There are some good ones in this album:
 |
| New Zealand |
Not many in this album, but I was only in LA for a couple of hours.
 |
| Los Angeles |
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
New Zealand pictures and videos are up! Los Angeles Pictures are up!
Australia photos are completely updated too!
There are some good ones in this album:
Not many in this album, but I was only in LA for a couple of hours.
Enjoy!
There are some good ones in this album:
Not many in this album, but I was only in LA for a couple of hours.
Enjoy!
Visit New Zealand, if you're into it
When I got off my Aerolineas Argentinas flight to Auckland, I glided through passport control and customs (I'm a pro) and met Maurice at the door of the airport as he was holding a sign with my name on it. Let me inform you that I arranged to stay with Maurice and Linda free of charge after writing a letter to the Mountainside Lutheran Church in Auckland. I learned that converting money loses me money so I spent all of my Australian dollars in Australia. The dollar was doing a little better in NZ, at about $0.75NZ to $1USD.
Maurice drove me from the airport to his home in Mt. Wellington - an suburb area named after the dormant volcanic cone that is nearby. It was late afternoon when we arrived at the house, and when I entered the house I met his wife Linda who showed me around and informed me that supper would be served soon. I dropped my stuff inside my room and talked with Maurice and Linda about what I could possibly do during my week. After coming up with a basic plan of what to do, we had dinner. A first round of soup, followed by corned beef and vegetables, finished by fruit for dessert. It was delicious. We watched the evening news while we ate supper, and over the week I followed stories about Tony Veitch's assault and pay-off of his girlfriend 2 years ago, NZ politics, and other NZ stories. NZ is currently in political season, and since they passed a law forbidding anybody to advertise and campaign until closer to the election, some heated yet not blatant verbal-jousting could be seen in the news. After dinner I went for a walk around the neighborhood and went to sleep early.
When I woke up the next day, I was greeted with a breakfast of porage, toast, and coffee. I walked to the bus stop and took a 30 minute bus ride to the city center. There I explored and snapped some photos, and met with a woman at a tourist office to discuss possible day trips. When she let me know about the Zorb option, I took it in a heartbeat. The rest of the day involved me walking around the city looking for souvenirs. I put off buying souvenirs for a lot of people because I didn't want to haul them with me from all around the world. I did lots of exploring of the city, but nothing notable to talk about here. I took the bus home, watched some NZ Wheel of Fortune, and had supper with Maurice, Linda, and their son Peter. It was soup, fish, potatoes, slaw, and fruit for dessert. After a tea I headed to bed because my big day trip left downtown Auckland at 7:30am.
When I woke up the sun was not up. I showered and had breakfast with Linda and Maurice. Maurice lent me a coat because all I had was my blue jacket, and it was quite cold out that day. I headed out the door and down the street to the bus stop, rode the bus, and arrived downtown all before the sun was up. It was winter so the days are very short. I got to watch the sunrise at the ferry terminal in Auckland, which was cool to see it rise over the water. As the frost melted off the cars, I boarded the bus and headed off for my event-packed day trip in Rotorua.
The first stop the bus made was at the Waitomo Caves. Some people headed off to go Black Water Rafting underground in the caves. I was a bit jealous, but I guess it gives me something to want to do when I return. I went with the rest of the people to the glowworm caves. We walked around for a bit inside and took a boat through a terribly dark section where you could see the millions of glowworms. It was quite astounding. It looked like viewing a perfectly clear starry night. What was funny about the caves was that they were actually warmer than the outside air.
During the two hour bus ride to Rotorua we were served lunch. I've eaten many meals on airplanes, but eating on the bus was an experience - far more bumpier and difficult to eat. It was absolutely delicious though, and I managed to not get any on my clothes. Arriving in Rotorua, I was the only person to get off and do the Zorb. I was surprised that no one else was doing the Zorb, but take a tour of a sheep-sheering facility. I entered the building, answered all my health and liability questions and signed the waiver. I then changed into my swimsuit and watched some other people Zorb. Yes it was cold in the swim suit, but I really lucked with the weather for my stay in NZ. Out of the seven I was there I had decent sunshine for three Linda told me the three days were the best days of weather they had had in the last month. After watching other people Zorb, I was taken to the top of the hill by a jeep and after the guy pumped some water into the Zorb I ran and dove in, and prepared to roll like a hamster while slipping and sliding inside the ball in the warm water. 1-2-3 and I pushed myself off the starting platform and began to slosh around inside the Zorb. It was extremely fun and it was over way too fast. I couldn't stand up inside because everything was wet, but I had a blast. I would recommend Zorbing to anyone who is alive.
After the Zorb a tragedy occured. I'm not certain why there is a "delete all" button on digital cameras, but I accidentally hit it. Luckily I took the battery out before all my pictures were gone, but most of my Thailand pictures are gone and some of my Australia pictures - from Pancakes - vanished as well. I'm frustrated, but luckily I've been uploading them for you pleasure and my security.
I walked to meet the bus at the sheep farm and received the cold stare of jealousy from some of the other passengers. we then drove to Te Puia, a Mauri cultural exhibit in Rotorua. I saw some descendants of the Mauri at a carving school that aims to preserve the traditions of the Mauri. We then watched a performance of Mauri song and dance. (Look for a video on my Picasa album). I had a front row seat, and I really enjoyed it. It was a little campy and fake, but it was still nice to absorb a little of the native culture, even if it has been stripped down for tourists. After the show our guide showed us around the Whakarewarewa geothermal area of Te Puia, including the boiling mud pits, geysers, and sulfuric steam escaping through tiny cracks in the rocks. It smelled like the Fourth of July - meaning it smelled like firecrackers. It wasn't an incredibly good smell, but I could stand it. I got to watch the main geyser erupt, and the hot springs looked inviting - even if the guide warned us that they were nearly 95 degrees Celsius. Some of the rocks looked like they were from Saturn due to the greenish color the sulfur gave them.
We boarded the bus and watched the sunset as we drove many hours back to Auckland. I took the city bus back to Maurice's house and it was 14 hours after I had left that morning. Linda made me a quick supper of baked beans, eggs, and toast. Even her quick meals were tasty. I was really blessed to be treated to warm meals prepared for me daily. We had hot cocoa and biscuits (cookies) and I headed off to bed.
The next day brought terrible weather. I woke up and had breakfast and returned to sleep to catch up from yesterday. When I re-woke up I the weather was still foul so I decided to do something indoors. During lunch Maurice and Linda told me they were going to a nearby mall, so I hitched a ride with them and explored the mall for the day. They had a store similar to WalMart called the Warehouse, and many stores you can find in Zona Rosa or American shopping centers. This day was a recovery day from the day before, so I took it easy. I walked back home, passing a Blockbuster Video. After a chicken dinner, some television, then the round of cocoa I headed to bed.
The next day was Bungy day. After breakfast, Peter drove me by the waterfront of Auckland and dropped me off downtown. I walked to the Auckland Harbour Bridge and signed up to jump off of it. After weighing in and paying in I had time to kill so I explored some of the docks, then headed back to get geared up. The apparatus wasn't extremely complicated, and a little piece of me wished there were more straps and buckles to keep me attached to the bungy cord. As the guy strapped me in he joked that he thought the harness "might have one more jump left in it".
