Hello all.
We are now on the last leg of the journey. We just arrived back in Auckland, and we're flying out early for Sydney tomorrow. It was windy when we were in Sydney on Monday, but compared to new Zealand's weather, it'll be so nice.
Shall I explain?
So it was hailing as I was writing the last post. Not bad. It stopped after awhile. We drove out of Lake Taupo to a national park. I can't remember the name, but I'm looking it up right now...it's Kaimanawa forest park. I think. Maggie knew the name but couldn't pronounce it but said it started with a K. I know I sound like a crazy person writing like this but New Zealand has the worst names. I can't pronounce anything even if i tried. Or maybe it's Kaweka forest park. The map is still up and I'm still glancing at it. now it's on the satellite option....sorry.
Anyways, we were going to take a nice hike around the forest, but as we drove towards the area it began to rain again. Then it started hailing. THEN it began to snow. It wasn't intense snow, it melted as soon as it hit the car, but the sides of the road still had snow from a previous day.
needless to say, we did not go on that walk.
In the end we drove along another highway that was taking us to Waitomo when we came across a gigantic carrot. i kid you not. Australia and New Zealand have this passion for gigantic things. In Australia we passed a giant lobster, mango, banana, pineapple, and another animal that I can't recall. The book I'm reading mentions even more, including a bull. In New Zealand we found this carrot. No rhyme or reason. No explanation. just a carrot.
We hung out in the town Ohakune for awhile while trying to find something we could do in nature that wouldn't freeze us to death. Ohakune had the Mangawhero falls that we determined on a map to be up a road we were nearby. We travelled awhile, stopping to take a walk by the river. No falls yet. We drove on, and as we did, piles of snow began to appear on the sides of the road. We were driving up the mountain/volcano/both/ that of course I can't remember the name. One tiny snowball fight later, we found a waterfall. If it was the one we were looking for, we'll never know. But it was pretty. And we were cold. So we took some pictures, then resumed our journey to Waitomo.
I like small hostels. Even though they may not have free wireless or be near a city, they have a charm that you just can't beat. there's less people there, so even when everyone is in the common room it doesn't feel crowded. Plus, they're just cuter. Our Waitomo one was like this. it was nice. We relaxed, made some pasta, and we, I mean, Maggie watched Lord of the Rings, which apparently was the chosen movie that night. New Zealanders are very proud of that movie. I can't blame them, this country is the best place to film a movie that needs a good countryside.
The next day, We headed up the road to see the Waitomo caves. Why a cave Angela? you may ask. I have no idea friends. Maggie and Jess wanted to see it, and it sounded like fun. What's fun about a cave? Um, a lot of things reader. Like Glowworms. You heard me. There is a cave in New Zealand full of glowworms that hang on the walls and ceilings of the caves and look like blue Christmas lights. it's beautiful. the walk to the water wasn't bad either. Caves are pretty amazing. Jessica is all into them, and I nodded along, all the while thinking, "what is so special about cave? Honestly?" Well, I take it back now. It was pretty awesome. Just the fact that you're walking through tunnels and rooms that were not man made but developed by nature was enough to change my mind.
We then made our way to Mata Mata, or as I like to call it, "Maggie's main reason for coming to New Zealand." there in Mata Mata are tours that take you to Hobbiton where you can wander the hills that Frodo and the guy from Rudy and Ian McKellen traipsed over. Maggie's paradise.
We left Maggie at the drop off. She had to make the excursion alone. If it was free I'd go along, but it was not. Therefore not worth it. We picked her up two hours later then headed down to Rotors.
Rotorua is an interesting place. it is home to a lot of things, like...Hell's Gate. You heard me. apparently New Zealand houses the door to the underworld. So that's where it was! I'm kidding. Hell's Gate is actually a collection of pools containing water, mud, sulphur, geysers, and one mud volcano. And they're all hot and steamy. The minerals in the water help with arthritis, wounds, burns, ailments, lots of things. It was discovered by the Maori people, but it got it's name from George Bernard Shaw when he visited it way back when. it smelled like hard boiled eggs, but you got used to it after awhile. it was pretty cool. We took the walking tour through the pools, but if you had money and enjoyed playing in the mud you could relax in the baths. not the actual pools because I think they would cook you if you entered, but other rooms we couldn't see. I don't know why I felt compelled to explain that to you.
Another thing we did in Rotorua was zorbing. the spell check has decided that is not a word, but it is. Oh, it definitely is. Zorbing is an activity invented in New Zealand that I personally think was inspired by hamsters. You know the plastic balls you put hamsters in so they can roll around without getting lost? Think of those, except bouncy, and you strap a human in them, roll them down a steep hill, and you've got zorbing. it's pretty awesome. and it's safe. Stop worrying mom, I'm still alive, aren't I? Jess and i partook in the event. Maggie took pictures. It was a good time.
oh, and a random note, but we also passed by this building on our drive called Corrugated Creations. Outside it had a few animals and things made out of corrugated iron or metal. We laughed at this, thinking it was silly to have a company that probably didn't get many clients. We rounded the bend to discover that we were wrong. In Tirau, the town nearby, every business had a corrugated creation sign. Even the church. Yes, there was a corrugated Jesus. It was amazing. The signs were cute, and continued even as we left the town. I just wanted to share that gem with you.
So this morning we woke up, and (I've always wanted to say this) drove through sleepy little towns that were just beginning to stir. Sorry, but I never thought I'd be able to do that. Check that off my list of life accomplishments.
All right, I still have some time to kill before check in, but I think I bored you all enough.
Plus I don't have anything else to write.
Well, I do, but it's nothing interesting.
Ok, it is, but I'm saving it for a later post.
It's just facts about Australia. I'll deal with it when I'm back in the country, just to be fair.
Ok, I need to go before I ramble some more.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
I'd put the maori word for greetings in the title, but I don't know it, and that's just too pretentious for me
Hello from New Zealand!
We arrived at midnight two days ago, right in time for us to serenade Jessica "happy birthday" from the airport terminal. She informed me she's still accepting happy birthday's because technically, it's her birthday in the States and will be for awhile.
So we stayed in Auckland the first night. We made some excellent friends with our roommates seeing as how we woke them up at 2 in the morning entering the pitch black room and running into things. They loved us. We got up early the next day, grabbed our rental car, then drove down to Lake Taupo where Jessica went bungee jumping.
That's right.
It was her and a bunch of Asian tourists. Maggie and I watched. I generally don't like things that make me think I could possibly die. It's not fun for me. I got Jessica's bungee on video. I would love to post it up, but I need to download it on Maggie's computer, and so far there are no places that have free wireless in New Zealand. I'm typing this old school at an Internet cafe.
So Jessica bungeed (is that a word) and then we drove around the lake, which is gorgeous. it's huge, clear, and it has mountains surrounding it. There's one that still has snow on it. It was a nice day temperature wise. We went out for Indian food that night, then relaxed in our room. I think she enjoyed it. It was a good day.
Today we're heading to some forest that Maggie can't remember the name of, or can't pronounce, or both. I can't pronounce anything here. Names of places in New Zealand are either super British or Maori, the latter being extremely difficult on the tongue. I've been here one day and already have embarrassed myself while asking for directions. fun.
Ok, so just wanted to update you all so far. new Zealand is beautiful. It's very lush and green. No fire danger over here, as opposed to Australia, where every firehouse we passed had the warning on high. We even passed a few fires on our road trip down the coast. You get the picture.
All right, I'm off. I'm still in hopes of finding Bret of Jemaine roaming about, even though they're probably in LA. Here's to my dreams coming true...
-Angela
PS. it's now hailing here. Not bad hail. cute hail.
We arrived at midnight two days ago, right in time for us to serenade Jessica "happy birthday" from the airport terminal. She informed me she's still accepting happy birthday's because technically, it's her birthday in the States and will be for awhile.
So we stayed in Auckland the first night. We made some excellent friends with our roommates seeing as how we woke them up at 2 in the morning entering the pitch black room and running into things. They loved us. We got up early the next day, grabbed our rental car, then drove down to Lake Taupo where Jessica went bungee jumping.
That's right.
It was her and a bunch of Asian tourists. Maggie and I watched. I generally don't like things that make me think I could possibly die. It's not fun for me. I got Jessica's bungee on video. I would love to post it up, but I need to download it on Maggie's computer, and so far there are no places that have free wireless in New Zealand. I'm typing this old school at an Internet cafe.
So Jessica bungeed (is that a word) and then we drove around the lake, which is gorgeous. it's huge, clear, and it has mountains surrounding it. There's one that still has snow on it. It was a nice day temperature wise. We went out for Indian food that night, then relaxed in our room. I think she enjoyed it. It was a good day.
Today we're heading to some forest that Maggie can't remember the name of, or can't pronounce, or both. I can't pronounce anything here. Names of places in New Zealand are either super British or Maori, the latter being extremely difficult on the tongue. I've been here one day and already have embarrassed myself while asking for directions. fun.
