Sydney on a Budget

I am nearing the end of my travels, with Sydney being my last international destination before I head back to the states. With the end of my travels comes the near end of my budget. Sydney has forced me to "tighten my belt," as my grandmother would say. I don't mind, though, as with every new challenge comes new rewards. Sydney is a city, and, like most cities, it is expensive. I am limited in the amount of free things to do here, but I have been resourceful.

Yesterday was my first real day in the city so I wandered. I made my way over to the most recognizable piece of Australian architecture: the Opera House. The Opera House is quite an impressive building. I could not believe how clean they keep the roof. It literally sparkles. I wonder if they clean it or if it just has Scotch Guard on it or something. Either way, it is immaculate. As luck would have it my wandering paid off. Around the corner from the Opera House is the Royal Botanical Gardens. It was free to get in and provided a colorful backdrop for my stroll through Sydney.

Sydney has a different sound than nearly every other city that I have been to. There is the usual horn honking, people talking too loud about deeply personal stuff on their cell phones, and the regular ambient chit chatter that accompanies a mass consortium of people, but Sydney has bats, parrots, and all kinds of crazy animal sounds. I sat and read the newspaper for awhile in the park and I ended up putting down the paper so that I could see what was making these noises. The noises are not incredibly loud, nor obnoxious, in comparison to the birds I am used to hearing in Los Angeles, but the sounds are different enough to make one take note. The birds that are around here are beautiful as well. Birds with yellow, white, orange, flashes and contrasts of colors that look like little flying Picasso's darting from tree to tree.

Today I decided to head over to Sydney's famous Bondi Beach. The beach is a little half moon crescent piece of sand that looks like it was cut out of the surrounding rocks. Australia is coming out of their winter and transitioning to spring so even though it is a bit chilly for beach weather (it is about 70 degrees with a cool breeze) folks were out on the sand taking advantage of the cool sunlight.

I eventually made my way back to where I am staying. I didn't notice it until my walk back to the hostel from Bondi, but the area I am staying in is what most people would think of as the red light district. I don't know how I didn't realize it before but there is a lot pubs and strip clubs, which usually translates to the red light district. I looked at my map and sure enough, I am staying in King's Cross, which isn't exactly known for it's country clubs. There is a McDonalds. Right next door is a sign that advertises "Live Full Nude Girls." I knew there was a reason that this hostel was so inexpensive.

The Internet Cafe

Internet in Cairns sucks. None of the places that I have stayed have had great internet, if any. I don't spend much time on the internet. I do like to keep some semblence of what is happening in the real world, though, so I have had to seek internet cafes and McDonalds. I like McDonalds because I don't have to pay for the internet, but I have to buy something, so I buy an ice cream cone. They are $.50 and delicious. When I get fed up with McDs agonizingly slow internet I end up going to an internet cafe, which is where I am while typing this. The internet cafes here in Cairns are interesting places. If you take off your head phones you get a cacophony of sounds. There are several languages being spoken over Skype, people laughing at videos, and a baby crying. I don't know why someone brought their baby to an internet cafe, but they did.

I have had to kill some time before my flight so I found a cozy little interent cafe to lose myself for a couple of hours. Everyone gets their own little cubicle with a computer, which is funny. It is funny because people seem to think that by putting on a pair of headphones and having three little barriers around them that they have some privacy. Folks are clicking, typing, chatting, and video chatting away like they are in their own home. If you aren't wearing headphones, like me, you hear some interesting things. As you walk around looking for an open cubicle it is impossible to not look at other peoples computers. No one is looking at anything illicit, but there are so many people who watch videos of snakes eating hippos and women shooting automatic weapons. The internet is an endless array of anything that anyone wants, though, and internet cafes have proved that sentiment to be alive and well.

McDonalds is a great place to meet other free wifi seekers. The internet is so slow there so you end up talking to others on their laptops because most of your time is spent looking around while the webpage is loading. I have tried to time my web browsing with others sitting around so that we can wait for our pages to load together and have a conversation while the pages load instead of staring at the status bar and doing the nervous knee dance. The internet brings all types of people together online and to put a face on a few of those anonymous has been an amusing past time of mine while I have sought a portal to the series of tubes that makes up the internet. Seeing the people on the other end of the computers seems interesting to me.

Scenic Drive

Spending the night in the rainforest was a great idea last night. All the comforting sounds of nature. Boy was I wrong. I woke up with mosquito bits on my legs and I as I stepped out of my room to go use the facilities there were all sorts of critters everywhere. I jumped at the sight of this good sized rat looking things. The guy who works there told me that that was a tree kangaroo. A lot of the species found in the rain forest are protected and since I had the Nissan Tida with me I had to be careful. So careful, in fact, the hotel owner had to watch me back up and out of the parking lot so that I didn't squash some endangered species. I felt bad but I had to laugh out loud because the hotel owner is a pudgy little Scottish guy who has the quintessential Scottish accent and while I was pulling out he thought he saw something and all I heard was "Shite...oh..ner a pro-blem, false alarm. Keep 'er comin' as she goes." It was perfect.

