Backpackers--My Love/Hate Affair

So I've been in Cairns one week today and have enjoyed my time immensely.  To be honest, Cairns is not my favorite place so far and had I not had a set flight, I probably would have left earlier.  I LOVED diving in the reef and exploring the rain forest, but had I not done these things, I would have been disappointed.

It's a very touristy town which is both good and bad.  Bad--I don't feel like I got to experience "Australia" here since it's hard to find a native with a place is crawling with backpackers.  Good--the place is crawling with backpackers!--Awesome ones! This means that there are always like-minded people who are looking for adventure on a budget like me.  People who are fun, open-minded, love to travel, laugh, and spend good time making lasting friendships.  Everywhere I go, there are numerous languages I can listen to and I meet someone from a different country every 5 minutes...I love it!  There are always deals on tours because companies must compete, and the area is set up to feed hungry, budget-minded folks like me.  I haven't had to pay for a dinner all week! Meals just keep popping up for free all over the place!

Over the past week, I formed some wonderful friendships that I hope will last a lifetime.  My time in Cairns would not have been nearly as memorable without them and I feel really fortunate to have met such wonderful friends--thanks Anja, Elin, Emma, Bert, and Gert--miss you all already! : )

In summary, I tend to stay more "local" and away from tourist spots but I'm quite happy with the way this one turned out so I  may need to re-think the rest of my trip to include chances to meet other backpackers as well as locals. For now, I'm off to wash some clothes in my sink and try not to melt in the heat! 

GREAT Barrier Reef

Day 28

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Today was FANTABULOUS!!!! We (the Swedes and I) went scuba diving in the great barrier reef today…and it is GREAT! Since I’m on a budget, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pay for diving since I had already done it once before in the Dominican Republic and sort of checked it off my bucket list. But, after asking around, we found a company that had a special this week so for the price of snorkeling, we got to snorkel and have a free dive. Can’t beat that deal! Or so we thought, turns out, after the first dive, you could buy a 2^nd for just $30! So, it cost us less than any other company for snorkeling and we got snorkeling, 2 dives, and a great, personal experience since they were a smaller company…it was worth every penny! So, if you ever find yourself wanting to dive in the GBR, I HIGHLY recommend CDC Cairns, the company I used—they were great and they are small and love word-of-mouth support!

I was a bit concerned at our 6am wake up today since we had gone out last night to the Woolshed (the local pub and our free dinner spot) and stayed late since 2 of the 4 of us entered a bikini contest…and won $100 at the bar I might add! But, we powered through it and made it to the docks by 7 and were headed out on the water by 745am. It was about 2 hours out to the reef and along the way, we saw 2 spinner dolphins.

We dove at the Briggs Outer Reef, at the “Fishbowl” site to a depth of 9 meters (conversion anyone?) for 25 minutes. To be honest, I expected to have about the same experience and not be too impressed other than to say I dove at the GBR. Boy am I glad I was wrong (guess I picked a good time to be wrong for the first time in my life). The colors and size and variety of everything were beyond words. I literally felt like I was high on something while watching Cirque de Soleil—like there’s no way this stuff could actually be real. Purple, blue, and green fish, clams as big as me, and sea cucumbers (black and rose-colored) as big as my leg (although much slimier)---it was insane!

I am also happy to report that my golden horseshoe is waterproof apparently. During the briefing, every guide, as well as several experienced people told us how rare it is to see a shark and we would be really lucky to see one….well, we were lucky…times 3!!! The first sighting, was a shark about 3 feet long and it was under a rock. We thought that was cool enough and almost didn’t go on a second dive, but the 2^nd dive turned out even better than the first (and we go the longest dive out of any group—33 minutes)! [Aside from my slight panic when I forgot how to swallow under water and started hyperventilating under water (thank God the guide, Joel, was patient and calmed a panicky girl enough to remain under water and catch her breath)]. Gotta tell you, not sure there are many worse things than being under water and not being able to breathe. (I knew I was in good hands when I found out his name was Joel though…thanks for protecting me, Pops!) : )

Anywho, I digress. So, on the second dive, we had TWO sightings of a 4 ft. long shark and both times, it was swimming around, which is even rarer! Can you believe I wasn’t scared one bit and actually wanted to get closer! Being underwater is very surreal and it’s like time stops and you’re in a protective bubble and invincible (expect for non-breathing attacks, of course). Both sharks we saw were white-tipped reefs and our friend, Anja, spotted an Epaulette shark. On top of amazingly colored fish and coral of all types (plate, boulder, staghorn, etc.), GIANT clams, a school of unicorn surgeon fish right above us, and a spider shell, we also saw a sea turtle (green species), and an octopus! And out of all the groups that dove, we were the only one the sharks and turtle!!!!! Needless to say, I am really glad I did today’s “once in a lifetime” tour as it truly was just that! Oh, and…the guides invited us to free pizza and beer tonight and we met a Spanish guy, Daniel, on the boat who rented a car and invited us to go along to the same tour we were going to have to spend $135 for….that horseshoe of mine must be getting even stronger here down under and I quite like it! Cheers, mates! : )

“Once in a Lifetimes”… ALL the time

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I’m finding that the hardest part about budgeting on this trip is that I’m constantly tempted by “once in a lifetime” things to do. Today for example, I had to choose between diving in the Great Barrier Reef or Trekking in one of the oldest rainforests. Not only do I have to choose whether or not to do them, but then HOW to do them. Do I pay more money and go to the farther reef? Do I extend and stay on the boat overnight and do 2 days diving? Do we rent a car and go on our own? Do I stay over in the rainforest and sleep on the beach? All of which of course are “just a few dollars more.” But, as I’m sure you can imagine, none of these things are cheap to begin with and a few extra dollars on EVERY tour, several times a week adds up! If I knew that I would for sure see/do some of these things in other parts of the world, I would be happy to wait. The problem is, there’s no guarantee that the option will be there, or the weather will cooperate, or I’ll have money left, etc. So, I’ll just keep doing these “once in a lifetime things” as they come and enjoy them while the money lasts! : )

Oddly enough, I find that a similar phenomenon occurs with food when I travel. I never know when my next chance to have veggies, fruit, chocolate, or whatever is so I’m constantly buying/eating them as if it’s my last meal. I am also good at hoarding things from the free food bin at the hostel and eating the crummy free pasta meal plus a left over potato from the guy I met 5 minutes prior. Any one of these behaviors (or perhaps a bit of each) may account for not-always-happy-tummy.

