Living in Australia Days 3 & 4

Today was our first free day and we got the Day Tripper pass which allowed us to ride the subways and trains all day and we did some exploring. First we went to Bondi Beach and got to see the most beautiful ocean I have ever laid eyes on. I realized people were very trusting there because many people just left all their stuff on the beach without anyone watching it while they went in the water; back home people aren't that trusting so it was a pleasant surprise.

After we stayed at the beach until it looked like it was about to rain, we went to Sydney Harbor and just walked around the town looking at shops and listening to people play music on the sidewalk - just getting a glimpse of everyday life here in Australia.

We then went to the Rocks Marketplace and walked around for awhile and had a nice dinner. On the train ride home we met a nice woman who started a conversation with us about our trip. This made me a little more comfortable with the area after the experience we had last night on the subway. Some people here are very laid back and friendly while there are others who are at the opposite extreme but I guess you'll find those circumstances wherever you travel to.

5/2/05 AM

We're on the train going to the Blue Mountains and I just had another pleasant experience. After our negative encounter on the train two nights ago I was beginning to think there were more impolite people in the area than polite but my faith has been restored. A little old lady just sat with us on the train for about an hour and we had a nice conversation with her. She told us a lot about the different places we're visiting because she has moved around Australia a lot because of her husband's line of work. She has family in California so she was talking about the differences in words they use in California and those they use here. She suggested some places to see like the Queen Victoria Building and thought we would be interested in seeing the university in Sydney to compare it to our schools back home.

5/2/05 PM

We're on our way back to Sydney from the Blue Mountains and I'm happy to sit down for awhile. We saw some amazing sights from some of the look out points. At one point we thought we were looking at water but once we got closer we realized that it was tree tops stretching on and on forever with mountain rocks peaking out.

We saw the three sisters, which are stone peaks that were once part of the seven sisters but the other four have been lost in the valley; it's been predicted that in another million years there will only be two sisters due to erosion. The large pieces of stone break off and fall to the valley.

Next we went to the Katoomba cascades and took a thirty minute walk up to the scenic world, which was more difficult than we had expected, partially because there were so many stone steps but more because it was common for the trails to split in multiple ways and there weren't always signs. We would pick one way, walk up a lot of uneven stone steps just to find a dead end, have to turn around and pick a new path and try again. The waterfalls and cascades were beautiful especially when we got to stand inside a cave and look straight into the falls.

A few of us went to dinner at Roy's Famous and really enjoyed it. Our waitress was really nice and had no problem explaining to us what the different foods were which made me happy because I know some people don't like Americans just because we're American. I feel bad asking waitresses to clarify things for us that are specific to their country but she didn't mind at all.

Tonight I realized how thankful I am that I'm keeping this journal because I talked to my mom for the first time since we've left and had a hard time keeping the days straight already. By the end of this trip we'll have done so much and I don't want to forget any part of it so when I go back home I'll have stories to match up with the hundreds of pictures I'll have.

Tomorrow is another free day and I'm excited to be going to the Botanical Gardens and then maybe the Sydney Tower for a tour, depending on the time.