a few days in Melbourne, and Sydney-bound (again!)

tram'd

yesterday I took the city of Melbourne by storm! well, not really, but I was there anyway.

fed square

I bought a ticket to take the tram into town, which was an experience in and of itself. riding the tram is definitely one of the must-do, iconic things in Melbourne. the cool thing about public transport tickets here is that the same ticket can be used to ride the tram, train, and bus, which I got to do later on in the day.

an aboriginal painting

once I was in town, my first stop was Federation Square. from the Square, you can opt to take a tour, or have something to eat, or do something else touristy, but I decided to just walk around for a bit. after exploring the square, I headed over to the Ian Potter centre at the National Gallery of Victoria, which I heard was free - bonus! they had some beautiful exhibits of Aboriginal art, and other really interesting collections. I definitely spent a good couple hours admiring 3 floors' worth of art and artifacts.

from there, I wandered for a bit, and eventually made it to Chinatown. such a cool place. the smell of the food alone was incredible. there was a Chinese museum, but it was a bit pricey, so I didn't go, but I had a good time walking around in Chinatown for a while, taking in the sights and smells.

ni hao, Chinatown

while looking at my omnipresent map, I realize that the library is close, so I go there. they have free wifi and air con, so I hang out for a while. the building is beautiful, and there were exhibits about books and ideas throughout time, and photographers of post-war Melbourne, which were really cool.

after a bit more window shopping, and a few trips down a few of Melbourne's many arcades, I stopped by the Immigration Museum. they let me in for free with my international student ID, wonderful people. the museum was amazing, and so interesting. I really liked the exhibit about the child immigrants. from the policies, to the transportation, everything was so fascinating.

reading room @ SLV

8 hours later, I was exhausted. it was a fun day in the city. even though I'm sad that I didn't get to do some of the "big" things in Melbourne (walking along the Yarra river, going to the MCG, or seeing the Royal Botanical Gardens), I'm not too broken up about it. that just means I'll have something new to do the next time I'm in town :)

I was really good about my spending as well. I spent $7 on an all-day pass to ride the tram, bus, and train and $15 on food for underprivileged children okay, it was on shoes.

after, I came back and showered and tried to lay down, but I was still so energized from all the walking that it was useless. later, when Virginia and Craig came home, we got ready to go out to a BBQ at their friend's house, and they let me tag along. we took a bus and a tram to get there. I love the way the routes all meld together, even though I'd be useless in figuring it out on my own.

State Library of Victoria entrance

I liked doing a mix of touristy things, and doing stuff with Virginia and Craig. meeting their friends was a blast, and they were so nice to invite me along. I will miss Melbourne, but I've got to go back to Sydney to catch my flight. Christmas is so soon! I'll be missing Darwin people more than ever over the holidays, but I'll be with Fran and her fam, and I know that will help. happy holidays!

Mel-bin!

ciao, Sydney

Melbourne has been amazing so far. I am staying with Kaye and Roger's daughter Virginia and her fiance Craig. they have been absolutely wonderful.

here we go again

when I landed, I took a shuttle to the train station, where Craig met me. I'm so grateful that he did, because I am useless at figuring out which tram to take where, and transfers and all that. it was nice to have help with my luggage as well. I don't know how I ended up with so much stuff, but I'll definitely have lots to remember Australia by when I go home.

vintage'd

a tram and a train later, we met Virginia at the platform, who drove us to their apartment. I got to meet Leo, the most adorable (and fluffiest) cat ever before going out for a fabulous pizza dinner :)

I was up at the crack of 9:30 the next morning and decided to walk over to Chapel St., a popular shopping area close by. as I walked along the road, the shops went from vintage at one end to high fashion at the other. I was proud of myself for not buying anything, but I've got my eye on a pair of shoes that I regret leaving behind. I may have to go rescue them tomorrow.

after about 4 hours of window shopping, a latte, and a snack, I came back to the apartment exhausted. I hung with Leo and planned my Friday in the city. I discovered that there's a free bus and a free tram that go around the city, and I only have to pay about $4 to get into town. bargain!

latte and smut...great combo

my new roommate Leo

when Craig and Virginia got home, we ordered Thai take out which was literally some of the best Thai food I've ever had. they even invited me to tag along when they went out to have a drink with some friends. so nice! I definitely feel very welcome here, and I had a fabulous 1st day in Melbourne.

a few days in Sydney, and Melbourne-bound!

lots of street performers on the Quay

street style was stellar

so I made it in and out of Sydney with only a little fuss. due to a bit of a miscommunication, I arrived in Sydney with no accommodation, so I found a hostel to crash at for the night. people in Sydney are very nice and gave me directions without so much as an eyeroll. however the hostel was less than glamorous, and I was beginning to doubt my decision to come alone.

opera house modeling!

all the motorbikes reminded me of Bali

at the first sign of trauma, I fell apart into teeny, tiny pieces. the problem was figuring out how to put myself back together again. it happened when I left Darwin, throughout my flight (the only time I wasn't crying was when I was sleeping), and snowballed when I arrived in Sydney. needless to say, with a little help from Kaye and Fran, and a lot of help from Jordan, I think most of the pieces are back in place and I'm breathing easier.

Jordan decided to get me an early birthday present, and buy me a night's stay at the Hilton in the city. as Kaye would say, it was very flash. once I was there, it was wonderfully easy to get around. it was only a few blocks walk to the opera house and bridge, and I had a great time sightseeing.

later, I went to a bar called Three Wise Monkeys and had the best fish and chips in the world, and a pint of Boag's for $15. bargain! live music as well - Kings of Leon and Gin Blossoms made for some good mood music.

tv in the shower, holy crap!

Sydney is full of beautiful, fashionable people, and the hustle-bustle of any big city. while I love the people-watching, and how easy it is to walk around, it made me miss the laid-back nature of Darwin quite a bit. I'll have to thank one of those lovely Darwin people for humoring me and talking to me at all hours of the night :) it was definitely uplifting, and it's wonderful to have contact from people "back home." :)

GJ loves me!

harbour bridge w/climbers!

I'm happy to say that I'm enjoying Sydney for the beautiful city it is, and finally thinking positive. I find that I'm much happier when I'm out walking around. sitting in a hotel or a shitty hostel is depressing. at least when I'm alone. I have to be out experiencing things, and let's face it, that's what this whole trip has been about.

I'm off on a little birthday trip to Melbourne today, and I'm glad I decided to be back in Sydney for Christmas. I did a bit more walking around before catching a shuttle to the airport. the city is wonderful, but I'm sure it won't take me long to fall in love with Melbourne as well. I'm excited to meet another member of the Cowley family, and to have memories of another Aussie city to take back with me to the States!

in the words of Andrew McMahon, I've got tunnel vision, but I'm doing fine. cheers to overcoming hardship, and to whirlwind adventures.