Today was nice and relaxing. Eileen and I went to 6:30 am yoga on the beach and then I went for a run. I was shocked to see how many people were out exercising at that time of day, but it makes sense since it gets scorching hot by 7:00am. Along the path, they have free lifting stations and every am & pm they offer free outdoor exercise. The girls are at Zumba as I type.

After running, I used the wifi at McD’s and we spent the rest of today laying by the lagoon, reading and people watching. Booked a snorkel trip to the reef tomorrow and we get a free dive as well! The bar nearby that provides our free dinner is having a trivia and bikini contest tonight. We joked that we should enter but when we heard the cash price amount we decided it might not be a laughing matter…might just be another “once in a lifetime” experience to pay for all the other “once in a lifetime” ones! : )

Catching Up to Cairns

Hello all! So, I'm sitting outside a "Macca's" (aka McDonald's and the only free internet place around) in Cairns (the Great Barrier Reef region) trying to post blogs and photos for my adoring fans but the darn thing is so slow. I've been here 45 minutes and just got this page to open.  That said, as much as I'd love to separate these blogs and keep them nice and neat and shorter for you....you're getting the condensed, mass blog edition today in hopes that I can have more regular access to internet and post more frequently in the future.  So, for those of you at home, grab a tea and get comfy for a long read and for those of you at work--you're welcome for the lengthy read to make your day go by quicker! : ) As always, much love! : ) Dani

WEDNESDAY, October 19, 2011

I went on my tour today and it was fantastic! The guide, Mark Sutton, “Sutto” picked me up at the house at 830am and we drove an hour to Mutawintji Nstional Park which was the first park to be handed back to the aboriginals. Gene and her grandson, David, joined me on the tour and were lovely folks from Melbourne. On the tour, we visited the cultural center to learn about the “Dream Time” history of the aboriginal creation story (see comments on photos for details) and saw 2 sites, only accessible via tour guide, where young boys and girls went for their right of passages into adulthood and painted hands on caves after each one to indicate their advancement. We also had morning tea and lunch out by the river bed/campgrounds (impressed by all the solar/green set ups).  On the way back, we drove past working sheep farms and stopped at a stop in the middle of nowhere for an ice cream. The guy had lots of really interesting signs up around the bar, expressing his sense of humor (again, see photos). 

By the time I got home, I was beat but turned joined Liz for a presentation from an English Dr. on mental health.  It was an interesting presentation and I’m glad I went. 

THURSDAY

I was so beat from the day before that I stayed close to home and didn’t do much except BE! I caught up on some reading, blogging, picture posting, etc.  Then Hannah, Meg, and I decided to have “fat night” so we went to an old 1950’s Milk Bar and got malt shakes (YUM!), then rented movies and ate popcorn and maltesas (sp?)-an Australian chocolate malt candy.  After all that, we had pizzas too! It was a successful “fat night!” : )

FRIDAY

Hannah and I went to school of the air in the morning which was awesome! We got to see a live assembly to all of the school children in the outback that “attend” school online via the school.  I am SO impressed with the system.  Every child is given a computer, all lessons, and they really foster a sense of community still with weekly (internet)assemblies to present birthdays, great work, star students, etc. Additionally, they have mini schools, camps, home visits, excursions, sports days, etc. where all kids participate.  They sure have their system working well for them!

The school only goes until grade 5 or 6 and then kids must come to town to a boarding school for secondary school.  Also found out that every student gets a laptop or ipad…see what can happen when the government actually puts money into education?!

After the school, Hannah and I drove about an hour out to Menindee lakes and toured around an old sheeping station, the lakes and river drive, had lunch in the TINY town, and made the trek back (NOTHING but desert views along the way!) She was a great tour guide for the day!

My train left at 6:30 that evening so I had just enough time to pack and head out once we got back.

TRAIN to SYDNEY

My train ride back to Sydney ended up being an unexpected adventure (the good kind). My adapter broke (again—that’s number 3 –argh!) so when I got on the train, I asked the first person I saw if he had a spare.  Turns out I picked a great guy to chat with! It was my new buddy, Merv, and he was a great travel buddy for the next 14 hours or so! We ended up chatting most of the night and he had an extra bunk in his sleeper room so I got a free upgrade to a BED!

He was moving back to Sydney from Perth so his car was on the train and we arrived, he drove me out to his parents for YUMMY home-made Filipino food from his mom and then his sister, Rhea (just as awesome!) went to the Featherdale Wildlife Park where we cuddled a koala and hugged kangaroos (they were just walking about!) Afterwards, Rhea knew just what a traveler needs and offered a shower, snacks, and sanity! : )

That night plans changed and instead of going downtown, we stayed local and just walked to a local pub, Small Bar, and then to The Crowie. Our night of “1 drink” turned into a bit more but it was fun and worth it. Met some new faces which is always fun.

