip hop culture here in the city. I’ve found so many things to do and people to watch in the past couple days.

Sydney really is an enjoyable city. I’m managed to keep myself quite occupied by taking a ferry to Manly Beach, spending afternoons in the Botanical Gardens, getting more sun time at Bondi Beach and simply walking around the city. There’s so much that the city constantly has to offer.

TUESDAY, 10 MARCH 2009

Hopping with the Roos

Okay, so the title is a bit misleading as I didn’t actually hop along side kangaroos. I did, however, have the most amazing day at the Featherdale Wildlife Park.

After perusing brochures, websites, and online reviews, I decided that the Featherdale Wildlife Park would be the best way to get a close encounter with all the unique Australian wildlife. The decision had come down to the Tarongo Zoo in Sydney, The Sydney Wildlife Experience, and the Melbourne Zoo. Featherdale won out in the end.

It took about an hour and a half to get there by train and bus. Located in a residential area, the place had a very small intimate feel about it. As I walked to the front, there was a worker holding a baby kangaroo, also known as a joey! It was absolutely adorable!

It was early when I arrived – around 9:30 AM. As I entered with a discount ticket (score with the travel brochures I’d flipped through in the hostel), I was immediately greeted by wallabies hopping around, right up to me. A wallaby, as wikipedia just informed me, is “an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo.” I was very pleasantly surprised by how close of an encounter the park provided. Soon after the wallaby greeting, I got to hold a snake and get a photo. It was interesting to have the snake wrapping around my arms, seeking the heat from my skin.

And on to the next section, the koalas! I came back to this area several times during the day. I got to pet both an older koala and a younger one of 14 months! The baby was extremely soft, just like a teddy bear, and I fought the urge to steal it away to take back home! Koalas do have claws though, so I simply took a picture with it.

Next to the Koala photo op section was a bin with Kangaroo food. For $1, I filled a cone with the food and wandered into the next area where there were dozens of wallabies and kangaroos bouncing area, looking to be fed.

Additional animals I got to see were wombats, echidnas, emus, penguins, and a whole bunch of albino wallabies. Click here to see the full photo gallery.

I feel as though my Australia goals have almost all been completed. I climbed the damn bridge, got close encounters with koalas and kangaroos, and have a flight booked to Melbourne. What more could a girl ask for?

MONDAY, 9 MARCH 2009

I came, I saw, I climbed the damn thing...

Success! I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge -- the one major goal I set for my visit to Sydney. I was definitely a bit nervous beforehand, mostly because it had rained all last night and was still raining through the morning. I didn't want my climb to be in the rain with clouds blocking the view. Thankfully, it started clearing up just before the climb.

The Bridge Climb is definitely a safe and controlled climb. We got fitted with suits, accessory attachments such as hats, hankies (to wipe sweat) and radios. The leader, Carolina, gave us a full one-hour intro and introduction on how to put on the equipment and required we do a ‘test’ run on practice stairs. After this, we got ready to start.

I found that the scariest part was to cross the rafters just below the bridge before ascending the arch. At this point, we were on a foot wide plank and I could see way below me. After that, we climbed ladders/stairs onto then above the bridge and began the climb up the to the top. The metal steel was wide and obstructed most of the view down. The entire time while we were ascending the arch and descending, I was in awe of the spectacular view of the city. It was truly an amazing experience. We stopped for a couple photos on the way – one on the Opera House, one at the Summit, a complimentary group photo at the Summit, one in front of the city, and one with a view of the ground below to emphasize the height we were at.

The climb itself can be tiring. By the end of it, we had climbed something like 1473 steps and my legs were aching. My legs were aching and I forked out the money for 2 digital photos. I even got a complimentary group photo at summit and a certificate of my successful climb.

Our climb leader was able to provide us with some interesting facts during the climb. The Opera House was apparently designed by a Danish man who, after designing it, left mid-construction due to some drama over the costs and what not. He never ever returned to Sydney to see the completed version. The Opera House itself is designed to look like the sails of a boat.

