Last night, by the time I researched everything I wanted to do today it was 2am. When my alarm went off at 7am, I debated seeing ANYTHING and just sleeping, but where’s the fun in that?
My first stop was the Queen Victoria Market. I had read it was the place for shopping (food, clothes, gifts, etc) and that it opened at 6am every day so I caught the tram @ 730am which got me there around 8am. However, NOTHING was open! Well I shouldn’t say that..the food stuff was open (I literally gagged walking in the fish section..YUCK!) but the stuff I wanted to see was JUST setting up at 8am. If you ever travel to a place where they have markets, go when you can watch them set up or break down. During the day they can be so annoying (not so much here, but in Asia) haggling you and bugging you, but it is AMAZING to see how much work goes into setting up their stalls for the day.
There didn’t seem to be much point in me waiting around, so my next stop was to explore the city. There isn’t a ton to see as far as buildings or sites, more rather neighborhoods, etc. I went to China Town and the Greek area and then spent some time exploring the alleyways. They say you don’t know the real Melbourne unless you walk the alleys, which feel very French/Italian. They have tables set up in the middle and lots of little boutiques and restaurants..I really liked it!
I was also on the Pavlova hunt! In Sydney, Erin looked in every bakery shop for this Australia dessert, Pavlova, which is a meringue type dessert with fruit. No luck! However, I asked my trip advisor peeps (love them) and I had TWO suggestions! BOTH were on the spot! The first place I went was a chocolate place, aka HEAVEN! I wanted everything on the menu, but chocolate pavlova it was! The woman took FOREVER to bring it over, but then I realized it was because SO much time was spent on the presentation! It was beautiful! Since I didn’t know what regular pavlova was suppose to be like I didn’t know if this was accurate, but it was very good and had strawberries on top! Yum! I then had to try out the other place (which was supposed to have real Pavlova) and it did! This was beautifully presented as well and VERY yummy! While it wasn’t chocolate, it was VERY sweet and I can see why Erin likes it!
After having two desserts before 10am (life is good!) I decided I would try the free city bus. It is a tourist bus that brings you around the city (hop on hop off) and I figured this way I could go back to the market and get a tour of the city. The tour bus has a pretty long route (1.5 hours) but it’s a good quick way to see the city and then decided what you want to go back and see! I stopped at the market (which was up and running) and it was nice because it was your typical market, without the pushiness!
I then decided I wanted to head to Bridge Street which was supposed to have good shopping. This was a short 10 minute tram ride away, although I was not impressed. I guess it’s a factory area for designer clothing (but obviously I don’t know those brands) and overall it just didn’t seem that happening.
At this point I was exhausted (and it was only 3pm) but I came back and got myself on another tram to go to St Kilda. I wanted to make the most of my last day in Melbourne and figured I can sleep the next week and I would hate to leave and think, “Oh I wish..”
The ride to St Kilda was about 20 minutes and I realized I got off a little too early as there was really NOTHING around. Basically there was one strip that had a lot of shops and restaurants and then an esplanade where the beach is it. Again, it was cloudy/cold/windy so I am sure in their summer this place is happening but it still was pretty busy!
By the time I got back, grabbed a quick bit to dinner and showered, I realized I need to pack and get some sleep! I need to be up at 6am tomorrow to catch my flight to LA and then Boston baby!!!
I have decided (or realized again) how much I LOVE to travel. I just love it! I was afraid I would “forget” how to travel alone, or freak out since I was spoiled and had my mom here, but I was pleasantly reminded how I was lucky enough to be raised to be independent and self sufficient (well..for the most part!) I have just LOVED every second of this experience and at one point today I thought, “Graduate school is overrated, where should I travel in the fall?” Alright Dad sorry for the heart attack, I will go back to school!
In all seriousness though, I want to remember how I felt today, because I am afraid once I get back in “the grind” I just take life too seriously and forget all that’s out there! I think I could be very happy “working” to travel, coming back poor and starting all over again! I love the adventure, I love learning about new culture and people and exploring new areas. I just love it all!
With that being said..
Hugs and Kisses from a Wonderful World!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Penguin Parade!
I hit snooze a few too many times this morning! I wish I had one more day in Melbourne so I wasn’t doing FULL days on 5 hours of sleep! BUT life is still good! After some breakfast and a quick internet café stop, I was off to catch the train to Swinburne, the university Merrimack will now be sending study abroad students to. I really think I do better in countries where English is NOT the language because I was so confused about the whole system! I did manage to get myself a ticket and to the correct platform, but couldn’t seem to understand which train was coming, which was going, etc. I guess a lot of the trains were behind schedule so that sort of messed things up. It was 930am but the sign said the 917am train or something like that. Anyway I managed to get myself on a train and prayed I was heading in the right direction!
It was only a 10 minute ride to the campus, but I have to say I was not impressed when I got off the train. The area seemed dirty and sort of had a back alley feel to it. LUCKILY that changed when I got to the center of campus. I met Justine (who is the contact for Merrimack) in the International Programs office. I also met two other women, Sonia, the regional team leader and Xenia the manager.
We went to a coffee shop (the campus has a few outside vendors) where I was able to talk to them about Merrimack students studying abroad, etc. It was actually VERY cool and it got me even more excited about my future in the field of international education. I then went on a campus tour. It has a very industrial/modern feel to it, but I liked it. They just completed a couple of new buildings (a technology center and a student center) and I was also able to see a residential option for students. We then went out to lunch as there is a main street about 2 minutes from campus with banks, restaurants, shops, etc. Overall I had a really great time learning more about the school and I think it will be great to be able to talk about my experience when I am advising students at Merrimack.
It was about 140pm when I got back on the train and I wasn’t quite sure what to do. My penguin parade tour left at 445pm so I had some time, but I wasn’t sure how long everything took that I wanted to do. I eventually decided it wasn’t worth going far away (and having to worry about being back) so I decided I would stay in the area.
I had read that at Federation Square there was a Disney Princess exhibit. I know, I know..not a very Melbourne thing, but I HAD to see it and honestly it was one of the BEST decisions of my life! The exhibit was set up VERY well. It was all about how they went about animating the movies and they had actually drawings and sketches from the beginning process. It was really cool to see the “rejected” ideas for some of the characters (like the Beast). As you can expect I spent most of my time in the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast sections. They had projectors so I walked over because the *Kiss the Girl* scene was playing. However, out of the corner of my eye I also saw the *Be Our Guest* scene was playing as well! How’s a girl to choose? I couldn’t believe my two favorite Disney scenes were playing simultaneously. LUCKILY, I was spared this tough decision as I realized they had two or three of the movies best scenes on repeat, so I was able to watch both! I really could have stayed in there for days, but I had to check my bag so I had no clue what time it was and figured missing the penguins for a Disney exhibit wasn’t cool, so I headed out. I had about an hour and thought about doing some exploring, but honestly I just wanted to rest for a bit! I decided to come back to the room and do a little write up on my time at Swinburne before I forgot everything!
Before I knew it it was time to head off to my penguin parade. There were a lot of tour options for this, but I wanted to do the penguin express, right to the penguins and back. If I had more time in Melbourne I might have done more of a full day tour, but this seemed good. The bus left at 5pm and didn’t get to the penguins until around 7pm (it was a long ride). They have bleacher style seats set up along the beach where you wait until dark for the penguins to come out from the water, cross the beach, and go back into their homes in the bush.