We left the building and walked on a small pathway under the bridge. I was trying to think of what to yell when I jumped to keep my head from thinking about the actual jumping. After a good 10 minutes we reached the pod that we would be jumping out of. When we climbed inside they raised the side of it and I saw the platform I would be leaping off of. I started to shake a little, but luckily I didn't have to go first. The operators blasted loud music to get our adrenaline pumping, and informed us that we could have our heads go underwater if we wanted to. I decided against the freezing cold water dive. After watching two guys go ahead of me who had obviously bungied before I didn't feel so freaked out. When they strapped the cord to my legs and I hopped to the edge, all that fear came back. When they told me it was time to jump I hesitated only for one second, then poorly dived off the board and fell through the air for about 40 meters. It was the most terrifying experience for my entire trip, but also my third favorite behind the safari and the Zorb. When falling, you forget that you're tied up, and you remember as soon as you come close to the water. I wasn't scared anymore after I bounced and was down there, and was extremely proud of myself. I even had an audience of boats under the bridge watching me. As they towed me back up, I started to remember what I just did and my hands started to shake again. I couldn't believe that I had actually done this.
After some more people jumped, we headed back off the bridge. I watched the video of me jumping and you can see the look of terror on my face as I am about to jump off. I did not make it look cool at all. I didn't buy the DVD, but I did get a free t-shirt. New Zealand is great!
I headed home early because I was mentally exhausted. I napped, ate dinner, talked with Maurice and Linda for several hours about New Zealand politics and history, drank some tea and headed to bed.
I woke up the next morning and after breakfast headed to church. Mountainside Lutheran Church wasn't extremely big, but it has a growing congregation and a building that was built only 8 years ago. Pastor Milton, who arranged for me to stay with Maurice and Linda was out of town, making this the third out of three church service I attended abroad where the head pastor was out of town. The service was similar to those I attend in the states, but they have cooler accents in New Zealand. Peter then drove me into town where I caught a ferry to Rangitoto Island.
I hiked up the mountain and saw cool caves formed by lava many years ago, volcanic rocks, the crater on the top of the mountain, and a breathtaking view from the summit. There were many tourists on the island due to the good weather, but it was empty enough to be enjoyable. After 43 days of walking and physical activity, I was surprised at how much this mountain kicked my butt. I was exhausted and had a headache by the time I reached the summit, and when I walked down I slept for a short time seaside and awoke to seagulls yelling at me. I took the ferry back to Auckland and a bus back to Mt. Wellington for dinner, where Linda served lamp chops.
I woke up Monday and packed. It was quite chilly so I didn't head out the door until about noon. I walked to the actual Mt. Wellington and decided to climb it. After finally finding a way to get to it, I started climbing. My lungs hadn't forgiven me from Rangitoto, so I didn't go all the way to the top, but I still got pretty far up and a pretty good view of the city. Auckland is a nice place to live, but I wouldn't recommend visiting there. I wish I would have arranged my flights to take me to the South Island of New Zealand, rather than spending it in Auckland. When I look back on France, Egypt, Kenya, and Thailand I don't really see myself returning to those specific countries. When I think about New Zealand and Australia I know I want to return to explore everything I didn't have the time or opportunity to see.
Back home Maurice and Linda and I had lunch and we drove the airport soon after. I got there at about 3pm because my flight took off at 6. After saying my goodbyes, I headed inside and went to the Qantas desk. The man at the desk informed me that the flight was delayed 5 hours. I was extremely upset because I had pictured in my mind being home in less than 24 hours. This delay would cause me to miss my connecting flight in LA to KC. I collected my meal vouchers and pouted around the airport. I had a nice dinner at a restaurant in the airport though, and when I heard that the flight was delayed 2 more hours until 1:20am I decided to take action. I went to the Air New Zealand desk, where a bunch of Qantas flight 25 people were gathered and tried to get a seat on an Air New Zealand flight leaving at 9:30pm. Luckily I got on without having to pay anything extra. While waiting in that line I talked with many other people who were frustrated about the situation: a girl from Canada, a guy from Boston, a Finnish man, and even another guy from KC.
The Air New Zealand flight was good, even if I was seated in the middle of the plane next to a drunk gay guy. He was supposed to be on Qantas 25 as well, and kept reminding me this over and over. The flight was approximately 12 hours long, and I was fortunate to be able to fall asleep. After 8 other flights you'd think I'd be able to sleep on a plane but I assure you I have not acquired this talent. After many hours of movies, music, and some Flight of the Conchords episodes we landed at LAX at 1pm on July 14th.
If you're paying attention I left Auckland at 9:30pm on July 14th, and after a 12 hour flight landed in LA at 1pm on July 14th. I had crossed the international date line, and also crossed something off of my list of things to do before I die. This day was shaping out to be the longest days of my life, both time wise and activity wise. After customs and waiting for my luggage (it was one of the last ones off the plane - when I was the first through passport control) I did what I now call the "airport shuffle". I bustled around the airport trying to find out what I should do. I first ran from terminal 2 to terminal 3 to the Midwest Airlines desk. The desk was closed and there was no number to reach them. I then ran back to the Air New Zealand desk at terminal 2 to ask them what to do. They sent me to terminal 4 to talk to Qantas. When I got to terminal 4 I was sweaty and exhausted. I'm used to the cold New Zealand weather. I didn't feel like waiting in the line, so I walked up to the counter and saw the other guy from KC who was supposed to be on Qantas 25 as well. He had already explained his situation to the guy at the desk who was working on getting him on another flight. After 30 minutes of telephone calls and computer typing we were both set up with 7:30am flights to KC the next morning and a free night's stay at the LAX Hilton.
I called my good friend Jacob, who I learned was back in LA working, and he picked me up from the Hilton (where I had just checked in). We met up with our friend Midori and we went on the hunt for dinner. We ended up going to The Grove, and outdoor shopping center that has lots of little restaurants. Midori had French cuisine, Jacob had Chinese, and I had Mexican. We talked and walked around and saw some people preparing to shoot a scene for a movie - but hey, it's LA. We went back to my hotel room at the Hilton, and after getting lost on the way there hung out and talked for about 30 minutes before they left and I headed to bed. I had to wake up early to catch that flight.
I hate waking up before the sun, but I'm well practiced by now. I caught a shuttle to the airport, was chosen for a random security pat-down, and made it to the gate a good hour before boarding. When we got on I didn't see the other guy who had gone through all the trouble I had. He was one of the last people on the plane because he was selected for a random security pat-down as well. I guess LAX doesn't trust New Zealand visitors. Anyway the flight took off and landed three hours later in Kansas City where I got to see my family 45 days after I had left them. The airport drama was annoying, but at least I got to see Jacob, whom I wouldn't have seen otherwise for a very long time.
New Zealand was great. My short time in LA was a bonus. I guess "karma" read my blog about Australia and how I wouldn't mind if this trip lasted longer. It's sad it is all over, but I am ready to relax.
Maurice drove me from the airport to his home in Mt. Wellington - an suburb area named after the dormant volcanic cone that is nearby. It was late afternoon when we arrived at the house, and when I entered the house I met his wife Linda who showed me around and informed me that supper would be served soon. I dropped my stuff inside my room and talked with Maurice and Linda about what I could possibly do during my week. After coming up with a basic plan of what to do, we had dinner. A first round of soup, followed by corned beef and vegetables, finished by fruit for dessert. It was delicious. We watched the evening news while we ate supper, and over the week I followed stories about Tony Veitch's assault and pay-off of his girlfriend 2 years ago, NZ politics, and other NZ stories. NZ is currently in political season, and since they passed a law forbidding anybody to advertise and campaign until closer to the election, some heated yet not blatant verbal-jousting could be seen in the news. After dinner I went for a walk around the neighborhood and went to sleep early.
When I woke up the next day, I was greeted with a breakfast of porage, toast, and coffee. I walked to the bus stop and took a 30 minute bus ride to the city center. There I explored and snapped some photos, and met with a woman at a tourist office to discuss possible day trips. When she let me know about the Zorb option, I took it in a heartbeat. The rest of the day involved me walking around the city looking for souvenirs. I put off buying souvenirs for a lot of people because I didn't want to haul them with me from all around the world. I did lots of exploring of the city, but nothing notable to talk about here. I took the bus home, watched some NZ Wheel of Fortune, and had supper with Maurice, Linda, and their son Peter. It was soup, fish, potatoes, slaw, and fruit for dessert. After a tea I headed to bed because my big day trip left downtown Auckland at 7:30am.
