Sydney Getaway - Day 1

I had a planned Sydney trip with a friend who, at the last minute, cancelled on me. I was hesitant to have my ticket refunded because it was a good deal that I got from Qantas (I booked via a third party). It was supposed to be a reward for myself after the 9 week course I took. I wasn't so much excited about it but I had to suck it up and be a solo traveler.

My cousin had vouchers for a backpacker hotel in Sydney so she booked me at 790 on George Street which is located near Sydney Central. Perth to Sydney is a 4 hour flight but with Qantas, it didn't feel terrible. There was entertainment and food which was exactly the service I paid for. 

Upon arrival at Sydney, I bought an Opal Card and had it topped up. This was what I used to ride the train to Central and the cost was around 13.80 AUD. I arrived in the city at around 9 in the evening and got quite lost on where my backpacker hotel was. After dragging my luggage and calling the hotel, I finally found it and was asked for a 10 AUD deposit. 

The dorm room I was in is good for 6 girls. It was full and I was assigned to the top bunk which was kind of hard to climb. But with the exhaustion of travel and a bit of diarrhea (must be from all the food I ate lol), I slept good.

The next day, a friend of my sister (who later on became my friend) Yan and her husband: Jun, and I met. Despite of their busy schedule for their upcoming church wedding, they took me around to the farther Sydney sites which means the beaches. 

Our first stop was the famous Bondi Beach. 

It was a Friday morning and the beach wasn't as busy as expected yet. Though there are a few tourists and sunbathers around, it is amazing to see how wide the shoreline is with a little less crowd.

Had to have my photo taken where the lifeguards are stationed. Every year, lifeguards here rescue an average of 2,500 people. 

Our next stop was on the other side of the Sydney Harbor where views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge can be seen. 

We were so happy that the weather was fine on that day. It was not too cold and just a bit cloudy. It was the first time I have caught a glimpse of the Opera House. 

Luna Park is one of the free things to do in Sydney. Yes, coming in was free but the rides were not. It was most entertaining for the kids so we just looked around and see what it can offer.

This is the amazing Sydney Harbor Bridge or the Coathanger (it's nicknamed as the coathanger because of how it is designed). This bridge together with the Opera House are the the iconic images of Sydney and of Australia. It is made of steel and connects the Sydney CBD to the Northshore. I have read about the Harbor Bridge Climb and was greatly recommended. I'm making sure to have this on my bucketlist when I come back to Sydney in the future. 

Our next stop was at Manly Beach. The photo is actually from the other side of the beach but it was fun to stop by, sit down, people watch while altogether taking in the view of Manly. 

The last and not the least stop was at another beach which I think was called Balmoral. It was a beach very close to a park and was perfect for chill afternoon for family and friends. 

We had different appointments for dinner so we had to separate ways afterwards. I really enjoyed my first day in Sydney with them, in addition to having new Filipino friends in a different country. I was worried to be on my own for the next few days but I guess I survived. Coming up soon, is day 2!

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Short Geraldton Holiday

A month ago, 29 April 2017, my friend whisked me away for a quick visit to Geraldton, Western Australia. It's a coastal city located north of Perth. We started the drive early because it was an estimated 5-6 hours trip. On the way, we did a couple of breaks, saw some dead animals on the road which probably were run over by big cars and trucks and also saw this Leaning Tree.

Before this, I saw a lot of trees that are leaning. My friends said that this is because Geraldton is a very windy city. But this tree stands out of all the leaning ones. 

I stayed in the city for about 3 days. It was a small town  which I liked very much. I stayed in a friend's couch which was not that bad because I had Netflix all to myself. He also had a cat who kept me company while he was working. Most of all, there was good dinner every night at his friend's houses.

I never really went out to the foreshore nor visited other places in Geraldton. The morning when I was about to go back to Perth City, he took me to the HMAS Memorial which is located at the Summit of Mount Scott. This represents the loss of the light cruiser in November 1941 with none of its crews surviving. It was a nice place to be in the early morning where sunlight is not that harsh and you can see people and their cars beginning to start the work day. 

This is the dome of souls. It is made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls and represents the souls of the lost sailors. 

We only stayed for 15 minutes in the area as I had to catch the bus back. The bus ticket was 66 AUD which was expensive but for the 6 hour drive it was reasonable. I long to be back to Geraldton to explore more of its beauty and possibly work if there are opportunities. 

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)

On Autumn/Winter Fashion

Before I came to Australia, I asked my friend who is already an Australian Resident about her clothing choices. She said she is into buying jackets now. I didn't quite understand it and chose not to think about it further. I was heading to Perth during its summer so I chose to pack my usual thin tropical clothes. I shipped my thick clothes to the Philippines and this was what I regret.

I was so preoccupied with school that I did not know Autumn was already around the corner. The air slowly became chilly and it felt colder than usual. Every morning I always wished it was only the air conditioner making me freeze and that I can turn it off. Of course it wasn't. It was definitely cold in and out of the house. There was no huge air conditioner.

