Photos are up from our second adventure to the Blue Mountains (and this time there wasn't any rain!).
Here's the link!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
G'day mates. Hope all is well in your hemisphere. We are experiencing heavy rainfall at the moment with lower temperatures. I love it! Now I can blog to you guys while snuggling up on the couch. Fall is closing in on us here as we enter into March. It's almost unbelievable that we have been here two months. We still have so much to do but we will get it done. We have a plan.
This weekend, we went to the Blue Mountains again because the last time it was so rainy. It was spectacular that now when we look off cliffs and look outs, we didn't see a sheet of white mist! The views were gorgeous and of course, Paul and I couldn't help but compare these mountains to the Appalachians. The Blue Mountains are steeper by far of course, it holds a rain forest. Appalachians are much more softer in appearance with not as much drama, but I do miss them. It did make us realize that we needed to explore our own country. Between me and Paul, we have seen China, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Mexico, and Spain and yet neither of us have been west of the Mississippi. So, I'm pretty sure our honeymoon will be in either Alaska or in the great west.
Anyway, so we hopped on the train to Katoomba which took us approximately two hours and then walked to our motel. The hostel was booked up which was sad, but our place was nice because the motel manager was so dedicated to telling us which trails were the best ones and what to do. He was wonderful and we would stay there again.
Afterward, we went to Echo Point to take a good look at the rock formation called the Three Sisters. An old Aboriginal legend gave this rock feature the name because in the past, there were three beautiful maidens and for some reason or another a witch doctor turned them into stone. But it was neat to look at. The last weekend we could not even see them thanks to all the mist. We then went down some steep stairs and did a four hour hike. Let me tell you, those stairs had killed whatever hiking spirit I had in me, which is why I'm not leaving the flat today.
That night, we walked to a Greek restaurant and then walked to Echo Point so Paul could take some nifty looking night shots. I have posted pictures to our Snapfish account, but I will post some cool ones here too.
Sunday, we went to the tourist ridden Scenic world, where we rode the world's steepest train ride! Literally, took all of 3 minutes to do, so slightly disappointing. But I was not about to climb some stairs. When we get a house, it will be a ranch. No stairs thank you. Then, we left Katoomba and it promptly began to rain. I am so glad the weather held out and we were able to enjoy the weekend.
An update on our day to day life: So, it seems everyone wants to know what I do during the week since, I essentially do not have a job and Paul is gone all day. I have dedicated this time to learning. I want to become a true Renaissance woman and be able to know and do so many things. I am currently learning German and expanding my cooking horizons. Last week was Asian recipe week and this week is Spanish! Hopefully my tortilla comes out well! I'll let you know. Next week is German food, so Mom, tell Grandma I need some of her recipes. Beyond that, I go to the beach, clean, exercise like mad, and read. I have also learned how to massage. I am always looking to new things to try and learn and I think I am so far succeeding in my many ventures. Well, I need to begin the cleaning process (Mondays are the big cleaning days). So, auf weidersehn and tell us what is new with you! We like comments and you feel so out of touch sometimes.
This weekend, we went to the Blue Mountains again because the last time it was so rainy. It was spectacular that now when we look off cliffs and look outs, we didn't see a sheet of white mist! The views were gorgeous and of course, Paul and I couldn't help but compare these mountains to the Appalachians. The Blue Mountains are steeper by far of course, it holds a rain forest. Appalachians are much more softer in appearance with not as much drama, but I do miss them. It did make us realize that we needed to explore our own country. Between me and Paul, we have seen China, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Mexico, and Spain and yet neither of us have been west of the Mississippi. So, I'm pretty sure our honeymoon will be in either Alaska or in the great west.
Anyway, so we hopped on the train to Katoomba which took us approximately two hours and then walked to our motel. The hostel was booked up which was sad, but our place was nice because the motel manager was so dedicated to telling us which trails were the best ones and what to do. He was wonderful and we would stay there again.