Ok, so just wanted to update you all so far. new Zealand is beautiful. It's very lush and green. No fire danger over here, as opposed to Australia, where every firehouse we passed had the warning on high. We even passed a few fires on our road trip down the coast. You get the picture.
All right, I'm off. I'm still in hopes of finding Bret of Jemaine roaming about, even though they're probably in LA. Here's to my dreams coming true...
-Angela
PS. it's now hailing here. Not bad hail. cute hail.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Yes, I'm alive, don't worry
I received a worried email from my mom when I wasn't updating this page, so if any of you were in the same boat, I doubt it but it's nice to dream, I'm all right. We've been driving a lot the past few days and haven't had a lot of time or Internet to do all the extra things. I know this blog should be important because it's like a mass email to all of you, but I don't even have time to write emails to my parents, that's how quick I have to be on the Internet. but enough excuses.
Moving on...
Last time I left you we were in Brisbane. Brisbane is a cute city. It is small for city standards (only 1.5 million living there) but you can't tell when you're right in the midst of things. When we went exploring on the first night, we discovered we were located right across the street from the Queen Street Mall. Maggie and Jess naturally got very excited and determined that this is what they were going to occupy their time with on the next day. I however, hate shopping when a)I don't have money to spend b)spend more than an hour and a half looking at clothes and c)don't have money to spend. I decided that I would be a nerd and go see the historic things around the city (that were free! yay) while they perused the 500 shops that were in the mall.
So on Wednesday morning, we set off on our separate ways. I headed off to city hall while they headed to the starbucks across the street. I can only tell you what I did, but it's safe to assume that they went shopping, saw some cute clothes, and Maggie bought some shoes. That's all I know.
I went to King George square where city hall is located. It is also down the street. Excellent. I visited it the night before, and it apparently has been redone. At night, lights in different colors bounce off the hall while on the ground lights in the cement turn different colors. It's very pretty. In the day however, it's nothing out the norm. It is a nice building, inside and out. I wandered in and attempted to find the way to the clock tower, where an elevator takes you up to see the skyline on Brisbane. Apparently, city hall is a multipurpose room. on the left and right wings there was a museum I wandered into, and right across from the entrance a children's concert was going on. I walked up the marble steps and found myself in the Deputy Mayor's waiting room. I had a feeling I shouldn't be there, so I wandered into a room across the way, but again I felt like I was trespassing. Finally, I found the elevator to the lift to the tower. I was waiting in line with some older people who paid to be on a tour. The guide was waiting with while rattling off some facts about the place, and I had a feeling that they resented me because I was getting this information for free. Whatever, it's not like I snuck in with them. The tower was cool, the skyline wasn't so much. The clock tower used to be the tallest building in Brisbane until 1971, so there were quite a few buildings that blocked any sort of view of the river.
After I was done with that, I wandered around trying to find the Roma Parkland. I accidentally stumbled upon it, and it's good that I did. I was walking along construction sites and I don't think I should have been there. the parkland was a little boring and it was really hot, so I went back to the hostel to look up better things in my guide book. One hour and one war memorial later, I found myself in the botanic gardens by the river. this was a lot prettier and colder. Brisbane has a free newspaper that they're handing out on every corner, so I just sat and read that until it got too windy. By the way, I was super confused about the Balloon Boy thing. Is that a big fuss back home?
On Thursday, Jessica and I took a bus to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. There we got to see the koalas up close (from babies to the old fogies) AND we got to hold one! We did have to pay 15 bucks for a picture in order to do so, but it's ok. Cross that off the list. When I went to hold it, the koala was more interested in the male koalas that were calling nearby, so she kept turning her head away from the camera, but we got the shot.
We also got to pet more kangaroos, avoid these huge lizards just scuttling around the area, and watch a sheep herding show. It made me want to watch and/or read Babe again. The dogs were hilarious. I would explain more, but it's just boring things only Francesca would like to hear about. I do have videos.
Oh! and be proud of us. We sat through a python presentation (I was ready to flee at any moment, but that's beside the point) and we patted the python at the end. I consider that achievement for two snake haters. The helpful tips the guys gave us if we came across poisonous snakes were good to know, but he forgot to mention what to do when a wave of crippling fear washes over you when you see one and can't react in time. I need to work on that...
So that was our time in Brisbane.
On Friday we checked out of our hotel at 9, and got our car from a long term parking lot at 10. what did we do in that hour? you wonder. We looked for our car. this is hard to write because it's bringing up a lot of anger, but basically, we parked our car on the fourth floor, but the elevators only went to the third. We tried to go up staircases, but they were gated or the fourth floor doors were locked. It took us 20 minutes just to find the car park in the area. It's part train station, part hotel, part food court. We tried to retrace our steps from how we got out on the first day, but that door was locked. we found the third floor, but the elevator needed a card to take us to the fourth floor. we went up a staircase, the door was locked. we went back down to the third floor, that door was locked. We had to start all over again on the first floor. Maggie had a bit of an angry outburst in an elevator and scared the woman riding with us, but I can't blame her. If sh hadn't, I would have. Finally, we followed the car way up and got the hell out of there. Did I mention we were super hungry because we had planned on having breakfast in our next destination that we were supposed to almost be by then? oh, that must have slipped my mind.
So after that, we made our way to Surfer's Paradise, which apparently is where all the attractive Australians live. It all makes sense now. Lots of beautiful people there. The beach was beautiful as well. We had breakfast there, looked around, then made our way to Byron Bay.
Friday was just a mixture of all bad things. Our hostel in Brisbane was over a bar that got loud at nine and didn't stop the music until 2 or 3. The night before we left, the music was extra loud, followed by a lot of cheering, and it was really hot in our room and we couldn't control it. None of us got a lot of sleep. Add that to the car fiasco, and we were almost done for the day.
So we got to Byron Bay (the easternmost tip of Australia, as signs let me know), and we walked around, looked at the shops, walked to the beach (also beautiful), saw some whales showing off, and got a milkshake at a cafe. By the way, milkshakes here mean milk and syrup and ice cream. You have to specify thick. We did not know that. It felt like we were drinking strawberry milk. Yep. So we were still very tired and not up for anything more that sleeping, which we were looking forward to. When we checked in, we were the only ones in our room. cut to 8 at night, and all the beds have been taken, and they all belong to friends who were meeting each other down in Byron Bay for a night of partying. they were nice, but I ended up hating them. It started out innocent enough. We talked, told them where we were from, learned stuff about them, all good. They went out, we collapsed into our bunks. 3 am rolls around, they come home. Everyone is wasted. They try to be quiet, but again, they're drunk, so there's a lot of giggling, a lot of loud whispering, and a lot of leaving the door open where they're all talking loudly outside. they had a friend who wasn't staying in the room, but I swear to God, kept coming in every five minutes or so to talk to them. he was who I hated the most. He kept forgetting that we were trying to sleep, which is what his friends told him every time. I wanted to kill him.
Needless to say, I got about 2 hours of sleep and hopefully my revenge when I woke up at 8 to check out. I did not try to be quiet. This was our long driving day, and I got stuck with the wheel somehow. Apparently sleep deprived Angela is better that sleep deprived Jess or Maggie. I doubt it, but I drove for six hours. Eventually lack of sleep and food and monotonous driving made me a little delirious. It made for a fun few hours of driving. Jess begrudgingly took over the driving after I begged her, but I'm guessing if I hadn't asked, I would have driven the entire 8 hours. you would not want that. We arrived in Newcastle for the night in a hostel that used to be a gentleman's club. I hope it wasn't what we think of nowadays but you never know.
Now, we are in the Blue Mountains. It's been raining off and on, and the fog has obscured a lot of the views, but we're hoping for sun tomorrow. Our hostel is small but cute, and everyone who stays or works here gives of the family vibe. It's nice. We have one more day in the Mountains, then we're heading to Sydney to take off to New Zealand.
ok. That's about it. To those who made it all the way, congrats.
Moving on...
Last time I left you we were in Brisbane. Brisbane is a cute city. It is small for city standards (only 1.5 million living there) but you can't tell when you're right in the midst of things. When we went exploring on the first night, we discovered we were located right across the street from the Queen Street Mall. Maggie and Jess naturally got very excited and determined that this is what they were going to occupy their time with on the next day. I however, hate shopping when a)I don't have money to spend b)spend more than an hour and a half looking at clothes and c)don't have money to spend. I decided that I would be a nerd and go see the historic things around the city (that were free! yay) while they perused the 500 shops that were in the mall.
So on Wednesday morning, we set off on our separate ways. I headed off to city hall while they headed to the starbucks across the street. I can only tell you what I did, but it's safe to assume that they went shopping, saw some cute clothes, and Maggie bought some shoes. That's all I know.
