Back in Melbourne!
I got here via the Great Ocean Road, which is a stretch of road between Adelaide and Melbourne and is one of those must-do's for people who travel to Australia.
So, I did it.
It was really pretty and really windy and I saw and took pictures of so many rocks.
We also went to the Grampians which were beautiful and made me wish I had listened better/at all in my geology classes at Pitt, because I'm pretty sure we talked about Australia specifically.
This trip was a lot of bus-time which got kind of old right away, but the people on the bus were great.
To be honest, I think the pictures sort of speak for themselves as far as the itinerary goes so I suggest you just go on Facebook.
Because we were on the bus so much, I had some time to remember some things and write them down so I'll share them here.
Funny Things That Internationals Have Said [In Error]:
"Are you ready to crumble!?!?!"
"I have two sons, one of which is a girl."
"The waves are very bullshit."
"I think that all of the food in America is for stoned people. Everyone who eats is very stoned because the food is very crunchy. Ben's and Jerry's are ice creams made for people who only are stoned all the time. And no wonder, did you know you have to be over 16 to drink beer in America?"
Music I Keep Listening to Because it Reminds Me of Home or Seems Somehow Appropriate to Listen to Here:
-The entire "Graceland" album because it's a road trip
-Five Blind Boys of Alabama
-Minus the Bear
-Bob Schneider
-Cake
-Nickel Creek
-Paolo Nutini
-Say Anything
-Fountains of Wayne (New Jersey! New Jersey!)
-Speechwriters, LLC
-The Mamas and the Papas
Things I Keep Noticing About Being Here as Opposed to Being Home:
-people walk on the left side and pass on the right
-the locks and knobs all turn the opposite way and I keep thinking I'm locked in bathrooms
-also the "cold" and "hot" knobs are reversed
-the weather forecast is totally unreliable
-cricket is BORING
-water tastes weird unless you're in a city
-there are hardly any black people and when there are black people, white people stare
My plans for the next leg of my journey are as yet unmade, but look something like:
I'd like to road trip to Sydney and chill out for a week or two before New Zealand, where I'll be going at the end of February.
I'll spend all of March and possibly a little of April in NZ and then come back to Oz to work for like...6 weeks?
At this point, I think I'd like to do an au pair job for 6 weeks because I'd be making a lot of money and would have my room and board taken care of.
Also I could probably shower without sandals if I were an au pair.
(Sidenote: I lost my Israeli flag sandals during my flight between Brisbane and Alice Springs. Sad.)
After working for 6 weeks or so, I'd hop a plane to some part of Asia (which part is unsure) and spend a few weeks immersing myself in very old and very different surroundings.
Then I'd head to some part of Europe, probably, for a week or so and hopefully (!) reunite with BAM and thennn, Israel for maybe...3 months?
Now really all I need to do is book some flights and some accommodations and fund my trip.
No big deal.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Sheiss Fleiggen
That means "fucking flies" in German, and I learned it out of necessity when I was at Uluru National Park because:
1. Everyone, except for me, 2 Dutch people and 1 Irish person, was German. My group had 21 people in it.
2. There were just so many flies.
3. I feel out of my element when I can't curse to those around me and effectively communicate my frustration with the present situation.
The trip was absolutely great, and I'm still searching for the words to use to really describe just how beautiful/amazing/kind of frighteningly powerful the experience was. For those unawares, look up Uluru and its significance to the Aboriginal people, because I would butcher any sort of explanation here.
My group, aside from being overwhelmingly German, was much less excellent than my Fraser assemblage, but that's okay.
Uluru isn't really a place for boxed wine and tents and general camping fun, it's a place for spiritual reflection and personal exploration.
So, I reflected spiritually and explored personally.
This was a 3-day-2-night deal as well, though it was guided (due to the cultural significance of the place, I felt better going with a guide who could explain things than just winging it by myself) and generally just really cool.
Cool in the "wow, how awesome" way, not in temperature.
It was 43 degrees Celcius the whole time.
The coolest it got, at night, was 38 degrees Celcius.
Needless to say, I was glad I brought my fleece! (Sarcasm)
We "did" Uluru the first day, but due to the extreme heat we weren't allowed to be outside after 11am (not kidding) so we ended up spending most of the afternoon in a pool and at the cultural center, learning about the life and times of the Aboriginal people in Australia.
Not-so-fun-fact: Until some time in the 1960's, Aboriginal PEOPLE were considered part of the flora and fauna of central Australia. And, it wasn't illegal to just shoot an Aboriginal person until 1973 or something.
History like that makes me wonder how white people have been able to be in charge of so many things for so long.
We saw the sunset around Uluru (though it was supposed to be behind Uluru) which was nice but I'd suggest looking at professional pictures instead of mine.
We made a stir-fry dinner and camped at a site not too far away and it was so hot I slept above my sleeping bag and swag the entire night.
The next day we woke up at 4am to watch the sunrise, again not behind but around, Uluru.
It was really gorgeous and much more tolerable to be outside.
Then we hiked Valley of the Winds which was also great, though HOT.
We had to be out of the sun again at 11am so we were.
Most of the time out of the sun was spent at a pool or in the van with air conditioning.
Then we camped at a new site and cooked a nice meal of chili con carne (which the Germans called "chili with carne") and turned in early, for another early morning.
This night WOULD HAVE BEEN totally uneventful, except for the snake.
For those of you who don't know, I have a fear of snakes coming out of toilet bowls.
[Not just snakes in general, though]
It just so happened that on this trip, my fear was realized.
BY THIS I MEAN THERE WAS A SNAKE IN THE TOILET BOWL THAT I WAS ABOUT TO PEE IN.
Nothing actually happened, but I dare you to try to pee in the dark tonight.
Even in your own house.
The next day we hiked Kings Canyon which was my favorite hike of all.
We had to scale a steep hill called "Heart Attack Hill" but it was worth all the sweat in the world, because the view was unreal.
We toured around for a bit and were able to stay out a little later because the winds were strong and the red rock faces provided a good amount of shade.
We swam in some natural pools and then boarded the van back to Alice Springs, which took about 5 hours.
We made a few pit stops and at one of the stops, I learned all about Central Australia's long history with camel riding/racing/other things people usually do with horses.