I am lucky I have been granted to stay to experience my first autumn/winter. However, I am not prepared. I wished I carried those thick clothes with me. Every time I do window shopping at the mall, I can see lovely thick and comfortable jackets for sale for the upcoming season. Most of them are cool and fashionable. While waiting for the train, I can see people all covered up from freezing and they still look good. I was challenged to look decent during my stay in South East Asia. It is more challenging here to keep warm and fashionable or even look alright. I am happy to visit cheap stores that sell jackets and winter wears for now because I have a limited budget. I definitely get my friend now. 

Now, instead of beating the heat as what is happening in most part of the globe, I am beating the cold. Hopefully, I'd be lucky to scour good fitting clothes in op shops or store sales. Thank you for reading my autumn/winter outfit rant. 'Til next blog!

My Fremantle Doing Time Prison Tour

I really wanted to visit Fremantle Prison in Fremantle, Western Australia. Me and my friends decided to go together but there was just not a common time for us. Therefore, I braved to go by myself. It was easy to get to Fremantle. I just hopped on the train on the Fremantle line and sat for almost 30 minute travel. From the Fremantle Train station, one can either ride a bus or enjoy walking thru the streets of the city towards the prison which is situated at 1 The Terrace, Fremantle.

Even with GPS, I still managed to get lost in locating the establishment but thankfully there was a utility man who pointed to where the entrance was (bless his kind soul). 

According to www.visitfremantle.com. au, Fremantle Prison is the largest and most intact convict built prison in Australia and is Western Australia's only World Heritage Listed Building. For almost 140 years, the place was used for incarceration and was only decommisisoned as a maximum security gaol in 1991. 

It was 15 minutes before the next tour started and the guard was kind to lead me to the gift shop where I can buy tour ticket and look at the merchandises. While waiting other guests can go to the Convict Cafe, the Prison Gallery and the Interactive Visitor Center. The gift shop sold key chains fashioned from old prison keys, shirts, prisoner dolls and other souvenirs.

There are 5 kinds of tours that can be availed. I chose the Doing Time tour and was glad that I was able to get the concession ticket since I was still a student. Normal fee for this tour is 20 AUD and it will run for 1 hour and minutes.

The bell rang and we all filed in 2 lines to have our tickets checked and be admitted into an old looking room. The guide introduced himself to us and we were told that this was the first room prisoners would enter, have their photos taken, be checked if they are hiding illegal things and given out uniforms before going into the jail itself.

Then we were led outside to see the vastness of the prison. It was first known as the Convict Establishment and was built by convicts between 1852 to 1859. 

We stood in the middle of this hall where we can see a metal net hanging above us. It was placed there to protect guards from things that may harm them which could be deliberately dropped by prisoners on the upper floors.

We were also able to see open spaces like these.

There was a huge space for the kitchen with big pots like these. There was a room where the knives were kept and if prisoner workers would borrow a knife, he will leave his identification hanged from where the knife was.

Walking along the corridors. It was not so creepy as it was around 4 in the afternoon when I went. 

They have their own chapel,too.

We were able to peek inside the prisoner's rooms and how it evolved from being a very tiny space to a bigger space like this that can accommodate at least 2 people.

Our fellow tourists were game to reenact, with instructions from our guide, on how the prisoners were flogged. Usually this was done in the presence of other prisoners so that they will know what they'd get should they break rules. There is a doctor on standby while this is being done to monitor the status of the inmate. We were also lead into the room wherein prisoners are hanged. 

We also saw isolation cells wherein no light could enter. It was also somehow sound proof that if prisoners shouted, they cannot be heard from the outside.

The one hour and fifteen minutes tour passed quickly. I was amazed at how the building was preserved and taken cared of for the next generation. It was very educational and I bet the other tours are exciting as well. If time permits, I wish to come back with friends and try another tour - possibly the Tunnels or Torchlight Tour.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

My First Sunday Market Experience in Aus

My German housemates asked me if I will be happy to come with them to a Sunday market that they have heard of in Canning vale, Western Australia. It sounded good so I went with them after having breakfast. I miss going to open weekend markets in Thailand wherein I can get good finds. I was excited to see one here in Australia. 

GPS helped us find our way and we had to pay 2 AUD for entrance fee. As it was a Sunday, there were a lot of people coming in as well. The market was open around 8am until 2pm. 

The stalls were lined up in a big area and the first things I saw were of cheap priced vegetables and fruits. I was tempted to buy some but I still had stocks at home. Finally I bought bananas and grapes. I saw that there were a lot of plants for sale. Mostly were garden plants but there were also interesting ones.

Much like in Thailand, I saw second hand toys for sale.

Common merchandise such as shirts and phone casings are here as well.

What made me happy to see was this Filipino food stall displaying Filipino food! 

I wasn't planning to eat as I was walking alone (me and my German friends separated ways). While looking at some used clothes and jackets, I spotted a familiar friend - Ate Vicky. She was also in the market with her friends. 

Ate Vicky was the kindhearted woman who helped me transfer my things from one house to another. As it was already lunch time, she offered to treat me for lunch. We went back to where the Filipino mobile stall was and ordered some of their meals. It was so good!

I'm so glad to have been to the market that day. I planned to return and bring enough money to buy myself some thick winter jacket but I haven't had time. Now that I am in another state, hopefully I can visit another one soon.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog! ;)