dancing in the daintree rainforest

6am came earlier than I would have liked. Though, I suppose it always does. The sun was just peaking it's head out from above the mountains... Slow to rise, just like us.

Because of the cost, it was just Kyle and I making this adventure today. The night before we decided to go on the Billy Tea Safari for $185. Kyle had gone to a handful of travel agencies and it was agreed that this one was the best for your money. The Billy Tea custom built 4WD vehicle arrived at 6:50am and we headed north along the scenic coastal route, the Captain Cook Highway, learning about the history of the area and admiring spectacular views of the coast line and Coral Sea. The Daintree National Rainforest was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988 it was granted listing as a World Heritage List - quite the prestigious honor. There are only 936 sites in the entire world that fit this strict UNESCO criteria being of special cultural or physical significance. Of course the weather never quite being in our favor, it began to rain on our way to the first stop - the majestic Daintree River. There we had Morning Tea & Coffee before enjoying an informative guided River Cruise on the Daintree River. Majestic is the only word that might be able to adequately describe what being on this river felt like. The rain had eased up, leaving a hovering layer of clouds that only added to the serene feel of this river. With the exception of our boat, there was almost a eery silence about that made me feel as though a crocodile might jump from the waters and take a chunk out of a tourist for breaky. Sadly, we never saw one because the tide was too high. Boo. The tour guide taught us about the Estuarine Crocodiles in the river, mangrove forests and endemic wildlife.

From there we ascended the Alexandra Range and paused to take in the amazing panoramic view of the World Heritage Tropical Rainforest merging with the Coral Sea. Let me tell you, this view is breathtaking! I could have stood there for an hour and just to take in all the beauty it had to offer. We continued driving to where we could experience the rainforest intimately on a guided elevated National Park Boardwalk. Accurate interpretations of flora and fauna were given with plenty of time for photographs and questions as we looked for the elusive, rare and totally unique Southern Cassowary and other wildlife species within this particular habitat. Unfortunately, we never found one but did come across a few big lizards and toxic plants.

All of the walking worked us up an appetite and luckily lunch was the next stop in store for us. We made our way to Lync Haven, an animal refuge centre, where enjoyed a delicious gourmet barbecue lunch that included steaks, sausages, and an assortment of salads at the restaurant nearby. No, none of the animal refugees were harmed in the making of this feast. With our bellies full, we walked over to give the kangaroos their lunch and were able to get up close and personal with a handful of them. Let me tell you, those 'roos love carrots. I straight up watched one hump two people in our group!

It was an hour before we arrived at our next destination, Emmagen Creek. The swimming hole at Emmagen Creek is a popular tourist walk because there are few other safe places to swim in the Daintree lowlands (due to those crazy crocodiles). It is only a 400 meter walk upstream along the creek until you reach the deeper pools. There we took a swim and enjoyed 7 tropical fruits, indigenous to the Daintree Rainforest. Our guide also prepared the group the infamous Billy Tea which included water and tea in a bucket that is cooked over a fire and then swung around to ensure it is properly mixed. The concoction wasn't my favorite, but then again, I'm not much for tea. The fruit, on the other hand, was delicious. Dragonfruit (pitaya), sweet pineapple, papaya, sapote... My favorite of which was cherimoya, a soft white fruit that tasted very much like bubblegum.

Next stop? Cape Tribulation. What cool is that it is located within the Daintree National Park and the Wet Tropics World Heritage area, which therefore means you are standing in two places at once! We spent about 30 minutes wandering the beach there and going along this path which takes you to a lovely view of the entire Cape. On the beach, there were these strange trees that had their roots above ground. They were absolutely fascinating - I took at least 10 pictures of the trees alone. It wasn't long until the rainforest brought back the rain in it's typical rainforest fashion. Within minutes I was caught in a downpour, running back to the vehicle with my camera and phone protected underneath my shirt.