If you didn't know about camels in Central Australia, I suggest you read up. It's not so much fascinating as it is just really expansive.
And now I'm in Adelaide, where I'll be headed to Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road from.
So far, Adelaide is pretty and very easy to navigate, though sort of boring.
And all the grocery stores are closed because it's Australia Day, which is more similar to Thanksgiving than July 4th because all it really celebrates is invading Australia and wiping out the indigenous people here.
But there are barbeques!
I'm probably forgetting a lot of things...
Oh, I saw "Funny People" last night and I have to say, I loved it.
It's got some really funny parts and also some really good music to go along with the not-funny parts.
I recommend a perusal.
Next time I update will probably be from Melbourne, so until then...
1. Everyone, except for me, 2 Dutch people and 1 Irish person, was German. My group had 21 people in it.
2. There were just so many flies.
3. I feel out of my element when I can't curse to those around me and effectively communicate my frustration with the present situation.
The trip was absolutely great, and I'm still searching for the words to use to really describe just how beautiful/amazing/kind of frighteningly powerful the experience was. For those unawares, look up Uluru and its significance to the Aboriginal people, because I would butcher any sort of explanation here.
My group, aside from being overwhelmingly German, was much less excellent than my Fraser assemblage, but that's okay.
Uluru isn't really a place for boxed wine and tents and general camping fun, it's a place for spiritual reflection and personal exploration.
So, I reflected spiritually and explored personally.
This was a 3-day-2-night deal as well, though it was guided (due to the cultural significance of the place, I felt better going with a guide who could explain things than just winging it by myself) and generally just really cool.
Cool in the "wow, how awesome" way, not in temperature.
It was 43 degrees Celcius the whole time.
The coolest it got, at night, was 38 degrees Celcius.
Needless to say, I was glad I brought my fleece! (Sarcasm)
We "did" Uluru the first day, but due to the extreme heat we weren't allowed to be outside after 11am (not kidding) so we ended up spending most of the afternoon in a pool and at the cultural center, learning about the life and times of the Aboriginal people in Australia.
Not-so-fun-fact: Until some time in the 1960's, Aboriginal PEOPLE were considered part of the flora and fauna of central Australia. And, it wasn't illegal to just shoot an Aboriginal person until 1973 or something.
History like that makes me wonder how white people have been able to be in charge of so many things for so long.
We saw the sunset around Uluru (though it was supposed to be behind Uluru) which was nice but I'd suggest looking at professional pictures instead of mine.
We made a stir-fry dinner and camped at a site not too far away and it was so hot I slept above my sleeping bag and swag the entire night.
The next day we woke up at 4am to watch the sunrise, again not behind but around, Uluru.
It was really gorgeous and much more tolerable to be outside.
Then we hiked Valley of the Winds which was also great, though HOT.
We had to be out of the sun again at 11am so we were.
Most of the time out of the sun was spent at a pool or in the van with air conditioning.
Then we camped at a new site and cooked a nice meal of chili con carne (which the Germans called "chili with carne") and turned in early, for another early morning.
This night WOULD HAVE BEEN totally uneventful, except for the snake.
For those of you who don't know, I have a fear of snakes coming out of toilet bowls.
[Not just snakes in general, though]
It just so happened that on this trip, my fear was realized.
BY THIS I MEAN THERE WAS A SNAKE IN THE TOILET BOWL THAT I WAS ABOUT TO PEE IN.
Nothing actually happened, but I dare you to try to pee in the dark tonight.
Even in your own house.
The next day we hiked Kings Canyon which was my favorite hike of all.
We had to scale a steep hill called "Heart Attack Hill" but it was worth all the sweat in the world, because the view was unreal.
We toured around for a bit and were able to stay out a little later because the winds were strong and the red rock faces provided a good amount of shade.
We swam in some natural pools and then boarded the van back to Alice Springs, which took about 5 hours.
We made a few pit stops and at one of the stops, I learned all about Central Australia's long history with camel riding/racing/other things people usually do with horses.
If you didn't know about camels in Central Australia, I suggest you read up. It's not so much fascinating as it is just really expansive.
And now I'm in Adelaide, where I'll be headed to Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road from.
So far, Adelaide is pretty and very easy to navigate, though sort of boring.
And all the grocery stores are closed because it's Australia Day, which is more similar to Thanksgiving than July 4th because all it really celebrates is invading Australia and wiping out the indigenous people here.
But there are barbeques!
I'm probably forgetting a lot of things...
Oh, I saw "Funny People" last night and I have to say, I loved it.
It's got some really funny parts and also some really good music to go along with the not-funny parts.
I recommend a perusal.
Next time I update will probably be from Melbourne, so until then...
Monday, January 18, 2010
HUIIT BRAH
That's Swedish for "good shit" which is the only way to describe the experience that was Fraser Island.
Also I could describe it like this: AMAAAAAZING.
After 2 very nice and relaxing days in Noosa, I boarded a bus for Hervey Bay en route to Fraser Island.
Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and there are tons of tour operators along the coast who promise you a memorable experience, so there's not really a wrong way to see it.
But I'm pretty sure the way I saw it was the most right.
After meeting some of my group mates (the hostel/tour operator throws together groups of 9-10 people at random) we drove our pink 4 wheel drive Landrover to the ferry, arrived on Fraser and began the journey.
My group consisted of me, 3 Chilean Jews who spoke Hebrew and Spanish, and 5 Swedes.
Because I missed the obligatory info session the day before and because I've never driven a stick-shift, I wasn't allowed to drive so I was able to sit back and enjoy the whole experience.
But there was one piece of information I was able to glean thanks to my new amigo, Jose Ignaki from Chile:
"There are too many sharks so you cannot swim in the salted water. Too many, which means, you will die."
So, I didn't swim in the salted water but I did swim in Lake Wabby, Eli Creek and the most beautiful place I've ever been, Lake McKenzie.
Holy mother of pearl, Lake McKenzie.
The water was so clear you could actually drink it, and the sand so clean you could brush your teeth with it.
And I did.
The whole experience was really amazing--we camped and cooked our own food and because my group was just so good, everything went swimmingly.
The Swedes were expert campers, the Chileans were expert jokesters and I am an expert at retroactively warning the driver about bumps.
