so you know that old bromide about moving away to another country if a particular party/candidate wins the election? well, I must admit that I use it all the time, probably too much and disingenuously at that. anyway, the countries that I choose for this fantasy have been New Zealand or Australia... because Canada is too cold. Also, I took a trip (Korean tour) of the lands down under (+Fiji) in med school with my family, and just loved it. so when the hubs and I were debating where to go for our two week vacation (to celebrate end of residency, finishing boards, pre-move to SoCal, etc...), I was more than willing to go see Australia again.
I'm happy to say that I would indeed move to Australia, irregardless of whatever potentially disastrous political turn this country makes, because it is, quite simply, awesome.
But you know what's not awesome? Trying to write a travel journal > 4 weeks after the actual trip. As jazzed as I am/was about our travels, the further out I get, the less inclined/motivated I am to document things to the level of detail I would like to maintain in order to evocatively memorialize all of the fabulous moments we experienced. Yes, I do hope to look back on this blog in 10+ years, using the holographic display embedded into my retinas ("Google Retina"), and somehow be transported back in time and space by nothing more than my highly specific words. So, that isn't going to happen... and by "that", I'm referring to my words, as I'm very confident that Google has such a thing in the works. (note to self, blog in real time! face palm.) Instead, I present- my hodge podge impressions.
Our first few days in Oz, back in mid-September, were spent in Sydney, New South Wales. It is a gorgeous, sprawling city with tendrils splayed out over its many-fingered harbor. Our hotel was off of Campbell Street in the Haymarket/Chinatown neighborhood, so we had a chance to really explore and eat our way through Sydney starting there. Some highlights: sitting in on a parliamentary session at the NSW Parliament and appreciating the refreshing repartee that comes with a Westminster system of government. Walking everywhere - along Darling Harbour, through the Royal Botanic Gardens whilst visiting museums and monuments, up to the Rocks, down through the suburbs of Surry Hills, amidst tranquil waterfalls and pagodas in the Chinese Garden of Friendship. The stunning vistas from Taronga Zoo across the harbor. Haute Australian cuisine with a view of the harbor at Quay Restaurant. Beautiful historic buildings passing as malls, crammed with little boutiques and shops. Gigantic serpentine malls with entire floors of unique culinary options passing for food courts.
I really could wax rhapsodic about the food, or at least attempt to convey the depth of my feeling about our culinary experience with these paltry words. Our very first taste of Australia- fresh, buttery, flaky roti with succulent satay. The ice cream jackpot of goodness beneath a brulée-d shell that is Peter Gilmore's snow egg. Steamy, pillowy fresh chicken bao. A hot dog elevated to something else entirely (something BETTER) with mushy peas and mashed potatoes. Lychee gelato, practically sparkling on my tongue. Scrambled eggs as I have never had them before, transformed into silken richness on a fork at bills restaurant. And those are just the food memories from Sydney.
Cairns was a great base from which to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the surrounding rainforest. There is such a diversity of experience within the vast continent that is Australia, which was exemplified with our range of activities over the two days we spent in Cairns- one day we explored the reefs, snorkeling and hanging out on one of the many islands dotted across the Reef. The other day, we hiked in a rainforest and rode an army duck (amphibious giant jeep) through a river, with nary an ocean wave in sight.
I realized something whilst snorkeling- I am scared of the ocean. Despite being a fair swimmer, I asked for a life jacket and also clung desperately to the life preserver ring that our guide towed behind him. There was something very reassuring about bobbing close enough to the ring to be smacked in the skull occasionally while looking down at the reefs. I hope to someday push back against this fear- I think it's a little too ambitious to say I will overcome it entirely- and try scuba diving. Or even just snorkeling without a jacket! I do also need to learn how to use fins appropriately. Half the time I was froglegging it, and the other half slapping my fins ineffectually atop the water. So maybe I exaggerate when I say I'm a "fair" swimmer - heh. All of that being said, there was no greater distraction for my aquatic incompetence and fear than the teeming abundant life of the reef.
Thoughts about Melbourne and Brisbane to come...
I'm happy to say that I would indeed move to Australia, irregardless of whatever potentially disastrous political turn this country makes, because it is, quite simply, awesome.
But you know what's not awesome? Trying to write a travel journal > 4 weeks after the actual trip. As jazzed as I am/was about our travels, the further out I get, the less inclined/motivated I am to document things to the level of detail I would like to maintain in order to evocatively memorialize all of the fabulous moments we experienced. Yes, I do hope to look back on this blog in 10+ years, using the holographic display embedded into my retinas ("Google Retina"), and somehow be transported back in time and space by nothing more than my highly specific words. So, that isn't going to happen... and by "that", I'm referring to my words, as I'm very confident that Google has such a thing in the works. (note to self, blog in real time! face palm.) Instead, I present- my hodge podge impressions.
Our first few days in Oz, back in mid-September, were spent in Sydney, New South Wales. It is a gorgeous, sprawling city with tendrils splayed out over its many-fingered harbor. Our hotel was off of Campbell Street in the Haymarket/Chinatown neighborhood, so we had a chance to really explore and eat our way through Sydney starting there. Some highlights: sitting in on a parliamentary session at the NSW Parliament and appreciating the refreshing repartee that comes with a Westminster system of government. Walking everywhere - along Darling Harbour, through the Royal Botanic Gardens whilst visiting museums and monuments, up to the Rocks, down through the suburbs of Surry Hills, amidst tranquil waterfalls and pagodas in the Chinese Garden of Friendship. The stunning vistas from Taronga Zoo across the harbor. Haute Australian cuisine with a view of the harbor at Quay Restaurant. Beautiful historic buildings passing as malls, crammed with little boutiques and shops. Gigantic serpentine malls with entire floors of unique culinary options passing for food courts.
I really could wax rhapsodic about the food, or at least attempt to convey the depth of my feeling about our culinary experience with these paltry words. Our very first taste of Australia- fresh, buttery, flaky roti with succulent satay. The ice cream jackpot of goodness beneath a brulée-d shell that is Peter Gilmore's snow egg. Steamy, pillowy fresh chicken bao. A hot dog elevated to something else entirely (something BETTER) with mushy peas and mashed potatoes. Lychee gelato, practically sparkling on my tongue. Scrambled eggs as I have never had them before, transformed into silken richness on a fork at bills restaurant. And those are just the food memories from Sydney.
Cairns was a great base from which to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the surrounding rainforest. There is such a diversity of experience within the vast continent that is Australia, which was exemplified with our range of activities over the two days we spent in Cairns- one day we explored the reefs, snorkeling and hanging out on one of the many islands dotted across the Reef. The other day, we hiked in a rainforest and rode an army duck (amphibious giant jeep) through a river, with nary an ocean wave in sight.
I realized something whilst snorkeling- I am scared of the ocean. Despite being a fair swimmer, I asked for a life jacket and also clung desperately to the life preserver ring that our guide towed behind him. There was something very reassuring about bobbing close enough to the ring to be smacked in the skull occasionally while looking down at the reefs. I hope to someday push back against this fear- I think it's a little too ambitious to say I will overcome it entirely- and try scuba diving. Or even just snorkeling without a jacket! I do also need to learn how to use fins appropriately. Half the time I was froglegging it, and the other half slapping my fins ineffectually atop the water. So maybe I exaggerate when I say I'm a "fair" swimmer - heh. All of that being said, there was no greater distraction for my aquatic incompetence and fear than the teeming abundant life of the reef.
Thoughts about Melbourne and Brisbane to come...
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