I had no agenda for the day, which was a big surprise. As I stopped for gas I saw a brochure for a scenic drive up to Port Douglas, which is a posh yacht club type town, so I turned the radio on and headed out. The radio out here is complete shit for driving music. There are nine thousand talk radio stations and one music station. The music station only plays re-makes of 70s and 80s songs with crazy rave beats behind them. I could only take so much of the "boom, boom, boom, boom" before my head was out to explode (I swear that music kills brain cells) so I put it on the talk stations. It was interesting for a little but all of the talk stations just talk about gossip stuff. I lost a lot of respect for Australia today. Of course I was in the Outback. The American Midwest doesn't have much for radio stations either, so I became a victim of circumstance. There were some interesting stories that popped up, which was a welcome relief.

The drive was beautiful. It is one of the very scenic drives in the world that is a World Heritage protected highway. It is easy to see why. The drive meanders along the coast, which is more than just a normal coast taking you through rock beaches, sandy beaches, and these mud beaches that look like someone came and sucked up a bunch of water with a straw because it looks like the shore should be higher up but it isn't. After a while in the coast you turn west into the rainforest, which encapsulates the entire road in greenery making a tunnel out of the forest. The forest is right on the beach but extends all the way up the mountains. Nature did a bang up job with the landscaping here.

I am starting to get really used to driving on the left. I am starting to wonder how it will feel when I go back to the "normal" way. One thing that I will not get used to is the roundabouts in the middle of the highway. You have to be alert because they can sneak up on you too. They aren't as crafty as the kangaroos and cows so I was prepared. I was a little worried that the rave music might have slowed my reflexes, though. I swear they need a health warning on that stuff.

Outback with the Roos

I figured it was time for a change in pace so I rented a car. I love napping in hammocks and lounging around beach communities just as much as the next guy, but I also wanted to see what else Oz has to offer, so I decided that the best way to cover the most ground was behind the wheel of an automobile. I packed up the Nissan Tilda and headed west.

Just twenty minutes out of Cairns I hit the rainforest. I love the way the rainforest feels. The cool, misty air creates a perfect balance of temperature and humidity while the multitudes of insects, birds, and mammals all chirp and chime. It is always hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that at one time the vast consortium of trees, vines, and plants were all seeds once. I don’t know why I always think that, but it is so impressive how life flourishes in the right environment, much like the coral reef.

Since I am in Australia I am determined to see the local wildlife. For some reason I am really into seeing wildlife in it’s natural habitat. There was a koala farm (I don’t think they called it a farm, but I can’t remember what they called it, a reserve or something, whatever you get the point) that I passed straight by. Anyone can go to the zoo and see a koala, but I wanted to see a wild koala. I told that to an Australian guy at the hostel the other night and he said, “why would you wanta see one ‘a those, the lazy little fucks. They sleep like 18 hours a day.” Dale, the Australian guy, has not had a vacation in 8 years and I think it might be time. I hiked through the rainforest for an hour and drive through the entire drivable area and I didn’t see one damn koala. I’m writing a letter to the minister of tourism. Freaking lazy koalas. I stopped by the forest ranger and she told me that they are nocturnal, so I would have to pretty much climb a tree to see one. The ranger station is also a quasi-educational center and for $16 you can have your picture taken holding a live koala. I thought about it, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted my wild koala.

I left the rain forest and headed for the outback. It is fairly comical how the rainforest ends and the desert begins. It is almost like there is a border, there is no thinning out of the forest, then shrubs, then dirt, kind of easing into the desert. Nope. It’s just trees, then no trees. I was flabbergasted driving and looking in my rear view mirror because once you get far enough out of the dense forest into the wide open outback you can look back at the forest and it looks out of place. It made me laugh, like the forest was on it’s way somewhere else and got lost.

The outback is a completely different world from the forest. I guess that goes without saying, though. While driving through I did get to see wild kangaroos. They are hilarious looking, just jumping around. I ended up driving for about 6 hours. The driving is fun and nerve racking at the same time. The roads are your standard two lane roads and you drive through livestock fields, but the difference is the livestock and wildlife are all on the road because there is no chicken wire or fencing to keep them off of the road. I would be driving then all of a sudden there would be a warthog, or a kangaroo, or a huge cow in the middle of the road.I even got stopped by a two cows and their calf. The calf, in typical child-like fashion, was taking his sweet ass time crossing the road too.