We all got along great, pulled our own weight, and were just generally happy to enjoy the experience, which is unfortunately more than I can say for a lot of the other cars.
Observation: Some people don't like diversity, and most of those people are English.
In addition to some of the most beautiful landscapes I've probably ever seen, I made some really great friends from all around the globe.
And! I may or may not have met a distant cousin of mine from Chile.
Of the 3 Jewish Chileans in my group, all of them were wonderful.
They were all absolutely hilarious and while they didn't like Argentina, they were very warm and treated me as one of the guys.
I was quickly nicknamed La Gringa and they included me in all of their conversations, probably 90% of which I was totally able to keep up with.
So after getting to know one another better and exchanging favorite phrases (all of which are just not appropriate to recount here), we started comparing Jewish customs.
One of the Chileans, Daniel, asked me what my last name was and I said Lerner.
Well, Gabriel, another Chilean, nearly shit a brick:
D: "What's your father's last name?"
Me: "My father's last name is Lerner."
G: "Spell it! Spell it with letters!"
Me: "...L-e-r-n-e-r?"
G: "EN SERIO? ES POSSIBLE?"
Me: "What the hell? Why is he freaking out?"
D: "Because he's also a Lerner!"
G: "PRIMA!!! LA GRINGA ES MI PRIMA!!!"
And so, Gabriel, who greeted me with "what's up my brother from another mother? Where is the Cheesecake Factory?" after I asked him if he spoke any English, became family.
He invited me to his house for Passover and told me where to find the afikomen, so now I basically have to go.
As well, there was an Italian guy who could only say "I fart now" and did, all the time.
There were Germans and Scots galore and the nights around the boxed wine and iPod docks were absolutely perfect.
I can't think of a better way to spend 3 days and 2 nights.
Also I could describe it like this: AMAAAAAZING.
After 2 very nice and relaxing days in Noosa, I boarded a bus for Hervey Bay en route to Fraser Island.
Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and there are tons of tour operators along the coast who promise you a memorable experience, so there's not really a wrong way to see it.
But I'm pretty sure the way I saw it was the most right.
After meeting some of my group mates (the hostel/tour operator throws together groups of 9-10 people at random) we drove our pink 4 wheel drive Landrover to the ferry, arrived on Fraser and began the journey.
My group consisted of me, 3 Chilean Jews who spoke Hebrew and Spanish, and 5 Swedes.
Because I missed the obligatory info session the day before and because I've never driven a stick-shift, I wasn't allowed to drive so I was able to sit back and enjoy the whole experience.
But there was one piece of information I was able to glean thanks to my new amigo, Jose Ignaki from Chile:
"There are too many sharks so you cannot swim in the salted water. Too many, which means, you will die."
So, I didn't swim in the salted water but I did swim in Lake Wabby, Eli Creek and the most beautiful place I've ever been, Lake McKenzie.
Holy mother of pearl, Lake McKenzie.
The water was so clear you could actually drink it, and the sand so clean you could brush your teeth with it.
And I did.
The whole experience was really amazing--we camped and cooked our own food and because my group was just so good, everything went swimmingly.
The Swedes were expert campers, the Chileans were expert jokesters and I am an expert at retroactively warning the driver about bumps.
We all got along great, pulled our own weight, and were just generally happy to enjoy the experience, which is unfortunately more than I can say for a lot of the other cars.
Observation: Some people don't like diversity, and most of those people are English.
In addition to some of the most beautiful landscapes I've probably ever seen, I made some really great friends from all around the globe.
And! I may or may not have met a distant cousin of mine from Chile.
Of the 3 Jewish Chileans in my group, all of them were wonderful.
They were all absolutely hilarious and while they didn't like Argentina, they were very warm and treated me as one of the guys.
I was quickly nicknamed La Gringa and they included me in all of their conversations, probably 90% of which I was totally able to keep up with.
So after getting to know one another better and exchanging favorite phrases (all of which are just not appropriate to recount here), we started comparing Jewish customs.
One of the Chileans, Daniel, asked me what my last name was and I said Lerner.
Well, Gabriel, another Chilean, nearly shit a brick:
D: "What's your father's last name?"
Me: "My father's last name is Lerner."
G: "Spell it! Spell it with letters!"
Me: "...L-e-r-n-e-r?"
G: "EN SERIO? ES POSSIBLE?"
Me: "What the hell? Why is he freaking out?"
D: "Because he's also a Lerner!"
G: "PRIMA!!! LA GRINGA ES MI PRIMA!!!"
And so, Gabriel, who greeted me with "what's up my brother from another mother? Where is the Cheesecake Factory?" after I asked him if he spoke any English, became family.
He invited me to his house for Passover and told me where to find the afikomen, so now I basically have to go.
As well, there was an Italian guy who could only say "I fart now" and did, all the time.
There were Germans and Scots galore and the nights around the boxed wine and iPod docks were absolutely perfect.
I can't think of a better way to spend 3 days and 2 nights.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Oh Also, I've Seen Some Great Stuff
WHOOPS.
Totally forgot to write about what I've seen and what I've done.
We'll start with Byron, since Sydney and Melbourne and Cairns were pretty well documented, I think. (If not, I'll be happy to elaborate)
Byron Bay is the most easterly point on the eastern coast of Australia. Its lighthouse is the first and last thing that planes and ships see when they're traversing the globe, so that's pretty cool.
The beaches are beautiful and the terrain is really diverse; rolling hills mixed with legit rainforests.
There are also rivers and sounds (I think? I forget the terms...) that are filled with Tea Trees, so the water is reddish brown and very good for the skin.
The town itself is very alternative and sort of stuck in a different time period.
Which period exactly is unclear.
It's both very reminiscent of the 60's and also sort of futuristic with a lot of new age influences, so in effect, it's where history stops and starts.
There's a tendency to just forget about the concept of time when you're there and I really had no idea what day or time it was the whole time.
(Turns out I stayed for 7 days--I thought it was only 4)
There's also a tendency to walk around hungover, barefoot and often sunburned.
The town is about 6 streets long so it's very easy to feel very local, which is nice.
The food is good and the nightlife is great, though a bit more expensive than would be logical for most of the people who frequent the establishments.
You'd think that if everyone's an unemployed hippie, they couldn't afford a $12 sandwich, but you'd be wrong.