It was VERY cold out and windy..so I was even more anxious for the penguins to arrive. After sitting outside in the FREEZING weather, we started to see a few emerge from the water. It was really cool because they just sort of swim up in packs of 5 and quickly waddle across the beach together. They were so little and SO cute it literally made me laugh out loud. It is malting season for them (they get new feathers) so they aren’t able to go into the water for 2.5 weeks so there really weren’t a lot of penguins. I was a bit disappointed, but on the walk back to the main building I saw a lot on the sides of the walkway. It was so cute because some of the penguins would come out from their home to welcome the new penguins back from the ocean!
It was a VERY long night again (2 hours on the bus each way) but since I LOVE penguins it really was worth it! On the way back I had a woman (in her 50s) sitting behind me, who was the WORST and I mean WORST singer I have EVER heard. Honestly at first I thought it was a dying cat..and THEN I realized she was just singing out loud to her iPod. It was to the point that it was socially unacceptable; although since the bus wasn’t full I am not sure anyone else could hear it. It was like a train wreck though, I couldn’t stop listening. I mean I KNOW I can’t sing, but this lady was AWFUL. I really wish I could have recorded it because I was literally laughing, and I know that sounds mean but you should have heard her!
We didn’t get back until 11:30pm and I was starving and LUCKILY Subway was open. I asked the guy what time they closed (it didn’t seem like he was shutting down..) and without looking up he responded “24/7” Well..good for me!
I don’t mean to be complaining but I do wish I had a few more days in Melbourne so instead of doing FULL days on 5 hours of sleep I could actually sleep at night and then do half days! I just didn’t realized there would be so much to see OUTSIDE of Melbourne but I guess it is better than being bored! Tomorrow I will actually have a day to explore the city!
Hugs and kisses from little penguins!
It was only a 10 minute ride to the campus, but I have to say I was not impressed when I got off the train. The area seemed dirty and sort of had a back alley feel to it. LUCKILY that changed when I got to the center of campus. I met Justine (who is the contact for Merrimack) in the International Programs office. I also met two other women, Sonia, the regional team leader and Xenia the manager.
We went to a coffee shop (the campus has a few outside vendors) where I was able to talk to them about Merrimack students studying abroad, etc. It was actually VERY cool and it got me even more excited about my future in the field of international education. I then went on a campus tour. It has a very industrial/modern feel to it, but I liked it. They just completed a couple of new buildings (a technology center and a student center) and I was also able to see a residential option for students. We then went out to lunch as there is a main street about 2 minutes from campus with banks, restaurants, shops, etc. Overall I had a really great time learning more about the school and I think it will be great to be able to talk about my experience when I am advising students at Merrimack.
It was about 140pm when I got back on the train and I wasn’t quite sure what to do. My penguin parade tour left at 445pm so I had some time, but I wasn’t sure how long everything took that I wanted to do. I eventually decided it wasn’t worth going far away (and having to worry about being back) so I decided I would stay in the area.
I had read that at Federation Square there was a Disney Princess exhibit. I know, I know..not a very Melbourne thing, but I HAD to see it and honestly it was one of the BEST decisions of my life! The exhibit was set up VERY well. It was all about how they went about animating the movies and they had actually drawings and sketches from the beginning process. It was really cool to see the “rejected” ideas for some of the characters (like the Beast). As you can expect I spent most of my time in the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast sections. They had projectors so I walked over because the *Kiss the Girl* scene was playing. However, out of the corner of my eye I also saw the *Be Our Guest* scene was playing as well! How’s a girl to choose? I couldn’t believe my two favorite Disney scenes were playing simultaneously. LUCKILY, I was spared this tough decision as I realized they had two or three of the movies best scenes on repeat, so I was able to watch both! I really could have stayed in there for days, but I had to check my bag so I had no clue what time it was and figured missing the penguins for a Disney exhibit wasn’t cool, so I headed out. I had about an hour and thought about doing some exploring, but honestly I just wanted to rest for a bit! I decided to come back to the room and do a little write up on my time at Swinburne before I forgot everything!
Before I knew it it was time to head off to my penguin parade. There were a lot of tour options for this, but I wanted to do the penguin express, right to the penguins and back. If I had more time in Melbourne I might have done more of a full day tour, but this seemed good. The bus left at 5pm and didn’t get to the penguins until around 7pm (it was a long ride). They have bleacher style seats set up along the beach where you wait until dark for the penguins to come out from the water, cross the beach, and go back into their homes in the bush.
It was VERY cold out and windy..so I was even more anxious for the penguins to arrive. After sitting outside in the FREEZING weather, we started to see a few emerge from the water. It was really cool because they just sort of swim up in packs of 5 and quickly waddle across the beach together. They were so little and SO cute it literally made me laugh out loud. It is malting season for them (they get new feathers) so they aren’t able to go into the water for 2.5 weeks so there really weren’t a lot of penguins. I was a bit disappointed, but on the walk back to the main building I saw a lot on the sides of the walkway. It was so cute because some of the penguins would come out from their home to welcome the new penguins back from the ocean!
It was a VERY long night again (2 hours on the bus each way) but since I LOVE penguins it really was worth it! On the way back I had a woman (in her 50s) sitting behind me, who was the WORST and I mean WORST singer I have EVER heard. Honestly at first I thought it was a dying cat..and THEN I realized she was just singing out loud to her iPod. It was to the point that it was socially unacceptable; although since the bus wasn’t full I am not sure anyone else could hear it. It was like a train wreck though, I couldn’t stop listening. I mean I KNOW I can’t sing, but this lady was AWFUL. I really wish I could have recorded it because I was literally laughing, and I know that sounds mean but you should have heard her!
We didn’t get back until 11:30pm and I was starving and LUCKILY Subway was open. I asked the guy what time they closed (it didn’t seem like he was shutting down..) and without looking up he responded “24/7” Well..good for me!
I don’t mean to be complaining but I do wish I had a few more days in Melbourne so instead of doing FULL days on 5 hours of sleep I could actually sleep at night and then do half days! I just didn’t realized there would be so much to see OUTSIDE of Melbourne but I guess it is better than being bored! Tomorrow I will actually have a day to explore the city!
Hugs and kisses from little penguins!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Great Ocean Road
I woke up very tired this morning as I barely got 5 hours of sleep last night. After all the running around and getting myself settled in I was still looking at the clock @ 2am and I was up @ 7am for my tour!
When reading about things to do in Melbourne the *Great Ocean Road* was one of them. It is comparable to the Pacific Highway in California and people say it is just beautiful. I decided I needed to do it, but had a lot of trouble finding a tour I liked! All of them were at least 12 hours long (at best) and most included Koala and Kangaroo stuff which I had already done! I finally settled on this tour as it was one of the shortest I could find (8am-730pm) and didn’t include any animal stuff. I had scoped out where I needed to be last night so after a quick breakfast I was on my way!
Aaaaaaaand I was cold! Brrrrr! Granted it was in the morning and the sun wasn’t up, but ugh I was not a happy camper! It is their fall here and that’s what it feels like! I met my tour and was on the bus and on the road by 8am. Our tour guide/bus driver, Chris, was telling us about the schedule for the day (I was half listening) but my ears perked up when he said, “And we should have you back here around 10:30pm!” I COULDN’T believe it! All this research and somehow I had booked one of the later trips! Ugh! But that’s when Chris said, “Haha only teasing, how about we have you back here by 7:30pm”. That’s when I knew I was going to like him! Touché Chris, touché! He had the corniest “tour guide” jokes but I was cracking up in the back of the bus. I wanted to tell him when the tour ended how much I appreciated his jokes and I was laughing in the back, but unfortunately when it was time for me to get off at the end of the day it was a quick stop and not enough time. I will email his company! Anyway I am getting way ahead of myself!