Soaking wet from the torrential downpour, we started our 2.5 hour long trek back to Cairns. Exhausted, we washed ourselves up then grabbed some dinner and drinks while waiting for Drew to arrive. The night was a tame one, for the next day we are early to arise again... Only this time, our journey takes us under the sea.

destination cairns

Wednesday night found us at The Golden Sheaf, one of east Sydney's most well-known venues located in Double Bay. We met a girl named Brittan at Tuesday's happy hour in Darling Harbour, and invited her to come out with us. Brittan is a singer originally from Colorado who's currently living in Bondi. (Funny how we all travel 8,000 miles to Australia and meet mostly Americans...) In standard form Andrea, Morgan, Drew, Kyle, TJ, and I pre-gamed at Drew's -- mixing our standard Ginger & Captain's and taking more than our fair share of "security shots" [a term I drunkenly came up with to refer to that last shot (or two) you take before going out to ensure you don't leave for the bars sober]. Naturally, we had to ensure we were extra "secure" in order to brave the storm *literally* which inevitably led to a drunken night that allowed me a whole 15 minutes of sleep before leaving to catch our flight to Cairns.

This marked the beginning of a nothing-short-of-disastrous day. When I say that I slept 15 minutes that entire day, I might be exaggerating. I quite possibly had 5 or 10, MAX. Boy did my deliriousness make for an interesting beginning to our trip. Morgan, Andrea, and I started by arriving at the Kings Cross train station just as the train was pulling away. You sure do run in to a few interesting character sitting at a train station at 4 in the morning. There was one "homie" [a term we used to refer to homeless people] who had blood shot eyes, could not formulate real sentences, and was walking with a swagger that can only be compared to a throughly intoxicated Jack Sparrow. When I say blood shot, I mean RED. Like the entire sclera was RED. Homies don't generally make me that uncomfortable but I tried my best to steer clear of this one. Problem is, he was a talker. Cue iPod and book. 16 minutes later, we were saved by the train and ventured on to the airport. Having lost those 16 minutes, we had to make up for it by making a mad dash to the gate. Harder than it may seem especially when you've only had minutes of sleep, are likely still drunk, and are carrying a large duffel bag (because we didn't want to have to pay extra to check a bag... duh). We arrive at the gate only to find out our flight has been delayed. Would have been nice to know so I could have saved myself from feeling like I was going to die! We boarded the plane and were taxiing for 30 minutes (further delayed by the massive downpour that contributed to Sydney's worse flooding in 5+ years) when we are stopped because this middle aged asian had health complications. So... that took another 45 minutes to address -- medical personel had to come on board and access the situation, the family left the plane, and it took another 20 minutes for the plane to fill out all of the paperwork. In hindsight, I feel absolutely terrible for this person but in the middle of it all, I'm not gonna lie, I was thoroughly annoyed. It took 20 more minutes for the Captain to get clearance to leave before we were able to take flight. Too delirious to read, too uncomfortable to actually sleep, too rainy to see outside, and two sleepy girls beside me... the next 2.5 hours were spent staring at the seat in front of me.

We arrived in Cairns 2.5 hours later than the anticipated arrival time, caught a cab and headed to the hotel. The cab was $24 (split 3 ways) but there's an airport shuttle option for $12 for those of you traveling alone. The hotel was booked and paid for by Kyle but everything in Australia is so lax that we were able to check in as him. However, the front desk informed us that they charge $50 for each additional person over the 2 the room was booked for so Morgan told them that she would be staying with a friend (keep in mind, there's 3 of us checking in). Being unable to contact Kyle (because he didn't have a phone) and worried that he might show up and blow our "cover", we decided to wait outside for him. 4 hours passed from the time he was supposed to arrive and we grow increasingly worried. Tired and hungry, Andrea and I decided to wander the town in search of food and to get me a cell phone. Another hour passes and we return to find that Kyle has still not arrived. A new front desk person has arrived so we decide to leave him a note at the front desk and head to our ocean view room - the one thing that seemed to work in our favor that day! When there's a knock at the door, we open it up to find Kyle (he's alive!!). Turns out his plane was delayed for 5 hours due to the flooding in Sydney. Dinner is spent at Grill'd - a chain of burger bars that sell the most delicious and healthy assortment of burgers for about $15. If you are ever in Australia and see one, I highly recommend you try it especially if you're Gluten Free. Tummy's happy and full, it was off to bed for me. Much needed rest will be required to enjoy the full day of touring the National Daintree Rainforest I had ahead of me.

