A Bit of a Roller Coaster

So my first 24 hours at the cafe have been a bit of a roller coaster - both in energy levels and otherwise. From the communications I had with the hosts before arriving this place seemed like it would be fantastic. Work 20-25 hrs/week, eat food from the cafe, stay in decent accommodations, live near the beach, make a few extra bucks here and there. Then, when I arrived yesterday, they gave a 10 page packet to read through of "do's" and "don'ts" which was pretty intimidating. It didn't feel like it was going to be much like it was described as all - especially when it came to food. It seemed like almost everything was off limits except eggs and rice. I was thinking to myself - I don't know if I want to do this. I thought this would be a good time in my travels to get some healthy tasty food in exchange for work. Then today - after much clarification - I finally figured out what the real rules are: I can eat anything I want as long as I prepare it myself. I cannot eat the pre-prepared food (what's prepared from the customers) but I can make that same food for myself and eat it. Now it all makes sense! This doesn't seem so bad after all. In the book of rules it said that if we want to eat any of the baked good we need to pay full price for them but than today I learned we can bake ourselves using the raw ingredients and eat that for free. Yesterday/this morning I really was not feeling this whole rice, potato, eggs diet but now I'm feeling much better. I can make all the tasty food they serve here, and whatever tasty concoctions my mind (the internet) can come up with as long as I put in the work to prepare it. Not so bad after all.

As for NZ - today is like a perfect day. It's warm - maybe high 70's - but there's a nice breeze. Everything is so green and lush here. And the birds make different noises here (obviously they are different birds but they make noises I've never heard before, some of them don't even sound like birds). I'm starting to get to know the there other WWOOFers that are currently here - Nick from Colorado, Lasma from Latvia, and Patricia from Alberta - and they are both very nice. There is another American, Phoebe, coming tomorrow and then a fourth girl arriving next week. I think this will be a great place. I haven't left the cafe grounds yet but I have Tuesday and Wednesday off and will try to get into town one day and to the beach the other. Tomorrow being Sunday not much will be open in town and on Monday I work 9:30 - 4:30 so by the time I'm off and walk the 30 minutes into town all the stores will be closed. (Apparently most stores, not including cafes/restaurants, are closed by 5). The place I am staying is all vegetarian and Nick would like to get a burger one day soon so I'll probably accompany him on that trip into town for some meat.

That's about it for now.

Oh wait, one last thing. They don't serve decaf coffee here and I don't drink caffeine. Instead, they made me a dandelion latte today. It's made from the ground up dandelion root. It doesn't taste a lot like coffee but it's not super different. It will definitely take a bit of getting used to but I think it is something I could like drinking. They also make smoothies and juices here. (Cristina - if you still want my juicer just call/stop by my parents house, you are welcome to have it while I'm gone!) I get one coffee or smoothie or juice each day for free.

Okay not that's really all I have for today.

Here's a few photos from my bus ride here yesterday. I know they aren't that exciting as I was like falling asleep while I was taking them but here they are none the less:

Now that I've posted these I realize it doesn't look that lush/green in these photos... It really is though. I'll take more and post in the next few days so you can really see what it's like here.

And one last thing, I'm never done... Here's a link to the final video from my trip, while I'm on the bus from Thames to Coromandel Town where I'm staying.

Best!

Another video from my journey - Auckland Airport 6:30 am

So this video was taken when I was about to board my first bus - after sitting awake all night in the Auckland airport with no free WiFi. I was able to get all the photos on my computer sorted and labeled which I know I'll appreciate down the road. I think this is what I'm going to work on at every airport from now on. If I do it country by country it won't be too hard.

Okay, now here's the video link to the third video of my journey from Sydney to Coromandel Town.

Total Cost for Australia

So the grand total for my spending in Australia (not counting my plane ticket) was $1,158.66. I was hoping to do it in under $1,000 so I didn't do too bad. I learned a bit along the way that I think I can use moving forward and I'm happy to be in NZ. I've already noticed that prices are lower and the exchange rate is better for me here! This will be a nice break from Sydney!

I've made it to New Zealand!

So I've made it to NZ, and all the way to the cafe. The trip was really long. It took me about 18 hours door to door, none of which I slept. In the end I think I was up about 28 hours straight. Yuck! I got a good nap in when I got here though and now I'll be able to sleep tonight. A few first reactions:

- The town is really cute and quaint. It has a small little main street with all sorts of historic store fronts. Apparently Coromandel Town was originally a gold mining town.

- New Zealand is very green and lush and it seems almost tropical. Very beautiful! (I'll try to get pics up soon.)