When I woke up the sun was not up. I showered and had breakfast with Linda and Maurice. Maurice lent me a coat because all I had was my blue jacket, and it was quite cold out that day. I headed out the door and down the street to the bus stop, rode the bus, and arrived downtown all before the sun was up. It was winter so the days are very short. I got to watch the sunrise at the ferry terminal in Auckland, which was cool to see it rise over the water. As the frost melted off the cars, I boarded the bus and headed off for my event-packed day trip in Rotorua.
The first stop the bus made was at the Waitomo Caves. Some people headed off to go Black Water Rafting underground in the caves. I was a bit jealous, but I guess it gives me something to want to do when I return. I went with the rest of the people to the glowworm caves. We walked around for a bit inside and took a boat through a terribly dark section where you could see the millions of glowworms. It was quite astounding. It looked like viewing a perfectly clear starry night. What was funny about the caves was that they were actually warmer than the outside air.
During the two hour bus ride to Rotorua we were served lunch. I've eaten many meals on airplanes, but eating on the bus was an experience - far more bumpier and difficult to eat. It was absolutely delicious though, and I managed to not get any on my clothes. Arriving in Rotorua, I was the only person to get off and do the Zorb. I was surprised that no one else was doing the Zorb, but take a tour of a sheep-sheering facility. I entered the building, answered all my health and liability questions and signed the waiver. I then changed into my swimsuit and watched some other people Zorb. Yes it was cold in the swim suit, but I really lucked with the weather for my stay in NZ. Out of the seven I was there I had decent sunshine for three Linda told me the three days were the best days of weather they had had in the last month. After watching other people Zorb, I was taken to the top of the hill by a jeep and after the guy pumped some water into the Zorb I ran and dove in, and prepared to roll like a hamster while slipping and sliding inside the ball in the warm water. 1-2-3 and I pushed myself off the starting platform and began to slosh around inside the Zorb. It was extremely fun and it was over way too fast. I couldn't stand up inside because everything was wet, but I had a blast. I would recommend Zorbing to anyone who is alive.
After the Zorb a tragedy occured. I'm not certain why there is a "delete all" button on digital cameras, but I accidentally hit it. Luckily I took the battery out before all my pictures were gone, but most of my Thailand pictures are gone and some of my Australia pictures - from Pancakes - vanished as well. I'm frustrated, but luckily I've been uploading them for you pleasure and my security.
I walked to meet the bus at the sheep farm and received the cold stare of jealousy from some of the other passengers. we then drove to Te Puia, a Mauri cultural exhibit in Rotorua. I saw some descendants of the Mauri at a carving school that aims to preserve the traditions of the Mauri. We then watched a performance of Mauri song and dance. (Look for a video on my Picasa album). I had a front row seat, and I really enjoyed it. It was a little campy and fake, but it was still nice to absorb a little of the native culture, even if it has been stripped down for tourists. After the show our guide showed us around the Whakarewarewa geothermal area of Te Puia, including the boiling mud pits, geysers, and sulfuric steam escaping through tiny cracks in the rocks. It smelled like the Fourth of July - meaning it smelled like firecrackers. It wasn't an incredibly good smell, but I could stand it. I got to watch the main geyser erupt, and the hot springs looked inviting - even if the guide warned us that they were nearly 95 degrees Celsius. Some of the rocks looked like they were from Saturn due to the greenish color the sulfur gave them.
We boarded the bus and watched the sunset as we drove many hours back to Auckland. I took the city bus back to Maurice's house and it was 14 hours after I had left that morning. Linda made me a quick supper of baked beans, eggs, and toast. Even her quick meals were tasty. I was really blessed to be treated to warm meals prepared for me daily. We had hot cocoa and biscuits (cookies) and I headed off to bed.
The next day brought terrible weather. I woke up and had breakfast and returned to sleep to catch up from yesterday. When I re-woke up I the weather was still foul so I decided to do something indoors. During lunch Maurice and Linda told me they were going to a nearby mall, so I hitched a ride with them and explored the mall for the day. They had a store similar to WalMart called the Warehouse, and many stores you can find in Zona Rosa or American shopping centers. This day was a recovery day from the day before, so I took it easy. I walked back home, passing a Blockbuster Video. After a chicken dinner, some television, then the round of cocoa I headed to bed.
The next day was Bungy day. After breakfast, Peter drove me by the waterfront of Auckland and dropped me off downtown. I walked to the Auckland Harbour Bridge and signed up to jump off of it. After weighing in and paying in I had time to kill so I explored some of the docks, then headed back to get geared up. The apparatus wasn't extremely complicated, and a little piece of me wished there were more straps and buckles to keep me attached to the bungy cord. As the guy strapped me in he joked that he thought the harness "might have one more jump left in it".
We left the building and walked on a small pathway under the bridge. I was trying to think of what to yell when I jumped to keep my head from thinking about the actual jumping. After a good 10 minutes we reached the pod that we would be jumping out of. When we climbed inside they raised the side of it and I saw the platform I would be leaping off of. I started to shake a little, but luckily I didn't have to go first. The operators blasted loud music to get our adrenaline pumping, and informed us that we could have our heads go underwater if we wanted to. I decided against the freezing cold water dive. After watching two guys go ahead of me who had obviously bungied before I didn't feel so freaked out. When they strapped the cord to my legs and I hopped to the edge, all that fear came back. When they told me it was time to jump I hesitated only for one second, then poorly dived off the board and fell through the air for about 40 meters. It was the most terrifying experience for my entire trip, but also my third favorite behind the safari and the Zorb. When falling, you forget that you're tied up, and you remember as soon as you come close to the water. I wasn't scared anymore after I bounced and was down there, and was extremely proud of myself. I even had an audience of boats under the bridge watching me. As they towed me back up, I started to remember what I just did and my hands started to shake again. I couldn't believe that I had actually done this.
After some more people jumped, we headed back off the bridge. I watched the video of me jumping and you can see the look of terror on my face as I am about to jump off. I did not make it look cool at all. I didn't buy the DVD, but I did get a free t-shirt. New Zealand is great!
I headed home early because I was mentally exhausted. I napped, ate dinner, talked with Maurice and Linda for several hours about New Zealand politics and history, drank some tea and headed to bed.
I woke up the next morning and after breakfast headed to church. Mountainside Lutheran Church wasn't extremely big, but it has a growing congregation and a building that was built only 8 years ago. Pastor Milton, who arranged for me to stay with Maurice and Linda was out of town, making this the third out of three church service I attended abroad where the head pastor was out of town. The service was similar to those I attend in the states, but they have cooler accents in New Zealand. Peter then drove me into town where I caught a ferry to Rangitoto Island.
I hiked up the mountain and saw cool caves formed by lava many years ago, volcanic rocks, the crater on the top of the mountain, and a breathtaking view from the summit. There were many tourists on the island due to the good weather, but it was empty enough to be enjoyable. After 43 days of walking and physical activity, I was surprised at how much this mountain kicked my butt. I was exhausted and had a headache by the time I reached the summit, and when I walked down I slept for a short time seaside and awoke to seagulls yelling at me. I took the ferry back to Auckland and a bus back to Mt. Wellington for dinner, where Linda served lamp chops.
