I'm finally making some timeline commitments. I am hearing from different folks that some of my choices of destinations may find me overstaying the locations ability to entertain me. Currently my stays in New Zealand and Singapore may be shortened. New Zealand is kind of like a long drive up the eastern seaboard in the States. Personally I have never done it as just thinking about the drive makes me queasy/car sick/ nauseous. And my resources are also advising that although Singapore is a shoppers/foodies paradise that the rest can be done in about 3 days to a week at the max. So flexibility will be key once I arrive to see if I find the local doings to my liking. We'll see.
Well I have to apologize to one and all for misquoting the weather reports over the last few days. Apparently I am way off on my Celsius to Fahrenheit conversions done in my head and not on my I-phone conversion program. AU is experiencing a heat wave....even for AU. While back home the chill in in the air with ice/snow (4-6 inches) in Dallas and freezing in Houston) Au temps are in the 40's C which is around 104 and today topped out at 42C which is 107. You would think the people here had never lived thru a hot summer. Maybe it's the fact that there are no true Australians here....they must have gone to a cooler climate to escape the heat...hmmm i wonder who tipped them off? I am trying to recall a location where the climate/heat/sun intensity was so brutal? Nowhere comes to mind. I like the sun and the coastal areas where sun/sea all come together. I guess it is the walking/hiking around that is making everyone a little grumpy?
Things to do while it is scorching outdoors is the visit a Museum that was on your list for a rainy day but a day when the sun intensity basically makes your skin sizzle after just a few minutes of expose definitely moves onto the to do list. So I was walking down the path on the side of the hostel on my way to the harbour and just one steep set of stairs you end up at the Susanne Museum and beneath that after another steep set of stairs (no aerobic classes required in Australia/traveling) was a door that led to a public because I asked property/deed/genealogy research room. guess I need to explain that the city of Sydney was originally populated by criminal shipped from England way back in the day due to prison overcrowding. So the different parts of the city have historical significance based on the ingenuity of these said criminals to make a life for themselves. Some were builders so they built up certain areas, some were fishermen so they migrated to the harbour and became boat captains and sea merchants. The history as told is that these criminals were not necessary in jail environments but literally just dumped on the island and made to fend for themselves. Many succeeded and well some not so much.
The district of the Rocks was named as it literally was built on the rocks that slope up from the harbour. It is a steady climb upward, stairs are steep, roads are steep, walkers are breathless and the cars are spewing carcinogens. I had to purchase a small cheap 2 wheel dolly as the roller bag I started with has blown a wheel and any further continued dragging of the bag will result in my belongings falling out onto the street. While at Paddy's market for fruit/veggie shopping I priced a new roller bag and for a mere $20 I can get a mid sized roller bag that will still allow me to carry on rather than check bags. I have already determined that by over packing I have almost cripples my ability to remain flexible and in motion. I refuse to go the backpacker route as that means I have to carry/lug/become a human mule/camel/beast of burden which at this early stage of my traveling I refuse to lower myself. I also have big aspirations to lower my carbon footprint to just a backpack. Yeah a small sling on my shoulder backpack. DREAMER!!!! The having more clothes that you are wearing and planning for a cold snap that may not happen for several months based on future travel destinations is becoming more clear to my psyche of ridiculous things people do. (ie: eat noodles, drink beer, surf, while complaining about job searches that have not been begun).....pet peeve but I'm over it. Better them than me.
I've met some great people, Robert is a 25 year old from LA...USA, USA, USA and we talked for almost 2 hours about job searches, interview skills, knowing the answers and embellishing them without lying to ensure your interview stands out from the 70-100 candidates who have applied for the one (1) job opening at a position that does not entail, dishwasher, bartender, vegetable picker, housekeeper. It was fun to share my tenured history of experience with someone who seemed interested. (No good bottle of wine involved) It was 10:30am awaiting out room assignments.
Tomorrow I will follow the church bells over to St Mary's for the high Mass. It is quite an impressive place and I'll try to listen to the sermon as well. I intend to locate one of the small theatre playhouses as on Monday night seats are 1/2 price an hour before the show. I'm going early to snag a cheap seat. I will also be purchasing my travel pass for the week so I can head out t some of the distant regions and day trip my week away.
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