Afterward, we went to Echo Point to take a good look at the rock formation called the Three Sisters. An old Aboriginal legend gave this rock feature the name because in the past, there were three beautiful maidens and for some reason or another a witch doctor turned them into stone. But it was neat to look at. The last weekend we could not even see them thanks to all the mist. We then went down some steep stairs and did a four hour hike. Let me tell you, those stairs had killed whatever hiking spirit I had in me, which is why I'm not leaving the flat today.
That night, we walked to a Greek restaurant and then walked to Echo Point so Paul could take some nifty looking night shots. I have posted pictures to our Snapfish account, but I will post some cool ones here too.
Sunday, we went to the tourist ridden Scenic world, where we rode the world's steepest train ride! Literally, took all of 3 minutes to do, so slightly disappointing. But I was not about to climb some stairs. When we get a house, it will be a ranch. No stairs thank you. Then, we left Katoomba and it promptly began to rain. I am so glad the weather held out and we were able to enjoy the weekend.
An update on our day to day life: So, it seems everyone wants to know what I do during the week since, I essentially do not have a job and Paul is gone all day. I have dedicated this time to learning. I want to become a true Renaissance woman and be able to know and do so many things. I am currently learning German and expanding my cooking horizons. Last week was Asian recipe week and this week is Spanish! Hopefully my tortilla comes out well! I'll let you know. Next week is German food, so Mom, tell Grandma I need some of her recipes. Beyond that, I go to the beach, clean, exercise like mad, and read. I have also learned how to massage. I am always looking to new things to try and learn and I think I am so far succeeding in my many ventures. Well, I need to begin the cleaning process (Mondays are the big cleaning days). So, auf weidersehn and tell us what is new with you! We like comments and you feel so out of touch sometimes.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Hello everybody! I hope all of you are having a good day/night. Our weekend was not quite as eventful as other weekends but still we had a great time. Paul's work has been slamming him lately with late nights and too many Excel spreadsheets. So, we thought we would take it easy and finally visit the beaches because we live on the beach.
Friday: Friday I went into the CBD (business district where Paul works) and met up with him. I was sick a little bit during the week so I felt it was necessary for me to get out of the flat and try somewhere new to eat. We ate and then walked along Circular Quay just to relax. Paul's form of relaxation is taking photos so we took a few good ones on the Quay. I swear he is improving his talents as a photographer. I don't have the patience for technology, so I am just as happy being the subject. Later on that night, we went to the beach and just laid out looking at the stars and took more photos. It's really neat to consider that we are looking at a different set of stars than you guys. I cannot wait until Uluru (Ayer's Rock) weekend when we will see the stars much better.
Saturday: Beach!!! We went to Manly beach for the day and did all sorts of fun stuff. We bought snorkeling gear because we have yet to decide if we want to get scuba certifications. Even then, if we do want to get certified, we have all the equipment. It was an interesting first time experience for the both of us. We made the egregious mistake of putting our flippers on BEFORE getting into the water. Terrible choice 'cause it was difficult. Anyway, so we made it in after falling down several times and laughing at our stupidity and had a blast. Manly has a lot of fun fish. I chased a few that I thought would be friendly, but they kept running away. Sad. We also saw a stingray, which Paul suggested I not chase. It was a very cool experience and I liked it.
Then, it was time to get out. We are so dumb. We tried to get out on a rocky shore with our flippers on again. We looked like a couple of beached whales trying to get out of that water. I cannot express to you how idiotic this was and how we did not learn our lesson the first time. Oh well. The scratches are now a better reminder I suppose than memory alone.
We also found our friends Sarah and Chris. It's quite amazing how we always run into them. Paul's phone is broken so it usually cuts off at random times, so they can never call us. Yet we can be on the busiest beach and we will find them. Haha...it is pretty hilarious how it happens like that. Anyway, we laid on the beach with them until the sun set and then we took the ferry home. What a great day :). Then that night we hung out with some Americans and it always feels good to be around people you don't have to repeat yourself a thousand times to say what you want to say.