I went to King George square where city hall is located. It is also down the street. Excellent. I visited it the night before, and it apparently has been redone. At night, lights in different colors bounce off the hall while on the ground lights in the cement turn different colors. It's very pretty. In the day however, it's nothing out the norm. It is a nice building, inside and out. I wandered in and attempted to find the way to the clock tower, where an elevator takes you up to see the skyline on Brisbane. Apparently, city hall is a multipurpose room. on the left and right wings there was a museum I wandered into, and right across from the entrance a children's concert was going on. I walked up the marble steps and found myself in the Deputy Mayor's waiting room. I had a feeling I shouldn't be there, so I wandered into a room across the way, but again I felt like I was trespassing. Finally, I found the elevator to the lift to the tower. I was waiting in line with some older people who paid to be on a tour. The guide was waiting with while rattling off some facts about the place, and I had a feeling that they resented me because I was getting this information for free. Whatever, it's not like I snuck in with them. The tower was cool, the skyline wasn't so much. The clock tower used to be the tallest building in Brisbane until 1971, so there were quite a few buildings that blocked any sort of view of the river.
After I was done with that, I wandered around trying to find the Roma Parkland. I accidentally stumbled upon it, and it's good that I did. I was walking along construction sites and I don't think I should have been there. the parkland was a little boring and it was really hot, so I went back to the hostel to look up better things in my guide book. One hour and one war memorial later, I found myself in the botanic gardens by the river. this was a lot prettier and colder. Brisbane has a free newspaper that they're handing out on every corner, so I just sat and read that until it got too windy. By the way, I was super confused about the Balloon Boy thing. Is that a big fuss back home?
On Thursday, Jessica and I took a bus to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. There we got to see the koalas up close (from babies to the old fogies) AND we got to hold one! We did have to pay 15 bucks for a picture in order to do so, but it's ok. Cross that off the list. When I went to hold it, the koala was more interested in the male koalas that were calling nearby, so she kept turning her head away from the camera, but we got the shot.
We also got to pet more kangaroos, avoid these huge lizards just scuttling around the area, and watch a sheep herding show. It made me want to watch and/or read Babe again. The dogs were hilarious. I would explain more, but it's just boring things only Francesca would like to hear about. I do have videos.
Oh! and be proud of us. We sat through a python presentation (I was ready to flee at any moment, but that's beside the point) and we patted the python at the end. I consider that achievement for two snake haters. The helpful tips the guys gave us if we came across poisonous snakes were good to know, but he forgot to mention what to do when a wave of crippling fear washes over you when you see one and can't react in time. I need to work on that...
So that was our time in Brisbane.
On Friday we checked out of our hotel at 9, and got our car from a long term parking lot at 10. what did we do in that hour? you wonder. We looked for our car. this is hard to write because it's bringing up a lot of anger, but basically, we parked our car on the fourth floor, but the elevators only went to the third. We tried to go up staircases, but they were gated or the fourth floor doors were locked. It took us 20 minutes just to find the car park in the area. It's part train station, part hotel, part food court. We tried to retrace our steps from how we got out on the first day, but that door was locked. we found the third floor, but the elevator needed a card to take us to the fourth floor. we went up a staircase, the door was locked. we went back down to the third floor, that door was locked. We had to start all over again on the first floor. Maggie had a bit of an angry outburst in an elevator and scared the woman riding with us, but I can't blame her. If sh hadn't, I would have. Finally, we followed the car way up and got the hell out of there. Did I mention we were super hungry because we had planned on having breakfast in our next destination that we were supposed to almost be by then? oh, that must have slipped my mind.
So after that, we made our way to Surfer's Paradise, which apparently is where all the attractive Australians live. It all makes sense now. Lots of beautiful people there. The beach was beautiful as well. We had breakfast there, looked around, then made our way to Byron Bay.
Friday was just a mixture of all bad things. Our hostel in Brisbane was over a bar that got loud at nine and didn't stop the music until 2 or 3. The night before we left, the music was extra loud, followed by a lot of cheering, and it was really hot in our room and we couldn't control it. None of us got a lot of sleep. Add that to the car fiasco, and we were almost done for the day.
So we got to Byron Bay (the easternmost tip of Australia, as signs let me know), and we walked around, looked at the shops, walked to the beach (also beautiful), saw some whales showing off, and got a milkshake at a cafe. By the way, milkshakes here mean milk and syrup and ice cream. You have to specify thick. We did not know that. It felt like we were drinking strawberry milk. Yep. So we were still very tired and not up for anything more that sleeping, which we were looking forward to. When we checked in, we were the only ones in our room. cut to 8 at night, and all the beds have been taken, and they all belong to friends who were meeting each other down in Byron Bay for a night of partying. they were nice, but I ended up hating them. It started out innocent enough. We talked, told them where we were from, learned stuff about them, all good. They went out, we collapsed into our bunks. 3 am rolls around, they come home. Everyone is wasted. They try to be quiet, but again, they're drunk, so there's a lot of giggling, a lot of loud whispering, and a lot of leaving the door open where they're all talking loudly outside. they had a friend who wasn't staying in the room, but I swear to God, kept coming in every five minutes or so to talk to them. he was who I hated the most. He kept forgetting that we were trying to sleep, which is what his friends told him every time. I wanted to kill him.
Needless to say, I got about 2 hours of sleep and hopefully my revenge when I woke up at 8 to check out. I did not try to be quiet. This was our long driving day, and I got stuck with the wheel somehow. Apparently sleep deprived Angela is better that sleep deprived Jess or Maggie. I doubt it, but I drove for six hours. Eventually lack of sleep and food and monotonous driving made me a little delirious. It made for a fun few hours of driving. Jess begrudgingly took over the driving after I begged her, but I'm guessing if I hadn't asked, I would have driven the entire 8 hours. you would not want that. We arrived in Newcastle for the night in a hostel that used to be a gentleman's club. I hope it wasn't what we think of nowadays but you never know.
Now, we are in the Blue Mountains. It's been raining off and on, and the fog has obscured a lot of the views, but we're hoping for sun tomorrow. Our hostel is small but cute, and everyone who stays or works here gives of the family vibe. It's nice. We have one more day in the Mountains, then we're heading to Sydney to take off to New Zealand.
ok. That's about it. To those who made it all the way, congrats.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
What? I'm back again? yeah that's right. deal.
Hi again people.
I have quite a bit of time to write to you all about...nothing really. We have arrived in Brisbane, had dinner, and now have a lot of time to kill. Jess and Mags decided to go see Fame at the cinema, but even though it was cheap night, 9 bucks is still a lot to go see a movie I'm not that interested in that I can also see back home, or even better, on the plane ride home.
So now I can have some time to just...chat with all three of you who read this blog. Thanks for the comments, it's good to know this is being read. To anyone who feels obligated to read this because my mom told them in passing, I hope my candid wit has sucked you in, and now you wait for my next update like Amy Winehouse waits for cocaine. I would explain that reference for the older crowd, but you all know what cocaine is, so you can put two and two together.
So...how's it going? I personally am a lot happier in warmer weather, which the east coast of Australia is flooded with. It's good not having to wear the same jacket over and over again. Once I get home and post pictures, you'll notice the reappearance of the one thing I brought to keep my arms warm. I remember asking my mom for her rain jacket, but she was hesitant to let me borrow it. thanks, Ma.
So here is a list of Australian things we've done so far:
1. Petted a kangaroo
2. Went scuba diving on the Great barrier reef
3. Ate Kangaroo
4. Went swimming in clear water swimming holes
5. Jumped off a reasonably sized rock into a pool of water
6. Said G'day to a passerby
7. Seen the Sydney Opera House
8. Drove on the Great Ocean Road
Maggie made a list of things she wanted to accomplish whilst in Australia, and so far we've done most of those, minus ride vespas in a beach town. They are included in the list. Guess which ones?
For me, I just want to touch, pet, and/or hold a koala, as well as start the Aussie cheer in a bar. The latter might be hard, seeing as how I'm obviously American and we don't go to bars that much.
So what else should we do while we're here? I need more suggestions. Mind you, we will be in New Zealand for 5 days, so I'm also accepting New Zealandish things to do as well. And don't say go on the trail to Mordor. Maggie's already doing that. I will not be doing that, seeing as how I haven't seen any of the movies. Yeah, you heard me.
So I think I've wasted enough of your time tonight. I really have nothing else to do.
is there anything I need to elaborate on? any clarifications? Please do let me know. It would be super sad if no one wrote back. That's a hint.
All right, I'm off to spend my Internet time writing emails. SO much fun.
Cheers.
I have quite a bit of time to write to you all about...nothing really. We have arrived in Brisbane, had dinner, and now have a lot of time to kill. Jess and Mags decided to go see Fame at the cinema, but even though it was cheap night, 9 bucks is still a lot to go see a movie I'm not that interested in that I can also see back home, or even better, on the plane ride home.
So now I can have some time to just...chat with all three of you who read this blog. Thanks for the comments, it's good to know this is being read. To anyone who feels obligated to read this because my mom told them in passing, I hope my candid wit has sucked you in, and now you wait for my next update like Amy Winehouse waits for cocaine. I would explain that reference for the older crowd, but you all know what cocaine is, so you can put two and two together.