I woke up Monday and packed. It was quite chilly so I didn't head out the door until about noon. I walked to the actual Mt. Wellington and decided to climb it. After finally finding a way to get to it, I started climbing. My lungs hadn't forgiven me from Rangitoto, so I didn't go all the way to the top, but I still got pretty far up and a pretty good view of the city. Auckland is a nice place to live, but I wouldn't recommend visiting there. I wish I would have arranged my flights to take me to the South Island of New Zealand, rather than spending it in Auckland. When I look back on France, Egypt, Kenya, and Thailand I don't really see myself returning to those specific countries. When I think about New Zealand and Australia I know I want to return to explore everything I didn't have the time or opportunity to see.
Back home Maurice and Linda and I had lunch and we drove the airport soon after. I got there at about 3pm because my flight took off at 6. After saying my goodbyes, I headed inside and went to the Qantas desk. The man at the desk informed me that the flight was delayed 5 hours. I was extremely upset because I had pictured in my mind being home in less than 24 hours. This delay would cause me to miss my connecting flight in LA to KC. I collected my meal vouchers and pouted around the airport. I had a nice dinner at a restaurant in the airport though, and when I heard that the flight was delayed 2 more hours until 1:20am I decided to take action. I went to the Air New Zealand desk, where a bunch of Qantas flight 25 people were gathered and tried to get a seat on an Air New Zealand flight leaving at 9:30pm. Luckily I got on without having to pay anything extra. While waiting in that line I talked with many other people who were frustrated about the situation: a girl from Canada, a guy from Boston, a Finnish man, and even another guy from KC.
The Air New Zealand flight was good, even if I was seated in the middle of the plane next to a drunk gay guy. He was supposed to be on Qantas 25 as well, and kept reminding me this over and over. The flight was approximately 12 hours long, and I was fortunate to be able to fall asleep. After 8 other flights you'd think I'd be able to sleep on a plane but I assure you I have not acquired this talent. After many hours of movies, music, and some Flight of the Conchords episodes we landed at LAX at 1pm on July 14th.
If you're paying attention I left Auckland at 9:30pm on July 14th, and after a 12 hour flight landed in LA at 1pm on July 14th. I had crossed the international date line, and also crossed something off of my list of things to do before I die. This day was shaping out to be the longest days of my life, both time wise and activity wise. After customs and waiting for my luggage (it was one of the last ones off the plane - when I was the first through passport control) I did what I now call the "airport shuffle". I bustled around the airport trying to find out what I should do. I first ran from terminal 2 to terminal 3 to the Midwest Airlines desk. The desk was closed and there was no number to reach them. I then ran back to the Air New Zealand desk at terminal 2 to ask them what to do. They sent me to terminal 4 to talk to Qantas. When I got to terminal 4 I was sweaty and exhausted. I'm used to the cold New Zealand weather. I didn't feel like waiting in the line, so I walked up to the counter and saw the other guy from KC who was supposed to be on Qantas 25 as well. He had already explained his situation to the guy at the desk who was working on getting him on another flight. After 30 minutes of telephone calls and computer typing we were both set up with 7:30am flights to KC the next morning and a free night's stay at the LAX Hilton.
I called my good friend Jacob, who I learned was back in LA working, and he picked me up from the Hilton (where I had just checked in). We met up with our friend Midori and we went on the hunt for dinner. We ended up going to The Grove, and outdoor shopping center that has lots of little restaurants. Midori had French cuisine, Jacob had Chinese, and I had Mexican. We talked and walked around and saw some people preparing to shoot a scene for a movie - but hey, it's LA. We went back to my hotel room at the Hilton, and after getting lost on the way there hung out and talked for about 30 minutes before they left and I headed to bed. I had to wake up early to catch that flight.
I hate waking up before the sun, but I'm well practiced by now. I caught a shuttle to the airport, was chosen for a random security pat-down, and made it to the gate a good hour before boarding. When we got on I didn't see the other guy who had gone through all the trouble I had. He was one of the last people on the plane because he was selected for a random security pat-down as well. I guess LAX doesn't trust New Zealand visitors. Anyway the flight took off and landed three hours later in Kansas City where I got to see my family 45 days after I had left them. The airport drama was annoying, but at least I got to see Jacob, whom I wouldn't have seen otherwise for a very long time.
New Zealand was great. My short time in LA was a bonus. I guess "karma" read my blog about Australia and how I wouldn't mind if this trip lasted longer. It's sad it is all over, but I am ready to relax.
Pancakes on the Rocks
Sorry about the delay of posting. My goal is to get the blog completely up to date right now, so in the following posts you'll get to read about my last day in Australia, my week in New Zealand, and the troubles the airline industry gave me when I tried to come home.
Anyway after I blogged, I headed back to the apartment and Tomomi and Denning and I headed to dinner. They didn't initially tell me where I was going and were trying to act coy about it, but I deduced it was at The Rocks because that was the direction we were walking. Turns out it was a restaurant called Pancakes on the Rocks. (The "on the Rocks" part is purely location, not anything to do with salt). Apparently it is one of the few restaurants in Sydney open 24 hours, so it is like our Ihop. I ordered some crepes with beef inside and an Australian beer. I figured I'll lavish in my options while I was still abroad. The pancakes were good and the beer was beery, and the company was nice. We snapped some photos and talked about Aus, the States, and even about Japan a little.
When we left Pancakes Tomomi headed to work - she's a nurse and she was working the night shift - and Denning and I headed to Darling Harbour to meet a friend of his for coffee. I joined them and we drank coffee at a chique local cafe called Starbucks (mind the sarcasm). Denning talked about his involvement with the Stations of the Cross performance for World Youth Day, his friend talked about how she just got back from Uni, and I talked about being an American. I'm getting pretty used to answering silly questions about America, but I know I ask lots and lots of silly questions about the other countries too - or at least I enjoy discovering the same sort of things too.
From Starbucks the three of us headed back to the apartment for some Wii, and I crashed shortly after because I had a flight the next morning. When I woke up very early - 7am - I got all my stuff together and Denning took me in his car to the airport. That was greatly appreciated because it saved me from buying the expensive train ticket, and I know that waking up at 7am is not the most exciting thing to do. Since this was my 8th flight since June 1st, I was pretty well practiced at the whole airport thing, so I got on my flight relatively hassle-free.
In Australia I met the nicest people, rivaled only by Kenyans. I'd definitely like to go back to Aus because one week is definitely not enough time to enjoy everything it has to offer - just ask my friend Amy who spent several months there and longs to return.
Anyway after I blogged, I headed back to the apartment and Tomomi and Denning and I headed to dinner. They didn't initially tell me where I was going and were trying to act coy about it, but I deduced it was at The Rocks because that was the direction we were walking. Turns out it was a restaurant called Pancakes on the Rocks. (The "on the Rocks" part is purely location, not anything to do with salt). Apparently it is one of the few restaurants in Sydney open 24 hours, so it is like our Ihop. I ordered some crepes with beef inside and an Australian beer. I figured I'll lavish in my options while I was still abroad. The pancakes were good and the beer was beery, and the company was nice. We snapped some photos and talked about Aus, the States, and even about Japan a little.
When we left Pancakes Tomomi headed to work - she's a nurse and she was working the night shift - and Denning and I headed to Darling Harbour to meet a friend of his for coffee. I joined them and we drank coffee at a chique local cafe called Starbucks (mind the sarcasm). Denning talked about his involvement with the Stations of the Cross performance for World Youth Day, his friend talked about how she just got back from Uni, and I talked about being an American. I'm getting pretty used to answering silly questions about America, but I know I ask lots and lots of silly questions about the other countries too - or at least I enjoy discovering the same sort of things too.
From Starbucks the three of us headed back to the apartment for some Wii, and I crashed shortly after because I had a flight the next morning. When I woke up very early - 7am - I got all my stuff together and Denning took me in his car to the airport. That was greatly appreciated because it saved me from buying the expensive train ticket, and I know that waking up at 7am is not the most exciting thing to do. Since this was my 8th flight since June 1st, I was pretty well practiced at the whole airport thing, so I got on my flight relatively hassle-free.