- I think staying here is going to be like being at summer camp - an experience I never had as a child so no better time than now! I'm staying in a bunk house, on bunk beds, in a room that I will eventually share with 3 other girls. Definitely not my style but Sydney was a good warm-up to having room mates so I think it will be easier than jumping right in here from living by myself in MPLS.

I made some videos on the way here but I'm apparently not allowed to download (and likely upload) anything on the internet because it's super expensive. I've decided to go ahead and upload one video anyways but I'm going to chat with them tomorrow about this and see what they say. I'm happy to pay as long as it's a nominal fee. Otherwise I'll be trekking into town on a regular basis to use the free WiFi at another cafe.

Here's a link to the video I made in the Auckland airport at 2:30 am, all part of documenting my trip here.

That's all for now. I'm still very tired, I'll write more tomorrow.

Best!

Annabelle

A little something funny....

Saw this while riding the bus: (note, it was upside down when I saw it...)

My last few days in Sydney

So I'm sitting in the Sydney airport International Terminal right now waiting to go to New Zealand, country #2 on my world tour. I can't believe my 3 weeks in Sydney are already over. At the same time that it feels like I just got here, it feels like I've been for much longer than 3 weeks. Thinking back to my first few days seems like months ago, not just 21 days. So let me get right to a description of my last few days as well as some old photos that I haven't posted yet.

So Tuesday I spent some of the day at the beach. Kelsey was working in the afternoon so I was on my own. The beach was so calm on Tuesday it was like swimming in a pool. Calm and warm and wonderful! I didn't stay at the beach too long and used sunscreen so I was able to get away with not getting sunburnt. Wonderful! In the evening I met Gardi in Newtown, a neighborhood in Sydney, for dinner at a Thai restaurant, Thai Pothong. The food was delicious! Way better than out last mean out at Paleo Cafe... After dinner we walked around Newtown. It had the same vibe people-wise as northeast or maybe Lyn-Lake but it is much busier. The area is more compact and thus there are just way more people. Really cool neighborhood though. I think I could like there if I cam back to Sydney. Much farther from the beach than Bondi, however. That would be hard.

Wednesday Kelsey and I went to the beach in the morning. It was a nice day again but the surf wasn't nearly as calm as Tuesday. We spent some time lounging yesterday afternoon and then last night we went and saw Carols by the Sea in Bondi. What a strange experience being outside in a tank top and shorts listening to Christmas tunes. Everyone here seemed fine with it but to me and Kelsey it seemed quite weird.

Santa by the beach? So weird! It's just so hard to imagine this is normal to anyone!

So today was my last day. It wasn't all that nice out this morning or we would have gone to the beach. Instead we went to Gertrude and Alice bookstore for a coffee and scone. We sat outside and watched the people go by. After that we just hung at the house for a few hours before I had to head to the airport where I am now. Here's a link to the last video I made in Sydney, at the airport just now. :( 

Now here's some picture I should've shared before but am just getting up now:

From friday night at the Village Bizarre Market:

Here's a few photos from my date on Saturday night. I took these sitting at Opera Bar. The first is obviously of the Harbor Bridge. The second is of Luna Park. 

Okay that's all for now. 

Goodbye Australia, Hello New Zealand!

Best!

Upcoming Travel Plans

Evening everyone! So I've spent a good portion of today putting together a tentative route for the remainder of my trip. I was thinking I'd be back in the states around June but it just doesn't look like that's gonna give me enough time to see this part of the world - although in reality an entire lifetime wouldn't be enough time to see this part of the world! Below you will see a schedule of what I'm thinking my trip might look like. If you know anyone who lives along this route or anyplaces I should stay/eat/play please let me know!

December 12: Travel by Plane to New Zealand - spend 2.5 months working in Coromandel Town
Mid/Late February: Travel by Plane to India - spend 3 weeks in Bangalore with weekend trips around India
Mid March: Travel by Plane to Nepal - spend 2 weeks in Kathmandu and surrounding area
Beginning of April: Travel by Plane to Thailand - spend 1 week in a beach resort area then travel by train or bus to Chiang Mai for 1 week
Mid April: Travel by bus to Laos border then by boat down Mekong to Luang Prabang, Laos - spend 2 weeks in Luang Prabang
Beginning of May: Travel by Plane to Ha Noi, Vietnam - apend 2-3 weeks traveling Vietnam by train/bus with stops in Ha Noi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City
Mid/Late May: Travel by Plane(?) to Siem Reap, Cambodia - spend up to 1 week exploring ruins at Angkor Wat and the area
Beginning of June: Travel by Plane to Myanmay - spend 3 months at a monastery
Beginning of September: Travel by Plane home to Minnesota

Obviously these are rough dates but I plan to lock things down at least 1 step (if not 2) ahead of where I am. I would like to enter each country knowing how I'm going to leave - and I'm sure most of their customs agents would like me to do the same.