The bus was pretty full but I was able to have the seat next to me free (yay!) We spent the morning driving along the coast and stopped every now and then to take pictures. The view was so beautiful, and luckily I got a seat on the left side of the bus so I could really enjoy it! It was getting around lunch time and I realized the bus had stopped, people were getting off and I had NO clue what was going on. I knew I was dozing off, but I didn’t realize it was enough to be CLUELESS! THESE are the times I miss traveling with someone! I went up to Chris and said I “couldn’t really hear him” in the back of the bus so wanted to double check what time we were leaving! We had an hour for lunch, so I got some pizza, walked around the shops and was able to put my feet in the water.
The afternoon was spent making our way through the jungle to the “12 Apostle” (now I think there are only 8) which jet out of the water and are really VERY cool. We also saw the London Bridge which just recently fell during the past few years. It is weird to think that as the water beats on it all of these will eventually fall into the water. The ride back was long, but it was definitely a cool trip. Even though we have the beach, this was a different type of beach.
We had the option of being dropped off at three different stops along the way and even though I was exhausted I figure this was a good time to do some exploring. I walked along the Southbank which feels a little bit like the Seine in Paris (yes, yes I am a travel snob) and made my way to the Eureka Tower. You go up 88 flights in 9 seconds (yes my ears felt every one) for 360 views of the city. It was REALLY cool to see the overview of the city like that!
It took me a while to walk around Southbank and when I got back I was so tired. After pressing the elevator button and waiting for a few minutes, I realized it was stuck on a floor and definitely NOT moving. Since the reception was closed, they had a sign that said, “dial 9 if any problems”. Did anyone pick up? Of course not! So I took out my cell phone to call their other number. I was sort of frustrated because what if I didn’t have a cell phone? Why should I have to waste my minutes calling them? Anyway that’s beside the point because I did call. I don’t even know who picked up as I hadn’t had any interaction with the “front desk” yet since they were closed last night and this morning when I woke up, but the guy said he would be down to fix it. When he came down he didn’t introduce himself or anything, but said sometimes the elevator does that and he would restart it. The whole situation was weird, but then it started working so all’s well that ends well.
I wanted to try the free wifi at McDs (which turned out to be SO slow..Vietnam style!) but as I was sitting there (waiting) I started overhearing this guy and girl in front of me (in their 20s) The guy was saying something like, “I don’t know if you’re my girlfriend anymore” and that got me hooked. I guess I am a very nosy person. I could only see her from the back and I couldn’t hear her, but then he said, “I can’t even drive anymore because I don’t remember how to get home, what did I do wrong? I didn’t drink, smoke, do drugs..I ate healthy and exercised..WHAT DID I DO WRONG?” At this point he was speaking VERY loudly to the point that I was even a little afraid. I was trying to figure out if maybe something happened in his brain where he couldn’t remember or something. Again I couldn’t hear her and I was trying to pretend I wasn’t listening, but then I heard him say the things again. At this point I thought maybe he had short term memory loss and didn’t remember he had JUST said this to her..and then it hit me. They were practicing for some acting thing! After his third time saying it they both laughed and I could hear him giving her acting advice. It was VERY strange..and I was almost tempted to tell him he did a great job as I totally believed him!
Anyway after my crazy night I headed back for a shower! Tomorrow I am off for a meeting at Swinburne and a penguin tour!
Hugs and kisses from the Great Ocean Road!
When reading about things to do in Melbourne the *Great Ocean Road* was one of them. It is comparable to the Pacific Highway in California and people say it is just beautiful. I decided I needed to do it, but had a lot of trouble finding a tour I liked! All of them were at least 12 hours long (at best) and most included Koala and Kangaroo stuff which I had already done! I finally settled on this tour as it was one of the shortest I could find (8am-730pm) and didn’t include any animal stuff. I had scoped out where I needed to be last night so after a quick breakfast I was on my way!
Aaaaaaaand I was cold! Brrrrr! Granted it was in the morning and the sun wasn’t up, but ugh I was not a happy camper! It is their fall here and that’s what it feels like! I met my tour and was on the bus and on the road by 8am. Our tour guide/bus driver, Chris, was telling us about the schedule for the day (I was half listening) but my ears perked up when he said, “And we should have you back here around 10:30pm!” I COULDN’T believe it! All this research and somehow I had booked one of the later trips! Ugh! But that’s when Chris said, “Haha only teasing, how about we have you back here by 7:30pm”. That’s when I knew I was going to like him! Touché Chris, touché! He had the corniest “tour guide” jokes but I was cracking up in the back of the bus. I wanted to tell him when the tour ended how much I appreciated his jokes and I was laughing in the back, but unfortunately when it was time for me to get off at the end of the day it was a quick stop and not enough time. I will email his company! Anyway I am getting way ahead of myself!
The bus was pretty full but I was able to have the seat next to me free (yay!) We spent the morning driving along the coast and stopped every now and then to take pictures. The view was so beautiful, and luckily I got a seat on the left side of the bus so I could really enjoy it! It was getting around lunch time and I realized the bus had stopped, people were getting off and I had NO clue what was going on. I knew I was dozing off, but I didn’t realize it was enough to be CLUELESS! THESE are the times I miss traveling with someone! I went up to Chris and said I “couldn’t really hear him” in the back of the bus so wanted to double check what time we were leaving! We had an hour for lunch, so I got some pizza, walked around the shops and was able to put my feet in the water.
The afternoon was spent making our way through the jungle to the “12 Apostle” (now I think there are only 8) which jet out of the water and are really VERY cool. We also saw the London Bridge which just recently fell during the past few years. It is weird to think that as the water beats on it all of these will eventually fall into the water. The ride back was long, but it was definitely a cool trip. Even though we have the beach, this was a different type of beach.
We had the option of being dropped off at three different stops along the way and even though I was exhausted I figure this was a good time to do some exploring. I walked along the Southbank which feels a little bit like the Seine in Paris (yes, yes I am a travel snob) and made my way to the Eureka Tower. You go up 88 flights in 9 seconds (yes my ears felt every one) for 360 views of the city. It was REALLY cool to see the overview of the city like that!
It took me a while to walk around Southbank and when I got back I was so tired. After pressing the elevator button and waiting for a few minutes, I realized it was stuck on a floor and definitely NOT moving. Since the reception was closed, they had a sign that said, “dial 9 if any problems”. Did anyone pick up? Of course not! So I took out my cell phone to call their other number. I was sort of frustrated because what if I didn’t have a cell phone? Why should I have to waste my minutes calling them? Anyway that’s beside the point because I did call. I don’t even know who picked up as I hadn’t had any interaction with the “front desk” yet since they were closed last night and this morning when I woke up, but the guy said he would be down to fix it. When he came down he didn’t introduce himself or anything, but said sometimes the elevator does that and he would restart it. The whole situation was weird, but then it started working so all’s well that ends well.