So...how's it going? I personally am a lot happier in warmer weather, which the east coast of Australia is flooded with. It's good not having to wear the same jacket over and over again. Once I get home and post pictures, you'll notice the reappearance of the one thing I brought to keep my arms warm. I remember asking my mom for her rain jacket, but she was hesitant to let me borrow it. thanks, Ma.
So here is a list of Australian things we've done so far:
1. Petted a kangaroo
2. Went scuba diving on the Great barrier reef
3. Ate Kangaroo
4. Went swimming in clear water swimming holes
5. Jumped off a reasonably sized rock into a pool of water
6. Said G'day to a passerby
7. Seen the Sydney Opera House
8. Drove on the Great Ocean Road
Maggie made a list of things she wanted to accomplish whilst in Australia, and so far we've done most of those, minus ride vespas in a beach town. They are included in the list. Guess which ones?
For me, I just want to touch, pet, and/or hold a koala, as well as start the Aussie cheer in a bar. The latter might be hard, seeing as how I'm obviously American and we don't go to bars that much.
So what else should we do while we're here? I need more suggestions. Mind you, we will be in New Zealand for 5 days, so I'm also accepting New Zealandish things to do as well. And don't say go on the trail to Mordor. Maggie's already doing that. I will not be doing that, seeing as how I haven't seen any of the movies. Yeah, you heard me.
So I think I've wasted enough of your time tonight. I really have nothing else to do.
is there anything I need to elaborate on? any clarifications? Please do let me know. It would be super sad if no one wrote back. That's a hint.
All right, I'm off to spend my Internet time writing emails. SO much fun.
Cheers.
Monday, October 19, 2009
You Just Can't Get Enough
Hello again.
Finally, I have some time to update you all on our more exciting days. I left you in Darwin, or rather, on the flight from Darwin to Cairns. We got to Cairns at 8ish am. Australia's crazy with it's time zones. some states choose not to participate in daylight savings time, so we never know what time it is when we land somewhere new.
So we arrived to find Cairns a small, calm beach town. It was nice. Aside from the reef, there didn't seem like there was a lot to do. on Thursday, we booked our scuba tour, and walked around the city centre. Nothing big.
Friday, we had to get up and to the marina by 7:30. We booked a tour on a smaller boat with about 35 people and you got to know the people running the tour. The skipper was fun, he called everyone by their countries (or states for us) of origin. We actually had a few North Americans on the tour with us. There was a guy from Michigan, another guy who was born in Australia but moved to the US when he was a teen, some guy from New York, and three Canadians, including Nicole, our scuba friend. She also was staying at our hostel as well. Small world. Hi if you're reading this!
Onto the scuba diving. I was excited for the dive, but after we had to answer a lot of health questions i got worried. One asked if you had asthma, and I do, but not badly. I might have said no, or that I used to have it, which is half a truth. I know you can't get rid of asthma, but I never had it as bad as my sister, and I really wanted to dive.
In the end, it all went well. Scuba gear is really heavy to wear, plus you need to wear a weight belt as well. We were all a little nervous, seeing as how we had a 20 minute talk then were thrown into the water. Thankfully, we weren't left to wander on our own. Jess and Nicole got the fun British guide, Maggie and I had Dreadlocks as ours. He had a real name, but to Maggie and me he'll always be secretly known as Dreadlocks. He just led us underwater (after we adjusted to the breathing thing) and we didn't have to do much.
I know you all assumed this, but the Great Barrier Reef is amazing! we didn't see any sharks of turtles, but we saw Nemos and huge clams that look like they belong in the Disney submarine ride. It was awesome. After that, we went to Green Island close by, hung out in the water, then went back to the boat and did some snorkeling. We even got certificates. it's not a certification, but if we wanted to, it helps us in some way.
We left Cairns the next morning. By the way, Cairns is on the water, but it doesn't have a beach. It's all mud. the Reef and the Islands outside of it have all the sand. It's weird being by the beach and not seeing the picturesque sand or hearing waves.
So we got our rental car and headed towards our next stop: Townsville. The town is a tad boring. It's also by the beach and very quiet, but we got a hotel room for 75 bucks a night, so score us on that one. The next day Jess and I took the ferry to Magnetic Island, which is 20 minutes off the coast of townsville. It was a cute island, again not much going on, but it was nice to just relax on the sand. I was still nursing my Cairns sunburn, so I avoided the sun like a Paley should. Jess got some sun, but I don't think she got a new burn. I apparently can't trust that SPF 70 will keep my back from crisping up. It must be the ozone hole down here or something.
Today, we left around 9:30 and started on our 9 hour drive. We were going to stop in Rockhampton, but we read that there were three different fires in the area, so we decided to move on to Gladstone. The drive was productive but a little monotonous. We made about 6 Cd's to listen to, but they definitely were played at least twice. I drove for six hours and Maggie drove the rest of the way. At least our car is comfy. We rented the huge sedan. i think it's a Ford Falcon. He's a sturdy guy. For some reason I feel his name is Mike. Why? I don't know, but Mike is good for a long travel. we all have enough room and he has super fancy gadgets, like telling how fast we're actually going, plus he gets concerned about fatigue and suggests a rest every two hours. Apparently all of Australia is worried about sleepy drivers. I can't even count how many "sleepy? drunk? RIP" signs we have passed on our road trip.
So now we're in Gladstone, thankfully in a cheap hotel with free Internet. apparently the town closes down by 8pm. awesome. We're off to Brisbane in the morning. I'm hoping it's not another 8 hour drive. I don't think the girls want to hear my Cher impression or watch me attempt to dance to another rap song or ask repeatedly who sings what song. So I've never heard a Ciara song. Sue me.
All right, Maggie's giving me side eyes, and I'm guessing she wants the computer back.
Till the next time.
Finally, I have some time to update you all on our more exciting days. I left you in Darwin, or rather, on the flight from Darwin to Cairns. We got to Cairns at 8ish am. Australia's crazy with it's time zones. some states choose not to participate in daylight savings time, so we never know what time it is when we land somewhere new.
So we arrived to find Cairns a small, calm beach town. It was nice. Aside from the reef, there didn't seem like there was a lot to do. on Thursday, we booked our scuba tour, and walked around the city centre. Nothing big.
Friday, we had to get up and to the marina by 7:30. We booked a tour on a smaller boat with about 35 people and you got to know the people running the tour. The skipper was fun, he called everyone by their countries (or states for us) of origin. We actually had a few North Americans on the tour with us. There was a guy from Michigan, another guy who was born in Australia but moved to the US when he was a teen, some guy from New York, and three Canadians, including Nicole, our scuba friend. She also was staying at our hostel as well. Small world. Hi if you're reading this!
Onto the scuba diving. I was excited for the dive, but after we had to answer a lot of health questions i got worried. One asked if you had asthma, and I do, but not badly. I might have said no, or that I used to have it, which is half a truth. I know you can't get rid of asthma, but I never had it as bad as my sister, and I really wanted to dive.
In the end, it all went well. Scuba gear is really heavy to wear, plus you need to wear a weight belt as well. We were all a little nervous, seeing as how we had a 20 minute talk then were thrown into the water. Thankfully, we weren't left to wander on our own. Jess and Nicole got the fun British guide, Maggie and I had Dreadlocks as ours. He had a real name, but to Maggie and me he'll always be secretly known as Dreadlocks. He just led us underwater (after we adjusted to the breathing thing) and we didn't have to do much.
I know you all assumed this, but the Great Barrier Reef is amazing! we didn't see any sharks of turtles, but we saw Nemos and huge clams that look like they belong in the Disney submarine ride. It was awesome. After that, we went to Green Island close by, hung out in the water, then went back to the boat and did some snorkeling. We even got certificates. it's not a certification, but if we wanted to, it helps us in some way.
We left Cairns the next morning. By the way, Cairns is on the water, but it doesn't have a beach. It's all mud. the Reef and the Islands outside of it have all the sand. It's weird being by the beach and not seeing the picturesque sand or hearing waves.
So we got our rental car and headed towards our next stop: Townsville. The town is a tad boring. It's also by the beach and very quiet, but we got a hotel room for 75 bucks a night, so score us on that one. The next day Jess and I took the ferry to Magnetic Island, which is 20 minutes off the coast of townsville. It was a cute island, again not much going on, but it was nice to just relax on the sand. I was still nursing my Cairns sunburn, so I avoided the sun like a Paley should. Jess got some sun, but I don't think she got a new burn. I apparently can't trust that SPF 70 will keep my back from crisping up. It must be the ozone hole down here or something.
