The Vacation Day 5 - Sydney to Alice Springs
Alice Springs was next, so we hopped on a plane and headed to it. Why you might ask did we go to a little town of no more than 30,000 people in the middle of a desert? It's where my parents live. They've been there 3 years now and since they'll be home in the fall, what better excuse did we have for flying out there? We're only going to get that reason once in our lifetimes.
My folks met us at the airport with large smiles (it'd been a year and a half since I'd seen my dad, 6 months since I'd seen my mom) and we went for a little drive out to the Tropic of Capricorn. So yes, we took the necessary pictures showing us straddling the line, I was an all out tourist and I don't care.
The rest of the day zipped by, ended by dinner at a Chinese restaurant in town. Significant for two reasons. First, Andy and I have eaten at a Chinese restaurant in every country we've ever been in, excluding those we've been through en route to somewhere else (ie Switzerland because we were on a train). And second, a man I work with used to come out to Alice on business and he claimed that restaurant was his favorite. He gave me a picture of himself standing in front of the restaurant to show to the owner to see if she remembered him. She certainly did. She remembered that he ate there a lot, and that he would order dinner, and lunch for the next day, and DINNER for the next day. Judging by how much he eats around the office, I was convinced she certainly had the right man in mind.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
The Vacation Day 4 - Sydney meets the flaming croissant of death
Our last day in Sydney I decided at breakfast I needed a bit of a change. I thought I'd warm up my croissant by using the conveyor toaster that the hotel so conveniently provided. I learned a valuable life lesson. Croissants should not be warmed by conveyor toasters. Mid-toast part of the croissant caught fire, which I slyly tried to blow out while praying the staff and smoke detectors wouldn't notice.
It mostly turned out alright, I just had a very dry, and slightly black croissant.
After that terrific breakfast, we went out to the Circular Quay (the Aussies pronounce it 'key') to see the Sunday Market. Anything and everything you could possibly want was on a stand. And quite a few things that you probably wouldn't want after the heat of the moment died and you found yourself with a googly-eyed walnut complete with plaque saying "Welcome to Mooseport" painted on the bottom.
We ate lunch at the Lowenbrau Keller and I sampled Mango Beer. Not joking. Beer flavored with mango syrup. A bit odd, but I rather liked it. While we were eating the Oompa band came out and serenaded everyone eating in the restaurant. They were pretty good for a German Oompa band in Australia, although we could have sworn the trumpet playing came from New Orleans.
Next, off to Taronga Zoo. We spent the afternoon enjoying the animals and catching the tail ends of shows, such as the Seal Show and the Birds of Prey. We missed the penguin demonstration because the pamphlet said 2:30 and the sign at the exhibit said 2. Can I stress the importance of keeping your printed materials up to date?
It was a lovely zoo, and will have more than doubled in size in the next year or so, they were building a ton of new exhibits. You can stop and look out over Sydney as you walk from the elephants towards the tigers.
Thoroughly thrilled with our glut of animals, we headed back to the hotel to rest up and prep for the next day.
Our last day in Sydney I decided at breakfast I needed a bit of a change. I thought I'd warm up my croissant by using the conveyor toaster that the hotel so conveniently provided. I learned a valuable life lesson. Croissants should not be warmed by conveyor toasters. Mid-toast part of the croissant caught fire, which I slyly tried to blow out while praying the staff and smoke detectors wouldn't notice.
It mostly turned out alright, I just had a very dry, and slightly black croissant.
After that terrific breakfast, we went out to the Circular Quay (the Aussies pronounce it 'key') to see the Sunday Market. Anything and everything you could possibly want was on a stand. And quite a few things that you probably wouldn't want after the heat of the moment died and you found yourself with a googly-eyed walnut complete with plaque saying "Welcome to Mooseport" painted on the bottom.
We ate lunch at the Lowenbrau Keller and I sampled Mango Beer. Not joking. Beer flavored with mango syrup. A bit odd, but I rather liked it. While we were eating the Oompa band came out and serenaded everyone eating in the restaurant. They were pretty good for a German Oompa band in Australia, although we could have sworn the trumpet playing came from New Orleans.
Next, off to Taronga Zoo. We spent the afternoon enjoying the animals and catching the tail ends of shows, such as the Seal Show and the Birds of Prey. We missed the penguin demonstration because the pamphlet said 2:30 and the sign at the exhibit said 2. Can I stress the importance of keeping your printed materials up to date?
It was a lovely zoo, and will have more than doubled in size in the next year or so, they were building a ton of new exhibits. You can stop and look out over Sydney as you walk from the elephants towards the tigers.
Thoroughly thrilled with our glut of animals, we headed back to the hotel to rest up and prep for the next day.
The Vacation Day 3 - Sydney
Day 3 was an all day trip to The Blue Mountains. Ron, the driver of our 4WD vehicle, what the Aussies call a 'Ute', was terrific. He was a bit dissapointed I think that Andy came along. Aside from him, the rest of the vehicle was filled with girls.