In Australia I met the nicest people, rivaled only by Kenyans. I'd definitely like to go back to Aus because one week is definitely not enough time to enjoy everything it has to offer - just ask my friend Amy who spent several months there and longs to return.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
This will be my last post while overseas
Hello everybody!
Seeing as I'm home in less than a week and it is inconvenient for me to get to this internet cafe, this will be my last post while overseas. I'm currently in New Zealand and will be updating back in KC about my last day in Australia and my entire stay in NZ. I will also be uploading pictures when I get back to the states.
Thanks for all the comments and I'll see you stateside soon!
Seeing as I'm home in less than a week and it is inconvenient for me to get to this internet cafe, this will be my last post while overseas. I'm currently in New Zealand and will be updating back in KC about my last day in Australia and my entire stay in NZ. I will also be uploading pictures when I get back to the states.
Thanks for all the comments and I'll see you stateside soon!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Everybody do the Tim Tam Slam
So far my experience in Australia has been fantastic. I'm meeting loads of people and can speak their language! Granted I have to get used to them not understanding what a "sack" is (a bag) and I'm still not proficient with my Celsius, but it's a lot easier than Thailand for sure.
After my 9 hour flight from Thailand, plus the fact that I lost 3 hours, I was 12 hours ahead and exhausted. I'm still terrible about sleeping on planes. I then went through passport control I was sent through Australia's rigorous customs. In order to save some time and possibly money, I failed to inform the customs officers that I had been in Africa recently. You also aren't allowed to bring any aquatic or camping equipment into the country that could have soil or water residue that could change Australia's unique environment. They even looked at the bottom of my shoes for dirt.
I then bought an Australian Sim card for my phone because the one I used in Thailand turned out to be a good deal. I ended up paying more than I would have liked for the Sim card and service, and there is no way I will be able to use up all the minutes I purchased.
I then took a $14 subway ride to the Museum station and walked around Hyde Park to the share house where I had arranged to stay for free. I'm not certain if I've explained this to everybody yet, but way back in December 2007 I wrote letters to different Lutheran churches throughout the world asking for host families. That is how I arranged to stay at the church in France, this location in Sydney, and I have a host family lined up for New Zealand.
I met Tomomi, a girl from Japan who has been working as a nurse in Sydney for the past couple of years. She gave me the key to the apartment and showed me my room (with a real bed) and I passed out for a very enjoyable nap. When I woke up I brushed my teeth, changed my contacts (Happy July) and embarked on a trip to the Opera House.
It is winter in Australia right now, but like Kenya their winters are very fair. People are wearing coats and hats and gloves and scarfs and I'm wearing just a t-shirt and carrying my light jacket with me. I'm used to digging my car out of the ice to head to work, so this "winter" feels absolutely fantastic.
I wandered around the city and eventually ended up at Lady Macquarie's Chair - a landmark nearby the Opera House. It was a great place to snap some photos of the Opera House so I took full advantage of my vantage. I then walked around the coast and avoided the millions of joggers. It was a early Tuesday afternoon and there were boatloads of people jogging around the park. I couldn't understand if they were unemployed or on a very late lunch break, but they moved in herds like animals from Kenya. In Sydney you will always see people jogging. Morning, day, and night and nearly everywhere you can find someone jogging. You will also find lots of boys skateboarding. I walked around the coast and reached the Opera House. It is very cool looking, but there is something very 1970s about it. I think it is the wood paneling on the inside. I walked around and dodged the tourists and joggers and snapped some photos of it and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. My budget didn't allow me to book a show in the Opera House, and I decided that a tour of the Opera House would probably bore me, so I decided that the mere fact of seeing it and touching it was enough satisfaction for me.
I wandered around the city some more and ended up at King's Cross. King's Cross is a hip backpacker area filled with hostels and traveling information for people like me. At night it is known for its drunk people and prostitutes. I arranged a day trip to the Blue Mountains for Thursday.
I then walked back to the apartment and met Azelia, Steve, Darryl, Milton, Asher and Denning. Denning lives in the apartment too and is a part time student and works. The other folks were there for a Bible study. I grabbed some spaghetti from a nearby restaurant and joined the study, rather than being anti-social in my room. I then slammed a Tim Tam. I know what you're wondering - what in heaven's name is a Tim Tam and what does slamming it entail. I'll just say it involves a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, a popular type of Australian cookie/biscuit called a Tim Tam, and gobbling a very delicious melty cookie down really fast. What you do is bite off two opposite corners of the Tim Tam, drinking the coffee through the cookie, and shoving it in your mouth before it completely melts and falls in your mouth.
Everybody left me alone in the apartment. Soon after Denning got home and had two friends with him. We played Wii for a while and I headed off to bed.
When I woke up it was Wednesday and I had planned to head to Bondi beach. I took the subway to Bondi Junction and asked the person at the information desk why it was only $3 to go to Bondi beach but $14 to go to the airport. The airport station is owned by the airport rather than the city, so they charge a fee for everyone using it. Jerks.
I walked from the station to the beach which took about half an hour. By now I'm pretty good at walking. When I got the the beach I took of my shoes and waded in the ocean. It was quite cold, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. There were people surfing so I watched them. It was a beautiful beach, but the photos do a better job explaining it than I do. I then boarded a bus back to the train station (it was uphill from the beach - and I'm on vacation). I guess my patchy beard makes me look like a vagrant since I get concerned looks from parents and other people. I don't even really like it, but I made a promise to myself to not shave and I don't want to back out in the 5th week out of 6.
I went souvenir shopping and took the train back to the Museum station. The apartment is a 2 minute walk from the museum, which is why I use the Museum station. It's a great location in this awesome city. I went to the grocery store to buy groceries and was slightly shocked at the prices. I'm not certain exactly why - the high minimum wage, the losing power of the USD, but food here is crazy expensive. Restaurants are comparably priced, but it is impossible to get a decent meal for about $5, which is my favorite price range. For example, a decent price for a can of soda from a machine is $1.20. I couldn't believe it. I am eating PB&J because I am cheap, but it works out as well because the local flavor is very similar to food in the US: a hodgepodge of food from around the world.
On Thursday morning I woke up early and headed to the pickup spot for my tour. When he picked me up I sat in the window seat and because the tour was fully booked a woman from New Zealand sat next to me. During the tour we talked and it was funny to discover that she is a member of SERVAS and hosts travelers quite often.
The tour started by taking up over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We drove to a place called Featherdale's where we could see the animals of Australia. I got to pet a koala, kangaroo, wombat, and many other types of animals. Most were not shy and would walk right up to you. It was very cool to see these animals up close. Check the photo album for pictures. From here we headed to a lunch buffet which was included with the tour fees and you can believe I ate as much as I could.
After lunch we went to a park and the bus driver gave us a boomerang throwing demonstration and tried to sell us some boomerangs. We then drove to the Blue Mountains and saw the rock formation called the Three Sisters, from a point called Echo Point. I tried, and it didn't echo very well. Maybe I was doing it wrong. We then trucked on to a cable car ride where some people took a cable car across a waterfall canyon that was beautiful. I later saw that same waterfall for free though. There were three rides at the park, a cable car ride across the canyon, a steep train ride to the bottom of the mountains, and a cable car ride from the bottom to the top. I am cheap, adventurous, and good at walking so I opted to walk 1000+ steps down to the bottom of the mountains and ride the cable car back up. It was not as difficult as I thought it'd be, and it was a decent experience. I climbed down with a guy from UK who had been trapped in the Sydney Tower elevator for 4 hours the night before. (He told this story to everyone with ears). At the bottom of the mountains was a rain forest and you could observe the Lyre birds and nature. To tell you the truth the real beautiful view was from the top of the mountains, but it was neat (and chilly) and the bottom. I took the cable car up and boarded the bus.