I wanted to try the free wifi at McDs (which turned out to be SO slow..Vietnam style!) but as I was sitting there (waiting) I started overhearing this guy and girl in front of me (in their 20s) The guy was saying something like, “I don’t know if you’re my girlfriend anymore” and that got me hooked. I guess I am a very nosy person. I could only see her from the back and I couldn’t hear her, but then he said, “I can’t even drive anymore because I don’t remember how to get home, what did I do wrong? I didn’t drink, smoke, do drugs..I ate healthy and exercised..WHAT DID I DO WRONG?” At this point he was speaking VERY loudly to the point that I was even a little afraid. I was trying to figure out if maybe something happened in his brain where he couldn’t remember or something. Again I couldn’t hear her and I was trying to pretend I wasn’t listening, but then I heard him say the things again. At this point I thought maybe he had short term memory loss and didn’t remember he had JUST said this to her..and then it hit me. They were practicing for some acting thing! After his third time saying it they both laughed and I could hear him giving her acting advice. It was VERY strange..and I was almost tempted to tell him he did a great job as I totally believed him!
Anyway after my crazy night I headed back for a shower! Tomorrow I am off for a meeting at Swinburne and a penguin tour!
Hugs and kisses from the Great Ocean Road!
Monday, March 14, 2011
So Long Sydney!
Erin and I slept in a little bit today..although she was up before me because she was going up the pylon of the bridge. Since I had already done the climb (yes I am way cooler then her, ha!) I decided I would stay in and pack (since I had to worry about liquids, weight, etc.)
I think this was the first time in my life that I was packed AND ready to go before we had “scheduled” ourselves to leave..it was amazing! We had signed up for the Oz Jet boat in Sydney Harbor, so we left our bags at the hotel and made our way down to the water. I had done some research and found that with this company if you printed off a card online it was buy one get one free (not a bad deal) so that worked out well now that Mamma Wilson left and we are on our own (DEFINITELY not as much fun without her!)
The boat was fun, although I don’t think I would recommend it if you had to pay full price. It goes really fast and does some spins and it’s definitely a different way to see Sydney from the water, but I wasn’t crazy about it. They had these big ugly red jackets for us so while our clothes didn’t get soaked our heads did. It was a bit cooler and cloudy/windy so maybe if it was a warm sunny day it would have been more refreshing!
Since we wanted to do some shopping, we snuck into a hotel to use their nice bathrooms to wash up! We then took the free shuttle bus to the market (which is closed on Mondays) so we headed to their upstairs mall. The place was WEIRD..there’s no other way to describe it. It was a mall, but there would be a Chinese store (since we were in China town) next to an upscale store, next to a food vendor. It just seemed like nothing fit together. We ended up doing the 30 minute walk back and stopped in some stores along the way. It was getting a bit cold and we wanted to have a lunch/dinner meal (we were both going to be on planes during dinner) so we headed back to get some warmer clothes and then found a pub place for lunch where we had some sandwiches.
The whole day was just so relaxed because we had ALL this time..we were early for everything..it was amazing! We stopped in the art museum since we had some time before the airport shuttle was to pick us up at 5pm and then around 430pm we headed back to the hotel to get our bags etc. We got there around 440pm and they couldn’t find our bags (great) but it was because the shuttle was already there and the bellboy had already put our bags in the van! We picked up a few more people and were off to the airport!
I will have you know I weighed in at 21kg (I have 23kg) and since Erin and I were both domestic flights we were able to go through security together!
So a couple things about Australia. Their airport security sucks. Well I mean, I guess it’s kind of nice..until someone gets killed and then not so much. Erin and I went through with our shoes and sweatshirts on. I DID take my laptop out, but water (in my massive bottle) was allowed. I kept waiting for them to pull my bag and tell me I had a 3.1 ounce bottle (which has happened to me in the States before) but there hasn’t been any problems!
The other thing is the signs for traveling are great! In both the Gold Coast and Port Douglas we didn’t have a GPS..just maps and signs! I actually think it worked better as we didn’t have the GPS telling us to continue for a mile (as we pass our destination) and then tell us “recalculating route”.
Anyway Erin and I were able to hang out together for a bit, but then our flights were in different wings so we had to go. Erin I know you read this and I am not just saying this to say it..but I really had SUCH a fun time with her..BOTH weekends! I realize a lot of the time I say, “Oh I am here visiting my brothers girlfriend” but I really think of her as MY friend now (sorry Scott!) so it was really awesome to travel with a friend! Ok enough of the sappy stuff!
As I got to my gate, I saw 4 airport policemen talking to a man about his bag. Never a good sign! So obviously I took a seat close enough to be a part of the situation, but far enough away that I didn’t look like I purposely sat there to get in on the action. I am not sure how it all started, but they said they needed to go through the man’s bag. He was PISSED (yelling all sorts of bad things) and I could tell this guy was DRUNK. Two of the cops stood to the side and it seemed like they were taking an inventory of his bag while the other two stood around him (and took a verbal beating). One cop did most the talking and was actually very nice and kept telling the guy he could get his flight tomorrow after he sobered up and they were just trying to help him and keep him safe, etc. It sounded like they were going to take him back to his house (he was flying to visit his Dad). I was ready for a fight, but the guy seemed to chill out a little bit. Again, I don’t know the whole story, but as much as I joke it was actually kind of sad.
My flight was delayed (every Virgin Blue flight I have had has been delayed) but it was only about 45 minutes before I was on the flight. I obviously fell asleep (and quickly) because when I woke up I thought, “Ugh I can’t believe we haven’t left yet..” as the captain came on and said, “We are now beginning our decent into Melbourne”.
I actually had to RUN to get my bag off the carousel (I guess I could have waited for it to go around again but where’s the fun in that!) and then hopped on the shuttle bus to the main station in Melbourne. I knew I was racing against time because this shuttle also provides free transport to your hotel before 1030pm. It was about 1025pm when I arrived and luckily I was the only one heading off to the hotel..so off I went!
Fortunately I had emailed the hotel saying I was checking in late so they gave me directions on how to get in since they door is locked in the evening. It is NOTHING to write home about (reminds me of something you would find in Hampton Beach?) but the location MORE than makes up for it! It also doesn’t have wifi, which is a little bit tricky as I am STILL planning and researching Melbourne. So, even though it was about 1130pm, I decided to go find some internet AND figure out where my 745am tour was going to be leaving from!
Ahhh Melbourne (pronounced Melbin). For some reason it seemed like EVERYONE was drunk! People on the streets were SO weird (granted it was late) but they were yelling and screaming..some girls were running barefoot with huge stuffed animals and the place seemed dirty and it is MUCH colder than the rest of Australia! After finding internet (and 24 hour McD’s, 7-11’s and internet shops) I also managed to find where my bus is leaving from in the morning!
Hugs and kisses from Melbourne (or Melbin)!
I think this was the first time in my life that I was packed AND ready to go before we had “scheduled” ourselves to leave..it was amazing! We had signed up for the Oz Jet boat in Sydney Harbor, so we left our bags at the hotel and made our way down to the water. I had done some research and found that with this company if you printed off a card online it was buy one get one free (not a bad deal) so that worked out well now that Mamma Wilson left and we are on our own (DEFINITELY not as much fun without her!)
The boat was fun, although I don’t think I would recommend it if you had to pay full price. It goes really fast and does some spins and it’s definitely a different way to see Sydney from the water, but I wasn’t crazy about it. They had these big ugly red jackets for us so while our clothes didn’t get soaked our heads did. It was a bit cooler and cloudy/windy so maybe if it was a warm sunny day it would have been more refreshing!
