Australia's coat of arms portrays the kangaroo and emu as the unofficial animals of Australia. Why, you ask? Because those are the only two animals that can't walk backwards :) I've learned alot on my travels and one of them was to not look back; always keep your life moving forward in a positive direction. Whether the positive direction means having no regrets, achieving your goals or whatever, you can be assured that Aussies live life to the fullest.
That is one thing I admire about Australians--especially my cousin. I've learned alot on my trip and have to say I did live life to the fullest, perhaps for the first time in my entire life! I can happily say that I don't have any regrets about my travels--yes, I've been stressed out plenty-a-times but it's all worked out and I have great experiences to show for it.
Throughout my travels and living in different countries, I've seen and experienced how people can have different mentalities and how this affects their well-being. New Zealanders were pretty carefree and happy but there was always this element of restrictiveness...something was always holding them back, whether that was money or inhibitions or something. In Fiji, I noticed a few people were very concerned about their past and what happened to them back then and how those events are affecting them now. And unfortunately, these people let those fears and experiences hinder their present experiences and future aspirations. A wise man once told me 'Life is for living' and that's what I intend to do and I hope you all do the same. Go ahead and make mistakes because you never know what will happen unless you try, right? Go jump out of a plane, go ahead and drink 7 bottles of wine--whatever it is, just do it! You never know what will happen tomorrow.
Everyone has their own outlook on life and I respect that--however, don't let it inhibit your happiness :) If you're happy reading a book and staying home on a friday night, do it! If you're happy partying all weekend then do it! (but be responsible!). ...And if you want to pack your bags and go travel for a few months and please go do it :) Travelling is one of the best things I've done in my life along with being born, winning the sack race in kindy, graduating from uni and raising money for the underwear affair (which reminds me...must start training! :P)
It's important not to mix up looking back and hating your life with reflecting on your experiences and learning from them. Since I've returned from Fiji, I feel whole again. It sounds odd as I thought I was whole before I left on the trip but in reality, you never stop growing; not when your 7, 27 or even 77! I've been looking back at my trip and the Suzanne who started this trip in Auckland NZ is not the same Suzanne who looked back at me in the mirror this morning. It's so weird but I just can't believe how much I've grown. It's pretty damn amazing what this trip has done for me. It's taught me to be strong (...even though i've had times where i've cried on this trip...sorry if you had to listen to me on the phone crying), to learn how to know what i want, and to understand that i am allowed to be happy and i shouldn't have to sacrifice that for others.
One thing the old Suzanne always did was worry what other people thought of her and worry about the repurcussions of what they would say about her. Now, I don't care. I mean, I will take into consideration the advice people give me but I'm not going to waste my time on what gossip mongers may be saying about me or what random distant relatives may think of me--the same family members who have known me my whole life but haven't shown me the same love and good times as my bhaia in Oz has who has only known me for 3 months :)
Today I ate at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe and mannnnnn was it good! :) I know for a fact that I've gained weight and won't fit into half my clothes back home but i don't care. And I know that I will still have to work on my relationship with my family when I get back (which I care about) but I won't stress about it. Cuz in the end, there's no need to stress about life. Just live it the way you want to, be happy and deal with whatever comes you way.
Cheers <3
Monday, March 14, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Fiji is paradise
Well I finally did it! I finally went to Fiji to see where I'm from and to experience what that paradise has to offer. And I have to say, I had the time of my life!
The start of my journey to Fiji was very difficult--my flight got cancelled two days in a row (eff virgin blue to hell! seriously) and then i finally got onto the Air Pacific flight the afternoon of the 24th :) After a couple of delays I arrived in Nadi, Fiji and it was getting dark. The one thing that made the past two days' worth of misery disappear was seeing my aunt and uncle waiting for me. I hadn't seen my aunt in 10 years and I've never even met my uncle--it was a dream come true to see them waiting for me at the airport...sadly, they were waiting for me since 2pm :( I felt pretty bad that they waited for me all day and didn't know about my flight delay till it was too late. but that's all over and done with. from the second i met up with them to the moment we said our goodbyes, they gave me so much love--so much that i almost didn't want to leave fiji!
The main purpose of my trip was to see where I come from and to see all my family. It was kind of a shock to find out I don't have tons and tons of relatives in Fiji--my Fua and Fufa (aunt and uncle) and my cousin Binnu on my dad's side and my two mausis and mausas and a nana (grand uncle or great uncle whatever its called). It was lovely meeting everyone; they welcomed me into their homes with open arms and so much love. So much so that it was really hard to leave :( I was thinking about extending my stay in Fiji but the mosquitoes had their own agenda...