Hitchhiking is the prefered mode of transport and I did it a few times from the supermarket to my hostel.
Only once did I feel like maybe I should've just walked, but that was just because the car smelled like burned hair. The people were all fine.
I also got the chance to hike through Minyon Falls which was about an hour out of Byron and it was amazing. Easily one of the most memorable activities thus far, with GORGEOUS sights to behold.
All in all, it's a very good surfer town with a cool atmosphere, though I'd suggest not visiting over school holidays. Teenagers are awful and Aussie teens are the worst.
Between Byron and Noosa I stopped over in Brisbane, which was a city I was originally very disinterested in.
However, after spending just one night there, I have to say that it was a very pleasant surprise and maybe even one of my favorite stops so far.
The city itself is cool and easy to navigate, with tons of street art and pedestrian areas to stroll through.
The botanical gardens and bridge walk are great and offer a really pretty view of the harbour, for free.
I didn't really get a chance to try out the nightlife but it seemed cool as well, if sort of generic (but really, it makes no difference which city I'm in; the drinks taste the same and they do the same thing)
The people were the friendliest in Brisbane as compared with any other city, and for that reason, and because I was so in need of a kind word after Byron, Brisbane holds a little piece of my heart.
Noosa/Noosa Heads is another pretty beach town, though as I'm learning, all the towns along the northeast coast are kind of the same.
They're small, there's a beach on one side and a lot of cute shops and expensive restaurants on the other.
Noosa has a gorgeous beach and some great national park space to walk and hike in, though I was advised not to walk through on my own as a female...after I did.
Don't worry, I'm fine and didn't run into any of the characters they warned against.
But there are quite a few parts of the park that are totally isolated and I can understand why it's not the best idea to walk through at night.
The sunrise here is renowned for good reason, but I think most sunrises are pretty sweet so I'm sort of impartial to anywhere.
Noosa is also the town of roundabouts (traffic circles) as there are about 200 in a teeny tiny area.
It's confusing for drivers and nauseating for passengers, but it looks cool on maps.
Ok that's good for now.
Totally forgot to write about what I've seen and what I've done.
We'll start with Byron, since Sydney and Melbourne and Cairns were pretty well documented, I think. (If not, I'll be happy to elaborate)
Byron Bay is the most easterly point on the eastern coast of Australia. Its lighthouse is the first and last thing that planes and ships see when they're traversing the globe, so that's pretty cool.
The beaches are beautiful and the terrain is really diverse; rolling hills mixed with legit rainforests.
There are also rivers and sounds (I think? I forget the terms...) that are filled with Tea Trees, so the water is reddish brown and very good for the skin.
The town itself is very alternative and sort of stuck in a different time period.
Which period exactly is unclear.
It's both very reminiscent of the 60's and also sort of futuristic with a lot of new age influences, so in effect, it's where history stops and starts.
There's a tendency to just forget about the concept of time when you're there and I really had no idea what day or time it was the whole time.
(Turns out I stayed for 7 days--I thought it was only 4)
There's also a tendency to walk around hungover, barefoot and often sunburned.
The town is about 6 streets long so it's very easy to feel very local, which is nice.
The food is good and the nightlife is great, though a bit more expensive than would be logical for most of the people who frequent the establishments.
You'd think that if everyone's an unemployed hippie, they couldn't afford a $12 sandwich, but you'd be wrong.
Hitchhiking is the prefered mode of transport and I did it a few times from the supermarket to my hostel.
Only once did I feel like maybe I should've just walked, but that was just because the car smelled like burned hair. The people were all fine.
I also got the chance to hike through Minyon Falls which was about an hour out of Byron and it was amazing. Easily one of the most memorable activities thus far, with GORGEOUS sights to behold.
All in all, it's a very good surfer town with a cool atmosphere, though I'd suggest not visiting over school holidays. Teenagers are awful and Aussie teens are the worst.
Between Byron and Noosa I stopped over in Brisbane, which was a city I was originally very disinterested in.
However, after spending just one night there, I have to say that it was a very pleasant surprise and maybe even one of my favorite stops so far.
The city itself is cool and easy to navigate, with tons of street art and pedestrian areas to stroll through.
The botanical gardens and bridge walk are great and offer a really pretty view of the harbour, for free.
I didn't really get a chance to try out the nightlife but it seemed cool as well, if sort of generic (but really, it makes no difference which city I'm in; the drinks taste the same and they do the same thing)
The people were the friendliest in Brisbane as compared with any other city, and for that reason, and because I was so in need of a kind word after Byron, Brisbane holds a little piece of my heart.
Noosa/Noosa Heads is another pretty beach town, though as I'm learning, all the towns along the northeast coast are kind of the same.
They're small, there's a beach on one side and a lot of cute shops and expensive restaurants on the other.
Noosa has a gorgeous beach and some great national park space to walk and hike in, though I was advised not to walk through on my own as a female...after I did.
Don't worry, I'm fine and didn't run into any of the characters they warned against.
But there are quite a few parts of the park that are totally isolated and I can understand why it's not the best idea to walk through at night.
The sunrise here is renowned for good reason, but I think most sunrises are pretty sweet so I'm sort of impartial to anywhere.
Noosa is also the town of roundabouts (traffic circles) as there are about 200 in a teeny tiny area.
It's confusing for drivers and nauseating for passengers, but it looks cool on maps.
Ok that's good for now.
Spontaneity Has Its Time and Place
2 posts in 2 days.
This is what happens when the Australian sun just won't stop flirting with you.
[I am inside and out of the heat, is what I mean]
After the hullabulloo that was Byron Bay, I have decided to take some action and direct my trip just a little bit:
I leave for Hervey Bay tomorrow afternoon, get in at 9pm and go on my Fraser Island excursion until the 19th.
Then I go to Brisbane by bus at 4:40am and fly to Alice Springs the next day at 6:50am.
I get into Alice at about 1pm, stay there for a night and then go on my Uluru/Red Centre trip until the 24th.
Then I fly from Alice to Adelaide, where I stay for 2 nights, I think.
Then I drive the Great Ocean Road from Adelaide and finish the journey in Melbourne on the 28th of January, I think.