SUNDAY

Today was my Sydney touring day with Rach.  We went to Paddy’s markets and saw the cute clothes and trinkets there.  I was tempted to spend too much money, but luckily, nothing fit so my wallet was spared.  I did, however, spend $6 for the richest chocolate gelato I’ve ever tasted! We saw Darling Harbor which is essentially the Inner Harbor of Sydney.  There, I tried my hand (or foot) at kicking a rugby ball in order to win a free toy for my niece and nephew (look for it in the mail soon)!  We also walked to see the Opera House and Bridge views and to see the Opera Bar—thanks for the recommendation, Merv..it IS a great spot! Didn’t go in, but it was cool to see.  That night, the girls (Rach, Nat, and I) ordered pizza in and called it an early night.

MONDAY, October 24, 2011

That brings me to today! I had a 6am flight to Cairns today so had to catch the train at 4 am (THANKS, Rach for driving me to the stop!) Barely made it to my flight (they were calling last call while I was in security) so I panicked and made my way quickly….only for them to announced that it was delayed! Of course! : ) Worked out fine though and the flight was not full so I was able to move seats and lay down to sleep most of the way.

Landed in Cairns and had my first “in your faceness” of it sucking to travel alone.  I was charged more for the shuttle bus that everyone else was taking too because I was traveling alone. Because that’s totally fair.  Oh well, life’s still good!

The hostel here, Corona Hostel, is AWESOME! The front desk guy, Angello, hooked me up because he’s a fellow Italian and our mom’s have the same maiden name! The staff here is SO friendly, it’s clean, really convenient, and for $15 I get a room (with a fridge in room and full kitchen downstairs) and FREE dinner at a local pub! I’m staying in an all girl’s dorm and all the girls I’ve met are really nice.  I had dinner tonight with 3 girls from Sweden: Anja, Emma, and Eileen, a girl from South Korea-Genie, and a guy from Holland-Bert (he’s at our hostel, not in our girls room). There are also 2 German girls in the room with us. I LOVE being amongst such an international vibe!

I spent the day doing what I do best….buying and eating food! I spent $50 on groceries which seems excessive until I calculate that that’s to cover ALL meals for 8 days which adds up to about nothing a day.  Plus, I splurged on veggies and extra protein.  The rest of the day, I walked around town, read a bit by the public lagoon (first time in my travels I felt a bit lonely as I saw everyone else teamed up) which is a big pool overlooking the beach (that you can’t swim in), and asked around about tours for the rest of the week.

The 3 blondies (Swedish girls) and I plan to ask around tomorrow about renting a car/seeing sites together this week so I won’t be traveling alone after all!

Off to bed for 6:30am yoga and running at the lagoon tomorrow! : )

Aussie-isms UPDATED

Aussie-isms

I was chatting with Hannah the other day and she very wisely said, “Isn’t it funny how we speak the same language but use different words for everything?”  She was referring to me saying “gas” instead of “petrol” for the car.  It was a perfect example of the all-encompasing nature of language and culture and how you can’t learn one without the other.  On that note, I decided to list some of the terms they use here down under that differ from ours up north.  Feel free to post any others you think of!

American                                             Australian

Beets                                                   Beetroot

Napkins                                               Servilletes

Chicken                                               Chook

Shopping Cart                                     Trolley

Vacation                                              Holiday

I think                                                 I reckon

Take a look                                          Have a look

Gas                                                      Petrol (pronounces “Peh-trol with emphasis on peh)

Flip flops                                             Thongs

Sneakers                                              Trainers/joggers

Cookies                                               Biscuits

Crackers                                              Biscuits (that’s just silly to me!)

Trunk                                                   Boot

College                                                Uni

McDonalds                                         Maccas

Bathroom                                            Toilet

Sidewalk                                             Footpath

Trash                                                   Rubbish

Trash Can                                            Bin     

Candy                                                 Lollies

Purse                                                   Handbag

Wallet                                                  Purse  

Mosquito                                             Mozzies

Sunglasses                                           Sunnies

Redheads                                            Ranga/Bluey  

Zee (Z)                                                Zed

Porch                                                   Verandah

Ain’t Nothing Broke About Broken Hill

Days 17-20, Broken Hill

Today is Thursday and I’ve been in Broken Hill since Sunday.  My time here has been beyond fantastic.  I’m staying with a couchsurfing family who are amazing! They have been hosting and surfing for several years now and are just lovely people.  The family is: mom, Liz (mental health nurse), dad, Keith (plumber, originally from North Ireland), Daughters, Hannah (17), and Meg (13), and 3 dogs, Seth, Mazie, and Paddy (blind but so sweet).

SUNDAY

I arrived Sunday morning and me the gang, as well as Annette, the German girl who had stayed there a few nights.  Liz, Meg, Annette, Seth and I jumped in the car and they showed us around town.  We saw all the sights of Broken Hill: The living desert (sculptures on the hill), the old mines, had a picnic in primrose park (with a little petting zoo), saw a vista that is 1 of 6 places in the world to view the horizon as round and not flat, and she told about the history along the way. We also stopped in the neighboring town, Silverton where they have filmed several movies, including Mad Max.  Met a guy who is the only one in Australia licensed to cut coins into jewelry and they are beautiful—see FB pix.

That night, I went to the gym with Hannah and Liz and took a BodyPump class (thought of you, Becka and Shaena)! I decided to splurge and buy a 5 day pass which I’m really glad I did since investing in health and well-being is always a good thing.  It’s been nice to workout all week, plus I have the added bonus of people-watching and interacting with true Aussies : ) It’s a workout and a cultural experience all in one!

