Not so quick recap...

It's hard to believe that it's been over two weeks since I first landed in Australia!  I was hoping to keep this updated more often as a way to keep everyone at home updated on my adventures and also a way for me to remember what I've done, but as usual, time has gotten away from me. 

I have settled into a routine, getting up early to call family/friends back home (I'm 14 hours ahead) and for some reason my body just keeps waking up around 4 am.  Technology is amazing though.  I have an old unlocked cell phone that I use for international travel and I bought a prepaid SIM to throw in it.  I still find it funny that I can call home on a cell phone and it only costs me 7 cents a minute and no more than $1 a call.  It makes being half way around the world much easier and accessible.  Like when we had storms in Atlanta and I had to call the alarm company because my Mom kept getting calls from them saying the system was low on battery.  (it was just recharging after the power was out)

So after arriving and wandering around old stomping grounds, I decided to spend my second day in Sydney doing something new.  It was a gorgeous "winter" day, sunny and 60 degrees, so I thought I'd venture out to do one of the many coastal walks around the city.  I took a bus to Coogee Beach and headed north for the 5K walk along to water to Bondi Beach.  I'm sorry that I hadn't found it when I was here 6 years ago.  The views were amazing, the water crisp and clear, and tons of people were out just being healthy.  Running, walking, playing lawn bowling, snorkeling, surfing, SCUBA diving, SUP'ing, swimming (at an old ocean swim club).  One thing I've noticed about Australians is that they enjoy their outdoor activities and they make a point of being healthy.  It's something we could learn from at home. 

Here are some of my favorite views from the walk, including my yummy lunch treat at the end

Bondi Beach

 Mmmm, fish and chips! 

I ended the day by catching up my co-workers and taking in a Jazz concert at the Sydney Opera Hosue.  We weren't in the main concert hall but downstairs in the intimate studio.  Funny, we came all this way to hear two Brooklyn based jazz writers play with the Australian Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra.  It was awesome!  They played pieces written by Sean Wayland and Darcy James Argue.  I found Darcy to be amazing.  He has an 18 piece big band in Brooklyn, called the Secret Society.  I highly recommend if you are in the NY area that you check them out. 

We lucked out by having a day off the first Monday after we arrived - thanks Queen Elizabeth II and Happy Birthday.  So one of my coworkers and I went on a wine tour of the Hunter Valley.  I've been on wine tours before, but this one was more like a class, we spent a lot of time learning about the wines, the history, tasting, etc.  Another gorgeous day and somehow I came home with 6 bottles!  Let's hope they make it home in one piece!  (okay, I'm down to 5 now)

Needless to say, we were quite content and rested and over our jetlag before starting our meetings on Tuesday. 

The hard work began, with our meetings running from morning til night and me having to keep the team coordinated for dinner plans and such after work.  We were truly a global bunch, with two guys from Argentina, two from the Czech Republic (one Czech, one Slovak), two Americans (one Cuban American so he was always speaking Spanish with the Argentians) and then me (the only female). 

By the time Saturday rolled around again I was beyond exhausted.  All but one team member headed home and I had the day to myself.  I thought I would up my game and do another coastal walk, this time the 10K Spit Bridge to Manly walk.  It was a bit chilly and windy and overcast, but I decided I needed the quiet and peacefulness and a good walk.  I took the bus to the Spit Bridge, found the trail only to see the sign say that it was closed for trail maintenance.  So back to the bus it was, thinking I could pick it up a few kilometers down the road.  I ended up finding the trail again but only 2K from Manly.  I missed the wildlife habitats and the walk on the water but still had a good walk over to Manly Beach.  I found a cozy place in the sand, and sat and watched the surfers. Those little dots in the water are surfers, so many of them!

 I walked around a bit more and took the ferry back at sunset to some amazing views of the bridge and opera house.

I'll catch up on week 2 in the next update.....

Amazing how your memory works...

I made it Sydney!  It only took me 28 hours total, 3 different airplanes and 4 airports.  But thankfully it was uneventful and I actually feel pretty rested today.  Because I needed to drop Boomer off with his Grandparents for the week, I started the trip in NY on Thursday afternoon (after driving up from Atlanta on Sunday/Monday).  Little airports are great, if I could fly out of Stewart-Newburgh all the time I would.  So I left NY, connected in Detroit, then LA and finally off to Sydney.  When we stopped in Detroit, I figured it would be worth a shot to ask the agent if I had an options to upgrade the Sydney flight (usually they say no) and it must have been my lucky day, because for 25K miles and a crazy amount of $$ I was able to give up my exit row seat for a lie flat business seat.  And it was so worth it!!  15 hours is a ridiculous amount of time on a plane!

Before I forget though, even though I know no one reading this blog would ever do this, please, please, please do not spray yourself with perfume while on an airplane.  The girl sitting next to me on the flight from Detroit to LA decided she would "freshen up" before we landed.  This included about 30 minutes of makeup application at her seat and then a quick little spray of her perfume on her wrists.  She may have thought she was being discreet, but no, we all smelled it. 