Every morning I woke up to find more and more mosquito bites. And these weren't itty bitty mossie bites, they would swell up and were uber itchy. At one point, both my legs were filled with bites :( Ugh, it super sucked.
My Fua and Fufa are super cute--they're both in their 70s and kind of ill but they were the best tour guides I could ask for :) Fufa was very enthusiastic about showing me everything there is to see in Fiji and of making sure I had a good time. And I did! I ate the yummiest food ever at his place--the jam was delish, the taro and cassava was the best and my favourite food in fiji has to be the biscuits :P chocolate biscuits have no actual chocolate chips in them BUT they tasted like chocolate :) yummers. They're mechanic/house helper named Sanjay also lived with us in Pacific Harbour and it was pretty cool having him there. He was kind of shy in the beginning but after a couple of days we became good friends. One thing I really love about people in Fiji is that they are very open and loving--totally different from the treatment you would get in Australia or New Zealand or even Canada for that matter! It was really hard to say good bye to everyone :(
Staying with my mausi and mausa was really fun too. I had three cousins to hang out with--the youngest is Nikita and she turned me into a 8 year old again :P I played so many games with her and watched movies, it was fun. ...kinda tiring at times but fun :)
The scenery in Fiji was gorgeous--when I stayed at my mausi's house, we have to go to the outside sink to brush our teeth and from the "window" you have this gorgeous view of the mountains--which are covered with trees, lush beautiful trees! And the frangipanis are everywhere! loved it <3
So much to say about Fiji yet I can't put my experiences and joy into words! So much happened in those short two weeks...
Ahh Fiji!
The start of my journey to Fiji was very difficult--my flight got cancelled two days in a row (eff virgin blue to hell! seriously) and then i finally got onto the Air Pacific flight the afternoon of the 24th :) After a couple of delays I arrived in Nadi, Fiji and it was getting dark. The one thing that made the past two days' worth of misery disappear was seeing my aunt and uncle waiting for me. I hadn't seen my aunt in 10 years and I've never even met my uncle--it was a dream come true to see them waiting for me at the airport...sadly, they were waiting for me since 2pm :( I felt pretty bad that they waited for me all day and didn't know about my flight delay till it was too late. but that's all over and done with. from the second i met up with them to the moment we said our goodbyes, they gave me so much love--so much that i almost didn't want to leave fiji!
The main purpose of my trip was to see where I come from and to see all my family. It was kind of a shock to find out I don't have tons and tons of relatives in Fiji--my Fua and Fufa (aunt and uncle) and my cousin Binnu on my dad's side and my two mausis and mausas and a nana (grand uncle or great uncle whatever its called). It was lovely meeting everyone; they welcomed me into their homes with open arms and so much love. So much so that it was really hard to leave :( I was thinking about extending my stay in Fiji but the mosquitoes had their own agenda...
Every morning I woke up to find more and more mosquito bites. And these weren't itty bitty mossie bites, they would swell up and were uber itchy. At one point, both my legs were filled with bites :( Ugh, it super sucked.
My Fua and Fufa are super cute--they're both in their 70s and kind of ill but they were the best tour guides I could ask for :) Fufa was very enthusiastic about showing me everything there is to see in Fiji and of making sure I had a good time. And I did! I ate the yummiest food ever at his place--the jam was delish, the taro and cassava was the best and my favourite food in fiji has to be the biscuits :P chocolate biscuits have no actual chocolate chips in them BUT they tasted like chocolate :) yummers. They're mechanic/house helper named Sanjay also lived with us in Pacific Harbour and it was pretty cool having him there. He was kind of shy in the beginning but after a couple of days we became good friends. One thing I really love about people in Fiji is that they are very open and loving--totally different from the treatment you would get in Australia or New Zealand or even Canada for that matter! It was really hard to say good bye to everyone :(
Staying with my mausi and mausa was really fun too. I had three cousins to hang out with--the youngest is Nikita and she turned me into a 8 year old again :P I played so many games with her and watched movies, it was fun. ...kinda tiring at times but fun :)
The scenery in Fiji was gorgeous--when I stayed at my mausi's house, we have to go to the outside sink to brush our teeth and from the "window" you have this gorgeous view of the mountains--which are covered with trees, lush beautiful trees! And the frangipanis are everywhere! loved it <3
So much to say about Fiji yet I can't put my experiences and joy into words! So much happened in those short two weeks...
Ahh Fiji!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Mixology
It's finally here---I'm heading to fiji tomorrow morning :) I've been super excited about this trip but as usual there's other emotions popping into my head.