That night, we went to a bbq with coworkers of Liz.  They had grilled sausages but there were plenty of salads and Liz mad a lentil salad that even I could make! It was really nice to eat healthy food since traveling doesn’t always lend itself to eating veggies.  Everyone was really nice and I met a couple from New Zealand who gave me their contact information and offered a place to stay when I visit!

MONDAY

I also met a woman at the bbq who works at the Royal Flying Dr. Service and she invited me to tour for free the next day.  It’s an amazing service, offered free to anyone who needs emergency or everyday treatment (medical, dental, mental health) in the bush, far from care.  All you have to do is dial “000” (like 911) and they fly out to help! They are funded almost entirely by donations so I did my part to help out at the gift shop!

Luckily, Keith drove me to and from the airport as they are far from town to walk.  That afternoon, I did some laundry and took it easy until going to the gym with Hannah that night.  We took a yoga class and it was nice to stretch out the sore muscles from the night before and spin class that morning!  Oh, before the gym, Keith and I drove the dogs out for their evening run at a “commonland” (no one owns it) area he takes them to every night.  While there, we saw about 15 kangaroos and lots of emus as well—fun night!

That night, Liz cooked a fish stew for me and it was really yummy.  She’s an impressive cook with an ability to invent delicious meals from seemingly nothing.  I’m sleeping on the back sunroom which gets a nice breeze at night since the door is left open for the dogs.  They are also good company at night and keep me warm! : )

TUESDAY

Today was a slow-going day.  I decided to just spend the day in town and do everyday things.  Keith dropped me off in town in the morning and I went to the post office to mail home some goodies, to the library for some internet and downtime to write letters, booked a tour at the tourist center for the next day (which was not easy since it they only go if 2 people sign up and I’m only one person---I even went to the backpacking hostel with a note to see if anyone wanted to join.  I stopped back to the center in the pm and luckily, someone had joined!) The library was also having a book sale for $.10 each so I got some as gifts for the family here.  Lastly, I stopped at the grocery store (Woolworths, or “Woolys” as they call it) and stocked up on healthy food and some treats for the family.  Again, not cheap, but health is my splurge, always.

Hannah and I had a girlie afternoon painting nails and then we headed to the gym.  She and Liz did a class but I just lifted and it felt great.  It’s really nice to travel to a place where you don’t feel like a weirdo.  I’m so used to traveling to places where cultural differences make me feel like I constantly have to explain myself--  Why I don’t eat meat.  Why I like to run for fun.  Why I like to go to the gym. Why I like to smile, laugh, be loud, and have fun with people….it’s nice not to think about any of those things here and just be, little, old, LOUD me!

That night, I made my favorite salad and they cooked me kangaroo to try.  I broke a 17 year vegetarian streak to taste it.  I put about 4 bites in my salad so I’m not sure I even tasted the meat, but I tried it anyway.  It’s what I imagine steak would be like (can’t remember).  After dinner, we sat around and watched tv, like any family.  And had tim tam chocolate desserts I bought..yummy! They are such a fun-loving, wonderful family and it’s nice to be in a family home.  I think it’s helping me to not feel lonely while traveling.

Aussie-isms

I was chatting with Hannah the other day and she very wisely said, “Isn’t it funny how we speak the same language but use different words for everything?”  She was referring to me saying “gas” instead of “petrol” for the car.  It was a perfect example of the all-encompasing nature of language and culture and how you can’t learn one without the other.  On that note, I decided to list some of the terms they use here down under that differ from ours up north.  Feel free to post any others you think of!

American                                             Australian

Beets                                                   Beet Root

Napkins                                               Servilletes

Chicken                                               Chook

Shopping Cart                                     Trolley

Vacation                                              Holiday

I think                                                 I reckon

Take a look                                          Have a look

Gas                                                      Petrol (pronounces “Peh-trol with emphasis on peh)

Flip flops                                             Thongs

Sneakers                                               Trainers

Travels

Avalon is a far away place

Days 16-17

Melbourne

Saturday, October 15^th-16th

I last left off on my last afternoon in Melbourne. My last night was spent eating a curry dinner and drinking wine with Bernard, Aaron (my hosts), and an English couchsurfer named Felix.  After eating, we went to a gay bar party and met up with some of their friends for an hour or so.  The club played good music and it was good people watching.  We arrived home around 1am and had homemade pizza while waiting for the time to pass for me to head to the bus station for a 4am bus. See, it turns out that there is more than one airport that flies to Melbourne. I, of course, chose the one that is over an hour away so I had to take a 2am cab to catch a 4 am bus to a 6 am flight—oh the joys! Lesson learned.  Fly to Melbourne’s T-named airport (it’s a weird name I can’t think of right now but it starts with a T) and not Avalon!

It turned out okay though because I met some nice people in the bus station, including an Italian guy so I got to practice some Italian a bit (me listening, can’t speak it …yet).  Bus ride and flight were pretty uneventful, although it was storming in Sydney when we arrived so we had to circle in the air for about 45 minutes before landing.

I hung out in the airport a bit for some Wifi where I discovered my train reservation online for that afternoon said “this reservation is expired” which sent me into a slight panic in which I had to ask the train people to borrow their phone, which lead me nowhere and had to make my way to the train station to ask in person.  Turned out okay so I and then made my way back to see Rach for a few hours (helped her make dessert for a bday party that night) before heading back to the train station to catch a train to Broken Hill.

Train Ride to Broken Hill

Saturday-Sunday,October 15-16th

Trains are AWESOME! Thomas and his friends can be my friends anyday! The train was delayed an hour and a half or so to get started but it was a nice night and I made friends with 2 old ladies taking the train too.  They had been neighbors years ago and were travel buddies ever since….reminded me of one of my besties (can you guess who?!!)  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to sit near them on the train since they were in the “Gold Car” and I was herded into the “Red Car.” 

