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Finally!! Got some good news for you good people!! STA have managed to get me on my original tour- but going the opposite way from New York and ending up in LA!! Whoo!! I am waiting for absolute approval of this, but it will cost substanially less than trying to stay in LA for nearly two weeks to do a shorter tour!! I had worked out i will need to spend close to 300 quid for that, whilst two flights from LA to New York (i hope you are following, see the '*' at the bottom of the page!) will probably cost about 270 quid (i would put the 'pound' sign, but the blighters in Oz and Thailand have removed it!! Of all the things!!).
Plus, i can't fce the idea of yet MORE time in a hostel!! The new room i am in is better, but its like New Street Station (oh how i miss you........) with new people coming and going!! In just 4 days in this room, i am the veteran bunk bed person!!
I will def give an update when STA have def confirmed my place on this new tour, but it means i can
still come home on the 10th!!
Now where was i................oh well first things first, its rained every day, all day for the last 4 days!! Ha ha!! So much for Oz weather being great all the time!! Doesn't seem like it will improve all that much either!! As an issue with this, i have been trying to do as many free things as i can as a) they don't cost money (doh!) and b) its fricking raining!! So the photos you will see won't neccessarily look that great as they are all museum/aquarium based, but i will try and make them funny!!
I also have to let my adoring public- who i think are still reading this- that my journal hasn't really been filled in with the depth of wit I have done in the past!! This is essentially because, most days are actually merging into one!! When you are trying to limit your budget, its raining, the days were going to essentially sound the same, so i will just use the abridged versions!! Sorry!!
Day 22- Andy and me decided to leave the confines of the dorm and have a beer or two- we managed
to find a local 'hotel' (its a pub for all intents and purposes) which also has a few pool tables. So with a few 'schooners' of tooheys (its the cheap stuff in a glass just bigger than a half pint glass) we play pool. Now, people who have seen me play pool (mates, GC) will know i have a specific threshold of skill that lasts between one pint too little and one pint too many. Now i knew this and decided to go slow, but Andy didn't help matter by saying 'by the way.........i am crap at pool!' Already, i became a jibber-jabber wreck!! In the end i won 5-3, but i was nearly 3-0 down at one point and just seeing how Andy holds a pool cue, kind of like a demented crab (sorry mate!!) how i was getting my self beaten is beyond me!! Still, age and luc------, sorry perserverence pay off!!
It was after this, we decided that to end of a night of pool and beer that we should have a kebab!! God bless 'em!! Now in hindsight it was expensive ($8!!) but my, my it was a meal!! And it was also my only
meal of the day!! So healthy!!
Day 23- My last day in room 105, i findout i am moving upstairs to a 10 bed dorm (jeebuz!!). I have found that booking online is cheaper than paying at the front desk (by nearly $100!!), so go and pay the difference- at least i know what i have left to play with.
Decide to head to Darling Harbour (bloody lovely!!) and Andy and me get roped into a street performers audience (we were numbers 3 and 4!!). He was brilliant!! Some of jokes, were so unbelievabley bad humoured they would have made my good friend Neil Terry blush!! Me being a Brit (and funnily enough a load of drunk guys from Adelaide) also found them funny!! Essentially his act involved juggling axes, machetes and whipping cigarretes out of koala bears mouths (don't ask......). But his ability to get a crowd together and pick on people just walking past was an art form!! Really made me laugh and i think he is doing it again next saturday!!
We decide to get a '$5' steak at Scruffy Murphys!! No sooner had we sat down after giving the order, the steaks were ready
and yes the steaks were good!!
The evening is a quiet one. I end up washing my clothes!! Aah, see, even though i am oooh, 12,000 miles away, i still have to do the tasks that you do!!
Day 24- Move to my new room. Its a split between blokes and girls and noticably cleaner (thats the OCD in me again) and i get a bottom bunk!! YES!! No more unflattering scenes of me trying (and nearly falling) off ladders!! I did have another late one- 12pm to be exact, but i lack the drive to get up earlier!! Andy and me decide to go see Oz vs Iraq in the footy. I have to say, it was like watching pub footy!! Dear lord the Aussies were lucky!! I only have one drink though- don't fancy it and noted that it was raining outside- and i was equipped with t-shirt and shorts!! I get soaked............
Stop off at Scruffy Murphys for the customary steak meal!!
