Ryan Lowe – Rylowe – Australia 6

I’m Major Captain Anal when it comes to my blogs. A major reason it takes me so retardedly long to update this. The latest reason to procrastinate: The outline of the blog. I can’t seem to space right, and pics and paragraphs get all mangled together. Its annoying, and I stop typing and erase it. But that doesn’t help anyone, does it. So here’s plenty of pics, and little words. I’m telling myself to shut the hell up. Finally.

I arrived in Sydney after a month and a half of travels and a “couple” G’s lighter. And not the Homie type. I’ve decided Sydney would be my home for a few months. I’ll try to get a job, a place to live and somemore money to continue my adventures. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image183.jpg @fictions.co.uk Good thing about arriving with limited funds to a new home is I had nothing else to do but discover the city. So I walked. A lot. I put on my meandering shoes, and meanader pants and got to it. Sydney, much like many parts of Europe, enjoys big statues. The Queen Victoria Mall: Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image175.jpg @fictions.co.uk Catacombs of high fashion cloths and jewelry stores. All connected underground. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image176.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image177.jpg @fictions.co.uk More statues, these in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image179.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image180.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image181.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image182.jpg @fictions.co.uk The Sydney Harbour Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image184.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image185.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image186.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image188.jpg @fictions.co.uk

The most famous beach in Sydney, Bondi.

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I went on the final day of Sculptures by the Sea, which had different artist renditions along the sea wall. At the top of the hill, this massive work:

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We’ll call him, “Constipated Dundee”.

This one’s pretty rad.

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Some people just can’t win.

I wanted to do at least one more tourist-y thing in Sydney, so I was told about the Blue Mountains. I asked my friend if the mountains were actually blue. She responded, “They are, actually.” Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image198.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image201.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image200.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image202.jpg @fictions.co.uk The mountains have a particularily blueish tinge because of the release of oils from the Eucalyptus trees. And after going to the Koala Sancuary, I know that Koalas aren’t lazy because they get high off eating Eucalyptus tress. Don’t believe the hype! I went on a day tour, where I was with a very awkward group of people. I felt quite sorry for the tour guide as his audience consisted of 4 ppl over 75, a Korean and Vietnamese couple that spoke very little English, a creepy guy from Tazmania and myself. Sometimes, he’d lay out a joke and you could hear a koala crap, it was so quiet. Ouch…..tough crowd. The tour was a full day, about 10 hrs., much of it trying to scam money from you with various stops.

Try to get you to buy candy (which, of course, I fell for), boomerangs, pictures and unnecessary rides. We stopped at Scenic World. Basically a national park that found ways to scam the tourists. But my cheapness outsmarted them all. The main centrepiece of Katoombba National Park, the 3 Sisters. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image204.jpg @fictions.co.uk The tour guide dropped us off at this lookout, tried to tell us we had to pay to see the park. They had trams and gondolas in Scenic World, that would take you over the sights. I called bullshit. Its a frickin’ national park. They can’t stop me from looking at the view. So as everyone else on the bus bought tickets for the rides, I said I’d just walk it. It was a 20min hike down. As I fancy myself quite the experienced hiker, with the Squamish Chief and Grouse Grind under my belt, this would be nothin. And I got some wicked views. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image211.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image214.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image215.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image216.jpg @fictions.co.uk The park was formerly a coalmine, and you could walk through and see all the catacombs and read about various trees. Very informative. Me likes the edjumacation. I decided to pay for the ride back up. I could justify it by only paying $10 bucks for the ride up, as opposed to $27 for all three. And from I heard, the other ones weren’t worth it. The Scenic Railway is in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the steepest railway in the world. It flies up 415m up the Katoombaa Mountains, and the steepest gradient of 52 degrees. All in 3 mins. Good times. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image217.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image218.jpg @fictions.co.uk The final stops of the tour went to the Sydney Olympic Park. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image220.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image221.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image222.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image223.jpg @fictions.co.uk These are 4 different stadiums. With size varying from 30 thousand to 80 thousand person capacity. I couldn’t help to think how useless these massive arenas were. So the odd Justin Timberlake or Spice Girl show will fill them up, but will Vancouver need these huge structures all over. The Spice Girls can only do a couple of retirement shows. Took a nice cruise back into Sydney, and got the cool pics of the Opera House I was looking for. Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image226.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image225.jpg @fictions.co.ukPlease drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image227.jpg @fictions.co.uk I wandered into the Opera House, looking to go inside for a tour. Another $30 bones. Then I saw it.  Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image244.jpg @fictions.co.uk Now, if you don’t know John Williams by name, you definately know him by sound. He’s the most famous movie composer, writing the themes to Superman, Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, Harry Potter…even the frickin Olympic Fanfare theme. And of course, Star Wars. Tickets were $45, and for the thought of hearing the theme to Star Wars or the Imperial March echoing through the rafters of the most famous Theatre in the world, it was WELL worth it. A couple weeks later, I put on my finest, and only, collered shirt and went to the Opera by myself. Luckily, I saw a couple other lone Star Wars geeks there for the holy experience. They looked like Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons, but still.  Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image243.jpg @fictions.co.uk The first half was all the other famous works by John Williams, an intermission with Imperial Storm Troopers, Boba and Jango Fett, R2, and Vadar himself meeting and greeting in the foyer, then the musical score to all 6 Star Wars films played for 2 hours. I had chills the whole time. While the security were total nazis with taking pictures, I managed to record some classics like the Imperial March and Superman on my phone. It takes me back to that glorious moment. My life will be forever changed. Finally, happy holidays to all my loved ones back home. Miss you all, and wish I could be home for the holidays. Its frickin’ Xmas eve as I write this and its totally frickin weird. The plan for most backpackers is to come to Sydney, and head to Bondi Beach for some Christmas cheer. Xmas the the beach. Its so wrong, but I’m looking forward to it. An example of what I see everywhere Please drag and drop me in your travelblog - PHOTOS WILL BE FULLSIZE after you SAVE! image178.jpg @fictions.co.uk Sunny backgrounds, with decorations and lights. And the Aussies say, “Happy Christmas”. It annoys me. Much like them saying fillets, instead of filet (f-ill-ae) and season final instead of season finale. HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!! Love, Ry

Posted from Australia:

posted Sunday December 2007

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