The Blue Mountains were incredible. It was almost as if someone had taken Arizona and filled it with Eucalyptus trees. Tons of different kinds of them.
On the way up we stopped at a small park, Featherdale. I got to scratch a wombat's belly, and be scared by a man holding a wallaby. He yelled "Look out!!" just as I started to scratch the baby wallaby he was holding. Of course I shrieked and jumped back 5 feet. That seemed to amuse him to no end. The wallaby didn't seem to care either way.
Day 3 was an all day trip to The Blue Mountains. Ron, the driver of our 4WD vehicle, what the Aussies call a 'Ute', was terrific. He was a bit dissapointed I think that Andy came along. Aside from him, the rest of the vehicle was filled with girls.
The Blue Mountains were incredible. It was almost as if someone had taken Arizona and filled it with Eucalyptus trees. Tons of different kinds of them.
On the way up we stopped at a small park, Featherdale. I got to scratch a wombat's belly, and be scared by a man holding a wallaby. He yelled "Look out!!" just as I started to scratch the baby wallaby he was holding. Of course I shrieked and jumped back 5 feet. That seemed to amuse him to no end. The wallaby didn't seem to care either way.
The Vacation Day 2 - Sydney
Day 2 was a free day, meaning no scheduled tours, nothing to rush to, just sleep until we felt like getting up and then doing whatever we felt like doing. Of course we woke up at 3:30 AM. Eventually I dozed back off until the very late hour of 6:45. What woke me up was nothing less than astounding. It was Andy getting dressed. Those of you that know him in his alter ego of Porter, KNOW that him getting up early is not something he does unless necessary. That he was up and dressed before me is something I think has happened maybe twice before in the 5 years we've been married. On to breakfast.
Australian breakfast is like English breakfast. In other words VERY different than what I'm used to. Slices of bacon taste and look like slices of ham. Eggs come with a topping of baked beans, and sausage is what I personally would call a hotdog. Same flavor, same size, only slightly different consistency. Not that it was all bad. The yogurt was excellent, the breakfast pastries were superb, and the hashbrowns were very yummy.
Our hotel was located next door to the Chinese Garden. We could look into part of it from our room so that was the first logical place to go. It was incredibly relaxing. The atmosphere was lovely, and you couldn't tell you were right in the middle of a bustling city, until you climbed a hill and found yourself eye-to-eye with a stop on the monorail.
Next on the list was the aquarium. Sure I've been to our aquarium in Baltimore, but here even the local fish were exotic. The seal exhibit and the shark exhibit were amazing. Walking in long underwater tubes and watching rows and rows of huge fish with huge teeth swim on top of you was an experience.
Next off to lunch. What to eat? Although I was shocked by the healthy number of Italian restaurants, we decided to go with another favorite, a good curry. Guessing that since breakfast was very British in nature, native Australian cuisine would also have a similar tinge, we ate what we ate in England. Indian food. And it was delish.
Later that evening I had some good Australian beef and my first taste of Sticky Date Pudding. I have yet to taste anything as yummy. With a butterscotch sauce and praline ice cream on the side that made me think I was in heaven. Am I researching recipes right now as I type? Oh yes.
Day 2 was a free day, meaning no scheduled tours, nothing to rush to, just sleep until we felt like getting up and then doing whatever we felt like doing. Of course we woke up at 3:30 AM. Eventually I dozed back off until the very late hour of 6:45. What woke me up was nothing less than astounding. It was Andy getting dressed. Those of you that know him in his alter ego of Porter, KNOW that him getting up early is not something he does unless necessary. That he was up and dressed before me is something I think has happened maybe twice before in the 5 years we've been married. On to breakfast.
Australian breakfast is like English breakfast. In other words VERY different than what I'm used to. Slices of bacon taste and look like slices of ham. Eggs come with a topping of baked beans, and sausage is what I personally would call a hotdog. Same flavor, same size, only slightly different consistency. Not that it was all bad. The yogurt was excellent, the breakfast pastries were superb, and the hashbrowns were very yummy.
Our hotel was located next door to the Chinese Garden. We could look into part of it from our room so that was the first logical place to go. It was incredibly relaxing. The atmosphere was lovely, and you couldn't tell you were right in the middle of a bustling city, until you climbed a hill and found yourself eye-to-eye with a stop on the monorail.
Next on the list was the aquarium. Sure I've been to our aquarium in Baltimore, but here even the local fish were exotic. The seal exhibit and the shark exhibit were amazing. Walking in long underwater tubes and watching rows and rows of huge fish with huge teeth swim on top of you was an experience.
Next off to lunch. What to eat? Although I was shocked by the healthy number of Italian restaurants, we decided to go with another favorite, a good curry. Guessing that since breakfast was very British in nature, native Australian cuisine would also have a similar tinge, we ate what we ate in England. Indian food. And it was delish.
Later that evening I had some good Australian beef and my first taste of Sticky Date Pudding. I have yet to taste anything as yummy. With a butterscotch sauce and praline ice cream on the side that made me think I was in heaven. Am I researching recipes right now as I type? Oh yes.