So that's what I've spent most of my day doing. Outside of that we spent a bit of time at the beach this morning and then went out for Vietnamese food for dinner at a local restaurant, Miss Chu. They were selling a Vietnamese beer at the restaurant for $5/can if you bought 2. The beer is Bia Ha Noi. I will be very interested to see what it costs in Vietnam - probably $0.50/can if you buy 2. Australia is just so expensive!

That's all for tonight. Nothing too big on the calendar for tomorrow. I'll probably head into town to get a souvenir in the afternoon and then I'm going to dinner with Gardi. No specific plans for the daytime.

A quick reflection - today I was feeling a bit off. I think it may be hard traveling by myself. There is literally nothing I would rather be doing right now - I can't think of a single thing that would be a better use of my days than seeing the world - but it would be very nice to be sharing this experience with someone else. I am happy I didn't let this feeling keep me from starting this trip by myself, and I definitely am not going to let it keep me from continuing my travels, but it would be nice to have a companion for the trip. I think not having everything planned out would be a bit less stressful if there was someone else who could help with making reservations, research activities, understanding visa regulations, etc... I guess this is just the position I'm in. I am so very lucky to be traveling the world I shouldn't even by thinking about these things.

Okay, that's really it for tonight. Hope y'all are staying warm back in the states ;)

Best!

A Night out on the Town

Yesterday, we (Kelsey, Phil, Patrick and I) spent the daytime hours lounging around Bondi and hanging at the beach - nothing too exciting. I stopped by the farmer's market/food market in Bondi - it was cute but everything is just so expensive I didn't get anything.

Last night, however, was very eventful! I went out with an Australian guy, Joe, to a nice asian restaurant, China Doll, on the wharf in Wolloomooloo Bay. After, we walked around the wharf looking at all the beautiful boats and then headed into town for a drink at Opera Bar, the bar at the Sydney Opera House right on the main harbor. It was a really nice warm night and the views of the city and the bridge were spectacular. It is so great being in a place where its summer now! After Opera Bar we went to a bar/club, Cargo bar, in Darling Harbor for a bit of music and dancing. It was a good night out on the town, enjoying the nice weather and the good company.

I think today's gonna be another lazy day. There's a short film festival tonight, Tropfest, that Kelsey and Phil and friends and I will likely hit up. Today though I'll probably just be hanging around Bondi, working on some things I need to get done and relaxing. I'll let you know if anything exciting comes up!

Best!

Hyde Park Barracks Museum, Afternoon Tea, Sappho Books, Balmain, The Rocks

Sorry I didn't get a post written yesterday, we were having a bit of a lazy day and then stayed out real late and I didn't have time to post anything when we got home. Here's a brief overview of the last 2 days.

Thursday:

During the day I went into the city to visit the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. Here's a video where I describe a bit about what the barracks is. Here are a few photos from the museum:

A map of which countries exported their convicts and to where. I thought you'd be able to read the map better from the picture but here are a few of the stats:

France sent convicts to:
New Caledonia (in the South Pacific) 24,000
French Guiana (in South America) 70,000 - 90,000

Britain sent convicts to:
North America 50,000
Bermuda 9,000
Gibraltar 9,000
Australia 166,000
Adman Islands (Southeast Asia) 40,000
Straits Settlements (Southeast Asia) 20,000

Before seeing this map I didn't realize how common it was for european countries to export their convicts. Interesting isn't it? And to North America, I had no idea! Maybe I missed that day in history class....?

Tools used by convicts who were living in the barracks.

Sleeping quarters in the barracks.

Looking through a guard's watch hole into the sleeping quarters in the barracks.

After going to the museum I went for afternoon tea in The Rocks at The Tea Cosy.

Delicious!

Thursday night I went to Sappho Books, Cafe & Wine Bar in Glebe, another neighborhood in Sydney. They had live music. As I said in my post from Thursday night, it wasn't the best place i've been to but the atmosphere was cool. Here's a few pics:

The back patio/restaurant area.

The band is sitting off to the left in this picture.

Onto Friday:

Yesterday during the day I went to explore a different neighborhood in Sydney, Balmain. I wasn't overly impressed but it might've been that I was just tired or feeling a little stressed - I've been spending so much money here, not on purpose but just because Sydney is super expensive, and I'm looking forward to getting to NZ/Asia where it's going to be cheaper.

Last night Kelsey & I went to the village market bizarre they were having in the rocks. For those of you in book club, I thought it would be something like The Night Circus and it was. No real magic but lots of entertainers and such like you would see at The Night Circus, and it was at night! They had a pop-up bar at the event that you have to wear a bird mask to. They also had magicians performing on stages throughout the event.

