Sydney, The Second Half

Today marks one week since I've been in the fabulous city of Sydney, Australia. I was supposed to be shipping out today, but plans have changed. See, this is what I'm talking about, I love this traveling by myself thing. I found some more things to do in Sydney and just like that, I'm staying for a few more days. Although it will make the remainder of the trip a little tight, but still do-able.

Bob Ross in Oz?

The last few days in Sydney have been a mix of typical tourist blah-ness and little more off-the-beaten-path fun. Tuesday I spent a leisurely afternoon walking around the Art Museum of Sydney. Although it boasted some well-known painters (the old guys) it had many unknown (to me) Australian artists from back in the day. Not that I find this type of art particularly interesting, the colonial type of art frankly bores me, but I found myself looking at the paintings differently. I was looking at shapes, perspective, light, color combination, highlighting... what? I used to walk through art museums and think "I like those colors" or "Wow, that guy did a good job making that house look like a house." But now, after I have seen what goes into making a painting firsthand, I'm looking at art as an artist.

Not that I can claim the works that Luke and I produced as "art," that's for the buyer to decide, but I feel that we (I) did a pretty great job. I enjoyed the experience so much that I think I may attempt some solo painting of my own back home, sometime, when I have time after my long days spent trying to hastily find a job to put money back in the bank account. (Hint, hint for all those whose companies may be hiring...)

I guess you can say, while in Africa, of all places, I got in touch with my inner Bob Ross, I mean artist. (I think I'm developing an obsession...) Look for original "Lind" works coming your way soon!

The Top of the Coat Hanger

Wednesday morning I had the privelage of participating in argueably Sydney's biggest tourist attraction, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge. If you didn't know, one of the big things to do in Sydney is to take a climb up the bridge, with a professional tour group, and soak in all the vistas the height has to offer. Its not a small venture.

I looked into doing this when I got here and was turned off by the price, its not cheap. In fact, it costs as much as my hostel did for a five nights stay. Friends of mine back home, the Rigters, had traveled here to Australia a few years ago. They gave me great advice on things to do and see and they highly suggested doing the bridge climb. I mentioned to them that is was slightly out of a backpacker's price range and, feeling that I shouldn't miss out on this great opportunity, they offered to buy the climb for me as a present for my trip. I was unable to refuse this generous offer, of course, and accepted their gift.

The climb proved to be a truely one-of-a-kind experience! I chose an early climb, 8:15 am, as to avoid crowds and keep clear skies. When I arrived, me and 11 other people were put in a "debreifing" room. This is where we signed our life away, got an update of conditions on top of the bridge and, oh yeah, got a breath-a-lizer test! Yes, I had to blow! (It came out clean guys, come on...) Its mandatory to take a breathalizer test for this event. I guess they are serious about not having some drunken fool up on the bridge and plumeting into the harbor, although you are strapped in with more reinforcements than an air force pilot.

After "debfreifing," you and your group go to the next room. This is the room where everyone gets assigned a spiffy gray and blue jump suit to wear over you clothes. Yes, a jump suit, think flight suit, space shuttle style, sexy! Not really, they wouldn't even flatter Gieselle. After we put on our flight suits, we move on to the next station: equiptment, and you apparently need some serious equiptment to climb up the Sydney Harbor Bridge. You get a thick waist strap with some connectors on it and your "life support," a piece of equiptment that attaches to a cable that follows the walkway on the bridge. After your harnesses, you get the goodies: beanies, hats, sunglass holders, hankercheifs, fleeces, anything that they think you could possible need while up on top of that bridge for an hour and a half. They catch is, everything is clasped to you in one way or another, either on you belt, on you wrist or on your jump suit. Are we going to Mars or the top of the bridge?

After the goodies, its time to get linked with Houston. We get assigned radios that fit into our belts and head sets that use the same technology that the military uses to communicate with, something about bone vibrating... I'm not sure. All I know is that after I had all this "equiptment" hanging off of me, and our group exited out the building, I felt like I was part of the scene in Armagedeon where the "astronauts" are walking out on the tarmac towards the shuttle. Did we really need all of this stuff just to climp to the top of the bridge? I mean, I jumped off one and all I needed was some rope, a carabineer and a prayer!

We manage to get "comfortable" in our new garb and made our way to the bridge. We hooked in to the cable that runs along the bridge and we were off to the summit. Along the way, we got some touristy tid-bits of info, through our sheek military grade headphones about Sydney, the bridge and some of their history. We were still under the bridge at this point, just getting our fill of Sydney history when my declassified military technology that was supposed to be vibrating something in my ears was vibrating some bone in my head and giving me a headache. I looked down at myself dressed in this half-assed-version of an astronaut suit that was about 3 inches too short for my legs and made me look like I should have been in some sort of facility for mental patients and just had to laugh, I felt ridiculous! But, I was having a good time.