Today, we left around 9:30 and started on our 9 hour drive. We were going to stop in Rockhampton, but we read that there were three different fires in the area, so we decided to move on to Gladstone. The drive was productive but a little monotonous. We made about 6 Cd's to listen to, but they definitely were played at least twice. I drove for six hours and Maggie drove the rest of the way. At least our car is comfy. We rented the huge sedan. i think it's a Ford Falcon. He's a sturdy guy. For some reason I feel his name is Mike. Why? I don't know, but Mike is good for a long travel. we all have enough room and he has super fancy gadgets, like telling how fast we're actually going, plus he gets concerned about fatigue and suggests a rest every two hours. Apparently all of Australia is worried about sleepy drivers. I can't even count how many "sleepy? drunk? RIP" signs we have passed on our road trip.
So now we're in Gladstone, thankfully in a cheap hotel with free Internet. apparently the town closes down by 8pm. awesome. We're off to Brisbane in the morning. I'm hoping it's not another 8 hour drive. I don't think the girls want to hear my Cher impression or watch me attempt to dance to another rap song or ask repeatedly who sings what song. So I've never heard a Ciara song. Sue me.
All right, Maggie's giving me side eyes, and I'm guessing she wants the computer back.
Till the next time.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Just a quick post
hi everyone! I apologize to those who have emailed me. The stupid internet at our hostel is super slow, and it won't let me access my email. excellent.
Anyways, Darwin was very humid. Maggie's hair expanded to twice it's normal size. it was exciting. maybe not for Maggie. It was fun for us to see her hair curl.
So on our second day, we rented a car and drove to Litchfield national park, which is about 90 minutes away. It was amazing! We wnt to three different watering holes, all with waterfalls. It was beautiful, the water was clear and very clean, and it was a perfect way to spend a hot day. We climbed up one side of a small waterfall at Wangi falls, and got to sit and enjoy Boley Rockhole's mini-waterfalls and jump off rocks into the water. My leg did suffer a good three inch scrape when I slipped while climbing, but it's not that bad. Yes, Dad, I put Hydrogen peroxide on it. Stop worrying. I think I'm getting the last name of the falls wrong, but I have 3 minutes until my internet expires.
So that was fun, but we were very tired, and tried to go to sleep as early as possible because we had to get up at 2 to get to the airport for our flight to Cairns. It was not enough time. Plus our roommates wook us up when they came in. More on that later. Plus at the airport, we had to go through two seperate security checks, where at one they took our peanut butter. It was Peter Pan, the good kind too. Oh well.
Now we're in Cairns, having a good time in a cute hostel that sadly lacks in quality internet and happy employees. More on that later.
Ok, I have to go, but I will try to get back on and update in full later!
love,
Angela
Anyways, Darwin was very humid. Maggie's hair expanded to twice it's normal size. it was exciting. maybe not for Maggie. It was fun for us to see her hair curl.
So on our second day, we rented a car and drove to Litchfield national park, which is about 90 minutes away. It was amazing! We wnt to three different watering holes, all with waterfalls. It was beautiful, the water was clear and very clean, and it was a perfect way to spend a hot day. We climbed up one side of a small waterfall at Wangi falls, and got to sit and enjoy Boley Rockhole's mini-waterfalls and jump off rocks into the water. My leg did suffer a good three inch scrape when I slipped while climbing, but it's not that bad. Yes, Dad, I put Hydrogen peroxide on it. Stop worrying. I think I'm getting the last name of the falls wrong, but I have 3 minutes until my internet expires.
So that was fun, but we were very tired, and tried to go to sleep as early as possible because we had to get up at 2 to get to the airport for our flight to Cairns. It was not enough time. Plus our roommates wook us up when they came in. More on that later. Plus at the airport, we had to go through two seperate security checks, where at one they took our peanut butter. It was Peter Pan, the good kind too. Oh well.
Now we're in Cairns, having a good time in a cute hostel that sadly lacks in quality internet and happy employees. More on that later.
Ok, I have to go, but I will try to get back on and update in full later!
love,
Angela
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happy Tuesday
Hey ya'll (that's my Shane Sparks impression. It's pretty good)
So the rest of Adelaide was nice, but honestly, we didn't do much. Here's the rundown
1.Laundry (ooh)
2. "homemade dinner"
3. Finished Chelsea Handler's book
4. Played Celebrity Head*
5.Listened to the rain
So, instead of cluing you in on the fascinating events in detail, I'm giving you a miss list. Last night at the airport, I asked the girls what they all missed from America. Here it goes:
MAGGIE'S MISS LIST:
1.Iced tea (and splenda, but only for iced tea)
2. TV, especially the office and glee
JESSICA'S MISS LIST:
1.Lunches with Grandpa
2. Bojo
3.Oliver
ANGELA'S MISS LIST
1.Ketchup
2.Salsa
3.Good, black coffee
OUR COLLECTIVE MISS LIST:
1. Cellphones
a.text messages just aren't as fun when you put them in an email a few days later
b. picture messages. enough said
c. knowing what time it is all the time (that's mostly for me because I don't own a watch)
Besides that, we're all doing well with Australian things. I wanted to give you something to discuss while we're running around trying to make the most of Darwin, which is where we are right now. We got in at 1am, and so far, all I can say is that it's humid. Not too bad, like LA was in July, but still very sticky.
Ok, that's about it.
Much love from the Northern Territory,
Angela
*mental note: great Christmas present. anyone who loves us or is obligated to get any of us a present should think about it.
So the rest of Adelaide was nice, but honestly, we didn't do much. Here's the rundown
1.Laundry (ooh)
2. "homemade dinner"
3. Finished Chelsea Handler's book
4. Played Celebrity Head*
5.Listened to the rain
So, instead of cluing you in on the fascinating events in detail, I'm giving you a miss list. Last night at the airport, I asked the girls what they all missed from America. Here it goes:
MAGGIE'S MISS LIST:
1.Iced tea (and splenda, but only for iced tea)
2. TV, especially the office and glee
JESSICA'S MISS LIST:
1.Lunches with Grandpa
2. Bojo
3.Oliver
ANGELA'S MISS LIST
1.Ketchup
2.Salsa
3.Good, black coffee
OUR COLLECTIVE MISS LIST:
1. Cellphones
a.text messages just aren't as fun when you put them in an email a few days later
b. picture messages. enough said
c. knowing what time it is all the time (that's mostly for me because I don't own a watch)
Besides that, we're all doing well with Australian things. I wanted to give you something to discuss while we're running around trying to make the most of Darwin, which is where we are right now. We got in at 1am, and so far, all I can say is that it's humid. Not too bad, like LA was in July, but still very sticky.
Ok, that's about it.
Much love from the Northern Territory,
Angela
*mental note: great Christmas present. anyone who loves us or is obligated to get any of us a present should think about it.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Continuing on..
So where did I leave you all? I believe I'm on Day Three of Melbourne I think. Sorry, Speed is on in the background and I'm getting increasingly annoyed at how high Sandra Bullock's voice used to be.
So Melbourne Day Three started out with breakfast in St. Kilda where we met up with my friend Tom, who I met when he was studying abroad at UCI. he took us to a cute little place called Las Chicas (Australians love their Spanish names despite the lack of Hispanic/Latin people around). Later on he drove us past Port Phillip bay and dropped us off at Ackland Street where we wandered down and checked out shops and bakeries. Apparently, the cakes on this street are well known, so of course we had to try some. I sadly picked a chocolate mousse cake that any normal chocoholic would have enjoyed, but I forget time and time again that I don't enjoy chocolate after two bites. That's all I need. I ended up sculpting my cake into a postmodern art piece and watched Jess and Maggie enjoy their aptly chosen treats. After that, we tried to find St.Kilda Road which was to bring us back to the city centre but we got Tom's directions confused (not your fault Tom) but ended up walking up a big hill and finally finding a tram.
We then got off at the National Gallery of Victoria, which was a FREE museum of art and sculptures. All the art museums here are free. Very nice. i like free things. I may not like what's in them sometimes, but I like free things. The building is an art piece itself, but very hard to navigate around. we finally found rooms of art, but only after a while. These rooms had everything from early renaissance art to modern video art. My favorite part was the dresses of Jane Austen's time exhibit. They're very pretty, even though they would not flatter anyone.
After that, we went on the hunt for the Chinese food place we saw on Anthony Bourdain's Melbourne show. it was supposed to have very spicy food, and I'm always up for a challenge.
We found the place which was located in classy alley with a dumpster and van in front of the entrance in Chinatown.
As we sat down, Jess noticed that we were the only white people in the restaurant. I didn't realize this; after all, two years in Irvine tend to make you forget that. But we were getting laughed at, mainly by the staff. Maggie and I ordered an apparently super spicy chicken entree while Jess wimped out and got some soup. Wimp out is a harsh word. We knew coming into this she can't handle her spice. In the end, the dish was not very satisfying. It was spicy, yes, but not as bad as we thought, and the chunks of chicken had bones in them and it was really greasy. In the end, Maggie and I triumphed over our sassy waiter who mocked us to the cooking staff, but the food wasn't worth it.