We then drove to a rock formation called the Boar's head. I thought it would be boaring but it was a swine view of some really pig rocks. (Sorry.)
From there we drove to a quaint town called Leura where the food was still expensive. It wasn't terribly exciting, but I guess if you're from the city it could be seen as cute. We then drove some more and ended up at Olympic Park. It was cool to see where the 2000 Olympics were, even if it was pretty much a ghost town. We took a private ferry back to Sydney where I walked back to the apartment and crashed after a PB&J dinner.
When I woke up on Friday I made a list of things I wanted to eat in Australia so I wouldn't miss out on the items they are known for. I also remembered that it was the 4th of July. Nobody was making much ado about it, and I decided to not be the obnoxious American and make any fuss myself. I also figured I could make up for it when I get back to the states. It was raining quite hard so I was stuck inside for a while, but when it broke I headed to Sydney's Chinatown. The Chinatown was quite different than any other Chinatown that I had ever been to, and was surprisingly different from what I expected. It was clean and organized, and rather than shady little markets, it was all organized in the basement of a shopping mall. I explored and found some good souvenirs and walked around the city some more.
Later that evening Denning took me to a youth group he runs outside of Sydney. It was a good 30 minute drive. We played pool and ate self-made pizza. I was also quizzed by some teenagers about the states and they laughed at how I pronounced words. They didn't like when I told them they drive on the wrong side of the street, but I didn't like when they told me that I lived where they made the Wizard of Oz. When Denning and I got back from the youth group we went possum hunting in Hyde Park (which is right by the museum and the apartment). I took my camera to shoot the possums, so I consider it hunting. They were friendly looking, and I got some good photos. Some idiots were trying to pet them, but Denning and I figured they had diseases.
The next day was Saturday. When I woke up Denning had some Vegemite for me. Vegemite is terribly disgusting and tastes like salty mud. It is an excellent source of Vitamin B, but I didn't like it. It is an Australian food, so I had to try it.
During the day I walked to the Rocks, a hip shopping center by the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I walked through the outdoor market. I then walked across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and explored the north side of Sydney. When I was crossing the bridge on my way back a kid asked me if I had a smoke. I laughed at him and told him he was too young to smoke which he responded "But I'm 14!" I laughed again and told him that smoking kills. It reminded me when I saw the 7 or 8 year olds smoking in Cairo.
I walked back to the apartment and took a power nap. I then walked to Kings Cross to grab some dinner. It was about 6:30pm, but I guess that is early enough for the seedy people to come out. The sun sets early in Sydney, about 6, so it was dark out. On my way to the shop I was propositioned to by a prostitute for the first time in my life. She asked me if I was looking for fun, and I laughed again and told her that I hated fun. It is humerus that Sydney is the first city on this trip where I've encountered this stuff. But when I think about it I didn't go out too late in France, was with my SERVAS hosts in Kenya and Thailand.
I got some meat pies at a place called "Pie Face". I got a steak pie with mash and peas on top. (Mash is mashed potatoes). I walked a better lit path back to the apartment and devoured the food. After watching a movie with Denning I headed to bed.
I woke up and went to church on Sunday. Some of the Bible study people were there, and we talked afterwords. The service was nearly identical to those I'm used to, but they aren't Missouri Synod so some words are different, and they sung many songs that were composed by members of the church. They used a keyboard and drum instead of an organ as well.
After church I went to the Australian museum, the one that it 2 minutes from the apartment. I saw skeletons, a mineral display, the science of survival in Australia, and dinosaurs. I know this won't be a popular thing to say, but it has been my favorite museum so far on this trip. It was extremely interactive and well set up, and I didn't feel overwhelmed. It was also the smallest. At 2 o'clock there was an Aboriginal didgeridoo, dance, and story telling session. It was very cool because I got to hear him explain the certain noises of the didgeridoo.
After the museum I headed to the Rocks for the yearly Aroma Festival. The Aroma Festival is for lovers of coffee, tea, chocolate, and spice. Basically if you have a tongue or nose you'll love it. It was very cool because there were $1 tastings of coffee, but unfortunately it was all gourmet stuff so I couldn't afford to buy anything other than samples. Plus I'm not certain if I can get it through customs.
After that extremely good smelling experience I headed back to the church, which is right next door to the apartment, and helped with Eternity Cafe. Eternity Cafe is a weekly free coffee and games hangout for homeless people. They were all really nice when they asked for coffee, and one guy kept talking about The USS Missouri, where Japan surrendered during WWII. We also talked about politics (can't avoid it if you're from America right now) and war.
After the cafe, I headed home and attempted to cook some kangaroo meat that I had purchased from the store. I called my dear mother, and she gave me some advice, but I decided to just experiment and hope it would turn out alright. I pan seared it with a glaze that the packaging had told me to make and it wasn't too bad. It tasted like a regular non-kangaroo steak, and I didn't burn it or leave it too undercooked. I guess I can apply at Outback Steakhouse when I get back to the states. I also had baked potatoes, but it is pretty hard to mess that up. Denning and I played a little Wii and I headed to bed.
I woke up this morning and wanted to head to Manly beach. When I walked down to Circular Quay they refused to honor my Student Card for the student rate. I was upset so I refused to pay them money, so I spent the day walking around the Harbor, by the Opera House, and Kings Cross again. Tonight Tomomi, Denning, and I are going to do dinner, which should be nice.
Hopefully this post hasn't been as exhausting to read as it has been to write. More sad news is that I'll be home in one week. I do miss home, but I'm having such a good time I wouldn't mind staying longer.
After my 9 hour flight from Thailand, plus the fact that I lost 3 hours, I was 12 hours ahead and exhausted. I'm still terrible about sleeping on planes. I then went through passport control I was sent through Australia's rigorous customs. In order to save some time and possibly money, I failed to inform the customs officers that I had been in Africa recently. You also aren't allowed to bring any aquatic or camping equipment into the country that could have soil or water residue that could change Australia's unique environment. They even looked at the bottom of my shoes for dirt.
I then bought an Australian Sim card for my phone because the one I used in Thailand turned out to be a good deal. I ended up paying more than I would have liked for the Sim card and service, and there is no way I will be able to use up all the minutes I purchased.
I then took a $14 subway ride to the Museum station and walked around Hyde Park to the share house where I had arranged to stay for free. I'm not certain if I've explained this to everybody yet, but way back in December 2007 I wrote letters to different Lutheran churches throughout the world asking for host families. That is how I arranged to stay at the church in France, this location in Sydney, and I have a host family lined up for New Zealand.
I met Tomomi, a girl from Japan who has been working as a nurse in Sydney for the past couple of years. She gave me the key to the apartment and showed me my room (with a real bed) and I passed out for a very enjoyable nap. When I woke up I brushed my teeth, changed my contacts (Happy July) and embarked on a trip to the Opera House.
It is winter in Australia right now, but like Kenya their winters are very fair. People are wearing coats and hats and gloves and scarfs and I'm wearing just a t-shirt and carrying my light jacket with me. I'm used to digging my car out of the ice to head to work, so this "winter" feels absolutely fantastic.
I wandered around the city and eventually ended up at Lady Macquarie's Chair - a landmark nearby the Opera House. It was a great place to snap some photos of the Opera House so I took full advantage of my vantage. I then walked around the coast and avoided the millions of joggers. It was a early Tuesday afternoon and there were boatloads of people jogging around the park. I couldn't understand if they were unemployed or on a very late lunch break, but they moved in herds like animals from Kenya. In Sydney you will always see people jogging. Morning, day, and night and nearly everywhere you can find someone jogging. You will also find lots of boys skateboarding. I walked around the coast and reached the Opera House. It is very cool looking, but there is something very 1970s about it. I think it is the wood paneling on the inside. I walked around and dodged the tourists and joggers and snapped some photos of it and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. My budget didn't allow me to book a show in the Opera House, and I decided that a tour of the Opera House would probably bore me, so I decided that the mere fact of seeing it and touching it was enough satisfaction for me.