to bondi and beyond

The next few days were spent exploring all that Sydney has to offer. Sunday brought the first day of (somewhat) sunny skies so the girls decided to make it a beach day and headed off to Bondi. We walked to Oxford Street and caught the overly crowed 333 bus. My was that an experience! 3 buses passed us because they were too full and when we finally boarded, it was standing room only. Granted, we weren't feeling all that swell from the night before but the muggy congestion only made matters worse. There's something about standing in a strangers armpit that only amplifies ones hangover. Overwhelmed with the experience as is, I'm convinced that the driver thought he was Indiana Jones in his 4-wheeler. I had a near death experience and found myself flying off the steps even while clutching the handle. Thankfully, Andrea grabbed my arm just in time to prevent me from flying face first into the ground. Once we arrived in Bondi, we headed to the North Bondi RSL for lunch then wandered the streets until starting the Bondi to Bronte scenic walk. This 4km walk is a must do when traveling to Sydney and apparently no one has missed the memo because, even on an overcast day, it was packed. The walk is absolutely gorgeous! The unique rock formations and picturesque views are simply stunning - a photographers heaven. We stopped just short of Waverley Cemetery in South Bronte as it started to rain and caught the bus back to Kings Cross.

The following day we met up with Jeff (the guy Morgan and Andrea were initially staying with) and his British friend TJ. We walked through the CBD (Central Business District) before grabbing lunch and a cider at Australian Hotel. We snapped a few photos while wandering through Walsh Bay and stopped for our first beer at Lord Nelsons. We traveled over to Darling Harbor on a mission to find this spiral fountain located near the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (venue of the 2000 Summer Olympics). The girls played tourist and took pictures over the Pyrmont Bridge and through the Harborside shopping centre until we reached fountain. Meanwhile, the boys began a bar crawl that may have marked the beginning of the end for all of us. A casual beer and cider drinking day turned into sake bombs with dinner which then turned into full fledged vodka shots back at TJ's house along Darling Harbor. The debauchery ensued into a quick dip in the hot tub, sauna lounge, and a "unique" photo sesh.

The night before provided us with quite the hangover (the bottle of vodka was totally necessary, of course) but it was the day that Kyle arrived so Drew and I joined him in a walk around the city. Beginning in Kings Cross, we worked our way through Wooloomooloo and saw Russell Crowe's place on the harbor. There's a beautiful little walk that continues on from there with views of the Opera House and the Harbor bridge and continues on through the Botanical Gardens. The botanical gardens in Sydney are among the best I've seen! So plush and well manicured with the most beautiful trees and sculptures. It is the perfect place for an afternoon nap. You will see heaps (Aussie word!) of people just sitting there reading and taking in all that this lovely garden has to offer. One drawback is that massive amounts of spiders that have made the gardens their humble abode. I was too busy being petrified of the spiders to even notice the colonies of bats Drew had pointed out to me. We meandered through the rest of the gardens until we reached the Opera House. Let me tell you, this thing is massive. You can't help but pause for a moment to take in all of the architectural beauty that the Sydney Opera House exhibits. Now comes the history lesson: A design competition was launched by New South Wales Premier Joseph Cahill in 1955 and received 233 entries, representing architects from 32 countries. The criteria specified a large hall seating 3,000 and a small hall for 1,200 people, each to be designed for different uses, including full-scale operas, orchestral and choral concerts, mass meetings, lectures, ballet performances and other presentations. The winner, announced in 1957, was Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect. According to legend the Utzon design was rescued from a final cut of 30 "rejects" by the noted Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. The prize was £5,000. Utzon left the project in February 1966. He said that Hughes's refusal to pay him any fees and the lack of collaboration caused his resignation. In March 1966, Hughes offered him a subordinate role as "design architect" under a panel of executive architects, without any supervisory powers over the House's construction, but Utzon rejected this and left the country never to return. The Opera House was formally completed in 1973, having cost $102 million. The original cost estimate in 1957 was $7 million. The original completion date set by the government was January 26, 1963 (Australia Day). Thus, the project was completed ten years late and over-budget by more than fourteen times.

Feeling tired and needing to rest our feet, we stopped at Opera Bar for a beer (little hair of the dog never hurt anyone) before continuing on through the touristy area of Circular Quay. Circular Quay is filled with entertainment ranging from aboriginal artwork to people playing the didgeridoo to performers standing on bicycles juggling a saw in the air. From there, we meandered on through the Rocks and headed back home for what began our traditional Tuesday night: Doughboy pizza, Messina gelato, and a movie. Culinary heaven!

hello sydney!