The next day we checked out of our hotel, put our luggage in storage and...walked to pick up our rental car. This was the moment we were all dreading. We decided to get a car to drive along Great Ocean Road because flying and taking the train were more expensive, plus we wouldn't be able to see some beautiful views. I volunteered to drive first. This meant driving the city streets and making weird right turns. Since the rams run through the middle of the street, people making right turns have to get in the farthest LEFT lane, venture out very far in the intersection, and pretty much wait until the light turns yellow to turn right. It sounded intimidating, but after taking notes from drivers on the street, my first and only attempt at one worked with little to no panic and no one getting hurt. Aside from backing up and turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal and one panic-filled moment when Maggie told me to turn left when she meant right, it was easy. We got out of Melbourne safely, got on the Great Ocean Road safely, then after our first stop at a lighthouse, Maggie took over. Don't tell her, but it was slightly terrifying to be driving with her on the left side of the road. She kept going over the shoulder because the roads looked narrow to her, or maybe she didn't realize she was doing this, but it was scary. Especially when we were right along the ocean, on a cliff, and it was raining. Mom, stop worrying. We were fine.
After a quick stop in Apollo Bay and another at the Twelve Apostles cliffs, we stopped for the evening in Port Campbell and got a hotel room at a cute little inn that wasn't expensive at all. we were excited to have a good shower that night, not that we were deprived in our other hostels, but it is thrilling to not have to wear shower shoes.
I never thought I would know how to function without a cell phone or mapquest, but this trip is helping me find out. We devised a plan on a map (the old-fashioned way) and made our way toward Adelaide. Along our way, we encountered what seemed like hundreds of signs warning against fatigue. Australians don't sugar coat things. On the tram in Melbourne, I saw a sign the read "Hot water deserts the showers of fare evaders." A little harsh, yes. On the road trip, one McDonald's sported a sign "Fatigue Kills. Stop and Rest Now." Another: "Slowing down won't kill you." And my favorite "Drowsy Drivers Die." I think we got the message. The road was peppered with these signs, as well as ones for people crossing in remote areas where no one lived, and kangaroo and koala crossings. We finally got to Adelaide, checked in, booked our wine tasting tour for the next day, and passed out.
This morning, we woke up early and get on the Groovy Grape Bus (I kid you not) where our tour guide, Glen, took us and backpackers from other hostels up to the Barossa Valley for wine tasting. We stopped in an area along the way that housed a 20 foot toy rocking horse that Maggie, Jess and I climbed. We got a certificate as well that states that we did. It wasn't hard, and it had ladders, but we were the only ones to do so, so we like to see that as everyone else was too scared. There was also a petting zoo we could visit, and it had llamas, sheep, chickens, peacocks, and KANGAROOS! We got to pet them and they were very friendly. They could care less that humans were approaching them. the llamas were annoying, and the sheep was giving Maggie side eyes so we didn't get to pet her. After that, we went to three wineries, then had a break for lunch where we got to eat kangaroo. It was definitely on our list of things to do while in Australia, but we wished it wasn't on the same day we got to pet one as well. We went to one last winery before heading back to Adelaide. The wineries were cute, but nothing could compare to California wine. Nice try Australia.
Our group was fun until some idiots who couldn't handle their alcohol started getting annoying. One was a poorly dressed English girl who apparently had a love for the foo fighters, or as she said, "foo F*in' figh'ers." why do people I hate like the bands I love? She was with another gem who was Australian. He's the kind of guy who thought he was the comedian of the group, when he really was just a politically incorrect oaf that managed to offend multiple races and sexual groups in a matter of minutes. So much fun. On our way back, they kept yelling at two people in the front of the bus while getting drunker on bottles of wine they bought whilst yelling out suggestion for bands that the bus driver obviously didn't have on his ipod. that didn't stop them from trying. they kept calling the guys gay boys and poofters, and the Asian people Japan and Tokyo, even though one girl was from China. Quality people right there. Finally they were dropped off. We were the last ones left on the bus, but they could sense our hatred and didn't say goodbye.
Later on tonight, we walked to Rundle Street, which houses a lot of restaurants and clubs. It was popping off tonight. So many people were going out and getting super fancy. We also kept encountering zombies. I kid you not. There were a lot of people dressed to the nines in zombie makeup and costumes. We were a little confused, but before we started making a plan to fight back, I asked a couple of zombie nurses who were smoking outside of hungry jacks what was up. Apparently it's Zombie Wars tonight. I was informed of this in a very matter of fact way. Of course it was Zombie Wars! How could I forget? never mind that I'm from a different country. I will research and find out more later. I need answers.
So I believe you are all caught up. You lucky ducks. I apologize for procrastinating. I will never leave my work till the last minute again. Right.
And I know I haven't seen Speed the entire way through, but why can't Sandra Bullock die? She's making me angry.
So Melbourne Day Three started out with breakfast in St. Kilda where we met up with my friend Tom, who I met when he was studying abroad at UCI. he took us to a cute little place called Las Chicas (Australians love their Spanish names despite the lack of Hispanic/Latin people around). Later on he drove us past Port Phillip bay and dropped us off at Ackland Street where we wandered down and checked out shops and bakeries. Apparently, the cakes on this street are well known, so of course we had to try some. I sadly picked a chocolate mousse cake that any normal chocoholic would have enjoyed, but I forget time and time again that I don't enjoy chocolate after two bites. That's all I need. I ended up sculpting my cake into a postmodern art piece and watched Jess and Maggie enjoy their aptly chosen treats. After that, we tried to find St.Kilda Road which was to bring us back to the city centre but we got Tom's directions confused (not your fault Tom) but ended up walking up a big hill and finally finding a tram.
We then got off at the National Gallery of Victoria, which was a FREE museum of art and sculptures. All the art museums here are free. Very nice. i like free things. I may not like what's in them sometimes, but I like free things. The building is an art piece itself, but very hard to navigate around. we finally found rooms of art, but only after a while. These rooms had everything from early renaissance art to modern video art. My favorite part was the dresses of Jane Austen's time exhibit. They're very pretty, even though they would not flatter anyone.
After that, we went on the hunt for the Chinese food place we saw on Anthony Bourdain's Melbourne show. it was supposed to have very spicy food, and I'm always up for a challenge.
We found the place which was located in classy alley with a dumpster and van in front of the entrance in Chinatown.
As we sat down, Jess noticed that we were the only white people in the restaurant. I didn't realize this; after all, two years in Irvine tend to make you forget that. But we were getting laughed at, mainly by the staff. Maggie and I ordered an apparently super spicy chicken entree while Jess wimped out and got some soup. Wimp out is a harsh word. We knew coming into this she can't handle her spice. In the end, the dish was not very satisfying. It was spicy, yes, but not as bad as we thought, and the chunks of chicken had bones in them and it was really greasy. In the end, Maggie and I triumphed over our sassy waiter who mocked us to the cooking staff, but the food wasn't worth it.
The next day we checked out of our hotel, put our luggage in storage and...walked to pick up our rental car. This was the moment we were all dreading. We decided to get a car to drive along Great Ocean Road because flying and taking the train were more expensive, plus we wouldn't be able to see some beautiful views. I volunteered to drive first. This meant driving the city streets and making weird right turns. Since the rams run through the middle of the street, people making right turns have to get in the farthest LEFT lane, venture out very far in the intersection, and pretty much wait until the light turns yellow to turn right. It sounded intimidating, but after taking notes from drivers on the street, my first and only attempt at one worked with little to no panic and no one getting hurt. Aside from backing up and turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal and one panic-filled moment when Maggie told me to turn left when she meant right, it was easy. We got out of Melbourne safely, got on the Great Ocean Road safely, then after our first stop at a lighthouse, Maggie took over. Don't tell her, but it was slightly terrifying to be driving with her on the left side of the road. She kept going over the shoulder because the roads looked narrow to her, or maybe she didn't realize she was doing this, but it was scary. Especially when we were right along the ocean, on a cliff, and it was raining. Mom, stop worrying. We were fine.
After a quick stop in Apollo Bay and another at the Twelve Apostles cliffs, we stopped for the evening in Port Campbell and got a hotel room at a cute little inn that wasn't expensive at all. we were excited to have a good shower that night, not that we were deprived in our other hostels, but it is thrilling to not have to wear shower shoes.
I never thought I would know how to function without a cell phone or mapquest, but this trip is helping me find out. We devised a plan on a map (the old-fashioned way) and made our way toward Adelaide. Along our way, we encountered what seemed like hundreds of signs warning against fatigue. Australians don't sugar coat things. On the tram in Melbourne, I saw a sign the read "Hot water deserts the showers of fare evaders." A little harsh, yes. On the road trip, one McDonald's sported a sign "Fatigue Kills. Stop and Rest Now." Another: "Slowing down won't kill you." And my favorite "Drowsy Drivers Die." I think we got the message. The road was peppered with these signs, as well as ones for people crossing in remote areas where no one lived, and kangaroo and koala crossings. We finally got to Adelaide, checked in, booked our wine tasting tour for the next day, and passed out.