Since we wanted to do some shopping, we snuck into a hotel to use their nice bathrooms to wash up! We then took the free shuttle bus to the market (which is closed on Mondays) so we headed to their upstairs mall. The place was WEIRD..there’s no other way to describe it. It was a mall, but there would be a Chinese store (since we were in China town) next to an upscale store, next to a food vendor. It just seemed like nothing fit together. We ended up doing the 30 minute walk back and stopped in some stores along the way. It was getting a bit cold and we wanted to have a lunch/dinner meal (we were both going to be on planes during dinner) so we headed back to get some warmer clothes and then found a pub place for lunch where we had some sandwiches.
The whole day was just so relaxed because we had ALL this time..we were early for everything..it was amazing! We stopped in the art museum since we had some time before the airport shuttle was to pick us up at 5pm and then around 430pm we headed back to the hotel to get our bags etc. We got there around 440pm and they couldn’t find our bags (great) but it was because the shuttle was already there and the bellboy had already put our bags in the van! We picked up a few more people and were off to the airport!
I will have you know I weighed in at 21kg (I have 23kg) and since Erin and I were both domestic flights we were able to go through security together!
So a couple things about Australia. Their airport security sucks. Well I mean, I guess it’s kind of nice..until someone gets killed and then not so much. Erin and I went through with our shoes and sweatshirts on. I DID take my laptop out, but water (in my massive bottle) was allowed. I kept waiting for them to pull my bag and tell me I had a 3.1 ounce bottle (which has happened to me in the States before) but there hasn’t been any problems!
The other thing is the signs for traveling are great! In both the Gold Coast and Port Douglas we didn’t have a GPS..just maps and signs! I actually think it worked better as we didn’t have the GPS telling us to continue for a mile (as we pass our destination) and then tell us “recalculating route”.
Anyway Erin and I were able to hang out together for a bit, but then our flights were in different wings so we had to go. Erin I know you read this and I am not just saying this to say it..but I really had SUCH a fun time with her..BOTH weekends! I realize a lot of the time I say, “Oh I am here visiting my brothers girlfriend” but I really think of her as MY friend now (sorry Scott!) so it was really awesome to travel with a friend! Ok enough of the sappy stuff!
As I got to my gate, I saw 4 airport policemen talking to a man about his bag. Never a good sign! So obviously I took a seat close enough to be a part of the situation, but far enough away that I didn’t look like I purposely sat there to get in on the action. I am not sure how it all started, but they said they needed to go through the man’s bag. He was PISSED (yelling all sorts of bad things) and I could tell this guy was DRUNK. Two of the cops stood to the side and it seemed like they were taking an inventory of his bag while the other two stood around him (and took a verbal beating). One cop did most the talking and was actually very nice and kept telling the guy he could get his flight tomorrow after he sobered up and they were just trying to help him and keep him safe, etc. It sounded like they were going to take him back to his house (he was flying to visit his Dad). I was ready for a fight, but the guy seemed to chill out a little bit. Again, I don’t know the whole story, but as much as I joke it was actually kind of sad.
My flight was delayed (every Virgin Blue flight I have had has been delayed) but it was only about 45 minutes before I was on the flight. I obviously fell asleep (and quickly) because when I woke up I thought, “Ugh I can’t believe we haven’t left yet..” as the captain came on and said, “We are now beginning our decent into Melbourne”.
I actually had to RUN to get my bag off the carousel (I guess I could have waited for it to go around again but where’s the fun in that!) and then hopped on the shuttle bus to the main station in Melbourne. I knew I was racing against time because this shuttle also provides free transport to your hotel before 1030pm. It was about 1025pm when I arrived and luckily I was the only one heading off to the hotel..so off I went!
Fortunately I had emailed the hotel saying I was checking in late so they gave me directions on how to get in since they door is locked in the evening. It is NOTHING to write home about (reminds me of something you would find in Hampton Beach?) but the location MORE than makes up for it! It also doesn’t have wifi, which is a little bit tricky as I am STILL planning and researching Melbourne. So, even though it was about 1130pm, I decided to go find some internet AND figure out where my 745am tour was going to be leaving from!
Ahhh Melbourne (pronounced Melbin). For some reason it seemed like EVERYONE was drunk! People on the streets were SO weird (granted it was late) but they were yelling and screaming..some girls were running barefoot with huge stuffed animals and the place seemed dirty and it is MUCH colder than the rest of Australia! After finding internet (and 24 hour McD’s, 7-11’s and internet shops) I also managed to find where my bus is leaving from in the morning!
Hugs and kisses from Melbourne (or Melbin)!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Bondi Beach!
I woke up sad. My mommy is leaving me today! How dare she! We slept in today (till 10am!) which was SO NICE! We decided to go to Pancakes on the Rocks again and it seemed like a great sendoff for mom! There was a little wait (it was Sunday morning) but they do a great job of moving the line along AND we knew just what we wanted! It was delicious and afterwards we checked out the weekend market (where there are lots of crafts, etc).
We went back to the hotel to help mom finish up her packing and got her on the airport shuttle and she was off! I am very sad she is leaving because I feel SO lucky she has been able to join me. I was SO excited to share Vietnam with her and it was amazing to see her with the kids. I knew she would be great with them but it was better than expected! We have had a BLAST in Australia and she has been SUCH a fun travel buddy! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful mother! I am glad I am not staying more than a week because I honestly don’t think I would want to travel alone anymore…it’s just not as fun!
On a happier note, Erin and I wanted to check out Bondi beach and since tomorrow is suppose to be a bit rainy we figured this afternoon would be the best time to go! We had to take a bus to get there and we were so happy because since we were one of the first stops we actually got a seat (yay). The bus was VERY crowded as we continued on the 45 minutes to the beach.
The place was happening (it was a beautiful day and a Sunday) but we found a good spot! There were a lot of people and a lot of sun, which made it lots of fun! I love people watching and there were all different types. While looking around, I noticed, BOOBS (excuse my language). I am not sure why it took me so long to notice but I felt like all of a sudden everyone was topless! It was like once I saw one boob I saw them all! I had read that “parts” of the beach were “European” but honestly it was a pretty small beach so I think by parts it just meant “do whatever you want!”
Erin and I were laying there reading our magazines when some guy came up and asked if he could put his stuff down while he took a swim. He was on Erin’s side so I wasn’t really a part of the situation. However, when he came back he plopped himself down and started talking to Erin. At this point I was on my stomach resting, but once he kept talking I realized I needed to help a sista out! He was kinda weird (this is on top of the fact he was in a Speedo, never ok!) so I asked Erin if she wanted to come with me to the water! Who came with? Max..Erin’s new boyfriend (sorry Scott!) I told her I thought by asking her to go for a walk he would get the hint and maybe he was just trying to be friendly but we were freaked out. We ended up walking the beach and when we came back he was still there! I couldn’t believe I couldn’t fully enjoy the beach because of this creeper! Anyway we decided we still wanted to do the costal walk and I definitely didn’t need any more sun, so we picked up our things, said goodbye to Erin’s boyfriend and were on our way!
We stopped to get a snack before taking on the Bondi Costal walk. It was beautiful (on the cliffs overlooking the water). We didn’t do the whole thing (which said it takes 1.5 hours each way) as it was getting dark and we still needed to take the bus back. We decided we would head back into Sydney to shower and get some dinner. As we were waiting at the bus stop, bus after bus passed us filled with people (from the lower stop) so we made our way down there and crammed ourselves on the bus and then WE were the ones on the bus passing the people at the next stop (we actually got a seat again!)