And then, I'll spend some time in Melbourne, maybe even work (?) until I decide to fly to New Zealand, for which I bought a Stray bus pass that enables me to see both islands on my own time.
But it also enables me to have some informational tour guidance and probably a lot of drunk 20-somethings to help me work on prejudging people.
And all this for the low, low price of $2,055! (Which isn't that bad when you consider that it includes flights/buses, accomodation, and trip costs)
The only things I still need to book/pay for are:
-my flight to NZ
-my accomodation when I get there
-food
Not bad.
I'd also like to road trip back to Sydney from Melbourne in late Feb, which will probably cost me a pretty penny, but it's supposed to be a beautiful drive so I say, to hell with pretty pennies.
It was fun winging it and planning as I went along.
Not having anywhere to be is sometimes really great.
But sometimes, it's sort of damning (at least in my view).
So I've decided that spontaneity and I, while we usually have a really great relationship, should probably see other people.
At least for now.
The new plan* is as follows, kind of:
Australia until...like...late February?
Then New Zealand until March or April?
Then either Bali or Thailand or Malaysia or anywhere that allows me to fly sort of cheaply from Australia to somewhere else, until about...sometime in late April/early May?
Then probably Israel?
Then meeting up with a one Bridey Aliza Maidhof either in Morocco, Ireland, Rome, or Barcelona, in, like, July?
Then probably the United States.
Probably.
So I'll probably be back sometime before 2011.
*this changes about every 25 minutes or so. Ask Tom.
Oh also!
While Australia is known for its amazing road trips and scenery (as it should be), the USA also has its share of beauty.
I propose that you (YOU) should join me in purchasing a Winnebago and driving from the east coast to the west coast sometime after I get back.
This has been a dream of mine since I was in middle school.
Please, help me realize it.
This is what happens when the Australian sun just won't stop flirting with you.
[I am inside and out of the heat, is what I mean]
After the hullabulloo that was Byron Bay, I have decided to take some action and direct my trip just a little bit:
I leave for Hervey Bay tomorrow afternoon, get in at 9pm and go on my Fraser Island excursion until the 19th.
Then I go to Brisbane by bus at 4:40am and fly to Alice Springs the next day at 6:50am.
I get into Alice at about 1pm, stay there for a night and then go on my Uluru/Red Centre trip until the 24th.
Then I fly from Alice to Adelaide, where I stay for 2 nights, I think.
Then I drive the Great Ocean Road from Adelaide and finish the journey in Melbourne on the 28th of January, I think.
And then, I'll spend some time in Melbourne, maybe even work (?) until I decide to fly to New Zealand, for which I bought a Stray bus pass that enables me to see both islands on my own time.
But it also enables me to have some informational tour guidance and probably a lot of drunk 20-somethings to help me work on prejudging people.
And all this for the low, low price of $2,055! (Which isn't that bad when you consider that it includes flights/buses, accomodation, and trip costs)
The only things I still need to book/pay for are:
-my flight to NZ
-my accomodation when I get there
-food
Not bad.
I'd also like to road trip back to Sydney from Melbourne in late Feb, which will probably cost me a pretty penny, but it's supposed to be a beautiful drive so I say, to hell with pretty pennies.
It was fun winging it and planning as I went along.
Not having anywhere to be is sometimes really great.
But sometimes, it's sort of damning (at least in my view).
So I've decided that spontaneity and I, while we usually have a really great relationship, should probably see other people.
At least for now.
The new plan* is as follows, kind of:
Australia until...like...late February?
Then New Zealand until March or April?
Then either Bali or Thailand or Malaysia or anywhere that allows me to fly sort of cheaply from Australia to somewhere else, until about...sometime in late April/early May?
Then probably Israel?
Then meeting up with a one Bridey Aliza Maidhof either in Morocco, Ireland, Rome, or Barcelona, in, like, July?
Then probably the United States.
Probably.
So I'll probably be back sometime before 2011.
*this changes about every 25 minutes or so. Ask Tom.
Oh also!
While Australia is known for its amazing road trips and scenery (as it should be), the USA also has its share of beauty.
I propose that you (YOU) should join me in purchasing a Winnebago and driving from the east coast to the west coast sometime after I get back.
This has been a dream of mine since I was in middle school.
Please, help me realize it.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
You Know What My Problem Is?
I'll tell you. My problem is that I don't judge people enough.
That's right. I said it. And here's why:
I have this tendency to expect people to be decent, honest individuals and am continuously shocked when they aren't. I used the word "continuously" right there because they indeed aren't, SO much. I really shouldn't be so shocked all the time, because as my highly intelligent mother likes to say, "common sense isn't so common." Mom, you're a goddamn soothsayer.
(Be forewarned, this whole post is one big rant about how much I dislike idiots/crazies/assholes. Feel free to skip it.)
My incredible Byron Bay stay was ripped apart limb by metaphorical limb due to two people whose identifying characteristics I can only describe as miserable and crazy.
The details of the story are so absurd and numerous that I'm hesitant to even attempt a recount here, but suffice it to say that by this past weekend, when the hostel owner went on a trip from Saturday until Tuesday (today), all hell broke loose.
Almost as soon as the owner left, the Swedish-then-actually-Polish-then-she-claimed-to-be-some-other-nationality-and-I-just-decided-she-was-full-of-shit receptionist-turned-dictator turned on a dime and became an absolute nutcase.
Bipolarity would be a sugar coating, but that's the easiest way to explain her mood swings and totally unpredictable states of mind.
When I met her, she was bubbly and sweet. She offered to drive me into town whenever I needed, she asked all kinds of questions about my travels so far, and was very happy to have some extra help. She also spoke in a very high-pitched voice that I found quirky if also really irritating.
But then, she turned a switch.
One second, we're laughing about stepping in an unidentifiable puddle, the next she's near tears because there are no more dish towels.
She has said twice that she HATES Americans, but she also loves meeting people!!!!!!
She threw Oklahoma girl's clothing out of their shared room in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason.
When asked why, the receptionist suddenly didn't understand English. And her voice dropped about 6 octaves.
The receptionist's ally is a whole separate species.
He's born and bred in Byron and a true Aussie bloke, which typically would be awesome, and was, at first.
He knows tons of weird information about various poisons and Australian animals, when the best times to see dolphins are, how to set up all kinds of tents, and my favorite, he drives an enormous 4-wheel-drive monster truck called "The Bullfrog."