Sunday: Sunday was our day to sleep and plan our vacations. Hopefully soon, we will have everything planned and ready to go this week. I love how we have so much to do, and it feels like our time here is now so short! I've already had to start looking for souvenirs. If you would like something, let me know. I can get you some Bondi sand :).
On Sunday, we went to Bondi beach and relaxed and then went to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year celebration! We went to a restaurant that was both delicious and inexpensive. I think we shall have to visit Chinatown again. We went for the parade that was completely hyped up, but alas fell below par. It was interesting and what not, but not exactly as thrilling as I would have imagined. But hey, you should never waste a chance to have an experience and I learned where Chinatown is and also how to get around down there. I am becoming a Googlemaps of Sydney!
Well, that was that for this weekend. Not too many photos, although I will upload a couple on here and a video of the parade. I cannot believe that less than 2 months ago I was on the plane here. Paul and I cannot get over sometimes how neat this experience is and we are just so happy to be here together. It would've been quite miserable if we had been separated. So, anyway, let us know what you are up to and also post to us what you would like from Australia. We'll see if we can make it happen.
Friday: Friday I went into the CBD (business district where Paul works) and met up with him. I was sick a little bit during the week so I felt it was necessary for me to get out of the flat and try somewhere new to eat. We ate and then walked along Circular Quay just to relax. Paul's form of relaxation is taking photos so we took a few good ones on the Quay. I swear he is improving his talents as a photographer. I don't have the patience for technology, so I am just as happy being the subject. Later on that night, we went to the beach and just laid out looking at the stars and took more photos. It's really neat to consider that we are looking at a different set of stars than you guys. I cannot wait until Uluru (Ayer's Rock) weekend when we will see the stars much better.
Saturday: Beach!!! We went to Manly beach for the day and did all sorts of fun stuff. We bought snorkeling gear because we have yet to decide if we want to get scuba certifications. Even then, if we do want to get certified, we have all the equipment. It was an interesting first time experience for the both of us. We made the egregious mistake of putting our flippers on BEFORE getting into the water. Terrible choice 'cause it was difficult. Anyway, so we made it in after falling down several times and laughing at our stupidity and had a blast. Manly has a lot of fun fish. I chased a few that I thought would be friendly, but they kept running away. Sad. We also saw a stingray, which Paul suggested I not chase. It was a very cool experience and I liked it.
Then, it was time to get out. We are so dumb. We tried to get out on a rocky shore with our flippers on again. We looked like a couple of beached whales trying to get out of that water. I cannot express to you how idiotic this was and how we did not learn our lesson the first time. Oh well. The scratches are now a better reminder I suppose than memory alone.
We also found our friends Sarah and Chris. It's quite amazing how we always run into them. Paul's phone is broken so it usually cuts off at random times, so they can never call us. Yet we can be on the busiest beach and we will find them. Haha...it is pretty hilarious how it happens like that. Anyway, we laid on the beach with them until the sun set and then we took the ferry home. What a great day :). Then that night we hung out with some Americans and it always feels good to be around people you don't have to repeat yourself a thousand times to say what you want to say.
Sunday: Sunday was our day to sleep and plan our vacations. Hopefully soon, we will have everything planned and ready to go this week. I love how we have so much to do, and it feels like our time here is now so short! I've already had to start looking for souvenirs. If you would like something, let me know. I can get you some Bondi sand :).
On Sunday, we went to Bondi beach and relaxed and then went to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year celebration! We went to a restaurant that was both delicious and inexpensive. I think we shall have to visit Chinatown again. We went for the parade that was completely hyped up, but alas fell below par. It was interesting and what not, but not exactly as thrilling as I would have imagined. But hey, you should never waste a chance to have an experience and I learned where Chinatown is and also how to get around down there. I am becoming a Googlemaps of Sydney!