I liked my red car folk though and made friends with a Canadian guy, Corey, his aboriginal lady seat mate, and a father-daughter pair headed to on their 5^th cross-country train ride.  The time on the train passed quickly after dinner in the dining car (I watched Corey eat a nice lentil curry dish while I ate my PBH sandwich).  The seats are SO spacious and I was able to lay, comfortably, on the floor and sleep well (ipod on high to tune out the snoring man behind me—it was both annoying and comforting since it reminded me of my lovely, louder-than-life-snorer father).

In the morning, I saw a nice sunrise, spotted kangaroos, and passed the time playing checkers and connect four and eating breakfast (I did splurge for a bowl of cereal this time).

We finally arrived in Broken Hill the next morning, 3 hours later than scheduled (lost time b/c of track work), which turned out to be a good thing since I arrived at my host family’s house at 9:30 am and they were just awakening and I was set to arrive at 6 am which would have been a not-so-pleasant awakening I’m sure!

Overalls so Far (not the clothes kind)

Day 15—Overall Thoughts

Here are some of my overall impressions so far:

Hong Kong:

Clean, SO easy to navigate, friendly, don’t get stared at since they are used to ex-pats everywhere, you can buy anything you could possibly need, good and cheap food (if you look for it), beautiful surrounding mountains, I’d go again!

Australia:

I’m struck by how much I’m NOT struck by much here.  To be quite honest, it’s not what I expected (so far, in the cities, at least).  Not to say that I don’t like it—I do, just that I honestly feel like I’m in the states.  Except for talking funny and driving on the wrong side of the road, they’re pretty much just like us.  To (mis)quoteBill Bryson (sorry, don’t have the book in front of me—btw, thanks, court!)—He said something along the lines of the most fascinating thing about Australia is that after such a long flight, you’d expect to at least see people riding around on camels or something, yet you get here, and Australians are JUST like us!

Other things of note on the Aussies:

1.      They love to work out and are very active.

2.      Bathrooms here are split. One has the bath/shower and is actually the bathroom. The other has the toilet and is just the “toilet”

3.      Toilets have 2 flushers. One for number 1 and one for number 2.

4.      School day is from 9:30 to 3:30… I like that!

5.      The big look here is tattoos and piercings.

6.      Lots of city folk smoke.

7.      They love to say “no worries”

8.      Veggiemite is not as bad as I thought. Nutella is the bomb. Haven’t tried wheatbix yet.

Traveling Alone:

So far so good.  I’m enjoying the ability to eat when hungry, not eat when not, sleep in when tired and get up early if I choose, see sights when I feel like it and sit around when I don’t…basically, it’s nice not to answer to anyone but me. 

That said, I do miss all of you, terribly, and would prefer you here alongside me—I mean, at least for like a day or two until we got sick of each other : )

I enjoy meeting new people, which I think is often limited when traveling with people.

Shuffle Dance and Other Randoms When in This Side of the World:

As a side note and a word of caution, if you travel to this side of the world, expect to do MANY, and I really mean many shuffle dances.  You know the kind of dance when you’re walking down the street and you and the person walking towards you both start to walk the same way and you almost bump each other.  It happens ALL the time here….because we’re trained to walk right and they’re trained to walk left, which when facing each other is the same way! This also explains why I keep almost going up down escalators and down up escalators since I expect them to be on the opposite side, and why I’m a walking hazard when turning the corner since I hug the building to my right and the people coming around the corner hug the building to their left…I’m not sure how I’ve avoided a collision so far since I’ve had several close calls!

My Kind of Day!

Day 15-Melbourne

Friday, October 14, 2011

Today was my kind of day in every way! Woke up to a beautiful, sunny day here in Melbourne and took full advantage of it.  Bernard and I rode bikes around Parkville Park, saw the Melbourne zoo (but didn’t enter since I found a cheaper one in Sydney), and saw a native plant garden.  It’s been wonderful speaking Spanish the entire time with Bernard and, to be honest, I’ve had to literally stop and think about what country I’m in since the parks and cities remind me  of Argentina, and add speaking Spanish on top of that, and my mind is perplexed as to where in the world I am at the moment! On the way back, we stopped at the grocery store and bought my favorite brunch food—quesadillas, beans, eggs, and homemade guacamole—YUM!

After eating, Bernard, Aaron, and I got back on the bikes and rode them to downtown (I felt like I was on a suicide mission since I kept looking left when crossing the road and that did not do much good for me here) where we met up with their friend James.  They had some coffee at a café on a really cute pedestrian only street and then we saw an aboriginal art exhibit that was part of the Melbourne Art Festival going on.  Pretty fascinating photographs that were all meant to be thought-provoking about stereotypes—and they were! 

Next, I went down to the river and ran alongside it while they headed to Aaron’s art studio at MRIT University.  It was perfect weather for a run and there was plenty of scenery to look at with all the nice Aussie lads rowing in the river : ) 

I met them back at the studio, we biked back home, and now we’re back and prepping dinner before heading off to a party tonight.  Great active, outdoor day!

I could not have asked for better hosts, especially as my first couch surfing experience. They have been beyond hospitable and friendly—offering not only a place to stay, but good food, a phone when needed, a bike, awesome listening music, and anything else I could have possibly needed.  I am so grateful for their graciousness and new friendship and look forward to having a place to repay the favor for some traveler one day. 

City of FREE Surprises

Day 14-Melbourne, Australia

Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011

Had a lovely day in Melbourne today.  Woke up early and headed out to take an aboriginal heritage walk at the Royal Botanical Gardens that I had read about.  On the way, I spotted a tourist information spot and decided to have a look.  Good thing because they told me about the 2 FREE shuttle and tram car buses for tourists around the city and how to get to the garden.

