02.22.10
Posted in travel, vacation at 8:19 am by heidihoho7
Our second day in Sydney was open for exploration so we decided to get away from the masses and head up to the Blue Mountains for some hiking (yeah the feet didn’t say YAY but with better shoes we’re still walking a day later). So after 2 train rides we were up in the “mountains” – which are really more like cliffs that drop into huge valleys. We opted for the hop/off trolley (which we only used twice but at least it was cheaper than some of the other options) and took off for Echo Point, one of the main lookout points.
Off to the left were the Three Sisters, 3 large rock formations right next to each other. People used to climb these (not sure i would have, a weee bit of exposure!) but it’s no longer allowed. After a semi-useful stop at the information center we decided to go on a 2 hour hike, which included heading towards the sisters and getting right underneath 1 of them (with some pretty cool views and awesome exposure on the crossing to get to the first sister).
The steps leading down to the sisters and yet further to one of the main trails within the Valley is called the Great Stairway – 900 steps! Luckily we decided to go down the stairway but it was still a good workout – and still required paying close attention as i had a close call where i slipped and used my camara as a bit of a brake against the rock wall – I caught myself and my filter went flying. Jess almost caught it but luckily it didn’t go too far and we were able to retrive it.
Once down the steps, we followed the base of the Sisters on Federal Pass and headed back towards Echo Point and then beyond to get to “Scenic World”. We stopped along the way to play in the waters of a Katoomba small cascade – a bit chilly but felt great after hiking during hot and sticky morning. We met some Canadian girls who were doing the same (who also informed me i had a chicago accent – its funny how folks instantly know we’re american).
We’d seen some info on “Scenic World” and decided that we’d go check it out. We had walked throughout the SW paths and all we saw were strange things about the mining industry that lasted a whopping 15 years in the early 1900’s (and they informed us often that they weren’t even sure about half of the facts they had signs about…. “We think we know these mining facts”). There were old metal tanks and coils of cable strewn about as well as cheesy re-creations. Though we didn’t mind the cool breeze coming from the mine shaft, it ended up being the main highlight of the lower area.
Well let’s just say we weren’t that impressed with SW – the one thing it had going for it were the transportation options! There is the Scenic Cableway (Gondola), Scenic Railway (kind of like a roller coaster that goes almost straight up), and the Scenic SkyWay (a gondola that goes from clifff to cliff with a glass bottomed floor that has a wonderful view of the valley and Katoomba Falls. Most of them claim to be the longest and/or steepest in the world or southern hemisphere. We opted to take the railway up and then take the skyway across to get a good look at the falls. I think we both agreed the skyway was the best option with spectacular views and it was kind of fun to stand on the glass bottom floor.
We saw a sign mentioning a quick hike to the Katoomba Cascades (the official ones) and hiked over while we were waiting for our trolley pickup. With a little more water the cascades would be truly amazing, though they were still quite pretty. We met our canadian gals here yet again and they informed us that we “cheated” by taking the railway – but we decided that since we had blistered feet already that we got some credit for hiking in the first place 
After a quick trolly ride back into town we decided to hop off a stop before the end to pick up some snacks from the local grocery store. Our backpacks full, we started working our way back to the rail station area while looking for a good dinner spot. After the usual “you pick” discussion we opted for a nice open air restaurant with a view of the street. We sat in sheepskin padded chairs while enjoying a beer and a wine. We decided to do it right and ordered the main entrees that Australia is known for… Jess ordered a Kangaroo Steak and I ordered a Beef n Reef – rump steak with prawns. I would have taken a picture but we were so ranvenous that we barely saw our meals before inhaling them. We actually ended up sharing them so we both got to try a little bit of everything – tho i think i’d order my kang medium next time! (tastes like beef in case you were wondering).
Our night ended with our 2 hour train ride back to the city where we quickly showered and passed out. Another great day in the land down under 
Permalink
02.21.10
Posted in travel, vacation at 5:46 pm by heidihoho7
We arrived in Sydney and made it easily through customs. After an hour delay in waiting for fellow shuttle mates we made it to our hotel. I’d read up on where we’d be staying for the next 4 nights and wasn’t expecting much from small lockers at A$7 each to insanely small rooms to horrible service. I’ve come to realize that some people’s standards are quite higher than mine (ours)! Service was good enough, lockers were HUGE and fit my extra large luggage and a backpack, and the rooms ended up being small but not rediculous considering we’re in Darling Harbour and so close to everything that it is worth it.
After stashing luggage and doing a quick change and freshening up we decided to explore CBD – downtown Sydney. We started walking making our way over Pyrmont bridge and then on down Market St. finding ourselves in Hyde Park . We watched locals play chess with a huge set in the park and watched the birds.