Well, that was that for this weekend. Not too many photos, although I will upload a couple on here and a video of the parade. I cannot believe that less than 2 months ago I was on the plane here. Paul and I cannot get over sometimes how neat this experience is and we are just so happy to be here together. It would've been quite miserable if we had been separated. So, anyway, let us know what you are up to and also post to us what you would like from Australia. We'll see if we can make it happen.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
So here we are again, another weekend, another adventure. As you all are having your delightful snow showers, we have been having rain. Yup, another rainy weekend for us as we went to the Royal National Park, which is as it sounds. It is a wildlife preserve just outside of Sydney. Our friends Chris and Sarah got us to tag along and we had a really great time. First, as we drove off with our friends, the hubcap to the rental car came off. Luckily, it was a piece of junk that can easily pop back into place. First adventure, check. Once we got near the park, we stopped off at a grocery store to pick up some picnic items before our hike. We parked in a little picnic area where a bunch of kids were jumping off of a waterfall. Chris decided that he was going to do it and I would have done it myself, but I did not want to start a hike off wet. Nothing is feels more disgusting than going on a trip wet and gross. So, I thought I would wait on that until we returned from our hike. The hike was a 6 mile loop and it was wonderful. The coast is nothing too new from the previous photos you have seen probably except for the rock. The sandstone is swirly in certain areas and have varied colors from deep red to white. It was neat to look at. We also saw a kangaroo and nuns hiking. I have never seen nuns hike and we all were mezmorized by the idea of hiking in complete nun regalia. It was hot for us in our shorts! But I guess that's the way to appreciate nature, God's work. It was really nice having another couple to do all this with, especially taking pictures. The link to the new photo album is below this post and we hope you enjoy them. So special thanks to Sarah and Chris for making this trip delightful! We also went canoeing and had a great time trying to find koalas. Sorry Mrs. Everett, but koalas will not come out to play with us apparently. If only you liked kangaroos, 'cause they are everywhere. We are debating now whether to get our scuba certification so that when the time of the Great Barrier Reef comes about, we can do some scuba stuff. I am really looking forward to that trip, although we probably won't do it until May or late March. We do have the first weekend of March booked for going to Melbourne and doing the Great Ocean Road if you care to Google that. Anyway, good times, but Mondays are left for me to clean up our place. So, hope everyone is doing well. We miss and love you guys!
New photos are up from our weekend trip to the Royal National Park - hope you enjoy!
Click here to view photos
Sunday, February 7, 2010
This weekend, Paul and I were set on leaving Sydney for the weekend since we were tired of the city. It is our first mini vacation since we got here and it was so much fun! The Blue Mountains are approximately two and half hours outside from Sydney and the cool thing is that they are so accessible, you can just take the train to any town you like! Australia really has their public transport down pat and you can get pretty much anywhere you want without a car (except for the inside 'cause few live there). An interesting fact: The Blue Mountains were named for the blue haze they cast due to the eucalyptus leaves.
And misty it was...the entire trip was rainy. Each. Day. Paul and I were apprehensive about going to the mountains when it rained but I figured that all the rains we had seen were spotty and never stayed long when it did down pour, so it won't be a big deal right? Nope. Isolated rain. But despite the rain, I think we pulled a great weekend out of it and had a lot of fun adventures.
Friday: This is when the rain started. Paul had gotten us tickets for my Christmas present to an outdoor cinema in the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was beautiful! You could see the Opera House and the gardens and it was just wonderful. We saw the movie Away We Go, which was ok, but we didn't have a choice in the movie 'cause all the other movies were sold out! Oh well, it was a neat experience. But it rained a little then. Thank goodness they provided us with rain ponchos!
Saturday:
We whisked ourselves away to the Blue Mtns. We took the train to Penrith, where we picked up our rental car. Actually, renting a car here is cheaper than in the US. But, this was our first experience on the other side of the road. We were completely nervous. I had never thought that initial instincts such as wanting to stay on the right side of the road would want to take over so fast. Don't worry...I have a video of Paul's first drive :). Speed limits are weird in that they change all the time. Even on the major motorway (not highway). But...we did see kangaroos! I guess they are the equivalent of deer in the States 'cause we saw all kinds of signs for kanga crossings. Haha, we did see a few and they seem to travel in herds. Too cute. Anyway, we drove from Penrith to Wentworth Falls to eat lunch, and then on to Medlow Bath, next to the big town of Katoomba where everyone goes to see the Three Sisters rock formation...which we couldn't see 'cause it was so misty!!!!