It took me walking the entire garden (which was quite lovely only I was nervous about time) to make it to the proper gate for the tour…only to find out it was $25 and that was way out of my budget.  But, they had a tour at the same time for FREE and that was just in my price range!

I took the 1.5 hour walking tour of the gardens and learned a lot about the history of the gardens as well as some of the aboriginal uses of plants so turned out not half bad! On the tour with me was an Australian couple from the countryside and an American woman who’s husband does business here.  Ruth was the volunteer tour guide and was very sweet.  My favorite spot in the garden was the ladies craft cottage where they make crafts entirely out of nature—I took lots of photos and can’t wait to try out some of their ingenious ideas!

After the garden, (where there were LOTS of runners and I was mad I didn’t have my gear with me) I decided to check out St. Kilda pier since it was close by.  My entire reason for coming to Melbourne was to see the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island, however, it is about a $90, all day tour, that would have me back at night and I didn’t want to do that alone. After talking to the Spanish guy the first night, he gave me a tip on a local pier that has penguins as well and is a local best kept secret spot.

While waiting for the tram, I met 2 Aussie girls and an Irish guy who were also headed that way.  At the pier, the girls went off to pick up a cake (it’s a big baking area) and the guy (Kevin) and I headed off to find penguins.  We saw one but were told to come back at night time to see them out.  So, we grabbed lunch on the pier, rode around the FREE trams for the rest of the afternoon, tried new Zealand ice cream, sat in the public square for FREE wifi to post my blog : )  (and witnessed a commercial filming), met up with his Irish buddy at a pub, and had finally killed enough time to head back for penguins.

They are the smallest species of them in the world and they were quite cute! Got some photos and video but they didn’t turn out well since you are not allowed to use flash (that can damage their eyesight and frighten them).  Along with the penguins, came a free showing of HUGE water rats that live there too…I could have done without that added bonus.  It was a fun time and best of all…FREE!

By the time we were done, it was 9 pm and I still had to get back to my friend’s house where I’m staying, outside the city.  So Kevin rode with me and walked me back safely where I was greeted with the remnants of a dinner party—homemade pizza and fantastic, worldly conversations with a living room full of people representing 4 nations! I love those kinds of nights! 

Apologies to my fans

Days 8-13 Hong Kong (Lantau Island) and Australia (Sydney)

Well hello there! Did you think I had forgotten about you? Sorry, so sorry! As many of you have so loving pointed out, I’ve been a little behind on my blogging…it’s not because I haven’t been thinking about you. Just been having heaps of good fun and haven’t had time to write. No excuses, so I’ll try to catch you up on the cliffs notes version of what has happened in the life of Dani since I last wrote.

Last days of Hong Kong

I spent my final day in Hong Kong touring around Lantau Island, which is home to a Buddhist monastery and the world’s largest Buddha…and man, was it large! It took 250 steps to walk up to it! I was rather proud of myself for finding the “local” bus to get there instead of the tourist tram and spending WAY less!

Aussie Land

My flight from Hong Kong to Sydney was full (and overbooked).  I was fortunate enough to get a bulk head seat so I had a bit more room, but didn’t sleep at all still.  So, it worked out that after meeting up with my friend, Rachel, in Sydney, I slept while she finished up class.  I’ve been staying with her and her 2 Australian roommates and they have all been BEYOND wonderful hosts!

My first full day in Sydney, we went to brunch with 2 of her friends at a café on the water.  It was beautiful and reminds me so much of San Diego.  Later, Rach and I went for a fun and happened upon some private little beaches next to a park. 

The next day, I stayed around the house and took it easy.  Did some laundry, posted pictures, walked into town (and scored some finds at a local Salvation Army) and went for a run at the park.  Nice to just lay low some.  I also scoped out my metro plans for the following day when I went to Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains. 

It was a very scenic train ride and beautiful mountain peaks in a really cute, hippie town called Katoomba.  Again, I was proud of NOT spending the tourist money for a bus ride to the lookout point for a hike that took me about 10 minutes and included lovely scenery along the way.  On my way back to the station, I gave a one dollar coin (I found it on the train) to a man playing the Digedaroo (sp?) on the street and we got to talking.  Turns out he (“Turtle”) and his brother (“Croc”) are amazing aboriginal artists.  We exchanged stories and they gave me their contact information and a feather from an emu.  Best dollar I’ve spent in awhile! : )

At nights, Rach and I have just been watching movies and hanging out, catching up on old times.  What a special friendship—since we were 10 years old! We’ve even spent a night fixing furniture in her room : )

Melbourne

After an uneventful flight from Sydney to Avalon, complete with free wine tasting and lovely Skype chats in the airport, I made my way to Melbourne today and am having my first experience as a couchsurfer.  I’m staying with 2 guys, Bernard (Mexican) and Aaron (Australian) and they have been wonderful hosts so far.  Met me at the train station with another couchsurfer who left tonight (Pelayo from Spain) and we’ve spent the evening chatting, cooking, and eating lentil stew.

Before heading out, Pelayo left me his maps and gave me some pointers for things to do/see in Melbourne, which I plan to do tomorrow.  Bernard fixed his bike up tonight so that I could use it while I’m here, shall I choose.  Nice guys, have lots in common.  Bernard is studying linguistics and cultural anthropology here (TOTALLY up my alley) and Aaron is studying art (wish that were up my alley) so we’ve had lots of interesting conversations.

Looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow and posting this so I can get you all off my back : )  I’ll try to be better from now on!

As always, much love!