Carolina also told us of the only man to ever survive a fall off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. During the construction of it, he fell when the piece he was working on broke. Being a ex-professional diver, he knew to go feet first into the water, pinch his nose with his hands and blow hard out his ears. He survived with a few broken ribs. It was insane imagining men working on the bridge without any rails, simply walking up and down the arch. That’s a job I’d never be able to do.

After, I stopped by the Darling Harbour area, which I knew immediately to be my favorite place in Sydney. I peeked into the Chinese Gardens, walked through the tranquil Tumbalong Park, in front of the Exhibition Center, and ended up in front of Cockle Bay. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the name.

Later, I did the 30 minute walk to Circular Quay to capture pictures of the Opera House at sunset. I got some great pictures and just relaxed with the great view. Today was an amazing day.

SUNDAY, 8 MARCH 2009

Bondi with the Girls

This morning, I joined my roommate and her fellow travelers for a trip to Bondi Beach. Michelle and I bonded last night – Saturday night of the Mardi Gras parade– over the fact that at our old age (compared to the 18 and 19 year olds around), we were here for the sights and not the boozing. I did stop by the Mardi Gras parade the night before to scope out the city on its party night, but it was jammed packed with people and strong police presence. I caught a glimpse of it – more of a rave on the streets than anything, from what I saw. Aside from that, I had to fight to simply walk down the streets. Not my idea of fun with jet lag on the day I’d arrived in Sydney.

So this morning, I joined Michelle, Holly and Delia on a trip to the famous Bondi Beach. Michelle and Holly are both British; Delia is Swiss. It was great to be around the British wits and by the end of the day, I’d gotten recommendations to eat beans on toast (WTF?), had a great discussion about Top Gear episodes, and thoroughly enjoyed imagining that I’d picked up an English accent by the end of it.

When we arrived at Bondi Beach, we took the obligatory pictures of the site. Michelle delighted me with stories of a television series focused on the Bondi Lifeguards (think real-life Baywatch). She insisted that most of the people rescued seemed to be either Irish or fully-clothed Asian people who waded into the water where there seemed to be few people (meaning, not staying between the safety flags) and got swept away by ride tips. Fabulous.

We did the walk towards Coogee and got as far as Covelly. The walk along the coast was gorgeous with a well-bulit pathway with runners and walkers alike. We lucked out with weather that was just right and a nice breeze. Along the way, we passed an gym with an outdoor pool right up near the ocean waves. A yoga class was taking place with breath-taking views. We continued on along rocks and cliffs and eventually had to pass through a cemetery right on the coast. By the time we had walked about 3.2 km, we were ready for food and opted to bus it back to Bondi, rather than continue on to Coogee. It was a good way to spend a couple hours.

After Bondi, we arrived back at the hostel just as the skies opened up and poured down rain. Sunday evening will be a relaxed one, staying in, updating the website, and doing some reading. I’m definitely praying that the weather clears up by tomorrow, since I’ll be doing the Bridge Climb at 10 AM.

7th March 2009.

Sydney: First Impressions

From landing to arrival at the hostel, I remained at ease in a calm familiar tranquility. I’ve done it so many times – arriving in a new place, having to situate myself and get a hold of my surroundings.

When I arrive in a new place, I generally have 2 nights booked at a hostel with directions in hand. Two nights allows me time to get settled in the city, and it also allows me to decide if the hostel is agreeable enough to stay longer. Hostels have long been my means of being able to sustain a reasonable budget while traveling to all the locations on my list. To describe it simply, a hostel is a budget friendly means of having a bed to stay in – the bed is generally in a room of 4 to 8 beds (sometimes up to 15) and bunk beds are usually used to maximize use of space. Some hostels have mixed rooms only; others allow for female only rooms. A communal bathroom is just down the hall. My current hostel is basic enough, with free breakfast, wireless internet and security lockers.