I should probably accept it now that I'm indian and no matter how much I refuse to get mixed into it, I'll always have to deal with drama and screwed up crap. I was naive to think that my trip to Fiji would be a simple trip where I can learn about my ancestors and gain an appreciation for my heritage...I guess as long as I learn about it in whichever manner, I'm happy :) I haven't even stepped into the country and there's drama about who's gonna pick me up, how they will pick me up, what I have to do in the aiport, etc etc etc. And I wish I could just arrange it myself; but if it makes people happy that they can do it for me then great...but people shouldn't go around and change someone else's plans...I guess I'm just frustrated that people keep changing the plans and if plans are gonna change then they should because I changed them. Despite all this "khichri" (name of an indian dish which is also used to indicate mixedupness), I am thankful that someone is picking me up & taking me to my aunt's house, fingers crossed!
Aside from the usual bumpy start to my adventures, I'm pretty happy and excited about my fiji adventure. I talked to my mom and dad today and I could tell they were excited for me :) They're proud that I am meeting their family over there :) and don't worry mom and dad, i'll leave a good impression on 'em!
I've been given tons and tons of advice from my parents, my cousin and his wife and even from random neighbours lol and I really do appreciate it. I know I'm heading into a country who's situation and lifestyle I can't really imagine--and I feel super mixed up right now. I'm excited about the trip for sure but i'm so nervous/scared...and then i'm trying to tell myself that i'll be fine and i have people over there that will take care of me and then i flip flop and say well i should be able to take care of myself and then i arrive at the conclusion that i'll be fine. which is a less enthusiastic conclusion than i would've liked but i'll take what i can get. which makes no sense since i'm the one controlling my thought patterns. ...anyone got any ideas as to what all this nonsense is due to? nervousness? why am i so nervous?...and here we go again in circles lol.
so. mixed. up.
yay for fiji :D
I should probably accept it now that I'm indian and no matter how much I refuse to get mixed into it, I'll always have to deal with drama and screwed up crap. I was naive to think that my trip to Fiji would be a simple trip where I can learn about my ancestors and gain an appreciation for my heritage...I guess as long as I learn about it in whichever manner, I'm happy :) I haven't even stepped into the country and there's drama about who's gonna pick me up, how they will pick me up, what I have to do in the aiport, etc etc etc. And I wish I could just arrange it myself; but if it makes people happy that they can do it for me then great...but people shouldn't go around and change someone else's plans...I guess I'm just frustrated that people keep changing the plans and if plans are gonna change then they should because I changed them. Despite all this "khichri" (name of an indian dish which is also used to indicate mixedupness), I am thankful that someone is picking me up & taking me to my aunt's house, fingers crossed!
Aside from the usual bumpy start to my adventures, I'm pretty happy and excited about my fiji adventure. I talked to my mom and dad today and I could tell they were excited for me :) They're proud that I am meeting their family over there :) and don't worry mom and dad, i'll leave a good impression on 'em!
I've been given tons and tons of advice from my parents, my cousin and his wife and even from random neighbours lol and I really do appreciate it. I know I'm heading into a country who's situation and lifestyle I can't really imagine--and I feel super mixed up right now. I'm excited about the trip for sure but i'm so nervous/scared...and then i'm trying to tell myself that i'll be fine and i have people over there that will take care of me and then i flip flop and say well i should be able to take care of myself and then i arrive at the conclusion that i'll be fine. which is a less enthusiastic conclusion than i would've liked but i'll take what i can get. which makes no sense since i'm the one controlling my thought patterns. ...anyone got any ideas as to what all this nonsense is due to? nervousness? why am i so nervous?...and here we go again in circles lol.
so. mixed. up.
yay for fiji :D
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Anticipation
I can't wait to get to Fiji! When I was a kid, I never wanted to visit Fiji because of all the horror stories I heard about the mosquitos, lizards and heat. And it was uber expensive and I didn't see any point in making my parents pay to take me to a place that I didn't even want to go to. And when I originally planned my Oz trip for Winter 09, Fiji wasn't on my radar.
Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I couldn't go on this trip in 09; I know now that I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for this trip at that time. ...which probably explains why I'm finally ready to go to Fiji and see where I come from. I'm not going to lie, I am kind of nervous about going to Fiji but the excitement of meeting my extended family and finally seeing this paradise will make the nervousness disappear in two seconds!