After the bizarre ended Kelsey and I went to The Argyle, a cool bar in the rocks. The crowd was a bit older which was nice. (Side note: drinking age is 18 in Australian so when you go to the bar the crowd can be really young). We met some cool people at the bar and then went home about 12:30am.

So far today the weather is nice. We've all been relaxing this morning but I'm excited to see what the day will bring.

Best!

A large world full of happy people

Today's post is going to be a bit more thoughtful than the others. I did do some cool things today but I'm not going to write about those now. I will do a what/where/when update tomorrow on the happenings from today. For now I am just going to let you in on what thoughts/feelings the journey has brought up for me today.

So this evening I went to a little bookstore/cafe in Glebe, a neighborhood here in Sydney. To get there I had to take a bus I'd never taken into a neighborhood I'd never been to. I went during rush hour and the experience was a bit hectic. On my way over I was thinking to myself, this neighborhood is too crowded and city-like for me. Then the bus turned off the main street and onto Glebe Point Road, where the book store is, and it instantly turned into a cute little neighborhood. I went to the bookstore cafe and spent then night eating, reading, and listening to a band. I wasn't super impressed by the whole experience but that could've been because it was chilly tonight and I was dressed for summer or maybe because I started Emma today by Jane Austin and am getting very annoyed with Emma. Either way, I left rather early, maybe 9:30pm - I was planning on staying there until at least after 10. As I was walking to the bus stop to catch the bus home, in the chilly weather under the dark night sky, it was like the whole neighborhood turned into a vibrant bustling village. Every cafe was filled with people talking and laughing and eating and drinking. People were rushing from one place to the next trying to find warmth and shelter from the blustery winds where ever they could. As I was looking at all of these people and all of these places they were rushing to/from I began to realize just how little I've seen of this amazing city of Sydney.

Most people I've talked to so far in Sydney can't believe I'm not traveling around Australia, or that I'm not even doing more traveling within Sydney, but each new road I turn down and each new set of cafes/restaurants I come across I see 10 more that I want to try - I realize that I'm not really even scratching the surface of this city. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of amazing places to eat/gather/visit/people watch in Sydney and I've maybe seen 10 of the good ones. I can't believe I'm not spending more time here, in Sydney, and I can't believe people think that if I'm spending 3 weeks in Australia it shouldn't all be spent really exploring this grand city. There is so much to see, so much to experience, so many people to meet. You could spend a lifetime here and not see half of it I'm sure.

This is really starting to make me think about the rest of my trip, and really the rest of my life. There are so many places to go in the world and the more I see the more I realize I will never get to see them all. Every cafe I go to, every person I meet, every accent I hear on the bus makes me realize that I can never experience everything. Trouble is, I want to see everything, I want to go everyone, I want to meet someone from every country, every city, every neighborhood. This didn't real feel real until tonight, until I was watching all those people, from all over the world, live their lives as I was just walking by, watching. This is happening all over the world and I'm missing it, I'm not going to see it.

Maybe this post makes me sound really sad, but that's probably not the right emotion. I think it's more sobering than anything. Until today the world has felt like a big challenging waiting to be conquered, but now I realize I could spend every day for the rest of my life traveling and I won't every get to see everywhere to the extent I would like to. Even if I lived in a different place for 1 year for the rest of my life that might be 70 cities. In the entire world. That's it. At a maximum I can likely only immerse myself in 70 places over the remained of my life, and only 1 year in each place would still be experiencing it at only a high level.

Okay, enough of that, I'm sure you're all bored by now.

Back to the people watching. The last couple of days I've been out on my own exploring Sydney after dark. It has been amazing. Wandering down the streets of Sydney past the bars, cafes, and restaurants filled with people eating and drinking and living their lives. It's like watching a movie, like watching the intro to Love Actually when they play video of the arrival terminal at Heathrow Airport. People smiling and laughing and crying and loving each other. It makes me so happy that I can see the world like this every day. I love watching other people live their lives, watching their time with family and friends, their happy moments with the people they love. It's so nice to see people happy. Although I know how nice it is to have these experiences, it makes me just as happy to watch others have them as well. Sometimes I wish I was there with them, at their table eating dinner and laughing to their stories, but most times I'm just as happy to watch them have these moments themselves. I feel like I could just wander the streets of big cities after dark watching people forever and ever. Sometimes I just get in a mood where this is all I want to do, and that's the mood I'm in right now. How wonderful to be here!

Okay, I've had enough typing for now. Hope you are all enjoying your lives with your friends and family, eating and drinking and laughing!

Best!