This morning, we woke up early and get on the Groovy Grape Bus (I kid you not) where our tour guide, Glen, took us and backpackers from other hostels up to the Barossa Valley for wine tasting. We stopped in an area along the way that housed a 20 foot toy rocking horse that Maggie, Jess and I climbed. We got a certificate as well that states that we did. It wasn't hard, and it had ladders, but we were the only ones to do so, so we like to see that as everyone else was too scared. There was also a petting zoo we could visit, and it had llamas, sheep, chickens, peacocks, and KANGAROOS! We got to pet them and they were very friendly. They could care less that humans were approaching them. the llamas were annoying, and the sheep was giving Maggie side eyes so we didn't get to pet her. After that, we went to three wineries, then had a break for lunch where we got to eat kangaroo. It was definitely on our list of things to do while in Australia, but we wished it wasn't on the same day we got to pet one as well. We went to one last winery before heading back to Adelaide. The wineries were cute, but nothing could compare to California wine. Nice try Australia.
Our group was fun until some idiots who couldn't handle their alcohol started getting annoying. One was a poorly dressed English girl who apparently had a love for the foo fighters, or as she said, "foo F*in' figh'ers." why do people I hate like the bands I love? She was with another gem who was Australian. He's the kind of guy who thought he was the comedian of the group, when he really was just a politically incorrect oaf that managed to offend multiple races and sexual groups in a matter of minutes. So much fun. On our way back, they kept yelling at two people in the front of the bus while getting drunker on bottles of wine they bought whilst yelling out suggestion for bands that the bus driver obviously didn't have on his ipod. that didn't stop them from trying. they kept calling the guys gay boys and poofters, and the Asian people Japan and Tokyo, even though one girl was from China. Quality people right there. Finally they were dropped off. We were the last ones left on the bus, but they could sense our hatred and didn't say goodbye.
Later on tonight, we walked to Rundle Street, which houses a lot of restaurants and clubs. It was popping off tonight. So many people were going out and getting super fancy. We also kept encountering zombies. I kid you not. There were a lot of people dressed to the nines in zombie makeup and costumes. We were a little confused, but before we started making a plan to fight back, I asked a couple of zombie nurses who were smoking outside of hungry jacks what was up. Apparently it's Zombie Wars tonight. I was informed of this in a very matter of fact way. Of course it was Zombie Wars! How could I forget? never mind that I'm from a different country. I will research and find out more later. I need answers.
So I believe you are all caught up. You lucky ducks. I apologize for procrastinating. I will never leave my work till the last minute again. Right.
And I know I haven't seen Speed the entire way through, but why can't Sandra Bullock die? She's making me angry.
Friday, October 9, 2009
It's been a while...
So I have a lot to report on. Sorry about the delay. There's one computer for all three of us, and we all take a long time writing to our loved ones. And family.
So let me start with Melbourne. It is a cute city. It is likened to San Francisco, so yes, there are a lot of hipsters lying around the street, but there are so many cute alleys just tucked into lanes with tons of cute places to shop and eat.
Our first day wasn't too exciting. We walked to the Queen Victoria Market to find out it was closed on Mondays. We did find a cute crepe place for lunch. We also discovered a Soup Shop and planned on that for dinner, but we soon found out that things close whenever they want to in Melbourne. All shops and most restaurants close around 5:30. We did finally found a place to eat, then returned to our hostel.
Side note: Our hostel was insane. There were three levels of hostels, and one level with the rec room, kitchen, and reception. So many people were staying there. And they never left! our last hostel cleared out in the afternoon and evening. That is why it was so hard to get a computer at night.
So on Day Two, we took the free tram up to the Market. We could have easily walked, but it was raining and we wanted to stay warm for a bit. The trams are just like cable cars, except for the tourist stuff. Except for ours. Ours had a little bit of tours and info about Melbourne as we traveled.
Queen Victoria Market is huge. There are over 1000 stalls there, filled with everything from food to opals to clothing. I contemplated buying a $1o chain watch, but I knew I would have no use for it once I got back to California. It just sucks not knowing the time. Then we walked to Fitzroy Gardens, where we saw the oldest house in Melbourne called Cook's Cottage. It was Captain Cook's Cottage (man who helped found Australia and was one of the few captains who kept his crew from dying of scurvy) and we got to wander throughout the house and the gardens. We then walked past the St. Paul cathedral, and got to listen to a boy's choir for awhile. I normally get creeped out by boys singing. it's the high voices, but I was not at this moment. Thought you had to know.
Later on, we got on a tram to head to Brunswick, a part of Melbourne where there's more shopping and food. We ate a lot in Melbourne because it's known for it's food. And it's not underestimated. We had Lebanese pizza over there, then we headed back to our hostel to pick up socks for bowling. The hostel was advertising a bowling alley that had 8 dollar games. So we headed over to the place to find out that it didn't start till 8. Our hostel said 5. We still played a game, and I want you to know (Mom) that I bowled a 91 and won. So, my skills are not completely off. When we were walking home, we happened upon loud, amped up Jewish music ad Orthodox Jews all dancing in a circle. It was quite entertaining. random, but entertaining.
All right, I'm being called for dinner, I'll continue with Melbourne Day three and Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell, and Adelaide tomorrow.
I apologize for spelling and grammar, I'm being rushed.
Cheers,
Angela
So let me start with Melbourne. It is a cute city. It is likened to San Francisco, so yes, there are a lot of hipsters lying around the street, but there are so many cute alleys just tucked into lanes with tons of cute places to shop and eat.
Our first day wasn't too exciting. We walked to the Queen Victoria Market to find out it was closed on Mondays. We did find a cute crepe place for lunch. We also discovered a Soup Shop and planned on that for dinner, but we soon found out that things close whenever they want to in Melbourne. All shops and most restaurants close around 5:30. We did finally found a place to eat, then returned to our hostel.
Side note: Our hostel was insane. There were three levels of hostels, and one level with the rec room, kitchen, and reception. So many people were staying there. And they never left! our last hostel cleared out in the afternoon and evening. That is why it was so hard to get a computer at night.
So on Day Two, we took the free tram up to the Market. We could have easily walked, but it was raining and we wanted to stay warm for a bit. The trams are just like cable cars, except for the tourist stuff. Except for ours. Ours had a little bit of tours and info about Melbourne as we traveled.
Queen Victoria Market is huge. There are over 1000 stalls there, filled with everything from food to opals to clothing. I contemplated buying a $1o chain watch, but I knew I would have no use for it once I got back to California. It just sucks not knowing the time. Then we walked to Fitzroy Gardens, where we saw the oldest house in Melbourne called Cook's Cottage. It was Captain Cook's Cottage (man who helped found Australia and was one of the few captains who kept his crew from dying of scurvy) and we got to wander throughout the house and the gardens. We then walked past the St. Paul cathedral, and got to listen to a boy's choir for awhile. I normally get creeped out by boys singing. it's the high voices, but I was not at this moment. Thought you had to know.
Later on, we got on a tram to head to Brunswick, a part of Melbourne where there's more shopping and food. We ate a lot in Melbourne because it's known for it's food. And it's not underestimated. We had Lebanese pizza over there, then we headed back to our hostel to pick up socks for bowling. The hostel was advertising a bowling alley that had 8 dollar games. So we headed over to the place to find out that it didn't start till 8. Our hostel said 5. We still played a game, and I want you to know (Mom) that I bowled a 91 and won. So, my skills are not completely off. When we were walking home, we happened upon loud, amped up Jewish music ad Orthodox Jews all dancing in a circle. It was quite entertaining. random, but entertaining.
All right, I'm being called for dinner, I'll continue with Melbourne Day three and Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell, and Adelaide tomorrow.
I apologize for spelling and grammar, I'm being rushed.
Cheers,
Angela
Sunday, October 4, 2009
They love their Krispy Kremes
OK, so today we have arrived, finally, in Melbourne.
There's a funny story that I would like to share with you all, but first, here are some fun Australian facts:
-There are tons of Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops here, as well as KFC, and Gloria Jeans Coffees. I know.
-What they call coffee is actually a long shot of espresso. I have never thanked God more than I did for the instant coffee my mom made me pack.
-The two most dangerous snakes in the world reside in Australia.
-They love their rugby.
-I can dance better than them. (no surprise there, right?)