But he's also absolutely crazy (not the fun kind) and speaks too freely about his gross and varied sexual and drug-ridden exploits, lives in the back of his van, wears a minimum of three pinky rings, and is equally as bipolar. He digs for gold, sells very shoddy cars on eBay, has a son in Germany who he is determined to get custody of because he has friends in the Polish mafia (as well as a best friend who is a Colombian cocaine producer, in case I'm interested), and is about as racist as Jim fucking Crowe.
So.
Greenland Guesthouse Resort became Survivor: The Byron Bay Edition.
There quickly became two sides: our side (me, Oklahoma girl and Brazilian boy, who both turned out to be really great compatriots), which we will call "REALITY" and their side, which we will call "BATSHIT INSANITY."
After a lot of very strange and uncomfortable tension, BATSHIT INSANITY decided that it was time.
Time for what?
Exactly.
The receptionist got Crazy Bloke to tell REALITY (me, OK, and Brazil) to "get the fuck out of the hostel" because they (BATSHIT INSANITY) were now in charge since the owner was gone.
REALITY resisted. We all just sat there eating our watermelon and apple slices and asked, "why?"
This got BATSHIT INSANITY angry, Crazy Bloke threatened to call the cops.
Brazil called his bluff, since Crazy Bloke most likely had more shit to uncover about his storied past and would in effect be screwing himself over (smart move by Brazil), but Crazy Bloke threatened that if Brazil didn't "get the FUCK off my property, you'll be sorry!"
(And this all in front of guests, which I'm sure the owner would've appreciated)
I quickly decided to go to my campervan and wait out the tension.
About an hour later, I walked back in and asked if things had calmed down a bit, to which the receptionist again suddenly didn't understand what I meant?
Receptionist: "What is 'calm down?'"
Me: "Relaxed. Not fucking tense. Normal."
Receptionist: "I don't know what these means? I work 14 hour days!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have time to deal with this shit! Fucking American beeeetches. No respect!"
I decided it best not to answer her, so I just booked a bus to Noosa by way of Brisbane (where I am now) and left this afternoon.
Part of me thinks this all could've been avoided had I looked past the too-friendly exterior of these people and seen them for what they really are: totally insane and looking to take whatever they can from others (specifically, energy).
The other part is just happy I'm not there anymore, though my campervan was prettttty sweet.
I'm sure my dad would say, "this is a good learning experience."
And I'm sure he'd be right.
But there are some life lessons, like how to communicate with crazy people, that I just keep having to learn and to be honest, I think I'll just never master that skill.
That's right. I said it. And here's why:
I have this tendency to expect people to be decent, honest individuals and am continuously shocked when they aren't. I used the word "continuously" right there because they indeed aren't, SO much. I really shouldn't be so shocked all the time, because as my highly intelligent mother likes to say, "common sense isn't so common." Mom, you're a goddamn soothsayer.
(Be forewarned, this whole post is one big rant about how much I dislike idiots/crazies/assholes. Feel free to skip it.)
My incredible Byron Bay stay was ripped apart limb by metaphorical limb due to two people whose identifying characteristics I can only describe as miserable and crazy.
The details of the story are so absurd and numerous that I'm hesitant to even attempt a recount here, but suffice it to say that by this past weekend, when the hostel owner went on a trip from Saturday until Tuesday (today), all hell broke loose.
Almost as soon as the owner left, the Swedish-then-actually-Polish-then-she-claimed-to-be-some-other-nationality-and-I-just-decided-she-was-full-of-shit receptionist-turned-dictator turned on a dime and became an absolute nutcase.
Bipolarity would be a sugar coating, but that's the easiest way to explain her mood swings and totally unpredictable states of mind.
When I met her, she was bubbly and sweet. She offered to drive me into town whenever I needed, she asked all kinds of questions about my travels so far, and was very happy to have some extra help. She also spoke in a very high-pitched voice that I found quirky if also really irritating.
But then, she turned a switch.
One second, we're laughing about stepping in an unidentifiable puddle, the next she's near tears because there are no more dish towels.
She has said twice that she HATES Americans, but she also loves meeting people!!!!!!
She threw Oklahoma girl's clothing out of their shared room in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason.
When asked why, the receptionist suddenly didn't understand English. And her voice dropped about 6 octaves.
The receptionist's ally is a whole separate species.
He's born and bred in Byron and a true Aussie bloke, which typically would be awesome, and was, at first.
He knows tons of weird information about various poisons and Australian animals, when the best times to see dolphins are, how to set up all kinds of tents, and my favorite, he drives an enormous 4-wheel-drive monster truck called "The Bullfrog."
But he's also absolutely crazy (not the fun kind) and speaks too freely about his gross and varied sexual and drug-ridden exploits, lives in the back of his van, wears a minimum of three pinky rings, and is equally as bipolar. He digs for gold, sells very shoddy cars on eBay, has a son in Germany who he is determined to get custody of because he has friends in the Polish mafia (as well as a best friend who is a Colombian cocaine producer, in case I'm interested), and is about as racist as Jim fucking Crowe.
So.
Greenland Guesthouse Resort became Survivor: The Byron Bay Edition.
There quickly became two sides: our side (me, Oklahoma girl and Brazilian boy, who both turned out to be really great compatriots), which we will call "REALITY" and their side, which we will call "BATSHIT INSANITY."
After a lot of very strange and uncomfortable tension, BATSHIT INSANITY decided that it was time.
Time for what?
Exactly.
The receptionist got Crazy Bloke to tell REALITY (me, OK, and Brazil) to "get the fuck out of the hostel" because they (BATSHIT INSANITY) were now in charge since the owner was gone.
REALITY resisted. We all just sat there eating our watermelon and apple slices and asked, "why?"
This got BATSHIT INSANITY angry, Crazy Bloke threatened to call the cops.
Brazil called his bluff, since Crazy Bloke most likely had more shit to uncover about his storied past and would in effect be screwing himself over (smart move by Brazil), but Crazy Bloke threatened that if Brazil didn't "get the FUCK off my property, you'll be sorry!"
(And this all in front of guests, which I'm sure the owner would've appreciated)
I quickly decided to go to my campervan and wait out the tension.