Anyway, we stayed in a bed and breakfast in Medlow Bath called The Chalet Blue. It was very grandma-ish but really nice and our hosts were hospitable. Our room was very nice and comfortable which is all you need! Then we decided to drive to the Jenolan Caves. The drive was truly astounding. The mountains are unlike the Appalachians 'cause they are so steep and it seems one wrong slip and you are gone. The trees are huge and beautiful and we hoped to see a koala, but I guess it is very rare to see one in the wild. But we did see kangaroos in the woods! When we saw them, we stopped along the side of the road and decided to try to get as close as we could to them. Don't worry, they weren't red 'roos...those are the ones that can kill. But they let us get pretty close, closer than we have ever gotten to a roo in the zoo...haha I rhymed. Anyway, when we got to the caves, I literally gasped because the entrance is just a huge arch with a little lake in front of it. I don't think I have ever had that initial reaction to something beautiful like that in my life. I tried to get pictures but I was too late 'cause I was acting like a dope with my mouth open while Paul yelled get the camera. So, sorry. But we wanted to go on a haunted caves tour and I was really excited about it. However, we had the Australian family who would make the worst of Americans look classy. We didn't see what the woman was holding when we first started, but then we realized, she had brought her baby into the caves. The haunted caves at 8PM and the tour lasts 2 hours. I wanted to shake her. Then, we had the dad, who egged his kids on to make fun of the tour the entire time and do stupid stuff like try to play with light switches that they themselves don't know where they go. This made me not want to have children. Needless to say, I put on the Miss. All is very disappointed with you look whenever the girl would try to do something like slam her feet on the ground to make it sound like a ghost. It at least scared her away from me :). But you know, it made Americans look really good to me at that point. Anyway, nothing happened in the cave, although I was hoping for something. Although I don't necessarily believe in ghosts, I never rule out the possibility. But I will say, that Paul and I kept imagining our bed and breakfast was haunted the entire night. At least we didn't go away from it with nothing.
Sunday:
We enjoyed our breakfast at The Chalet and then went off on a couple of hikes. Yes, everything was still wet and it was still raining and after awhile, I had to take off my poncho 'cause it just didn't seem to matter anymore. The first hike we went on was near some waterfalls and they were beautiful. We couldn't do all of it 'cause it went through a river and the path was a bit rough for us, but it was nice. The next hike we did was near the Wentworth Falls and it was another awesome experience. I don't know, sometime I feel that my posts just include awesome, amazing, and fun and not enough description...it's very hard to relay the beauty of all that we see and I wish I could just have you guys with us to show you, but hey, only so much we can do. But if any of you do come, you have a place to stay in Sydney! Haha. After the falls, we had to drive back to Parramatta and drop off the car, but by far the best weekend in spite of the rain we have had. In fact, I think the rain made it better because we didn't have anybody to deal with. Few people were on the trails and it was nice just to be with nature and enjoy another side of Australia that few think about or see. Will put up pictures when I return from my run. Anyway, talk to you guys later and post some comments! We like to hear from everyone! Also, my student Catalina, give me your email address and I will email you. I have lost it. Ciao for now!
And misty it was...the entire trip was rainy. Each. Day. Paul and I were apprehensive about going to the mountains when it rained but I figured that all the rains we had seen were spotty and never stayed long when it did down pour, so it won't be a big deal right? Nope. Isolated rain. But despite the rain, I think we pulled a great weekend out of it and had a lot of fun adventures.
Friday: This is when the rain started. Paul had gotten us tickets for my Christmas present to an outdoor cinema in the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was beautiful! You could see the Opera House and the gardens and it was just wonderful. We saw the movie Away We Go, which was ok, but we didn't have a choice in the movie 'cause all the other movies were sold out! Oh well, it was a neat experience. But it rained a little then. Thank goodness they provided us with rain ponchos!
