Well, I don't know where to begin. I love this place! I could definitely get used to it here. In fact, I think I might stick around Bondi Beach for a month before venturing to Melbourne or up the East Coast to become a surfer girl. But that's what I'm thinking today. Every day it changes...I love that I have the freedom to be spontaneous, but it does take control of my mind every now and then.As of today, I'm thinking I'd like to find a waitressing job here in Bondi Beach, and just stay at the hostel I'm currently at, Noah's Backpackers ("Backpackers", by the way, is another name for "hostel" here). I arrived at this place 2 days ago, and everyone is so friendly and socialable. The first night I was here, there was a poker tournament in the bar downstairs and yours truly walked away with the title. Yeah, that's right! I won a $25 bar tab, which disappeared pretty fast. The same night I got here, I befriended other Americans from Texas, who had just recently bought a van and are now living out of it (Insert "Living in a van down by the ocean" joke here). This afternoon, Nathan, Aaron, myself, and this cool Irish girl named Danielle are actually heading into the woods to go camping, but I'm not sure where yet. I can't wait to see what's outside the metro area!
Yesterday was a pretty "rough" day. I woke up, made breakfast, lied out on the beach for 4 hours, and then topped the night off with Matt's (Welsh guy at the hostel) birthday. We all BBQd and partied on the rooftop of the hostel (BEAUTIFUL view from there, by the way).The first day I got here, the weather was GORGEOUS. The locals said it was the best day they'd had all season. Although my hostel was in Kings Cross (Awesome hostel called Original Backpackers...Victorian home with a great patio entrance and a courtyard perfect for socializing), I decided to hop a train and bus over to Bondi Beach. THAT is when it hit me-- I'm definitely not in Oregon anymore. A few hours later, I met up with my friend Ryan (Aussie friend whom I met in Siena in 2004, and who hosted me and my friends in London for a weekend), his girlfriend, Kate, and a bunch of their friends. We drank and ate the afternoon and evening away, and it wasn't until 2:30 that I finally got back to Kings Cross and hit the hay...48 hours with no sleep! Perfect first day though...
I spent a couple days early in the week checking out the metro area, doing alot of the tourist stuff. Lots of pics and walking, but no tours. That costs money, people! I went to the Art Museum of New South Wales, walked through Hyde Park, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and got some amazing views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. I also hopped a ferry to Manly Beach, but Bondi is still my favorite Sydney beach!
I also decided to spend a couple nights in Coogee (pronounced Couldgee fast), a couple miles south of Bondi. The hostel was alright, but not very condusive for socializing. Right when I walked into my room (cheapest 10-bed dorm), I was surrounded by obnoxious English girls. Let me just say that that accent on a woman becomes quite annoying when there are 4-5 of them chirpping away. So although the sun was starting to set and the weather was a bit dreary and cold that day, I had
to get out. So I went down to the beach and the only people down there were these 5 local "blokes" playing volleyball...and a couple of them were REALLY bad. I asked if I could sit and watch, and they invited me to play. It was SO much fun! The other team that wasn't doing so well, kept calling out for the ball and running into eachother. For any of you that remember the seagulls in Finding Nemo, that's what they sounded like..."Mine! Mine! Mine?". It was hilarious!The next day, I layed out for a little bit (surrounded by quite a few topless women), and did a beautiful walk along the coastline called the Bondi to Coogee walk. I did the roundtrip in a few hours...4 miles of gorgeous scenery.
What else...
-Kings Cross is pretty seedy, but still loads of fun in small doses. It is not too uncommon for someone to ask me if I'd like to buy some drugs or to have a prostitute ask if I'd like to have a little fun. I told you everyone was nice here...
-I actually saw a woman suspending her cat from her shoulder as if he was her purse. No, he wasn't in a cat carrier, he was in a sling! I managed to get a photo, but its from the back. Observe the cat's rear end as he hangs from his owner. WTF?-Bats, seagulls, and cockateil parrots own the skies here. But I kid you not, those damned cockateils are MEAN. When they're pissed, those squackers are the most annoying beautiful birds ever.
-There are so many different nationalities here. I LOVE IT! Everyone speaks English, but the different languages and accents are so great to hear. There are also a surprising number of people traveling alone, as well. 2 of my current roommates are doing the same thing I am. Desiree is from Germany and Danielle is from Ireland. By the way, these are two nationalities I have come across the most.
-I've been doing alot of walking, and not as much eating as in the States. I would eat more if I could afford it! Back home, I would snack on stuff because it tastes good. That is not something I can do here. I certainly don't starve, but my food choices are based on what is going to give me the most energy til I'm hungry again and have to spend more money. I rarely eat out, but I do alot of cooking out of the hostel. Mmmm...eggs on a pan that someone just used to fry pork. Delicious...
-I am quickly learning the correct way to pronounce cities here...only because Aussies are quick to help you pronounce it correctly. Thanks guys...
I could go on and on, but I've got to go enjoy some of this sun. Can't get enough of it!
I'll keep ya posted!