If it is at all possible to be in love with a city, Sydney would be my soulmate. The city is extraordinary! The culture, the people, the scenery... Ahhhhh :) The lifestyle here is one I could definitely see myself living. It's San Diego on steroids. Everyone is attractive, bronzed and friendly. It is a commonality to see professionals running to and from their job with backpacks carrying their work clothes. Sydney gives new meaning to the expression "it's 5 o'clock somewhere". Nearly every bar is packed with young professionals enjoying a happy hour cocktail after work. The social atmosphere makes it possible, if not probable, of interacting with almost anyone in attendance. After being here for only 2 days, I already felt like I belonged. I have had instant immersion into the life of a 20 something year old of Sydney and I couldn't be more happy.

I'm not gonna lie. The weather here has sucked. All of the rainy and dreary weather could have put a damper on my days... However, this isn't my first rodeo and I know better than to allow some bad weather to rain on my parade. I hope you're following my literary puns. Of course it doesn't help to hear from every other person that this is the first summer in years that it has been like this. One thing I can't complain about is my accommodations. For starters, it's free. And secondly, it has the most amazing panoramic view of the city. The place belongs to our friend Drew who has been stationed in Sydney through the Navy for the past two years. His place is located on the Kings Cross/Potts Point border. Kings Cross is known as Sydney's "Red Light District" and let me tell you, there are some shady happenings around these parts. However, Potts Point is just down Darlinghurst Road and is a much nicer suburb. Morgan and Andrea were set up with Drew through mutual friends and had been staying with him the week prior to my arrival. Of course this world tends to be much smaller than it seems, so Drew and I have a handful of friends in common as well. Side note: Can I take a moment to say how much I LOVE how this continues to happen to me? How small the world can actually be (when it works out in your favor, of course) is my favorite! The four of us have taken to referring to ourselves as "the four best friends that anyone could have" and it couldn't be a more fitting title. The dynamic between the four of us is nothing short of amazing and I probably owe it to them for making Sydney feel like home within this short amount of time.

It didn't take long for me to get acquainted with Sydney's nightlife. My first night here we went to Opera Bar, Establishment, and Ivy. My favorite of which had to have been "Opera Bar" simply because it is located right next to the iconic Sydney Opera House. The following night we went to a Bar Luca for happy hour -- a quaint and contemporary bar found in the CBD (Central Business District). We continued on to Beresford Hotel where shots and champagne were ordered and then to a girl named Katrina's house for "after-party" drinks. Turns out, we played it a little too hard Friday night so Saturday was spent lounging on the couch being hungover. Thankfully, it was an awful looking day outside so none of us felt like we were missing out on something outside the confines of our "residence". Consiquently, Saturday turned out to be one of the best and most laughter-filled days I've had in a looooong time.

Included in my first weekend in Sydney was the nationally acclaimed Mardi Gras parade/festival. Sydney practices an extreme amount of tolerance and pride with their gay, lesbian, and trans-gender culture which mirrors only that of San Francisco. Yes, I have seen my fair share of gay pride parades but nothing that has compared to Sydney's Mardi Gras. To be honest, I was overwhelmed. It was one huge party filled with hundreds of thousands of people... Most of them drunk and dressed in overly flamboyant costumes. Within minutes, the four of us were swarmed by groups of drunken gays just wanting to take pictures and give us hugs. Even after having a solid pre-party of our own, these party-goers were so intense that it made me feel sober. People travel from all over just to witness this parade. With nearly 10,000 participants and over 300,000 onlookers, it's easy to see how Mardi Gras is New South Wales’ second-largest event in terms of economic impact.

I hear that Sydney is known for its "good eats" but to be honest, I haven't much broadened my horizons past pizza, thai food, and sushi. Sydney is an expensive city and those three meals choices tend to be the most delicious for the least amount of money. However, I have been to a few local bakery's and cafes that have made quite tasty sandwiches and breakfast. Truthfully, most of my money has gone towards drinks; for unless it's happy hour, the price of a drink can be as much as one at any swanky club in the states.

Fingers crossed that the weather gets better and the drinks get cheaper! ;) 'till next time...