: ) dani

FRIENDS of FRIENDS

Day 7- Hong Kong

October 6^th, 2011

Another great day here in Hong Kong.  Woke up at 3am (thanks, jetlag!) and got lots of picture posting, blogging, and hotel-room workouts in.  Spent the day with friends of friends (thanks, Moody girls and Hatches!) and had a blast. 

First, I met up with Americans Julia and Brandon.  He’s a pilot for Cathay Pacific and they’ve been here for 4 years.  They could not have been better tour guides for the day.  They took me to lunch in their neighborhood (Central area-charming and cute, lots of good eats) which was an authentic Vietnamese place.  You know it’s good when you have to line up outside the door and get a ticket just to get in.  It reminded me of the soup nazi from Seinfeld—and it was worth it! Got a grilled shrimp vermicelli (rice noodle) and lime drink that was like a virgin mojito.

After lunch, we took the world’s longest escalator (I think it was .5 miles) up to their apartment (VERY nice) and then hiked up to see Victoria’s Peak to see views of the city.  Julia is 5 months pregnant and a real trooper as it was not an easy hike!  I was shocked to find 2 shopping malls on top of the peak…the Chinese love their shopping malls!

At the bottom, we parted ways and I walked around Hong Kong Park (accessed through a mall, of course—as with everything in HK), a beautiful park right downtown. I saw the museum of teaware (learned some cool tea traditions), a mini Olympic stadium, lots of brides and groom photo sessions, used free wifi, and saw a bird aviary with birds endangered from Malaysian rain forest deforestation.

On my way back home, I stumbled upon a street market and got some nice $1.50 earring souvenir for myself.  For dinner, I met up with another set of friends of friends (a Brit and American) who just moved here to teach at an international school with their 3 teenage children. They, as well, could not have been sweeter and treated me to an Indonesian dinner.  Then, we walked over to the harbor to view the night light show and I treated to a green swirl ice cream treat (I think it was green tea. It was good whatever it was).  We parted with plans to visit their waterfront village and take them up on their offer to use their kayaks/bikes/hiking trails next time I’m in town.

Another great day in HK and VERY grateful for all the friend loving!

: ) Dani

Hong Konging It!

Day 6

October 4^th, 2011

Today was AMAZING!  I was up late last night (since I slept the majority of the day) so I put myself to good use and read the brochures I picked up at the airport.  I don’t typically do tours but read one called the “Land Between Tour” and it was to visit the countryside of HK, including a fishing village and a temple. This was much more up my alley than walking through a city so I decided at 4am that I would get up at 6am and try to catch the tour.

It was supposed to rain, but the weather held out and I somehow found my way across to Kowloon island to the YMCA (SO nice, not like anything we have) and proceeded to buy a tour ticket…only to discover they were full.  I decided to wait for the tourguide to arrive and press my luck anyway (buying fish dumpling and yogurt breakfast in the mantime for $.60 at a 711 and they were delicious!). So, the tourguide, Gigi arrived and told me it was too full…but after a few minutes of my persuasiveness, she let me in, and took what I had in cash..which was $13 less than the price of the tour! : )

The tour was awesome.  First stop was the Yuen Yuen Institute, a temple famous because it has all 3 religions represented (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism—it’s 3 levels, with Buddha in the middle because he’s the “guest” and guests get the honored seat). As if my luck wasn’t already enough…it turned out to be a national holiday for locals to go pray at the temples so we got to witness everyone dedicating the day to there families.  People were dedicating food, incense, and burning paper (symbolize money) everywhere—awesome! Most people in HK are cremated and you buy a space at the temple with their picture for worship (with or without ashes).  If you choose to be buried, the coffins are places vertical (saves space) and you have to move it after a few years so it’s not common.

Next stop was the Tai Mo Shan Lookout Point which is the highest mountain in Hong Kong with amazing views. There was a grave site here that was in the shape of an armchair that she said you wouldn’t see anywhere (not even books—so look for this in my photos).  This showed that he was wealthy (poor people only allowed on benches) and the red dot means he died in peace (although she says all sites have this) : )

Third was Fanling Village, an old fishing village with 3 remaining remnants of the wall around the city.  The buildings are so close together, Gigi called them “shakehands balconies” because they were literally that close together! The town has a pond in the front of it that is protected with 24 hr surveillance because water is meant to bring prosperity to your town…but only if it’s moving, hence the fish and turtles!

Next stop was Luk Keng Road lookout point where we could see China across the waterway. Then it was on to Bride’s Pool Falls where we saw local barbeque styles.  The last stop on the tour was Sam Mun Tsai Fishing Village where no one actually lives on fishing boats anymore, rather they rent fishing platform work stations and go there daily.  Next door was the ritzy barrio, literally called “the Beverly Hills.” 

I loved being on the tour to hear her personal anecdotes and learn about local culture.  She said her dad still gives her heck for being a girl, because he wanted a son.  She also explained to us about the 2 indigenous peoples (Haka (sp?) and Pun ti) and how the government claimed their lands and repays them land elsewhere. And, that fishermen are treated poorly because they don’t get land, they only get space in the projects.  Fascinating to learn about the true culture.

As we were returning to the hotel after the tour, I noticed the museums close by so I wandered there after the tour.  It was Wednesday, free day at the museums! so I checked out some and then stumbled upon free dance/singing performances along the harbor front.  Got some ice cream too—SO creamy and yum! Rode the Star Ferry back to Hong Kong island, made it to the grocery store (total for food for today and the week of snacks $6!), and then home for the night. Still can’t get over how easy this place is to navigate (and that says a lot coming from me, who gets lost in her hometown!) Got back around 5:30..rested til 7:30pm when I fell asleep.  Thought I had this letlag thing beat but I awoke at 3am…it’s 4:35 and I’m still up! Oh well, I can sleep when I’m dead! : )

Sorry this is so long, but this is for my memory too…if you made it this far in reading, you are a true friend and I love you!

