More of everything please!

Except the rain actually. I would be happy with the rain staying the way it is or going away all together (of course some sun would be wonderful, but I am not going to be too picky). But please more of the best espresso (every.single.time), old churches, more wonderful pubs, more local beer I have never tried, more drag queens and gay bars, more breathtaking scenery and more fascinating people! Yes, please.
*Apologies in advance for the long post, but so much has happened since the last time!*

So let's see, I left you all on my way out to adventure on Thursday. I hopped on the free shuttle down to Circular Quay which is the wharfs between the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge, so stunning views of course. I wandered over to The Rocks for lunch, which is by far my favorite neighborhood in Sydney! Cobbled streets, brick buildings, sidewalk seating at every cafe and all sorts of adorable shops. I stopped for a pint at Triumph of War, the oldest pub in Sydney, before heading to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The MCA was...ummm...interesting. I really have no idea how to even describe this place. Let me attempt: imagine a drunk person grabs some rubber cement and a bunch of random household objects and goes to town! Alright, that kind of works, but is also mean, so apologies, let's move on.

My two English roommates, Seb and Daniel, had invited me to join them for a drink that night, so after walking back across town to the hostel and showering, I ventured out into the intense rainstorm to meet up with them at Opera Bar. They were meeting up with a friend from home, Rob, who now lives in Sydney and we drank pints underneath the magnificently lit up Opera House. For sure the Opera House during the day pales in comparison to how it looks at night. Rob had a friend who was a chef at a place called Spice Temple and offered to cover the food if we covered the drinks, which sounded like a good trade, so we agreed. We take a cab to the central part of town, enter an unmarked door and descend down a candlelit staircase to a very fancy contemporary Chinese food place. We ate some of the most decadent food, such as lamb pancakes and the best and most spicy chicken wings I have ever had! You order cocktails by the year you were born, so they coincide with the Chinese calendar. The Dog was a gin and sparking wine, The Rooster was guava juice and some other kind of deliciousness, The Pig was a twist on a mojito, etc. Seb and Daniel left early the next morning which made me sad, but I am sure I will be in touch with them soon. I always need more people to visit in England!

Friday morning I hopped on a bus over to one of the outlying suburbs of Sydney. My dad’s good friend John lives in Sydney and unfortunately John was out of town, but I met up with his wife Angie and their daughter Lucy for a tour of their adorable suburb filled with old houses with iron gates and intricate gratings on the windows. I completely fell in love with Lucy’s 10 month old son, Pepe Ninja (coolest name ever!), who had bright red hair and bright blue eyes and made me a bit homesick for Simon.
Friday night I met up with Timmy’s friend Jackson, whom Timmy met last time he was in Sydney when Jackson heroically saved him from some unwanted advances in a Darlinghurst bar. Darlinghurst is a wonderfully vibrant and colorful neighborhood in Sydney with store names like Lick-Her Store and some kinky toy shops. Jackson felt it was only appropriate to bring me to the same neighborhood, so we grabbed drinks at Stonewall Hotel where the incredible drag queen Varushka Darling played Dear Abby to any issues you were having (just pop them in her shiny red box and she will solve your problems!). He then took me to delicious Thai food with the spiciest duck curry I have ever had (my tongue is still burning) and we ended the night where him and Timmy first met. We danced to Britney and Kiley and Whitney before I sadly had to bid him goodnight, but no worries, he already found me on facebook! Yay for new friends!

I woke up early this morning to pack up, check out of my hostel and catch the train up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, where I am now. I love trains so much! It was only a 2 hour trip into the stunning countryside which can only be described as looking exactly like the postcards. I spent hours this afternoon hiking through the lush wilderness filled with giant ferns. It has been raining for awhile, so everything was wet and green and vibrant and I could hear the rain trickle through the bush as I walked. Right as I was finishing up at the Three Sisters, the rock formation the Blue Mts are famous for, the clouds parted and enough sun came through for me to see the view across the entire valley. Words can’t describe, but I took lots of pictures :). Somewhere along the way my map fell out of my pocket and not only did I feel bad for accidentally littering, but it also meant I had no idea how to get back to my hostel! Lucky for me I have a really good sense of direction which for sure has come in handy on this trip. I may not know the fastest way back, but I can for sure get myself going the right way.
Right now I am resting in my hostel, listening to the rain outside in this adorable mountain town and excited for more hiking and adventures tomorrow. I may head out tonight to hear a local band at the pub, or may just curl up by the fireplace with my book. Either way I am one happy camper.
PEACE OUT!
Sanje

# of times I have been mistaken for a local: 2 (apparently I blend in well!)
# of instantaneous friends I have made (who I'm sure I will stay in touch with for a long time after this trip): 4! Something about the backpacker mentality when you know you will only cross paths for a short period of time makes you instantly bond with some people. For example I met Nicoli from Northern Italy in the elevator for maybe 30 seconds and now when he sees me he greets me like we are old friends :)

---

Part of trip: Australia & Tasmania

---