Friday, August 1, 2014

Third Day of My Sydney Trip 2014

It was our third day in Sydney. I felt the excitement roaring around me as our tour was about to end. People were chatting and rambling non-stop especially when we reached our first destination, Port Stephens.  It was a breath taking scene, with a wide, deep blue sea and a fine, white sand. The good thing about this beach is, it isn't crowded during this time and people can have a lot of activities such as sandboarding, surfing, camel-back riding, and the best part, picture-taking! 
Port Stephens comes fourth on my favorite hang-outs here in Australia because of its vast area and the sense of freedom it brings to its people. The best part is, it's not just Port Stephens that gives this wonderful feeling but several other beaches surrounding Sydney as well. Our tour guide mentioned that there’s a beach here which allows people to walk and swim in nude! I thought it was only the U.S. which allows this bizarre practices but also Australia! Not many countries have this enormous autonomy. Not that I am for or against it, but the thought that they allow it must have played a crucial role in their independence!
In Port Stephens, I found how camel looked like. They were huge and scary because they make this loud and grumpy sound which, to me, was like they’re hungry or irritated by people riding their backs. What a ferocious animal, I thought! Nevertheless, I found the parents and children riding their backs courageous and adventurous.
I was about to join the others for sandboarding, unfortunately, we were left behind as I went back to our bus to get my black shawl. “What a stupid idea to miss this out”, I thought. Nevertheless, I still try to make the best out of my remaining days in this beautiful country.
The next place we went to was a lunch at a cruise ship. The food wasn't impressive and the coffee was worse - it was 3 in 1 instant coffee. Although I can say that the dolphins which were jumping up and down in the ocean was entertaining. It was like the dolphins I’ve seen from the movie, Titanic. 
The wind in that ocean was a biting cold and therefore left me freezing since I left my sheepskin jacket in the bus. It was frustrating as I cannot climb-up the second deck of the ship and felt short of the amazing things I should have seen. This was the worst day of my trip, I thought. But then, after watching the dolphins did their tricks, I thought it was ok I didn't go to the second deck or else, I could have missed the display of these fantastic dolphins. 
When we went back to the bus, I still felt determined to change the atmosphere of my day. Fortunately, the next spot was Murray Wine Tasting and thought it was jovial compared to the previous. I tasted different kinds of wines and they were the best. The fruit where it came from, the ingredients, and the wine's age were perfect combination. I will miss the wines in Murray. It was one of a kind.
As our day was about to wind up, we went to Darling Harbour, which lived to its name. It was a lovely place with lots of lights and an awesome view. Furthermore, the food was terrific and I could not ask for anything more on how to end a day. The beef was so scrumptious that I want to take it away. Unfortunately, not at this place and time. Better luck next time. J
I slept very early as we are taking the first flight out which was at 6:00 am. I’m still grateful I had this trip since I haven’t been to any place farther than Asia. I still want to keep the good memories and not get easily discouraged with minor details which could easily be ignored.  
      

Thursday, July 31, 2014

My Second Day in Sydney















Another day ends after a whole day of touring around Sydney. It was thrilling and a once in a lifetime experience although some were just so familiar.

First, we went to Featherdale Wildlife Park. The animals there, such as the koalas and kangaroos, and much to my amazement, the penguins, are uniquely Australia. The koala is the closest I came in contact with since I was able to tap it at the back and my husband was able to feed it. It was so tamed that I wanted to bring it home. The next couple of minutes, which was rather fast I supposed, were spent buying souvenirs. This store of shirts, jackets, magnets, etc. have reasonable prices compared with the other neighboring stores. I wish I could have just lessened my time in the zoo so that I could have spent more time shopping, I thought. Then, I tried to pacify myself that there will always be next time, if God permits.

Next stop was our healthful buffet lunch. Healthful because the food was more delicious compared to our lunch yesterday. That familiar, old smell and the all-too-common taste reminded me of home.  It was a Chinese Cuisine called Golden Dragon, which is one of our favorite dishes here in Manila.   

After our scrumptious lunch, we headed to Blue Mountains first. It was freezing with a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius.  Good thing I had a thermal and a windbreaker jacket on. Plus my gloves on my hands and socks inside my boots.  We rode a cable car going to and fro the Blue Mountains. After our picture-taking on top of it, we came back down and went to Scenic World. This place was on top of my favorite lists to see in Australia because of the fast train leading down the mountains. At first, I was really scared, but as the train went down, I realized that I could have missed this exhilarating ride and have regretted my Australian tour.  Thank God I was convinced by our  friendly tour guide and driver.

As our day was about to end, we had our next chance for shopping. This time, I bought only few since the price were higher compared to the earlier shop we went to. 

We ate our dinner in Chinatown. My husband’s boss had a surprised visit. I guess he was checking on them if they were really touring around Australia as a group or whether they all have their own mini-tours. 


All in all, I can say my day ended great and I won’t regret anything about it – except of course for more shopping time and maybe more photographs. J