The bus ride back was long as we were both SO tired we just wanted to crash! After washing off the sand, salt water, and anything Max related we headed out to dinner. There was a pizza place we saw that always had a huge line outside, so we decided to try it! The wait wasn’t that bad and the pizza was good, but the service was..different. We heard the guy tell the table next to us that since they were finished they needed to leave since there was a wait outside (very different then at home!) It was definitely good and worth the little wait we did have.
We then walked down by the harbor to a whole area we hadn’t seen yet (sorry mom that you missed it!) It was really pretty as all the restaurants were on the water overlooking the bridge and opera house. After treating ourselves to some ice cream, we finished the night off with a movie and packing!
Hugs and kisses from Bondi Beach!
We went back to the hotel to help mom finish up her packing and got her on the airport shuttle and she was off! I am very sad she is leaving because I feel SO lucky she has been able to join me. I was SO excited to share Vietnam with her and it was amazing to see her with the kids. I knew she would be great with them but it was better than expected! We have had a BLAST in Australia and she has been SUCH a fun travel buddy! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful mother! I am glad I am not staying more than a week because I honestly don’t think I would want to travel alone anymore…it’s just not as fun!
On a happier note, Erin and I wanted to check out Bondi beach and since tomorrow is suppose to be a bit rainy we figured this afternoon would be the best time to go! We had to take a bus to get there and we were so happy because since we were one of the first stops we actually got a seat (yay). The bus was VERY crowded as we continued on the 45 minutes to the beach.
The place was happening (it was a beautiful day and a Sunday) but we found a good spot! There were a lot of people and a lot of sun, which made it lots of fun! I love people watching and there were all different types. While looking around, I noticed, BOOBS (excuse my language). I am not sure why it took me so long to notice but I felt like all of a sudden everyone was topless! It was like once I saw one boob I saw them all! I had read that “parts” of the beach were “European” but honestly it was a pretty small beach so I think by parts it just meant “do whatever you want!”
Erin and I were laying there reading our magazines when some guy came up and asked if he could put his stuff down while he took a swim. He was on Erin’s side so I wasn’t really a part of the situation. However, when he came back he plopped himself down and started talking to Erin. At this point I was on my stomach resting, but once he kept talking I realized I needed to help a sista out! He was kinda weird (this is on top of the fact he was in a Speedo, never ok!) so I asked Erin if she wanted to come with me to the water! Who came with? Max..Erin’s new boyfriend (sorry Scott!) I told her I thought by asking her to go for a walk he would get the hint and maybe he was just trying to be friendly but we were freaked out. We ended up walking the beach and when we came back he was still there! I couldn’t believe I couldn’t fully enjoy the beach because of this creeper! Anyway we decided we still wanted to do the costal walk and I definitely didn’t need any more sun, so we picked up our things, said goodbye to Erin’s boyfriend and were on our way!
We stopped to get a snack before taking on the Bondi Costal walk. It was beautiful (on the cliffs overlooking the water). We didn’t do the whole thing (which said it takes 1.5 hours each way) as it was getting dark and we still needed to take the bus back. We decided we would head back into Sydney to shower and get some dinner. As we were waiting at the bus stop, bus after bus passed us filled with people (from the lower stop) so we made our way down there and crammed ourselves on the bus and then WE were the ones on the bus passing the people at the next stop (we actually got a seat again!)
The bus ride back was long as we were both SO tired we just wanted to crash! After washing off the sand, salt water, and anything Max related we headed out to dinner. There was a pizza place we saw that always had a huge line outside, so we decided to try it! The wait wasn’t that bad and the pizza was good, but the service was..different. We heard the guy tell the table next to us that since they were finished they needed to leave since there was a wait outside (very different then at home!) It was definitely good and worth the little wait we did have.
We then walked down by the harbor to a whole area we hadn’t seen yet (sorry mom that you missed it!) It was really pretty as all the restaurants were on the water overlooking the bridge and opera house. After treating ourselves to some ice cream, we finished the night off with a movie and packing!
Hugs and kisses from Bondi Beach!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Manly Beach: We’re like the locals!
I was very sleepy when I woke up this morning! After some cereal (and a skype date with Scott where he got to see his three favorite women!) we headed off to catch the free bus that would take us to Paddy’s market! I was actually very surprised there was such a thing as a “free” bus and I got talking to the bus driver who said they tried it a few years ago and it was very popular so they stuck with it! Erin and Mom were commenting on how I just went up and started talking to the driver (it started off as..”where do we get off?”) but honestly I just find it so amazing I am in a country where I can speak to people. It is SO awesome to get on a bus and say, “hey do you stop here?” or to go in a convenient store and say, “hey do you know where this is?” I just feel like talking to everyone because I can!
We arrived at the market which was HUGE (lots and lots of stalls) but it was nice because they weren’t very pushy (unlike many other markets). We spent the time doing some souvenir shopping before heading back. I think our original plan was to get the bus, but there was a TON of traffic so we ended up passing buses on foot. When we finally asked a bus driver she said there was a demonstration or rally or something so she was going to be stuck there forever. We decided we could just walk back (since it seemed quicker) but then we saw a few buses pass us so I don’t think they were stuck for a while!
It was about a 30 minute walk and we were all STARVING! We ended back at the hotel (well the area) and ate at a café. Mom and Erin had good sandwiches and I had pizza which was just ok.
We then walked back to the hotel to change into our bathing suits so we could head out to Manly beach! We pooled our sources to come to the conclusion that Manly beach is the “locals” beach and that taking the Ferry there is one of the best (and cheapest) ways to see Sydney from the water! The ferry was PACKED (I was really surprised how large the ferry was) so we ended up having to sit inside. It was about a 30 minute ride to Manly and then about a 7 minute walk down the corso to the beach. The beach was pretty and shaped like a half moon. We plopped ourselves down (ready for a good nap in the sun) only to be greeted by clouds! We couldn’t believe it! It was beautiful when we left the harbor, but we saw the massive cloud and realized the sun was NOT coming back! I was FREEZING (I don’t know how I grew up in NE because I have been cold since I got to Australia!)
Since it was obvious the sun was not coming back we decided to go and walk the corso area AND buy me a sweatshirt! Luckily we found a souvenir shop that was closing so we were able to buy some cheap things (including a $10 sweatshirt since I am a little baby). I was MUCH happier after (and probably more fun to be around!)
We decided to leave the beach so after a well needed ice cream (guess I wasn’t too cold for that) we took the ferry back to Sydney Harbor. We weren’t able to get a great seat this time, but Erin and I snuck up when we got close to try and get some pictures!
After showering, we decided to head over to Darling Harbor again (it is probably a 15 minute walk). Dinner was MUCH faster tonight (woohoo!) but I was sad it was my mom’s last night! On our walk around the harbor we did find a cookie place (that looked promising) but their cookies were dry (NOBODY can bake like Mamma Wilson). This time we splurged and got a cab home (our first cab of the trip) and it was well needed after a day of walking. We ended the night with Father of the Bride: Part Two which Erin had never seen and I started doing some research for Melbourne!
Hugs and kisses from Manly beach!
We arrived at the market which was HUGE (lots and lots of stalls) but it was nice because they weren’t very pushy (unlike many other markets). We spent the time doing some souvenir shopping before heading back. I think our original plan was to get the bus, but there was a TON of traffic so we ended up passing buses on foot. When we finally asked a bus driver she said there was a demonstration or rally or something so she was going to be stuck there forever. We decided we could just walk back (since it seemed quicker) but then we saw a few buses pass us so I don’t think they were stuck for a while!