: ) Cheers,

Dani

Travel to Hong Kong

Days 4 & 5
 
October 2 & 3 ( I think, but I also think I lost a day in there somewhere)

 (BTW-if this post is weird, it's because my computer is displaying everything in Chinese and I'm guessing what the buttons are...)

My last day in San Diego was just how it was meant to be.  A day of doing nothing except hanging by the water with friends, eating fish tacos, and taking in the sun.

I don't think the reality of this trip really hit me until I hit LAX and stood in line to check in to my flight and was one of 5 people speaking english and they told me that the flight was FULL, overbooked even. I'm not gonna lie, the panic did start to come a bit.  Not that I was afraid of a language barrier--I love the challenge, just the reality that I was really doing this trip...and the 15 hour full flight...

There were a few glitches at the airport--airline didn't get my fax for my medical device to use in flight, security took my peanut butter (thanks, TSA, i feel so safe now that i can't attack anyone with peanut butter. oh, and you missed a few other things in my  bags that you should have taken. good job, security, good job). Needless to say, I was not exactly quiet about my dissatisfaction with this guys power trip...

Once on the plane, I made it to my seat only to discover I was in the last row before a wall so my seat did not recline.  That's when the true panic set in because I cannot physically sit up straight for that long due to my back injuries this year.  I spoke to an attendant about my concern and the airline (Cathay Pacific) could not have been more accommodating.  They found the ONE empty seat (literally) on the plane and asked the guy next to it to switch with me so I could lay in 2 seats in the flight...THANK GOD!

So, dare I say it, the 15 hour flight was not all that bad! I slept most of it. Watched two movies: The First Grader (HIGHLY recommend it!!!) and Water for Elephants (also good), saw 2 episodes of Curb, listened to some music, watched the world outside with a flight camera,  and ate yummy food (they remembered my vegetarian food--kudos Cathay P!)

HONG KONG

I can't get over how CONVENIENT this city has made everything! Upon landing, there were free luggage carts everywhere, everything was close, well-marked, and stress free.  My luggage was waiting for me o=when I reached baggage, and they re-taped it for me no problem.  Immigration took all of 5 minutes and I was texting on the free wifi the whole time.  There was literally NOTHING to do for customs, just walked through a door that said customs. And walked right into the Tourism Board who told me everything I need to know in 3o minutes (bus routes, vegetarian friendly-foods, attractions, and even wrote down the 2 key phrases I need for me : where's the bathroom? and I don't eat meat or spicy food) I was set!  Even had a free phone to use.

Tickets to the train and city travel were right there, bought those, got on the train and it took me right downtown (beautiful views from train) where I caught a FREE shuttle (also with free luggage carts) to a downtown hotel near my house.  Walked from there to the general area where I was staying, borrowed a phone from someone on the street and called my connection in HK.  He came and met me, showed me the apartment (complete with internet, fridge, and microwave), gave me a key and set me free in the city!  I relaxed a bit (okay, about 6 hours worth of a nap), researched stuff to do tomorrow, and then called it a day.....hoping the rest gets me nice and energized for touring tomorrow!

PS-the city was even kind enough to make the time difference an exact 12 hours so I don't even have to reset my watch, I just have to ignore the am/pm--thanks, Hong Kong! : )

Same Old, Same Old!!

Days 2 & 3

September 30^th & October 1, 2011

My first two days in San Diego have been full of the same old things I used to do…and I LOVE it! I’m staying with one of my best friends in the world, Lulu, and her family and could not have asked for better hosts. The night I arrived, she met me at the train station with two kids excited to see their “auntie dani.” (Train ride was uneventful and comfortable by the way)

I got to spend all day Friday with just me and the kiddos (plus 2 cousins) and we filled our day with walking the dog, playing foursquare, making mud soup, swimming at the pool, and chasing the escape artist dog around the neighborhood about 3 times. It was a blast!

At night, we went to the Farmer’s Market in my old neighborhood and tried lots of FRESH food—oh how I miss the food here! Amongst things I did NOT try was live sea urchin! On the way home, we hit my favorite gelato ice cream place (it was even better than I had remembered it) and got the kids some Halloween costumes. At home, the kiddos watched some tv while Lulu and I caught up on some much needed gossip, wine tasting, and farmer’s market goodies—it was a perfect night!

The next day, I woke up to a snuggly little girl in my bed : ) so after some good snuggle time, we got up and I set out for a run. Both I, and my legs, forgot how hilly it is here! Then, it was time to take the kids off to a class while Lulu and I ate breakfast on the beach and had a nice morning walk on the sand. What better way to start the day?!

After picking up the kids, packed up and headed to my favorite beach (technically bay) spot and spent the afternoon with friends and family on a perfect San Diego picnic on the beach day (all of them are, really). Luckily, the stingrays were sleeping, as it was daytime, so the kids could play in the water : )

The next stop was Temecula (wine country) to stay with another friend and we hit my favorite pizza place on the way. We spent the night playing board games with the kiddos and catching up with old friends. Fun times!!

It’s amazing how I could be away from a place for so long and yet feel so at home the second I see it from the plane. This place just fits me—everything about it screams me—the weather, the outdoor lifestyle, the people, the culture, speaking Spanish everywhere (missed that!), my FANTASTIC friends, the food, EVERYTHING! I love the sense of calm and peace it brings me to be here and it was the perfect first catalyst of a stop for the rest of my journey. Thanks, San Diego!