I had taken all of my things and checked out of the hostel, fully intending to find a place to stay in the outback, the only problem was finding a place to stay.Apparently the little towns of 30 and 40 people that dot the outback don’t feel that a bed and breakfast or hotel is a viable business in the undesirable outback. Probably a sound bet since 5 hours away is a beautiful rainforest or beach, but I didn’t care about logic, I just needed a place to stay. I kept driving west, thinking that I would stumble upon a flashing neon sign that said “This Is Just What You’re Looking For” but I didn’t see one, so I turned around. I had noticed a neat looking place in the rainforest so I headed back. I was not looking forward to the drive back, seeing as I was a little tired now and I really didn’t feel like playing another round of “Dodge that Oversize Mammal.” Eventually I made it, and I am glad that I did. This hostel is right in the middle of the rainforest. It’s the next best thing to staying in a tree house. 350 miles, no wild koalas, and too many close calls with cows to count, I am in the Kuranda rainforest. I just hope the screens on the windows don’t have holes because everything in Australia is poisonous. I guess I’ll find out…

Planning a Trip

I have already fallen into the lifestyle here in Cairns. Today I decided to get some housekeeping done by doing some laundry, restocking on groceries, and planning my next few days here. Cairns is in a great spot for seeing a number of things and I wanted to see what exactly was on offer. I am not much of a planner, though, so I was working in a field that I am no expert in.

I woke up around 10 and got started on my busy day. I made my way down to the McDonalds so that I could check my e-mails and get a few tips from my travel planner Google. I quickly got distracted by a few of the folks at the hostel, so my 10am McDonalds target quickly became a 12:30 McDonalds time, and now instead of being a solo act, I was joined by 3 other laptop toting guys, free internet seekers. We got to McDs and set up shop. As I started to turn my computer on we all began talking and as soon as the internet turned on we were all basking in the hilarity that the internet has to offer. Videos, songs, and pictures flickered from one screen to the other as we all got preoccupied doing everything but the business we came to conduct. Eventually all of our batteries died and we headed back to the hostel with nothing accomplished.

I decided to take a nap when I got back, after all I had been up for nearly five hours and I had almost gotten something done for the day, so I needed to rest up for the next half of the day when my plan to plan things would likely come to fruition. This hostel has a bunch of hammocks, so I picked one out, got about one sentence into my magazine, and fell fast asleep.

When I awoke I looked at the time and realized it was dinner time. I headed out, got something to eat with a few of the guys from the hostel. Eventually I made my way back to the hostel, turned on my computer and realized that I hadn't done anything on my checklist. That thought made me tired, so I am going to go to sleep and try again tomorrow. It is amazing how easy it is to get nothing done. I didn't even have to try and I was able to accomplish absolutely nothing.

Among Mental Giants

Today I met the dumbest fish in the ocean. This fish is so dumb (how dumb is it?) that it is an endangered species, in great part due to it’s sever lack of instinctual prowess to stay alive. The fish is a Napolean Wrasse and they are really cool looking, super friendly, and huge. They would make great friends. The one that I met today looked like a Lyle, mostly because I could see myself saying, “Don’t ya think so Lyle?” and him answering “yup Sean, hur, hur,” in really hicky, twangy voice.

I spent the day with Lyle and his other friends in the Great Barrier Reef. It is the most amazing place that I have ever seen. There are schools of fish that zip around, manta rays flow by in their smooth calm way, and sea turtles navigate their way through the water. The wildlife, the colors, and the sheer beauty of the place are out of a fairy tale. There is a whole world that is completely separate from the overland one that I am accustomed to, and it is simply staggering in it’s diversity and beauty.

I was planning on scuba diving the reef, but I ended up going a bit sooner than expected. As I was hanging out at my hostel last night a group of folks who were staying here came up asking if I was going to the reef. I said I was, and then they asked if I wanted to join their group, so I did. In total there was about nine of us. The group was a great bunch, and a lot of fun. Jack came with us. Jack is from England, and he likes to drink. I think it is starting to affect his brain, however. I met Jack five separate times today. Each time we met he would ask me where I was from, shake my hand, then say, “oh, shit mate, we’ve already met. I knew you looked familiar.” At first I thought he was joking, but then each time the same thing happened. It wasn’t until the third introduction t

hat I found what I think might be the culprit of his lack of a short term memory. Jack apparently was very drunk the night before and had not fully sobered up. I didn’t mind a bit about introducing myself, it was like Groundhog’s Day. Between Jack and Lyle I realized that I was not in the presence of mental giants, but it was good company nevertheless.

As I walked back to the hostel I kept thinking about the difference between Australia and India. One of the guys that was in the group from the hostel was in India not to long ago and we talked for awhile about how incredible it is and how there is no place like it. In India honking your horn is something you do all the time while driving. Tyler told me a great story that perfectly encapsulates the horn honking phenomenon. Tyler had hired a cab at the wee hours of the morning to take him to the airport. The roads were completely empty and out of the blue the driver taps the horn. After a few more minutes the driver gives the horn a few more taps. Tyler looked at him and asked, “Are you serious, man, there’s no one out here.” The driver looked at him and said, “I know, it is what I do.” I think they just like the sound it makes. They don’t honk they’re horns here in Oz. I don’t mind, but I must say that the silence can be deafening seeing as I was finally getting used to it. It is just funny how a 7 hour plane flight can transport you to another world, and a hop in the ocean can transport you to yet another completely different universe. We live in an incredible world.