To get to the top, you must walk a few cat walks and climb a few ladders. On ladder number 2, you pop up inbetween the eight lanes of traffic on the bridge, in plain view of every Australian commuter that decided to cross the bridge that day. Talk about feeling like a tourist. I was betting that every Sydney-sider that crosses the bridge on a daily basis got their morning kicks by laughing at the tourist hiking their asses up that bridge. Once you ascend all the ladders, constantly hooked in, constantly being supervised, you reach the actual arch of the bridge. Finally, a view of Sydney, and its worth all the silly hokie-ness of the jump suits. You could see for miles, from ocean to mountains. It was magnificent.

After some more Sydney knowledge and a few pictures taken by our guide (personal cameras were not allowed, imagine my disappointment!) we crossed the summit and came back down the other side. After about 2 hours, we were back at headquarters to end our mission. We shed headphones, harnesses, hankies and eventually those god-awful jumpsuits. Where's the decompression tank?

We collected our photos and certificates from our trusty guide, because without him, we would have never made it over that bridge. Well, I can't give him all the credit, I think maybe Houston had something to do with it too.

Although I thought some of the precautions were unnecessary, and the jump suits could have been a little more flattering (I mean, at least a two-piece suit, come on guys...) I really did enjoy myself. Once you got over how ridiculous you looked and realized everyone else felt the same way, you just laughed and had a good time.

A world away right down the street

Through the magic of friends and travel, I had managed to sign myself up for a blind-rendezvous with a friend of a friend here in Sydney. My friend Jared is well traveled and during one of his many adventures across the globe, he met a fun Aussie named Scott. Jared dropped him an email trying to get me some advice on what to do and see while here and Scott and I finally got in touch. I figured a friend of Jared's is a friend of mine and I met up with Scott for a drink. It was fun to hang out and talk with a real Australian, as I've been around mostly other travelers here in the hostel. I got some more good advice and got to see another side of town that I would have never know to venture into. Thanks for the hook up Jared and thanks for a fun night Scott!

Can eucalyptus get you drunk?

Today is Thursday, one of my extension days, and I decided to venture out of the city and see the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are about 45 minutes outside of Sydney and are accesable by car, train, or tour bus. I found a really cool eco tour full of sights and hikes and took that route to the mountains. Our group for the day ended up consisting of only four people, all American, and a tour guide. There was an older couple from Colorado and a med-student from El Paso. What are the odds?

We left Sydney early, at about 8 this morning. Only 30 minutes outside of the city the mountains come into view at the horizon. They arn't particularly high mountains, I think only about 5,000 feet or so at their highest, but they are old and full of gorges carved out by rivers and streams. Our first hike was down into one of those gorges, called The Grand Canyon of Australia. We decended over 250 meters in only a short while and went from dry eucalyptus forests at the top of the trail to lush damp swamp lands, full of ferns, at the bottom of the canyon. It was truely amazing how quickly the landscape changed. And it was gorgeous! The rock formations surrounding us were incredible, unlike any I have ever seen before. We followed along a small stream that had carved out the rock through the millenieum. At some points the stream was 50 feet below the trail and hidden in a narrow gully somewhere underneath us and at other points it was above us dripping down over small waterfalls. There was evidence of rock climbers and repellers all around us. The landscape was truely magnificent.

We stopped for a quick lunch and some rest near the lowest point of the canyon. Its was all downhill until this point. Only one way out, up, way up. Wow, the calves are feeling it now! But all the hard work was worth it once you reached the summit and saw the views. Breathtaking. It really is The Grand Canyon of Australia.

We drove to another location for another short decline into another valley. This time it was to view The Three Sisters, a famous rock formation in The Jamieson Valley. At the bottom of a rather long and steep set of stairs, we arrived at an old coal mine. This was to be our way back to the top, not through the mine, but up the old mine car tracks. The World's Steepest Railroad runs up the side of The Jamieson Valley, and they have turned it into something close to a rollercoaster. The ride is short but I believe it climbs the mountain at about a 50 degree angle. It starts you off on you back and as you ascend, you lean foward until you are sitting straight up. Twenty seconds of speeding up to the top on an old coal car track through natural tunnels of pitch black darkness is a fun way to end a strenuous day of sightseeing.

Heading North to Summer?

Today is Friday and my last day in Sydney. I fly north to Byron Bay tomorrow afternoon ---> SURF!!! I'm so excited to get to the beach! I'm going to chill out there for a few days and then its on to Brisbane for one night. After that, Fraser Island for an overnight tour of the island. Then I fly out from Brisbane to Cairns for the rainforest and the reef. I decided to fly versus taking the bus because I'm running out of time! The east coast of Australia is roughly the same size as the east coast of the US, so drive times are LONG... and plane fares were roughly the same as bus fares. You do the math.

I'm excited to go north to the beaches but also a little sad to leave Sydney. I've been here for 8 days and have grown kind of fond of the area, the hostel and the kids in it! Its been fun here. I've gotten some great advice from lots of different people, money saving advice, the best kind. I'll be back in Sydney on the 1st of November for one night before I fly out to Santiago. One final hurrah.

Next blog will be from Byron Bay. Ahhh...surf...

Linds