We worked our way further toward the Botanic Gardens and ended up taking the long way passing the Art Museum and an outdoor pool right alongside the ocean, and eventually ending up looking out over at the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
By this point our feet were starting to yell at us for throwing on flip flops immediately on arrival in oz, but we kept working our way through the gardens and ended up seeing the famous fruit bats that live in the park. There were hundreds and hundreds of them and they seemed quite huge – much larger than our usual bats back home (or in TX) – at least from my experience. We stopped in Circular Quay for a quick lunch but ended up getting good old McDonald’s since food seemed utterly rediculous and we didn’t feel like paying A$30 for fish and chips – that’s per meal.
Everything in Sydney seems to be crazy expensive (our cans of occasional Dr. Pepper are A$2.95!) But one thing they do well is public transporation – we haven’t even used the buses or ferries yet but the train systems are pretty darn good – except for the fact there are 3 different ones and you need different passes to ride each of them. So far we’re big fans of the MonoRail and LightRail – both of which stop either at our hotel or just beyond making it quite handy to ge to some other locations.
After finally checking into the hotel we decide to head back out and checkout Chinatown. We continue on back to Market St. back in CBD and head up the Sydney Tower for spectacular views of the city. While I tried to get a few decent shots (evil reflections) Jessica spied a parade forming just below us on some nearby streets. We wait for the beautiful sunset but then decide to go check out the parade as it had only just started when we headed back down. We make our way over and watch a pretty entertaining Chinese New Year parade. We liked the big dragons but there were some really cute kids – bunnies, dancers, gymnasts… a really nice suprise for us and a fun way to end the night. We mono it home and fall asleep almost instantly.
Permalink
02.19.10
Posted in travel, vacation at 5:42 pm by heidihoho7
My trip began by driving down to St. Louis the night before our flights. In addition to saving some money, i was also able to hang out for a night with my good friend Barb and her husband Chuck. They spoiled me a bit by making yummy soup that night (along with much photo chatting late into the night), blueberry pancakes in the morning and then sent us on our way with sandwiches and homemade cookies and snacks for the flights. Thanks again Barb!!
So I met Jess as our trip officially began on Friday morning with flights from STL to LAX, with a layover in Denver. Our flight out of STL was slightly delayed due to mechanical issues – we were assured it was preventative but ended up only being about a half hour late into Denver. We went to our departing gate and it just so happened that another flight was heading to LAX 2 hours earlier, just 40 mins from when we arrived. I suggested we try to fly standby and get to LAX earlier considering we were a little worried about the tight connection. We were in luck! we were able to catch the earlier flight giving us extra time in LAX which we were so glad to have. The airport was a bit chaotic and it didn’t help that we were completely confused about where to go (unlike ohare it seems that none of the terminals are connected which means exiting), but we eventually made our way to the correct terminal to check in for our flight to Sydney.
Our flight was with V Australia – a newer airline and apparantly part of the Virgin family. It was a bit surreal as we walk past the normal checkin desks with the bright lights to our checkin area that had black lights and popular music playing – it was like walking into a night club to check in to the flight, but instead of bouncers we had really young attendants checking us in. I actually really liked it – it was kind of nice jamming in line. Of course immediately after we were sent back into reality with a long security line. We make our way back into the terminal and end up having a nice dinner at the 1st of 2 options (burger king was the other option) which was nice after a full day of flights. As we make our way to our actual gate we quickly realize that there are about 200 more people that seats which meant it got cozy near boarding time…. and once again the check in desk seems hip.
We’d heard from a random guy on the shuttle bus who also seemed to be going on the same flight as us that VA’s planes seem to be state of the art – not quite gold plated but compared to our earlier flights a definite step up. Rumors were confirmed when on boarding we walk passed a bar, then continued on through to our seats – of course in dimmed neon lighting throughout the whole plane with popular music yet again playing. We take our seats and confirm the rumor of free movies, music, and even gaming from each seat – personal screens and a game controller for everyone allows gaming with other passengers or even charging your ipod via a USB charging port. It was a bit crazy but we weren’t complaining!
Each of us enjoyed a movie or 2 in addition to trying out some of the other features during takeoff and leading up to dinner. (I felt a bit hobbit-ish having 2 dinners) The food wasn’t half bad and after a little bit everyone calmed down a bit (and with about 400 passengers that’s saying something). We both ended up getting a decent amount of sleep – we were chasing the night so it stayed dark for our full 14 hour flight which helped a bit. And finally after one very long day (and a day lost to the ether) we arrived in Sydney, Australia Sunday morning.
Permalink
« Previous Page « Previous Page Next entries »