About an hour later, I walked back in and asked if things had calmed down a bit, to which the receptionist again suddenly didn't understand what I meant?
Receptionist: "What is 'calm down?'"
Me: "Relaxed. Not fucking tense. Normal."
Receptionist: "I don't know what these means? I work 14 hour days!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have time to deal with this shit! Fucking American beeeetches. No respect!"
I decided it best not to answer her, so I just booked a bus to Noosa by way of Brisbane (where I am now) and left this afternoon.
Part of me thinks this all could've been avoided had I looked past the too-friendly exterior of these people and seen them for what they really are: totally insane and looking to take whatever they can from others (specifically, energy).
The other part is just happy I'm not there anymore, though my campervan was prettttty sweet.
I'm sure my dad would say, "this is a good learning experience."
And I'm sure he'd be right.
But there are some life lessons, like how to communicate with crazy people, that I just keep having to learn and to be honest, I think I'll just never master that skill.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
In Case You Wanted To Know
Commodoties I Miss From Home:
1. Good, strong hair ties. Australians just don't understand.
2. Mascara that costs less than $15.00.
3. Baby carrots.
Dating Tips for Australian Men from an American 24 year-old-not-yet-Woman:
1. If you are bald by choice, I am unavailable by necessity.
2. If you offer to buy me a drink after telling me that you are from Bourke (the Outback) and that you don't have a place to stay tonight, I will refuse that drink. Being from the Outback is not a trump card.
3. If you have a beard that goes to your chest, it will squander any chances of love I may have taken on you. I'm really, really sorry.
4. If you don't own other shirts besides tank tops, I support that, but from a distance.
5. Please, for the love of all things decent, stop calling me "doll" unless you're an octogenarian OR Patsy from "Absolutely Fabulous."
Observations I've Made About Other People Since Working as a Housekeeper:
1. There are 2 kinds of people who stay at hostels: those who have no money and those who hate spending money.
2. If you leave an unattended can of tuna in the kitchen, the contents will be consumed and the can will remain for days, with the lid replaced and can stuffed with paper towel to *look* like it's still full.
3. Rather than take out the trash, people will hide their garbage all over the hostel. Specifically people like to put trash in flower pots and underneath used towels.
4. Non-English speakers are generally nicer to "the help" though make grosser messes.
5. People from the UK are a crapshoot. Swedes are wonderful. Germans are everywhere. French women can kiss my ass but the men don't have to, and generally, Israelis are just out of their fucking minds.
More to come, I'm sure.
1. Good, strong hair ties. Australians just don't understand.
2. Mascara that costs less than $15.00.
3. Baby carrots.
Dating Tips for Australian Men from an American 24 year-old-not-yet-Woman:
1. If you are bald by choice, I am unavailable by necessity.
2. If you offer to buy me a drink after telling me that you are from Bourke (the Outback) and that you don't have a place to stay tonight, I will refuse that drink. Being from the Outback is not a trump card.
3. If you have a beard that goes to your chest, it will squander any chances of love I may have taken on you. I'm really, really sorry.
4. If you don't own other shirts besides tank tops, I support that, but from a distance.
5. Please, for the love of all things decent, stop calling me "doll" unless you're an octogenarian OR Patsy from "Absolutely Fabulous."
Observations I've Made About Other People Since Working as a Housekeeper:
1. There are 2 kinds of people who stay at hostels: those who have no money and those who hate spending money.
2. If you leave an unattended can of tuna in the kitchen, the contents will be consumed and the can will remain for days, with the lid replaced and can stuffed with paper towel to *look* like it's still full.
3. Rather than take out the trash, people will hide their garbage all over the hostel. Specifically people like to put trash in flower pots and underneath used towels.
4. Non-English speakers are generally nicer to "the help" though make grosser messes.
5. People from the UK are a crapshoot. Swedes are wonderful. Germans are everywhere. French women can kiss my ass but the men don't have to, and generally, Israelis are just out of their fucking minds.
More to come, I'm sure.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Byron Bay: As Good As It Gets Just Got Better
Updates abound!
I'm not even sure where to begin.
It is currently 8:20pm Gold Coast Time and I am sitting at the FREE-TO-ANYONE-WHO-WANTS-TO-USE-IT-EVEN-IF-YOU'RE-NOT-A-GUEST-HERE laptop with internet at the Greenland Guesthouse and Resort in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia.
I arrived 2 days ago with pretty much everything to my name here in the land of Men at Work and decided to really wing it with this trip; I booked no accomodation.
On my other jaunts, pre-booking a room turned out to be sort of silly.
Plus, there are always* day-of booking deals.
So, I decided not to book anything. Whatsoever. At all.
*except on this trip.
As it's peak season in Byron (school vacation for the children/bratty teens and summer for everyone else), not pre-booking was a very bad idea.
After my 12 hour-turned-18-hour bus ride from Sydney, I arrived on Jonson Street and had nowhere to go.
But first, that bus ride.
Oh, that bus ride.
It was scheduled to leave at 10:30pm, and it did.
It was not scheduled to break down at 3am in the middle of the road somewhere along the eastern coast of Australia, but it also did.
The driver noticed I was the only one awake so he recruited me to help as his mechanic.
[It should be noted that the extent of my mechanics experience was when I was about 8 or 9 years old and would re-chain the bikes for the other kids in my neighborhood. It was a successful if short-lived career, and some of my neighbors still bring it up.]
Anyway, the bus broke down for 2 hours.
When we got to Byron, it was 1pm, about 30 degrees Celcius, and I realized I had nowhere to put my stuff.
So I jumped on a computer and tried to book a hostel but had no luck because there were no vacancies ANYWHERE. [Not an exaggeration. Read that LITERALLY.]
I refreshed my search and found one called the Greenland Guesthouse and Resort that had 1 room available for $45 and I jumped on it.
I got a taxi over to the "resort" and the girl at the desk gave me a very unhappy smile and told me there was a mistake and that the website didn't update and that there was indeed no room available.
Then I panicked, internally.
Then I asked her if I could work for accomodation.
She went to ask her boss, who I met and spoke to.
He noticed my Israeli flag sandals, I noticed his Hebrew accent, and voila.