The Vacation Day 1 - Sydney
I say Day 1, but it was more like Day 3. Having left Baltimore mid-day on Tuesday and arricing in Sydney bright and early Thursday morning. We lost Wednesday somewhere over the Pacific. Getting there was pretty thrilling for me, having never been as far West as California, and then going past that. And overall 12 hours straight on the plane wasn't too bad. Of course I was still excited at this point. The flight back for the same amount of time was an entirely different story.
Once we arrived in Sydney and got to our hotel, we settled in and waited for our tour time. About an hour before the scheduled time we walked/meandered our way from our hotel to the wharves in Darling Harbour where the lunch cruise was to leave from. Seeing the city from the water was a lot of fun, even if the food left something to be desired.
After lunch it was straight off the boat onto a bus, for a driving tour within the city. Aside from the obivous jetlag, I was having a hard time distinguishing what country I was in. Sydney is a multi-cultural city and it certainly shows. We'd drive to one area and I was convinced we'd entered Italy. Another I could have sworn was Paris, parts that looked like Germany, and a chraming section that gave Prague a run for it's money.
We stopped up on a cliff and Andy and I ran out to the edge to get some nice shots with the sun setting on the bay. It wasn't until we were walking back to the bus that I noticed that the path we walked on went under some spiderwebs, and the biggest damn spiders I have ever seen. Not being a huge fan, I made Andy go first then I basically stared at my feet and walked as fast as possible back to the bus, praying that those things would not choose that moment to venture down from their homes in the trees.
Dinner that night came from McDonalds. I know, very tourist, but we made up for it later. We were tired, and just wanted something quick and easy and on the way back to the hotel. McDonald's was easy enough. Portion sizes in Australia are very different. You actually get the smallest size cup they have when you ask for a small soda. It was incredibly refreshing. I did however have to ask for ketchup to get some. And I had to call it tomato sauce.
I say Day 1, but it was more like Day 3. Having left Baltimore mid-day on Tuesday and arricing in Sydney bright and early Thursday morning. We lost Wednesday somewhere over the Pacific. Getting there was pretty thrilling for me, having never been as far West as California, and then going past that. And overall 12 hours straight on the plane wasn't too bad. Of course I was still excited at this point. The flight back for the same amount of time was an entirely different story.
Once we arrived in Sydney and got to our hotel, we settled in and waited for our tour time. About an hour before the scheduled time we walked/meandered our way from our hotel to the wharves in Darling Harbour where the lunch cruise was to leave from. Seeing the city from the water was a lot of fun, even if the food left something to be desired.
After lunch it was straight off the boat onto a bus, for a driving tour within the city. Aside from the obivous jetlag, I was having a hard time distinguishing what country I was in. Sydney is a multi-cultural city and it certainly shows. We'd drive to one area and I was convinced we'd entered Italy. Another I could have sworn was Paris, parts that looked like Germany, and a chraming section that gave Prague a run for it's money.
We stopped up on a cliff and Andy and I ran out to the edge to get some nice shots with the sun setting on the bay. It wasn't until we were walking back to the bus that I noticed that the path we walked on went under some spiderwebs, and the biggest damn spiders I have ever seen. Not being a huge fan, I made Andy go first then I basically stared at my feet and walked as fast as possible back to the bus, praying that those things would not choose that moment to venture down from their homes in the trees.
Dinner that night came from McDonalds. I know, very tourist, but we made up for it later. We were tired, and just wanted something quick and easy and on the way back to the hotel. McDonald's was easy enough. Portion sizes in Australia are very different. You actually get the smallest size cup they have when you ask for a small soda. It was incredibly refreshing. I did however have to ask for ketchup to get some. And I had to call it tomato sauce.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Monday, April 12, 2004
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Not feeling as guilty
I'm not really a coffee drinker. I drink the foofy girly versions of everything, and if I drink "regular" coffee it has to have a lot of cream and sugar. This morning I needed something to wake me up so I went down to the cafeteria to get a small cup of coffee. I hate putting all the condiments in the cup while in the cafeteria because I feel like someone is going to laugh at the absurd amount of sugar I put in it.
As I was standing at the table trying to surreptitiously slide a few packets of sugar in my cup a man walked over. He grabbed, 5, yes, I counted, 5 packets of sugar and proceeded to pour all of them in. Followed a generous dose of half-and-half.
Somehow after that my 3 packets, and dollop of cream doesn't seem so bad.
I'm not really a coffee drinker. I drink the foofy girly versions of everything, and if I drink "regular" coffee it has to have a lot of cream and sugar. This morning I needed something to wake me up so I went down to the cafeteria to get a small cup of coffee. I hate putting all the condiments in the cup while in the cafeteria because I feel like someone is going to laugh at the absurd amount of sugar I put in it.
As I was standing at the table trying to surreptitiously slide a few packets of sugar in my cup a man walked over. He grabbed, 5, yes, I counted, 5 packets of sugar and proceeded to pour all of them in. Followed a generous dose of half-and-half.
Somehow after that my 3 packets, and dollop of cream doesn't seem so bad.
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