So, we were supposed to be in Melbourne on the 4th. We got tickets for the country link train the day before. Our train was to leave at 7:45am. We got up at 6, checked out of our hostel by 7. We got a cab to get us to Central Station and even though he took a long way around, we got there at 7:25. We get our suitcases out of the car, head up into the station, looking for the right train to board. We couldn't find it. We look at the lists of departures. Again, nothing. Then Maggie looked at one of the clocks in the station. It said it was 8:25. Needless to say, this confused us greatly. We asked the conductor for the time, he also told us it was 8:25, then happily told us we missed our train. I don't have a watch, so I was depending on the others to tell me what time it was. We were so perplexed. HOW could we have gone the entire weekend one hour behind? we got our time from the plane when we landed, and we checked our time with the hostel clock that morning, so how were we late for our train? Is this National Prank-an-American day?
no. It was daylight savings time. Thank you, Australia. We were unaware of this until a passerby asked for the time, because he forgot it was daylight savings time. Fortunately, we got our tickets refunded for an evening flight, but we were stuck in rainy Sydney for another 12 hours. Jess and I were in flip flops, light shirts, and breezy coats. We had planned on a day of train travel.
We killed time by going to the Sydney Museum. It's pretty much like any other Museum anywhere, but a lot more dead stuffed things that smelled a little off, and countless bugs that reside in Australia. It was okay in a need to waste time, but it was full of small children and things that did not interest me. Except for the Egyptian part, but we didn't get tickets into that part because we didn't want to pay extra. Oh well.
after that, we walked around, bought some things at Woolworth's, which is a supermarket that if matched up against any market in America, would kick it's butt, then add that supermarket in a section of theirs as a victory. For those who wondered (Mom), they do sell peanut butter here, and ketchup (Sis), but it's called Tomato Sauce, and is a bit more vinegary.
Finally, we set off for Melbourne, and what started out as an uncomfortable overnight train ride turned into some good sleep once the man next to me moved to an empty seat around two in the morning. I found some good positions to sleep in, though most involved with my legs sprawled out in the aisle or my head hanging out in the aisle. But it's all good. I only got kicked once by Jess who was across from me, and tripped on twice by the same man who I think was a little drunk. But then again, I was half asleep when I thought this through, so it was funny at the time.
Melbourne is amazing and very cute; a lot like San Francisco. We've been here a few hours, so we've just walked around and bought postcards and had amazing crepes on this cute side street near our hostel. We're now going on the search for all the places Anthony Bourdain visited on his trip to Melbourne. Don't be jealous.
Later!
Angela
There's a funny story that I would like to share with you all, but first, here are some fun Australian facts:
-There are tons of Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops here, as well as KFC, and Gloria Jeans Coffees. I know.
-What they call coffee is actually a long shot of espresso. I have never thanked God more than I did for the instant coffee my mom made me pack.
-The two most dangerous snakes in the world reside in Australia.
-They love their rugby.
-I can dance better than them. (no surprise there, right?)
So, we were supposed to be in Melbourne on the 4th. We got tickets for the country link train the day before. Our train was to leave at 7:45am. We got up at 6, checked out of our hostel by 7. We got a cab to get us to Central Station and even though he took a long way around, we got there at 7:25. We get our suitcases out of the car, head up into the station, looking for the right train to board. We couldn't find it. We look at the lists of departures. Again, nothing. Then Maggie looked at one of the clocks in the station. It said it was 8:25. Needless to say, this confused us greatly. We asked the conductor for the time, he also told us it was 8:25, then happily told us we missed our train. I don't have a watch, so I was depending on the others to tell me what time it was. We were so perplexed. HOW could we have gone the entire weekend one hour behind? we got our time from the plane when we landed, and we checked our time with the hostel clock that morning, so how were we late for our train? Is this National Prank-an-American day?
no. It was daylight savings time. Thank you, Australia. We were unaware of this until a passerby asked for the time, because he forgot it was daylight savings time. Fortunately, we got our tickets refunded for an evening flight, but we were stuck in rainy Sydney for another 12 hours. Jess and I were in flip flops, light shirts, and breezy coats. We had planned on a day of train travel.
We killed time by going to the Sydney Museum. It's pretty much like any other Museum anywhere, but a lot more dead stuffed things that smelled a little off, and countless bugs that reside in Australia. It was okay in a need to waste time, but it was full of small children and things that did not interest me. Except for the Egyptian part, but we didn't get tickets into that part because we didn't want to pay extra. Oh well.
after that, we walked around, bought some things at Woolworth's, which is a supermarket that if matched up against any market in America, would kick it's butt, then add that supermarket in a section of theirs as a victory. For those who wondered (Mom), they do sell peanut butter here, and ketchup (Sis), but it's called Tomato Sauce, and is a bit more vinegary.
Finally, we set off for Melbourne, and what started out as an uncomfortable overnight train ride turned into some good sleep once the man next to me moved to an empty seat around two in the morning. I found some good positions to sleep in, though most involved with my legs sprawled out in the aisle or my head hanging out in the aisle. But it's all good. I only got kicked once by Jess who was across from me, and tripped on twice by the same man who I think was a little drunk. But then again, I was half asleep when I thought this through, so it was funny at the time.
Melbourne is amazing and very cute; a lot like San Francisco. We've been here a few hours, so we've just walked around and bought postcards and had amazing crepes on this cute side street near our hostel. We're now going on the search for all the places Anthony Bourdain visited on his trip to Melbourne. Don't be jealous.
Later!
Angela
Friday, October 2, 2009
1st day in Sydney!
Well, we made it, safe and sound.
First of all, I have something to say about showers. I have always taken them for granted, but I swear to God that I will never have as great a shower as the one I had today after our grueling 14 hour flight. It was bliss.
Sorry, just had to get that out of the way. Anyways, we have been in Sydney for about 12 hours now, and it feels like 2 days. But it's ok, because I am in love with Sydney. It is my city. It's by the water, it has adorable cute buildings and amazing architecture, and it's a big enough place but still compact and useful. Oh, and Hugh Jackman's from there. Yes. Please. Funny, my parents thought I'd fall for an Australian guy, but personally, I think the city might be more dangerous. Then again, I still have a month to go pops...
So far, we trudged through the city to see the Royal Botanic Gardens, took way too many pictures of flying foxes (they looked liked bats) in the trees, made our way to the Sydney Opera House, watched some acrobats make random stuff up for an audience, and took a double decker tour bus called "Hop-on, Hop-off" throughout the city. If anyone visits Sydney, I thoroughly recommend it. It's great to get your bearings of where everything is, and it helped us sort out where we want to go and do when we return at the end of our trip.
As for now, We are sitting at our hostel killing time before dinner. Jess is a champ, if she had it her way she'd be snuggling in her bunk right about now, sleeping her jet lag off. I'm feeling exhausted as well, but we promised Maggie we'd stay up till 8 or 9. I think we can do it.
Cut to me at 7:30 dragging Jess back to our hostel. Super fun.
Well, that's about it for now. We're hitting the Paddington bazaar tomorrow bright and early, but seeing as how Maggie said that, it'll be more like noon. It's time to put my birthday money to good use. I mean...that's for travelling. um...got to go.
Peace.
Angela
p.s. the flight sucked, but the movie/TV/music/games choices? A.MAZ.ING. seriously, so much to choose from. the man in front of me decided to watch The Sister of the travelling pants 2. I'd judge him, but I took 90 minutes of the flight to watch 17 again. Francesca, JUDGE ME NOT.
First of all, I have something to say about showers. I have always taken them for granted, but I swear to God that I will never have as great a shower as the one I had today after our grueling 14 hour flight. It was bliss.
Sorry, just had to get that out of the way. Anyways, we have been in Sydney for about 12 hours now, and it feels like 2 days. But it's ok, because I am in love with Sydney. It is my city. It's by the water, it has adorable cute buildings and amazing architecture, and it's a big enough place but still compact and useful. Oh, and Hugh Jackman's from there. Yes. Please. Funny, my parents thought I'd fall for an Australian guy, but personally, I think the city might be more dangerous. Then again, I still have a month to go pops...
So far, we trudged through the city to see the Royal Botanic Gardens, took way too many pictures of flying foxes (they looked liked bats) in the trees, made our way to the Sydney Opera House, watched some acrobats make random stuff up for an audience, and took a double decker tour bus called "Hop-on, Hop-off" throughout the city. If anyone visits Sydney, I thoroughly recommend it. It's great to get your bearings of where everything is, and it helped us sort out where we want to go and do when we return at the end of our trip.
As for now, We are sitting at our hostel killing time before dinner. Jess is a champ, if she had it her way she'd be snuggling in her bunk right about now, sleeping her jet lag off. I'm feeling exhausted as well, but we promised Maggie we'd stay up till 8 or 9. I think we can do it.
Cut to me at 7:30 dragging Jess back to our hostel. Super fun.
Well, that's about it for now. We're hitting the Paddington bazaar tomorrow bright and early, but seeing as how Maggie said that, it'll be more like noon. It's time to put my birthday money to good use. I mean...that's for travelling. um...got to go.
Peace.
Angela
p.s. the flight sucked, but the movie/TV/music/games choices? A.MAZ.ING. seriously, so much to choose from. the man in front of me decided to watch The Sister of the travelling pants 2. I'd judge him, but I took 90 minutes of the flight to watch 17 again. Francesca, JUDGE ME NOT.
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