It was about a 30 minute walk and we were all STARVING! We ended back at the hotel (well the area) and ate at a café. Mom and Erin had good sandwiches and I had pizza which was just ok.
We then walked back to the hotel to change into our bathing suits so we could head out to Manly beach! We pooled our sources to come to the conclusion that Manly beach is the “locals” beach and that taking the Ferry there is one of the best (and cheapest) ways to see Sydney from the water! The ferry was PACKED (I was really surprised how large the ferry was) so we ended up having to sit inside. It was about a 30 minute ride to Manly and then about a 7 minute walk down the corso to the beach. The beach was pretty and shaped like a half moon. We plopped ourselves down (ready for a good nap in the sun) only to be greeted by clouds! We couldn’t believe it! It was beautiful when we left the harbor, but we saw the massive cloud and realized the sun was NOT coming back! I was FREEZING (I don’t know how I grew up in NE because I have been cold since I got to Australia!)
Since it was obvious the sun was not coming back we decided to go and walk the corso area AND buy me a sweatshirt! Luckily we found a souvenir shop that was closing so we were able to buy some cheap things (including a $10 sweatshirt since I am a little baby). I was MUCH happier after (and probably more fun to be around!)
We decided to leave the beach so after a well needed ice cream (guess I wasn’t too cold for that) we took the ferry back to Sydney Harbor. We weren’t able to get a great seat this time, but Erin and I snuck up when we got close to try and get some pictures!
After showering, we decided to head over to Darling Harbor again (it is probably a 15 minute walk). Dinner was MUCH faster tonight (woohoo!) but I was sad it was my mom’s last night! On our walk around the harbor we did find a cookie place (that looked promising) but their cookies were dry (NOBODY can bake like Mamma Wilson). This time we splurged and got a cab home (our first cab of the trip) and it was well needed after a day of walking. We ended the night with Father of the Bride: Part Two which Erin had never seen and I started doing some research for Melbourne!
Hugs and kisses from Manly beach!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Bridge Climb
I was actually a little nervous when I woke up this morning. Not scuba diving nervous, but “can I climb a bridge” nervous. I had signed up for the first climb of the morning so needed to be at the Bridge Climb @ 815am for my 835am climb. It was about a 15 minute walk so at 8am I was out the door! At 835am on the dot our group was taken inside a room where we filled out some paperwork and took a breathalyzer test. I’m not sure if they’ve had problems with drunken people wanting to climb (or people who feel the need to get drunk in order to have the guts to climb) but I thought it was interesting how I didn’t get tested or anything before skydiving!
Before we entered the room I had some time to hang out in the gift shop where they had pictures of famous people who had completed the climb (including Oprah) and I thought, if Oprah can do this..I can do this! I was also sizing up my competition in our group and I felt pretty comfortable as well!
Anyway I passed the breathalyzer test (wahooo!) and we were then brought into another room where we introduced ourselves. I met a couple who are on their honeymoon from Quincy MA (got married on the cape) so I became their third wheel! There was also a couple from Florida and business partners from LA here for work. The other three couples were from Australia! We then got our suits and were brought into yet another room to change, put things in our lockers, etc. I got a special strap for my sunglasses. After a metal detector we headed again into another room for the rest of our gear.
We put on harnesses, but they really just went around your waste so if you really DID fall off I can’t imagine they would help THAT much! We also got rain gear (which THANKFULLY we didn’t need) and our headsets. This whole process took about an hour (it was around 930am the last time I saw a clock) and we were ready to roll! The whole building was very industrial and at this point we walked on a bridge over the people who were waiting for their bridge climb. It was a little teaser..us saying that they TOO can wear these awesome jumpsuits!
Our guide was Ash (short for Ashely and she was awesome!) She studied outdoor recreation at university and said she didn’t really want to leave Sydney. The Blue Mountains are where someone with her degree would work but it’s about 2.5 hours away so she said the bridge climb was perfect for her! She’s been there for 3 years and has done 435 climbs! I asked her if she had brought any celebrities up and she replied, “Brittney” and I looked at her and said, “As in Spears?” to which she replied, “Uhhh is there any other?” I was DEFINITELY impressed with that! She also did a climb with Pink and said she seemed to be matched with “pop” people, which was perfect for her personality.
I was third in line (behind my new friends Jordon and Emily) and we were off! The first thing (that really got a lot of people) was the catwalk. Honestly heights don’t scare me at all, but you could definitely tell some people were really holding on for dear life when they realized they could see below us! Ash said they bring up about 1,000 people a day and only about 5 REALLY freak out (they might have to be cut off and brought down on stretchers). I thought about making up a story about how one of them was in my group, but I’m pressed for time so I shall continue!
I asked when their busiest day is and she said on January 1st and 2nd they do about 3,000 people. The fireworks in Sydney on New Year’s Eve are set off from the bridge so they have to close earlier on the 31st. So the people who plan on going that day realized it’s closed and then sign up for the next day! She also said it takes 3-4 months before and after New Years to set up and dismantle the fireworks (we saw a few machines taking them down!)
After the catwalk (yes, our group made it through) we had about 5 flights of VERY step ladder’s. I am not afraid of heights but this was the only time I was like, “ehhh I don’t know about this” mostly because we were going straight up over the cars.
We stopped enough so Ash could tell us about what we were seeing and so she could answer questions. We also had pictures taken of us (they will come soon!) and for obvious reasons we could not bring a digital camera with us.
We were talking about the whole idea of a “Bridge Climb” and Ash was saying how the department of motor vehicles said it was ok but people needed to be in gray suits to blend in. On the other side of the bridge is the train and they said it was ok but people had to be wearing florescent shirts. I guess after 8 years the train finally gave in..because our suits were grey! We also saw a Zakim Bridge in the distance so my new friends and I are going to start a Tobin Bridge climb. All of you are welcome! Near the top of the bridge we learned more about the Sydney Opera house and how it was only suppose to cost 7 million but ended up costing 1.2 billion (whoops!) and we also saw John Travolta’s house (where Oprah supposedly stayed).
1,439 steps later we were back..probably around 1130am! I was exhausted but so happy I did it! It was definitely an adventure! I made the walk back to the hotel where it was starting to rain. I was ALSO very happy I didn’t have to climb in the rain (they climb no matter what as long as there is no lighting) but it definitely wouldn’t have been as fun!
Erin flew in from the Gold Coast (yay!) and while her flight was a little delayed she arrived at the hotel in the early afternoon. We were all VERY hungry for lunch and had heard great things about this pancake place, so that’s where we headed. It was AMAZING!
Erin was definitely the most excited about it. They had regular pancakes, but then they had more like dessert pancakes (including chocolate pancakes which I have never had). We decided to start off with something more lunch-ish since we were going to be pigging out, and decided on nachos. While devouring the nachos we realized we were making this our “healthy” lunch choice, so you can tell how healthy we actually are. Our pancakes were delicious (although I do have to blog that Erin was the only one who finished). I got a chocolate pancake with ice cream, chocolate sauce and strawberries (I TRIED being healthy!)
