Bonding With My Bondi Family

Days 447-454, February 17-24, 2012

After a couple days with Steve at  the extremely posh hotel, I was kicked to the curb. Well, not really. Steve’s boyfriend Matthew was coming to Sydney and they wanted a little privacy. And since I’m not really a voyeur, nor are they exhibitionists, I left to find a new place to stay.

Luckily Australia seems to be the one area of the world where I have no limit to the number of people I know who are willing to offer a place for me to see. This time was no different. Back in December of 2010, I had met the lovely Carnegie family in Cuzco, Peru. I had stayed in contact with them throughout my trip and when it became known that I would be in Sydney, they hooked me up with their friend Paula whom they had met years ago in India.

Lorikeets on Paula’s deck

A Sunny Day in Sydney

Days 445-446, February 15-16, 2012

The distance between Canberra and Sydney is only about 4 hours, so even though there is no train between the two cities, the trip doesn’t feel all that bad. During the bus ride, I ended up befriending a girl seated beside me long enough to get her to let me borrow her laptop so I could work on a few blog posts. The plan for being back in Sydney was pretty simple: meet back up with Steve who would be in town for work.

And because he works for a large company, his hotel room was being paid for. A two bed room overlooking the famous Hyde Park in the Sheraton On The Park Hotel. Cost: AUD$390/night.

Holy hell.

My room – photo via Sheraton.com

Last Weekend in Melbourne

Days 441-442, February 11-12, 2012

So with my initial depression, for the most part, sedated, I finally got myself out to explore some more of Melbourne. This would be my last weekend in the city and I didn’t want to leave without seeing a bit more of it, as well as seeing friends before I took off for Canberra.

Those that know me really well would not be surprised at the type of weekend I had. Low key, non-drunk, and full of board games. I don’t change all that much, do I?

Southern Cross Station

The Theft

There’s something you should know about Australia. Regardless of the fact that it is a mecca for backpackers from around the world. Regardless of the fact that the country seems to cater to this particular segment of the tourism industry with hostel chains, backpacker packages on buses, and deals galore, the country is still taking financial advantage of us.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the country. The people are great, the men are hot, and the accents are to die for. And while I know that in the end, it came down to a slight lapse of judgment on my part, I’m still putting a lot of the blame for putting me in that situation on Australia’s blatant gauging.

Because if you’re a backpacker, on a tight budget, paying $30+ for a dorm room bed, and the hostel is still charging $10+ for a couple hours of internet, what would you do?

Pulling a Survivor Twist on Stevivor

Day 434, February 4, 2011.

The overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne was not too bad considering I just had a seat and not a bed. I got lucky that for the most part because the seat beside me was empty for most of the journey so I was able to stretch out a bit. That doesn’t mean I got much in the way of sleep, but it was better than nothing.

Southern Cross Station, Melbourne (img via Wikimedia)

After arriving at the Melbourne Train Station downtown, I hopped one of the infamous Melbourne trams to the suburb of Richmond where the hostel I had booked was located. Once I was settled, the behind-the-scenes manoeuvring began to take shape.

Travelodge Christmas Party . . . In Spain

The Following takes place on Days 168-169, May 14-15, 2011

I still can’t believe that I managed to pack up my bag the night before considering how drunk I was. The whole group from the Lagos Escape Hostel had gone out for a mini pub crawl(except for Alberta as evidenced from the picture in the last post). I knew I had a 6:30am bus. I knew. So why did I allow myself to keep taking shots or drinks?

At least I had the mind to think about packing halfway through the crawl. I literally got up from one bar, walked back to the hostel, packed, then walked back to the pub crawl. I barely slept that night. It made for a very interesting bus ride.