Saturday:
We whisked ourselves away to the Blue Mtns. We took the train to Penrith, where we picked up our rental car. Actually, renting a car here is cheaper than in the US. But, this was our first experience on the other side of the road. We were completely nervous. I had never thought that initial instincts such as wanting to stay on the right side of the road would want to take over so fast. Don't worry...I have a video of Paul's first drive :). Speed limits are weird in that they change all the time. Even on the major motorway (not highway). But...we did see kangaroos! I guess they are the equivalent of deer in the States 'cause we saw all kinds of signs for kanga crossings. Haha, we did see a few and they seem to travel in herds. Too cute. Anyway, we drove from Penrith to Wentworth Falls to eat lunch, and then on to Medlow Bath, next to the big town of Katoomba where everyone goes to see the Three Sisters rock formation...which we couldn't see 'cause it was so misty!!!!
Anyway, we stayed in a bed and breakfast in Medlow Bath called The Chalet Blue. It was very grandma-ish but really nice and our hosts were hospitable. Our room was very nice and comfortable which is all you need! Then we decided to drive to the Jenolan Caves. The drive was truly astounding. The mountains are unlike the Appalachians 'cause they are so steep and it seems one wrong slip and you are gone. The trees are huge and beautiful and we hoped to see a koala, but I guess it is very rare to see one in the wild. But we did see kangaroos in the woods! When we saw them, we stopped along the side of the road and decided to try to get as close as we could to them. Don't worry, they weren't red 'roos...those are the ones that can kill. But they let us get pretty close, closer than we have ever gotten to a roo in the zoo...haha I rhymed. Anyway, when we got to the caves, I literally gasped because the entrance is just a huge arch with a little lake in front of it. I don't think I have ever had that initial reaction to something beautiful like that in my life. I tried to get pictures but I was too late 'cause I was acting like a dope with my mouth open while Paul yelled get the camera. So, sorry. But we wanted to go on a haunted caves tour and I was really excited about it. However, we had the Australian family who would make the worst of Americans look classy. We didn't see what the woman was holding when we first started, but then we realized, she had brought her baby into the caves. The haunted caves at 8PM and the tour lasts 2 hours. I wanted to shake her. Then, we had the dad, who egged his kids on to make fun of the tour the entire time and do stupid stuff like try to play with light switches that they themselves don't know where they go. This made me not want to have children. Needless to say, I put on the Miss. All is very disappointed with you look whenever the girl would try to do something like slam her feet on the ground to make it sound like a ghost. It at least scared her away from me :). But you know, it made Americans look really good to me at that point. Anyway, nothing happened in the cave, although I was hoping for something. Although I don't necessarily believe in ghosts, I never rule out the possibility. But I will say, that Paul and I kept imagining our bed and breakfast was haunted the entire night. At least we didn't go away from it with nothing.
Sunday:
We enjoyed our breakfast at The Chalet and then went off on a couple of hikes. Yes, everything was still wet and it was still raining and after awhile, I had to take off my poncho 'cause it just didn't seem to matter anymore. The first hike we went on was near some waterfalls and they were beautiful. We couldn't do all of it 'cause it went through a river and the path was a bit rough for us, but it was nice. The next hike we did was near the Wentworth Falls and it was another awesome experience. I don't know, sometime I feel that my posts just include awesome, amazing, and fun and not enough description...it's very hard to relay the beauty of all that we see and I wish I could just have you guys with us to show you, but hey, only so much we can do. But if any of you do come, you have a place to stay in Sydney! Haha. After the falls, we had to drive back to Parramatta and drop off the car, but by far the best weekend in spite of the rain we have had. In fact, I think the rain made it better because we didn't have anybody to deal with. Few people were on the trails and it was nice just to be with nature and enjoy another side of Australia that few think about or see. Will put up pictures when I return from my run. Anyway, talk to you guys later and post some comments! We like to hear from everyone! Also, my student Catalina, give me your email address and I will email you. I have lost it. Ciao for now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