The great thing about Sydney is the ease in getting around. Once hopped off the plane, I breezed through Customs with only my carry-on backpack (the Customs officer even asked if my luggage had been lost). I grabbed a free Sydney guidebook on the way out, something I’ve learned that most major cities have. A quick stop at the ATM provided me with some Aussie dollars then I was off to the trains. The train system here is reminiscent of the London Underground – the station had clear maps of which stops each train went to, signs and announcements to alert travelers to the stops of a train, and once on board, a sign showed which stop was to come next. With all this, one really can’t go wrong.

After a full day spent in Sydney, my initial impression was that I hate it. Okay, so maybe ‘hate’ is a strong word. I don’t despise it, it’s really not so bad – but it’s definitely not for me. It’s funny – after traveling for years, I can almost immediately know if a city or country is one that I’ll like. Maybe I’m too judgmental on first impressions. Time will tell.

Sydney is definitely has the hustle and bustle of most large cities around the world. I spent my first day walking down George Street towards the harbour and took in my first glimpe of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Opera House is a classic icon of Sydney, with its unique modern design contrasting with the solid steel look of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I spent time walking around the area, stopping by the Rocks Market full of shopping that tempted my impulse urges (I really DO need a boomerang, don’t I?), then headed across the Bridge to scope it out for the Bridge Climb.

The Bridge Climb is a definite must-do on my list. First off, I have a deep fear of heights. Thus, it gives me no bigger rush than to encounter the fear dead on by placing myself in scenarios such as these. The climb up Half Dome I did a while back was probably one of the worse scenarios, in that I was not even tied onto a rope. If you fall at Half Dome, you fall to your death. With the Bridge Climb, it’s safe enough with full suits that allow you to be strapped to the bridge at all times. All I have to do is climb the damn thing.

The rest of the day was spent mostly just walking around on the streets to take in the fact that I was truly in Australia! Overall, I had a good day getting introduced to the city of Sydney.

FRIDAY, 6 MARCH 2009

In Transit

On the plane to Tahiti. Air Tahiti Nui has really impressed me. After traveling for years with American companies, I’ve gotten to know airlines as having very basic services. Flights are strictly utilitarian with the price paying simply for getting from Point A to Point B. Economic slumps have called for payment of any ‘extra’ services such as luggage checked on, food, and alcohol.

Not Air Tahiti Nui. As soon as I stepped on the plane, the difference was clear. The color scheme was one to bring images of tropical islands with clear blue waters. Turquoise seats had a blue blanket and pillow neatly leaned to an angle. An icon of an island flower can be found on the pillow cover as well as the items provided in the goodie bag – headsets, ear plugs, eye covers, and socks. The stewardesses, dressed nicely in trim suits with a sash and flower in hair, came by to provide each female with a local flower of the islands. Its smell had a calming effect. A professionally designed menu was provided in both French and English to allow the choices for food to be known. Stewardesses walk by routinely to offer water to the guests. Air Tahiti Nui is all about the details that other airlines have long since forgotten. And remember – I’m in coach and this was the cheapest flight for me to get to Sydney.

Another benefit is the excessive room on the flight – not due to different seat positioning but simply because there are not many people on board. One might guess that on a Thursday evening in an economically challenging time, not many people travel to Tahiti.

And so I go on. My mind is patient, knowing that I have a ways to go before reaching Sydney. It’s 11:34 back home – almost 5 hours have passed since take off. Once we land in Tahiti, I have an hour wait, then it’s another 8 hours to go. I’m pacing myself so that I will sleep during the second part of the flight. My arrival in Sydney will be at 7:40 AM and I want to have as much energy as possible to take on the city of Sydney. Australia, here I come.

THURSDAY, 5 MARCH 2009

And It Begins!

Finally, after days packed full of house work, moving, packing, seeing friends, etc, my Around the World trip begins! It feels almost odd that it's finally happening -- I've put off this trip for far too long.

I'm currently at LAX waiting for my next flight to Tahiti, then to Sydney, Australia. I'm craving the long flight so I can have a great sleep. I made the mistake of eating some delicious Indian food at Shalimar last night and I swear I have food poisoning now. But sleep can and will cure all! In addition to sleeping, I look forward to watching the movie "Australia" whilst on the way to Australia. Seems fitting, eh?