I wandered around the city some more and ended up at King's Cross. King's Cross is a hip backpacker area filled with hostels and traveling information for people like me. At night it is known for its drunk people and prostitutes. I arranged a day trip to the Blue Mountains for Thursday.
I then walked back to the apartment and met Azelia, Steve, Darryl, Milton, Asher and Denning. Denning lives in the apartment too and is a part time student and works. The other folks were there for a Bible study. I grabbed some spaghetti from a nearby restaurant and joined the study, rather than being anti-social in my room. I then slammed a Tim Tam. I know what you're wondering - what in heaven's name is a Tim Tam and what does slamming it entail. I'll just say it involves a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, a popular type of Australian cookie/biscuit called a Tim Tam, and gobbling a very delicious melty cookie down really fast. What you do is bite off two opposite corners of the Tim Tam, drinking the coffee through the cookie, and shoving it in your mouth before it completely melts and falls in your mouth.
Everybody left me alone in the apartment. Soon after Denning got home and had two friends with him. We played Wii for a while and I headed off to bed.
When I woke up it was Wednesday and I had planned to head to Bondi beach. I took the subway to Bondi Junction and asked the person at the information desk why it was only $3 to go to Bondi beach but $14 to go to the airport. The airport station is owned by the airport rather than the city, so they charge a fee for everyone using it. Jerks.
I walked from the station to the beach which took about half an hour. By now I'm pretty good at walking. When I got the the beach I took of my shoes and waded in the ocean. It was quite cold, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. There were people surfing so I watched them. It was a beautiful beach, but the photos do a better job explaining it than I do. I then boarded a bus back to the train station (it was uphill from the beach - and I'm on vacation). I guess my patchy beard makes me look like a vagrant since I get concerned looks from parents and other people. I don't even really like it, but I made a promise to myself to not shave and I don't want to back out in the 5th week out of 6.
I went souvenir shopping and took the train back to the Museum station. The apartment is a 2 minute walk from the museum, which is why I use the Museum station. It's a great location in this awesome city. I went to the grocery store to buy groceries and was slightly shocked at the prices. I'm not certain exactly why - the high minimum wage, the losing power of the USD, but food here is crazy expensive. Restaurants are comparably priced, but it is impossible to get a decent meal for about $5, which is my favorite price range. For example, a decent price for a can of soda from a machine is $1.20. I couldn't believe it. I am eating PB&J because I am cheap, but it works out as well because the local flavor is very similar to food in the US: a hodgepodge of food from around the world.
On Thursday morning I woke up early and headed to the pickup spot for my tour. When he picked me up I sat in the window seat and because the tour was fully booked a woman from New Zealand sat next to me. During the tour we talked and it was funny to discover that she is a member of SERVAS and hosts travelers quite often.
The tour started by taking up over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We drove to a place called Featherdale's where we could see the animals of Australia. I got to pet a koala, kangaroo, wombat, and many other types of animals. Most were not shy and would walk right up to you. It was very cool to see these animals up close. Check the photo album for pictures. From here we headed to a lunch buffet which was included with the tour fees and you can believe I ate as much as I could.
After lunch we went to a park and the bus driver gave us a boomerang throwing demonstration and tried to sell us some boomerangs. We then drove to the Blue Mountains and saw the rock formation called the Three Sisters, from a point called Echo Point. I tried, and it didn't echo very well. Maybe I was doing it wrong. We then trucked on to a cable car ride where some people took a cable car across a waterfall canyon that was beautiful. I later saw that same waterfall for free though. There were three rides at the park, a cable car ride across the canyon, a steep train ride to the bottom of the mountains, and a cable car ride from the bottom to the top. I am cheap, adventurous, and good at walking so I opted to walk 1000+ steps down to the bottom of the mountains and ride the cable car back up. It was not as difficult as I thought it'd be, and it was a decent experience. I climbed down with a guy from UK who had been trapped in the Sydney Tower elevator for 4 hours the night before. (He told this story to everyone with ears). At the bottom of the mountains was a rain forest and you could observe the Lyre birds and nature. To tell you the truth the real beautiful view was from the top of the mountains, but it was neat (and chilly) and the bottom. I took the cable car up and boarded the bus.
We then drove to a rock formation called the Boar's head. I thought it would be boaring but it was a swine view of some really pig rocks. (Sorry.)
From there we drove to a quaint town called Leura where the food was still expensive. It wasn't terribly exciting, but I guess if you're from the city it could be seen as cute. We then drove some more and ended up at Olympic Park. It was cool to see where the 2000 Olympics were, even if it was pretty much a ghost town. We took a private ferry back to Sydney where I walked back to the apartment and crashed after a PB&J dinner.
When I woke up on Friday I made a list of things I wanted to eat in Australia so I wouldn't miss out on the items they are known for. I also remembered that it was the 4th of July. Nobody was making much ado about it, and I decided to not be the obnoxious American and make any fuss myself. I also figured I could make up for it when I get back to the states. It was raining quite hard so I was stuck inside for a while, but when it broke I headed to Sydney's Chinatown. The Chinatown was quite different than any other Chinatown that I had ever been to, and was surprisingly different from what I expected. It was clean and organized, and rather than shady little markets, it was all organized in the basement of a shopping mall. I explored and found some good souvenirs and walked around the city some more.
Later that evening Denning took me to a youth group he runs outside of Sydney. It was a good 30 minute drive. We played pool and ate self-made pizza. I was also quizzed by some teenagers about the states and they laughed at how I pronounced words. They didn't like when I told them they drive on the wrong side of the street, but I didn't like when they told me that I lived where they made the Wizard of Oz. When Denning and I got back from the youth group we went possum hunting in Hyde Park (which is right by the museum and the apartment). I took my camera to shoot the possums, so I consider it hunting. They were friendly looking, and I got some good photos. Some idiots were trying to pet them, but Denning and I figured they had diseases.
The next day was Saturday. When I woke up Denning had some Vegemite for me. Vegemite is terribly disgusting and tastes like salty mud. It is an excellent source of Vitamin B, but I didn't like it. It is an Australian food, so I had to try it.
During the day I walked to the Rocks, a hip shopping center by the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I walked through the outdoor market. I then walked across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and explored the north side of Sydney. When I was crossing the bridge on my way back a kid asked me if I had a smoke. I laughed at him and told him he was too young to smoke which he responded "But I'm 14!" I laughed again and told him that smoking kills. It reminded me when I saw the 7 or 8 year olds smoking in Cairo.
I walked back to the apartment and took a power nap. I then walked to Kings Cross to grab some dinner. It was about 6:30pm, but I guess that is early enough for the seedy people to come out. The sun sets early in Sydney, about 6, so it was dark out. On my way to the shop I was propositioned to by a prostitute for the first time in my life. She asked me if I was looking for fun, and I laughed again and told her that I hated fun. It is humerus that Sydney is the first city on this trip where I've encountered this stuff. But when I think about it I didn't go out too late in France, was with my SERVAS hosts in Kenya and Thailand.
I got some meat pies at a place called "Pie Face". I got a steak pie with mash and peas on top. (Mash is mashed potatoes). I walked a better lit path back to the apartment and devoured the food. After watching a movie with Denning I headed to bed.
