3/8/02 Sydney, Australia
(phillip)
Check that out! Two journal entries in a row, I'm getting better! Kelly's off at the IMAX with Jessie and co. so I'm taking some quiet time to myself. Of course, being me I couldn't resist checking email :)
The last few days in Sydney have continued to be exciting and action packed. We spent yesterday at Olympic Park, the home of the 2000 games. Olympic Park is really something to see, our plan was to tour the main stadium and swim in the olympic pool. As always with Kelly and myself it didn't go quite to plan! The Sydney bus drivers were still on strike yesterday so we caught a cab to the nearest train station followed by another 2 trains to Olympic Park. There was a ferry that took you almost directly there except it is supposed to be met by a bus for the final 3km of the journey (also on strike).
When we arrived at the park it was quite a sight. The stadiums are very imposing but quite honestly the first thing I noticed was how empty the place was. We ended up buying a 'Superpass' which gave us guided tours of the Aquatic Center and the Stadium and a trip up to the top of the hotel for a birds-eye view. The Aquatic Center tour was actually pretty good, explained why the pool was such a success etc... We didn't have time to swim just then and we rushed off to the next tour planning on returning. The Stadium tour was a bit longer and took you through the VIP suites and underground tunnels. Explaining how each was used during the games and now for sporting events. The stadium is really technologically interesting, it can change from a rectanglular field to a round one (for cricket) by pushing a button and the stands slide back. Very cool!
Finally we returned to the Aquatic Center to swim only to discover that it was now overflowing with teenagers in swim class. There was an amzing amount of them in all 3 major pools so we opted to pass on the swim. I was getting ready to go row in the harbour anyway.
Kel and I parted ways so I could head over to the Sydney rowing club to meet my brothers friend Michael. The row was great. There was a lightning storm brewing off behind us so as we rowed we were entertained with the bolts of lightning over the Sydney skyline. The row had everything from flat water to whitecaps and from us rowing well to rowing like it was our first time! We rowed a pair (for you rowers) which is a very difficult boat to row but somehow we stayed upright. By the end of the row my hands were blistered and bleeding, always a sign of a good row! I'm still amazed that nomatter where you are in the world you can get a row. Michael dropped me back off in Coogee Beach (10pmish) and we all watched 'Best in Show'.
Today Kelly is off watching an IMAX with the girls. I've actually already seen the movie and I think it was about time for an alone day anyway. I'm sure Kelly gets the same concerned emails as I do questioing how we're surviving each other. From my perspective it's going okay, certainly there's ups and downs. Ironically the time we got along perhaps best was the camper van, which was also the most intense period of time we spent with each other. Perhaps it was the fact that we both made extra efforts because of the closed environment. Quite honestly I think it was the fact that we were on our own for the entire time and didn't have other people being a part of our group, if that makes sense.
Things seem to be falling into place to meet Jesse in Bangkok in 4 days. We fly to Singapore tomorrow morning and our first task is to try and book a flight to Bangkok. Jesse will only be there for another 10 days or so and therefore it's a bit of a rush to make things fall into place. Since we have no address nor arrival date you can understand the difficulty in trying to plan to meet someone! However, it'll all work out and hopefully we'll head off trekking to Laos.
Kel and I also started looking into guided tours of Southern Africa
figuring it might be a safer way to go. We're still no closer to finding a suitable tour but it's given us lots of ideas.
Okay I'm off to read about Singapore, Kelly seems to figure that since she's been there before there's no need for her to read, apparently I don't have that benefit :)
Posted by Admin at March 7, 2002 05:50 PM