I've been living in an abandonded campervan in the back lot for the past 2 nights and so far, so great. (Pictures will be posted soon)
The work part of my job isn't too bad; mostly turning beds down and cleaning bathrooms.
But really, I don't mind cleaning and it's nice to see that even at budget hostels, the towels and sheets are actually laundered and clean.*
Usually I'm done by noon, and the rest of my day is miiiiiine.
*Not the comforters though. Not at all.
So far, I've been to the beach, to the town, and to Minyon Falls.
I recommend all 3.
Only thing about the falls is, there are leeches EVERYWHERE. [Not an exaggeration. Read that LITERALLY.]
I thought I had a bug bite and when I went to look it was in fact 4 leeches stuck to my ankle.
I also went to a rodeo that Byron hosted last night.
That was an experience.
One of the British girls called it "special." I would agree.
I tried to explain the concept of the rodeo to the Israelis, but it was lost on them.
Instead, I asked how you say "pointless" and "animal abuse" in Hebrew.
Pretty sure they get it now.
I've also met some of the other "guests" at the "resort," most of whom are working here as well.
One girl, from Oklahoma, is nice if a bit...not-up-to-date-with-"The Office" which makes her a disappointing find.
There's also a Brazilian guy here named Jorge who is the most Brazilian Brazilian I've ever met. Cocky, gorgeous, tan, barefoot, laughing, and generally unintelligible.
There are also those 2 Israelis staying in the tent next to mine, friends of the owner. They're both named Shay and are both pretty hilarious.
They invited me to the falls today and it reminded me just how out of shape I am and how great at hiking Israelis are.
But it was a beautiful hike and it felt great to be covered in sweat [and leeches] after being pretty sedentary in Sydney post-dive.
That was a lot of information.
I'm not even sure where to begin.
It is currently 8:20pm Gold Coast Time and I am sitting at the FREE-TO-ANYONE-WHO-WANTS-TO-USE-IT-EVEN-IF-YOU'RE-NOT-A-GUEST-HERE laptop with internet at the Greenland Guesthouse and Resort in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia.
I arrived 2 days ago with pretty much everything to my name here in the land of Men at Work and decided to really wing it with this trip; I booked no accomodation.
On my other jaunts, pre-booking a room turned out to be sort of silly.
Plus, there are always* day-of booking deals.
So, I decided not to book anything. Whatsoever. At all.
*except on this trip.
As it's peak season in Byron (school vacation for the children/bratty teens and summer for everyone else), not pre-booking was a very bad idea.
After my 12 hour-turned-18-hour bus ride from Sydney, I arrived on Jonson Street and had nowhere to go.
But first, that bus ride.
Oh, that bus ride.
It was scheduled to leave at 10:30pm, and it did.
It was not scheduled to break down at 3am in the middle of the road somewhere along the eastern coast of Australia, but it also did.
The driver noticed I was the only one awake so he recruited me to help as his mechanic.
[It should be noted that the extent of my mechanics experience was when I was about 8 or 9 years old and would re-chain the bikes for the other kids in my neighborhood. It was a successful if short-lived career, and some of my neighbors still bring it up.]
Anyway, the bus broke down for 2 hours.
When we got to Byron, it was 1pm, about 30 degrees Celcius, and I realized I had nowhere to put my stuff.
So I jumped on a computer and tried to book a hostel but had no luck because there were no vacancies ANYWHERE. [Not an exaggeration. Read that LITERALLY.]
I refreshed my search and found one called the Greenland Guesthouse and Resort that had 1 room available for $45 and I jumped on it.
I got a taxi over to the "resort" and the girl at the desk gave me a very unhappy smile and told me there was a mistake and that the website didn't update and that there was indeed no room available.
Then I panicked, internally.
Then I asked her if I could work for accomodation.
She went to ask her boss, who I met and spoke to.
He noticed my Israeli flag sandals, I noticed his Hebrew accent, and voila.
I've been living in an abandonded campervan in the back lot for the past 2 nights and so far, so great. (Pictures will be posted soon)
The work part of my job isn't too bad; mostly turning beds down and cleaning bathrooms.
But really, I don't mind cleaning and it's nice to see that even at budget hostels, the towels and sheets are actually laundered and clean.*
Usually I'm done by noon, and the rest of my day is miiiiiine.
*Not the comforters though. Not at all.
So far, I've been to the beach, to the town, and to Minyon Falls.
I recommend all 3.
Only thing about the falls is, there are leeches EVERYWHERE. [Not an exaggeration. Read that LITERALLY.]
I thought I had a bug bite and when I went to look it was in fact 4 leeches stuck to my ankle.
I also went to a rodeo that Byron hosted last night.
That was an experience.
One of the British girls called it "special." I would agree.
I tried to explain the concept of the rodeo to the Israelis, but it was lost on them.
Instead, I asked how you say "pointless" and "animal abuse" in Hebrew.
Pretty sure they get it now.
I've also met some of the other "guests" at the "resort," most of whom are working here as well.
One girl, from Oklahoma, is nice if a bit...not-up-to-date-with-"The Office" which makes her a disappointing find.
There's also a Brazilian guy here named Jorge who is the most Brazilian Brazilian I've ever met. Cocky, gorgeous, tan, barefoot, laughing, and generally unintelligible.
There are also those 2 Israelis staying in the tent next to mine, friends of the owner. They're both named Shay and are both pretty hilarious.
They invited me to the falls today and it reminded me just how out of shape I am and how great at hiking Israelis are.
But it was a beautiful hike and it felt great to be covered in sweat [and leeches] after being pretty sedentary in Sydney post-dive.
That was a lot of information.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
And Away She Keeps Going
Byron Bay, here I come.
"Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully."
-Mel Brooks
"Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully."
-Mel Brooks
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Earliest New Year
10 years ago, I was 14.
2010, you already intimidate me.
But I will not be intimidated.
Instead, I will resolve-
To be more active;
To be more present;
To look around and notice the little things;
To worry about those little things less;
To use less and give more;
And finally,
To enjoy.
Happy New Year.
2010, you already intimidate me.
But I will not be intimidated.
Instead, I will resolve-
To be more active;
To be more present;
To look around and notice the little things;
To worry about those little things less;
To use less and give more;
And finally,
To enjoy.
Happy New Year.
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