After our tummies were STUFFED (and we realized how late in the day it was) we decided we wanted to get a tour of the Opera House. The weather was kinda blah so we figured it would be a good inside activity. We were actually impressed with the tour (it started off a bit slow) but it was really good to see the whole place. It really so beautiful inside! Our tour guide was telling us how Kanye West played in the main Concert Hall (not the kind of venue you would picture Kanye) and it was really nice because we were able to snap a few shots (if there’s a play set in the room you can’t).
As we left the tour we took a walk through the Botanical gardens which were very pretty (and much needed in a city) and we saw 2 brides! We were tired and hungry so we came back to the room to take needed showers!
We decided to head to Darling Harbor for dinner. We had heard that Darling Harbor was the “happening” place to be at night!..and it definitely was! It had a bit of a “Disney” feel to it and it was really cool. There was restaurant after restaurant after restaurant! It was all along both sides of the harbor which has LOTS of lights so it was beautiful reflecting off the water!
We ended up at an Italian place that took FOREVER (we legit waited 45 minutes and this is AFTER we starting timing) but the food was good. We walked around afterwards (even though it was 10pm the place was happening) and ended up at a Lindt chocolate place for dessert (courtesy of the best mom in the world)! There, we saw ANOTHER bride with MY dress on (ok, ok, just a dress I loved!) There were also fireworks going off which was cool but it was sort of hard to see them from where we were sitting.
After stuffing ourselves ONCE again I was the one who suggested we head back as I was exhausted (the bridge climb kicked my butt)!
Hugs and kisses from the Sydney Harbor Bridge!
Before we entered the room I had some time to hang out in the gift shop where they had pictures of famous people who had completed the climb (including Oprah) and I thought, if Oprah can do this..I can do this! I was also sizing up my competition in our group and I felt pretty comfortable as well!
Anyway I passed the breathalyzer test (wahooo!) and we were then brought into another room where we introduced ourselves. I met a couple who are on their honeymoon from Quincy MA (got married on the cape) so I became their third wheel! There was also a couple from Florida and business partners from LA here for work. The other three couples were from Australia! We then got our suits and were brought into yet another room to change, put things in our lockers, etc. I got a special strap for my sunglasses. After a metal detector we headed again into another room for the rest of our gear.
We put on harnesses, but they really just went around your waste so if you really DID fall off I can’t imagine they would help THAT much! We also got rain gear (which THANKFULLY we didn’t need) and our headsets. This whole process took about an hour (it was around 930am the last time I saw a clock) and we were ready to roll! The whole building was very industrial and at this point we walked on a bridge over the people who were waiting for their bridge climb. It was a little teaser..us saying that they TOO can wear these awesome jumpsuits!
Our guide was Ash (short for Ashely and she was awesome!) She studied outdoor recreation at university and said she didn’t really want to leave Sydney. The Blue Mountains are where someone with her degree would work but it’s about 2.5 hours away so she said the bridge climb was perfect for her! She’s been there for 3 years and has done 435 climbs! I asked her if she had brought any celebrities up and she replied, “Brittney” and I looked at her and said, “As in Spears?” to which she replied, “Uhhh is there any other?” I was DEFINITELY impressed with that! She also did a climb with Pink and said she seemed to be matched with “pop” people, which was perfect for her personality.
I was third in line (behind my new friends Jordon and Emily) and we were off! The first thing (that really got a lot of people) was the catwalk. Honestly heights don’t scare me at all, but you could definitely tell some people were really holding on for dear life when they realized they could see below us! Ash said they bring up about 1,000 people a day and only about 5 REALLY freak out (they might have to be cut off and brought down on stretchers). I thought about making up a story about how one of them was in my group, but I’m pressed for time so I shall continue!
I asked when their busiest day is and she said on January 1st and 2nd they do about 3,000 people. The fireworks in Sydney on New Year’s Eve are set off from the bridge so they have to close earlier on the 31st. So the people who plan on going that day realized it’s closed and then sign up for the next day! She also said it takes 3-4 months before and after New Years to set up and dismantle the fireworks (we saw a few machines taking them down!)
After the catwalk (yes, our group made it through) we had about 5 flights of VERY step ladder’s. I am not afraid of heights but this was the only time I was like, “ehhh I don’t know about this” mostly because we were going straight up over the cars.
We stopped enough so Ash could tell us about what we were seeing and so she could answer questions. We also had pictures taken of us (they will come soon!) and for obvious reasons we could not bring a digital camera with us.
We were talking about the whole idea of a “Bridge Climb” and Ash was saying how the department of motor vehicles said it was ok but people needed to be in gray suits to blend in. On the other side of the bridge is the train and they said it was ok but people had to be wearing florescent shirts. I guess after 8 years the train finally gave in..because our suits were grey! We also saw a Zakim Bridge in the distance so my new friends and I are going to start a Tobin Bridge climb. All of you are welcome! Near the top of the bridge we learned more about the Sydney Opera house and how it was only suppose to cost 7 million but ended up costing 1.2 billion (whoops!) and we also saw John Travolta’s house (where Oprah supposedly stayed).
1,439 steps later we were back..probably around 1130am! I was exhausted but so happy I did it! It was definitely an adventure! I made the walk back to the hotel where it was starting to rain. I was ALSO very happy I didn’t have to climb in the rain (they climb no matter what as long as there is no lighting) but it definitely wouldn’t have been as fun!
Erin flew in from the Gold Coast (yay!) and while her flight was a little delayed she arrived at the hotel in the early afternoon. We were all VERY hungry for lunch and had heard great things about this pancake place, so that’s where we headed. It was AMAZING!
Erin was definitely the most excited about it. They had regular pancakes, but then they had more like dessert pancakes (including chocolate pancakes which I have never had). We decided to start off with something more lunch-ish since we were going to be pigging out, and decided on nachos. While devouring the nachos we realized we were making this our “healthy” lunch choice, so you can tell how healthy we actually are. Our pancakes were delicious (although I do have to blog that Erin was the only one who finished). I got a chocolate pancake with ice cream, chocolate sauce and strawberries (I TRIED being healthy!)
After our tummies were STUFFED (and we realized how late in the day it was) we decided we wanted to get a tour of the Opera House. The weather was kinda blah so we figured it would be a good inside activity. We were actually impressed with the tour (it started off a bit slow) but it was really good to see the whole place. It really so beautiful inside! Our tour guide was telling us how Kanye West played in the main Concert Hall (not the kind of venue you would picture Kanye) and it was really nice because we were able to snap a few shots (if there’s a play set in the room you can’t).
As we left the tour we took a walk through the Botanical gardens which were very pretty (and much needed in a city) and we saw 2 brides! We were tired and hungry so we came back to the room to take needed showers!
We decided to head to Darling Harbor for dinner. We had heard that Darling Harbor was the “happening” place to be at night!..and it definitely was! It had a bit of a “Disney” feel to it and it was really cool. There was restaurant after restaurant after restaurant! It was all along both sides of the harbor which has LOTS of lights so it was beautiful reflecting off the water!
We ended up at an Italian place that took FOREVER (we legit waited 45 minutes and this is AFTER we starting timing) but the food was good. We walked around afterwards (even though it was 10pm the place was happening) and ended up at a Lindt chocolate place for dessert (courtesy of the best mom in the world)! There, we saw ANOTHER bride with MY dress on (ok, ok, just a dress I loved!) There were also fireworks going off which was cool but it was sort of hard to see them from where we were sitting.
After stuffing ourselves ONCE again I was the one who suggested we head back as I was exhausted (the bridge climb kicked my butt)!
Hugs and kisses from the Sydney Harbor Bridge!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)