I have also managed to get a decent phone card and can call Shell from a phone box without all the usual razzmatazz (as Dav B would put it 'thats no
Little Penguins!!
Yep, thats what they are called!!way to do business!').
Day 25- Another 1pm start!! I am last up!! Andy has gone to Melbourne for a week or so, but should be back for the last couple of days i am in Oz- I am already looking forward to schooling him in the art of poolology!! Head to Paddys Market for food to last me 4 or so days (cost about $14). I also decide to get another book, as i have now read 6 since i have been away!! When i get back to room I find out that there will be a mass clearout by mid week (5 people going!!) and then it begins to become new street station!! Some people stay for one night, don't say a word and are gone by the morning!! One girl has been in the room for 5 weeks and her sleeping area looks like a bombs hit it!! I nearly decapitated myself the night before as her trail of rubbish/clothes goes right across to my bed and i nearly hit me head on my bed!! How rude!! Still the people are nice, all traveller types, varying lengths of staying time, some as long as a year
away from home!! I really don't know how peeps can do that!!
It also stay raining outside and i forgot to say, I got soaked..............
Day 26- Another 12pm start (technically- in the UK its 3am- so i am up early!!). After customary daily shower- i have now worked out how to get hot water (i am expecting the questions now), i also decide to have a shave. Now this is only my THIRD since i have been away!! Ha ha!! Banana for brekkie- enough for a week at least!!
Decide to go to maritime museum at Darling Harbour- very good!! Lots of Oz history and culture stuff!! I managed to clock up 4 hours there in the end!! As very hungry i decide to dip into my budget and get a Subway- unfortunately this one doesn't do the 'sub a day' idea!! Still the meatball sub is as impressive as the UK's version!! It would appear i have my appetite back after two or so weeks!! Oh and its raining again, I got soaked!!
Quite night in reading my new book and listening to IPod- seems like the rest of my room are staying in
as well- although three of them are working locally, so i don't blame them!! Decide to pop out for a maccys and choc milkshake (i am not a good advert for UK eating am i?).
Day 27- I get up early today!! 11:50!! Again its raining, so I head to Australian Museum. I think its gonna be free, but its $10!! Oh well!! Its not bad- its not as good as Brums Natural History Museum, but reasonable!! Decide to go looking round rest of Kings Cross area of city- but weather gets worse and worse!! I GET SOAKED!!
Grab coffee at Gloria Jeans (??? They were in thailand as well!!) head back, try and dry off, read book, have pasta (yes i can cook!!) then finish book i brought three days ago!! thats 7!! I will never read this much again in my life!!
Several new people in room. Three of the girls are German and decide tonight would be a great time to listen to German pop music!! My joke that its 'all trance, isn't it?' gets shot down!! Oops!! Decide to head out to the internet cafe, where i get my good news about the tour!!
Oh and listening to Zero 7 live helps as well!! I recommend!!
So we are up to date!! I expect to blog again, probably next week now!! I am intending to the Sydney Olymic Park over the next couple of days, if the weather picks up!! Its has the footy ground and pool there, so that will be a nice change!!
thanks everyone!!
D
***********IF YOU DIDN'T FOLLOW WHAT I AM DOING IT IS THUS- I LEAVE OZ ON THE 15TH JUNE FOR A 13 HOUR FLIGHT TO LA. DUE TO THE TIME DIFFERENCE I ACTUALLY ARRIVE 4 HOURS BEFORE I SET OFF............INTL DATE LINE AND ALL!! I AM THEN BOARDING AN INTERNAL FLIGHT FROM LA TO NEW YORK (SAME DAY) FOR A 5 HOUR FLIGHT TO NEW YORK. STAYING THERE FOR 3 DAYS THEN GETTING ON THE TOUR TO LA. I AM THEN HAVING TO GET ANOTHER FLIGHT FROM LA TO NEW YORK ON THE 9TH OR 10TH JULY FOR MY FLIGHT HOME FROM NEW YORK!! PHEW!!**************************
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Scott B
Scott Bennett
Seems like the Sun's shining on a rainy day!
Mr P, Looks like you're in a happier place now (in your head that is). It's great news to find out that you can get the tour earlier. See you soon, Mr B P.S. Didn't you realise it wouldn't be the greatest of weather in winter?