I woke up and went to church on Sunday. Some of the Bible study people were there, and we talked afterwords. The service was nearly identical to those I'm used to, but they aren't Missouri Synod so some words are different, and they sung many songs that were composed by members of the church. They used a keyboard and drum instead of an organ as well.
After church I went to the Australian museum, the one that it 2 minutes from the apartment. I saw skeletons, a mineral display, the science of survival in Australia, and dinosaurs. I know this won't be a popular thing to say, but it has been my favorite museum so far on this trip. It was extremely interactive and well set up, and I didn't feel overwhelmed. It was also the smallest. At 2 o'clock there was an Aboriginal didgeridoo, dance, and story telling session. It was very cool because I got to hear him explain the certain noises of the didgeridoo.
After the museum I headed to the Rocks for the yearly Aroma Festival. The Aroma Festival is for lovers of coffee, tea, chocolate, and spice. Basically if you have a tongue or nose you'll love it. It was very cool because there were $1 tastings of coffee, but unfortunately it was all gourmet stuff so I couldn't afford to buy anything other than samples. Plus I'm not certain if I can get it through customs.
After that extremely good smelling experience I headed back to the church, which is right next door to the apartment, and helped with Eternity Cafe. Eternity Cafe is a weekly free coffee and games hangout for homeless people. They were all really nice when they asked for coffee, and one guy kept talking about The USS Missouri, where Japan surrendered during WWII. We also talked about politics (can't avoid it if you're from America right now) and war.
After the cafe, I headed home and attempted to cook some kangaroo meat that I had purchased from the store. I called my dear mother, and she gave me some advice, but I decided to just experiment and hope it would turn out alright. I pan seared it with a glaze that the packaging had told me to make and it wasn't too bad. It tasted like a regular non-kangaroo steak, and I didn't burn it or leave it too undercooked. I guess I can apply at Outback Steakhouse when I get back to the states. I also had baked potatoes, but it is pretty hard to mess that up. Denning and I played a little Wii and I headed to bed.
I woke up this morning and wanted to head to Manly beach. When I walked down to Circular Quay they refused to honor my Student Card for the student rate. I was upset so I refused to pay them money, so I spent the day walking around the Harbor, by the Opera House, and Kings Cross again. Tonight Tomomi, Denning, and I are going to do dinner, which should be nice.
Hopefully this post hasn't been as exhausting to read as it has been to write. More sad news is that I'll be home in one week. I do miss home, but I'm having such a good time I wouldn't mind staying longer.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Long Live the King
Happy July readers. Let's dive right into my last days in Thailand...
As you know, T works in the showroom at a Suzuki dealership. I haven't told you that his wife works as a trainer for human resource employees. However, they both have a second job. T runs a small shop out of his apartment. The dinner table is the same as the cash drawer and the front door is the entrance to the shop. Gives a new meaning to "work at home". T's parents also work a shop (not their house) a couple of blocks away. It was very interesting to me.
Anyway, my next day in Thailand involved a trip to Chatuchak Market. It was Sunday and I first walked with T and his wife to give offerings to a monk. When he walked by we put food and money in his bucket and then he chanted something in Thai to us and T told me that he told them to pray. It was a very intriguing event, and it was over very quickly. I remember not too long ago sitting through a French church service and now I'm making offerings to a Budhist monk. Mom won't be proud.
T's wife and I then took a bus to Chatuchak market. It is Bangkok's largest outdoor market, and I think it spans nearly 30 acres. I didn't cover all of it, but I did spend a good 4 hours walking around trying to find the cheapest version of the souvenirs I wanted to get. It was very tiring and I was eager to rest. However, I didn't want to waste my last full day in Thailand sleeping so I hoped on the skyrail, transfered to (the wrong) bus, transfered to the right bus, transfered to another bus, and found myself at the Ancient City. What is the Ancient City you may ask? It is a re-creation of Thailand for those short on time and/or money. It is a little park in the shape of Thailand with miniature re-creations of Thailand's landmarks. The student card helped again, and upon entry you are given a bicycle to ride around. It was interesting for the first 5 minutes, but then I realized it was just like Epcot and not what I wanted to do. I wanted to see real Thai temples and landmarks, not cheesy re-creations. I still took several photos and rode my bike around quite a bit to get my money's worth, but I left feeling like I had wasted my time. As you'll see in some of the photos, the details are pretty good. Some of the photos can be deceptive to how scaled down they actually are.
Following my lackluster endeavor, I tried to take the bus back to T's apartment but ended up getting lost in Bangkok. Cities 4, Trevor 0. I finally took a taxi and after eating some yummy fried rice crashed for the night. While I slept Spain won the Euro 2008.
My last day in Thailand wasn't terribly exciting. I did laundry, air dried it in my room, walked around the neighborhood for lunch, packed, said my goodbyes to T, and took a taxi to the airport. Then I blogged adn boarded my flight to Sydney.
I'd have to say that Thailand has been my least favorite place so far. I didn't really connect to it too well, and I didn't find myself desiring to do anything exciting. Sitting on a beach for a week isn't my idea of a good vacation. Don't get me wrong - I had a good time, but it "wow" me.
Thailand photos should be completely updated now! Click on the link in the post below to see them! (Same album as before)
As you know, T works in the showroom at a Suzuki dealership. I haven't told you that his wife works as a trainer for human resource employees. However, they both have a second job. T runs a small shop out of his apartment. The dinner table is the same as the cash drawer and the front door is the entrance to the shop. Gives a new meaning to "work at home". T's parents also work a shop (not their house) a couple of blocks away. It was very interesting to me.
Anyway, my next day in Thailand involved a trip to Chatuchak Market. It was Sunday and I first walked with T and his wife to give offerings to a monk. When he walked by we put food and money in his bucket and then he chanted something in Thai to us and T told me that he told them to pray. It was a very intriguing event, and it was over very quickly. I remember not too long ago sitting through a French church service and now I'm making offerings to a Budhist monk. Mom won't be proud.
T's wife and I then took a bus to Chatuchak market. It is Bangkok's largest outdoor market, and I think it spans nearly 30 acres. I didn't cover all of it, but I did spend a good 4 hours walking around trying to find the cheapest version of the souvenirs I wanted to get. It was very tiring and I was eager to rest. However, I didn't want to waste my last full day in Thailand sleeping so I hoped on the skyrail, transfered to (the wrong) bus, transfered to the right bus, transfered to another bus, and found myself at the Ancient City. What is the Ancient City you may ask? It is a re-creation of Thailand for those short on time and/or money. It is a little park in the shape of Thailand with miniature re-creations of Thailand's landmarks. The student card helped again, and upon entry you are given a bicycle to ride around. It was interesting for the first 5 minutes, but then I realized it was just like Epcot and not what I wanted to do. I wanted to see real Thai temples and landmarks, not cheesy re-creations. I still took several photos and rode my bike around quite a bit to get my money's worth, but I left feeling like I had wasted my time. As you'll see in some of the photos, the details are pretty good. Some of the photos can be deceptive to how scaled down they actually are.
Following my lackluster endeavor, I tried to take the bus back to T's apartment but ended up getting lost in Bangkok. Cities 4, Trevor 0. I finally took a taxi and after eating some yummy fried rice crashed for the night. While I slept Spain won the Euro 2008.
My last day in Thailand wasn't terribly exciting. I did laundry, air dried it in my room, walked around the neighborhood for lunch, packed, said my goodbyes to T, and took a taxi to the airport. Then I blogged adn boarded my flight to Sydney.
I'd have to say that Thailand has been my least favorite place so far. I didn't really connect to it too well, and I didn't find myself desiring to do anything exciting. Sitting on a beach for a week isn't my idea of a good vacation. Don't get me wrong - I had a good time, but it "wow" me.
Thailand photos should be completely updated now! Click on the link in the post below to see them! (Same album as before)
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