By the time I got on the plan in LA it was about 2 am EST, so I was exhausted and ready to sleep.  We boarded, they served us a decent dinner, I took my Xanax (only when flying), had a glass of wine and settled in watching Les Miserables.  I remember seeing it for the first time on Broadway with my Dad when I was 12 and I bought the soundtrack (on tape) and used to play it all the time, I know the whole thing by heart.  Funny thing though, until this time watching it, I don't think I really knew what it was about.  How dark and sad the story is, but beautified with such amazing music.  I only made it about 3/4 way through before passing out but I did finish it before we landed in the morning.  I rested, probably slept for about 6-8 hours, which really isn't bad at all.  I left the plane feeling pretty good. 

The Sydney airport is so easy to get through, making it through immigration in 5 minutes, bags in 15 and straight thru customs.  Let's hope the return trip though LAX is as easy! 

There was a Vodaphone store right as you exited baggage claim, so I picked up a local SIM card for my unlocked ATT phone and had my local phone up and running in no time.  Then it was off to the hotel.

By 8:30 am, I was checked in, unpacked, showered and had to decide what to do for the day.  The last thing I wanted was to take a nap, knowing I probably wouldn't get up.   I decided to take it easy and take a little stroll down memory lane.  For those who may not know, this is actually my 4th trip to Australia, and 3rd time in Sydney.  The first time I was here was in 2001 with my friend Bronwyn, whom I was visiting in Melbourne.  And I spent 3 months here back in 2007 for work.  As I was walking around the Rocks (old historic neighbhorhood), I kept smiling as I looked at familiar buildings and places.  Everything was still there, 12 years later! 

The little pizza place where we had dinner and I remember having potato skins for the first time with sour cream and sweet chili sauce.  Not sure why my mind remembers food the way it does (thanks Mom and Dad), but I distinctly remember having the sweet chili sauce and thinking I hope we have this in the US.  Now it's a staple in the house!  I next wandered around to the little bakery where I used to always get Anzac cookies, but sadly they didn't have them anymore, but I did get a Whole Meal Scone with raisins for breakfast this morning.  The backpacker bar where I remember (or maybe I don't) having too much cider and being the reason I don't drink cider anymore. 

The whole city was alive and bustling, the market at the Rocks had exactly the same vendors, Circular Quay was busy with street performers and Aboriginal music.  The Opera House still makes my jaw drop every time I see it, mainly because it reminds me that I'm in Australia.  Turn the globe 180 degrees and go below the Equator, and that's where you find the Opera House.  So humbling, no matter how many times I see it. 

I wandered towards Darling Harbour, memories filling my mind around every corner.  I passed my old client's building, the Woolworth's where I used to go shopping, the cafe where I would sit and have a cup of tea. And the old IBM building where I used to work every day.  Everything where it used to be and I was proud of myself for remembering how to get around. 

I made it back to the hotel, very tired at this point from wandering for 4 hours and decided to take a short nap.  1.5 hours short.  I woke up around 5 and decided I needed to keep pushing it was too early to go to bed.  I had passed a Wagamama right near the hotel earlier so I decided to have some quick noodles for dinner.  Well, that was a mini adventure.  If you've never been to Wagamama, it's a quick noodle/stirfry restaurant (started in UK, I think?) and you sit at big communal tables.  Well, the staff wasn't exactly on top of things last night and after waiting about 15 minutes I was finally seated at a little table/bar against a wall.  Facing the wall.  I sat and started to read my Kindle, and about 10 minutes later realized no one had been by to take my order.  I flagged down the waiter who seemed to care less and asked if I could get the noodles I wanted but without meat and just with veggies.  He said, sorry, we can't do that.  I looked at him and said, you can't just take the meat off and add some broccoli, and he said no, but you can have this one.  And pointed to something completely different.  I then said, okay, I'll have this one, but can you do no Tofu (it had the veggies) and he said no.  I was so hungry by this point and tired, that I just said thank you and got up and left.  Guess Wagamama doesn't like substitutions or believe in customer service. 

Good thing I left though!  I wandered back towards the Rocks and found their night market was open, with food stalls and food trucks and I found some great dumplings and gyoza! 

It was also the Sydney Vivid festival.  The place was jam packed with people, lots and lots of people.  All of the buildings in the area were lit up, including the Opera house, with art installations everywhere, music, lights, it was unbelievable.  I took a few pics.  It's hard to see, but they had a whole show of lights/film playing, it was contantly changing to the music. 

Finally, I grabbed a beer, sat and watched the people go by and went back to the hotel and was in bed by 9:30. 

Not too shabby for what felt like the longest day ever!  And this is probably one of my longest blog posts ever!  Will try to keep the rambling to a minimum as I try to keep the adventure journaled for the next few weeks.