Australian Vacation - Days One and Two

I know, I know...I've been here for five days...so I'm a bit behind. But seriously - internet has been hard to find!!

In Canada, we seem to have free wireless internet in any cafe. Not here. I've had to look high and low...finally found like this wireless card...I hope that it works...

The flight to Sydney was pretty uneventful. I drank um... a bit too much champagne (surprise...its seriously hard to keep track of the glasses when they come around every three seconds and top it up) and...well...again, I was travelling drunk. Great.

I thought it was best if I went to get ready for bed, I got out my free travel kit, went to the bathroom to change, but COULD NOT open the toothpaste (it's hard to open sober - never mind after x glasses of champagne...). So I just squeezed down on the tube as hard as I could – and – as you can predict – this resulted in toothpaste EVERYWHERE. So now I'm drunk in a tiny little bathroom trying to clean up the toothpaste – the whole time thinking I'm in sooooo much trouble. I guess I was in there for A LONG time, because my travel companions were going to come looking for me at one point. I mananged to get the situation under control, get back to my seat, and fell asleep (or passed out??) until breakfast. Again – I ADORE Air Austral breakfasts. It's like deserts and pastries and fruit and coffee.... I’m glad I only travel every six weeks or I would be like sixteen hundred pounds!

I’m staying in an apartment of another expat couple (still can’t get over how generous they are letting me stay here!!). We had to first take a train, then a ferry, and then a cab ride. The apartment is gorgeous and located in a suburb of Sydney called Manly Vale, which is very close to Manly Beach. I’m planning on taking surfing lessons there next week (which should make for some good stories, i’m sure.....)

The train ride – well, was a train ride - no pictures required. But the ferry ride was awesome! Sydney really reminds me of Vancouver – except I can barely understand anyone here (okay...maybe that’s the same in Vancouver...).

We got to the ferry terminal and stopped at what seemed like an okay place to eat...something Bavarian. We all shared a plate of every kind of pig prepared every which way. What a great way to start a vacation on the sea??? Anyway – it was pretty good. Not something I’d like to do every day (but consequently ended up there a few days later..urgh!!)

We were all just about to take a taxi to the apartment – and saw this:

A SLURPEE!! I had been craving one for EVER!! And found it at McDonalds of all places. It was wonderful. I drank my slurpee and went for a quick walk down the beach and put my feet in the Pacific Ocean. MUCH colder than the Indian Ocean that I’m used to (I know...I’m getting to be a total wuss!)

Got back to the apartment and slept... and woke up at 15h35! The next afternoon!! How’s that for some serious jet lag!!?

We all had breakfast on the patio – which is conveniently on the golf course.

(yes, I always wake up with hair like that, this is actually a pretty tame day)

We got ready, set off for a treck to the beach, got a bit lost, but found this amazing produce stand.
HUGELY SO EXCITING! When all you’ve had access to for fresh fruit and veggies for the last six weeks is: pineapple, bananas, cucumber, green pepper, and tomato....produce stands are a luxury. For now, I bought a white peach. It was seriously amazing and definetly picture worthy. (I’ll be going back tomorrow and stock up on like....EVERYTHING!)

After climbing a reeeaaalllly long hill (which was good because I had to work off the pig I ate the night before), we got to the beach.

Wow.

I should say at this point...that I have serious issues around water. If there is water – I need to be in it. When we set off for our walk, we didn't think we'd be swimming, so I didn't have a suit...but it was killing me. Like driving me crazy.

I walked around and thought about it...but we were going out for supper....so I didn’t want to go in my clothes. I thought and thought...and then a very considerate travelling companion told me I could wear his ginch and my tank top (I was wearing one as an undershirt).
Okay - yes - it's gross borrowing someone else’s underwear, but mine were...well....um...of the...how can I say...ahh...thong variety and I didn’t want the beach people to see that. And I wanted to go in the water!!!! So – tank top and a man’s pair of purple ginchies and off I went.

Ahhh....it was awesome. The waves were crazy (as crazy as MG), the water was cool, and it was an awesome time, even if it was just for a few minutes.

There are more pictures, but seeing as the tank top was white...and I’m wearing men’s purple underwear...I’ll spare the blog from those pictures... :P

I got out, sort of dried off as best I could with paper towels from the public washroom, dressed and was ready to eat. Luckily, we stumbled onto a little restaurant where I had great seafood and my first glass of Australian wine – in Australia!!! (Unfairly I never did a blog post when I had my first glass of Canadian wine in Canada...but the blog wasn't around then. :P).

Of course, I didn't stop with just one glass of wine, but you get the idea.

It was such a great way to end full(ish) day in Australia! I love vacationning!