I've experienced a fear of the unknown a few times on my trip and before my trip for that matter and sometimes it makes you feel like crap. It makes you doubt your decisions, choices and direction in life and sometimes it brings you to that point where you don't have enough courage to go through with a decision. ...Sadly, I let that happen once; I don't regret it since i can't even remember what it was I didn't do lol. I'm glad I didn't do it or else I wouldn't have figured out what the fear of the unknown was and its power; for the longest time, it was staring at me in the face and I couldn't really put my finger on what the fear of the unknown was. The fear of the unknown is very small compared to the power of anticipation but they're kind of the same thing...both have you waiting for the same experience to come around the corner :)
I anticipated this trip for two years and when the time finally came to leave Vancouver, I experienced an immense fear of the unknown; thankfully, I have great people in my life who supported me and reminded me why the trip is important to me. Then I anticipated meeting all my family members and was nervous about meeting them too...almost ruled out meeting them altogether. However, I was smart and went and met all the family members I could and man do I have stories! Lol, it's been a great learning experience, lots of crap I really shouldn't know but it's all good--its all an experience. Some of the best experiences I've had are the ones where I didn't think twice about doing them--like my skydive. I kind of went into robot w/a heart and big smile mode and just did it. A single negative thought didn't enter my mind--unless you count "omg its soooo cold up here!" as negative...
Lately, I've really been anticipating coming home :) Not because I'm homesick or don't think I can do this, but moreso because I really miss certain restaurants or foods (they don't even have graham crackers over here! WTF?!), I miss my hairstylist, my yummy vanilla mint shampoo, my bed, my iMac, my spot on the sofa...and what else? seems like i'm forgetting something... OH YA! My family and friends :P You guys are top on my list! So for this week, ever since I've returned from my 1 month Oz tour adventure, I've been imagining what it'll be like when I see everyone for the first time, what I'll say, what they'll say :P kinda dorky but I can't help it. and there's no fear <3
cheers mate!
<3 you
Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I couldn't go on this trip in 09; I know now that I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for this trip at that time. ...which probably explains why I'm finally ready to go to Fiji and see where I come from. I'm not going to lie, I am kind of nervous about going to Fiji but the excitement of meeting my extended family and finally seeing this paradise will make the nervousness disappear in two seconds!
I've experienced a fear of the unknown a few times on my trip and before my trip for that matter and sometimes it makes you feel like crap. It makes you doubt your decisions, choices and direction in life and sometimes it brings you to that point where you don't have enough courage to go through with a decision. ...Sadly, I let that happen once; I don't regret it since i can't even remember what it was I didn't do lol. I'm glad I didn't do it or else I wouldn't have figured out what the fear of the unknown was and its power; for the longest time, it was staring at me in the face and I couldn't really put my finger on what the fear of the unknown was. The fear of the unknown is very small compared to the power of anticipation but they're kind of the same thing...both have you waiting for the same experience to come around the corner :)
I anticipated this trip for two years and when the time finally came to leave Vancouver, I experienced an immense fear of the unknown; thankfully, I have great people in my life who supported me and reminded me why the trip is important to me. Then I anticipated meeting all my family members and was nervous about meeting them too...almost ruled out meeting them altogether. However, I was smart and went and met all the family members I could and man do I have stories! Lol, it's been a great learning experience, lots of crap I really shouldn't know but it's all good--its all an experience. Some of the best experiences I've had are the ones where I didn't think twice about doing them--like my skydive. I kind of went into robot w/a heart and big smile mode and just did it. A single negative thought didn't enter my mind--unless you count "omg its soooo cold up here!" as negative...
Lately, I've really been anticipating coming home :) Not because I'm homesick or don't think I can do this, but moreso because I really miss certain restaurants or foods (they don't even have graham crackers over here! WTF?!), I miss my hairstylist, my yummy vanilla mint shampoo, my bed, my iMac, my spot on the sofa...and what else? seems like i'm forgetting something... OH YA! My family and friends :P You guys are top on my list! So for this week, ever since I've returned from my 1 month Oz tour adventure, I've been imagining what it'll be like when I see everyone for the first time, what I'll say, what they'll say :P kinda dorky but I can't help it. and there's no fear <3
cheers mate!
<3 you
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Regrets
Ever since I learned what the word regret meant, I always thought there was one form of regret--the feeling you have when you miss out on something. But in all honesty, there's many reactions that will fall under regret and on this journey of mine, I've seen and felt alot of them.
From the get-go, one of my main goals was ensuring that I didn't miss out on anything that peaked my interest or was just plain cool! As demonstrated by my skyjump and skydive, I made sure I had no regrets :) And at this point in my journey, I can say I have no regrets as far as taking part in experiences is concerned. This trip has taught me to listen to my heart and really know what I want from life and not just jump on the bandwagon because someone tells me to do something or because it would be good for me. I had glimpses of this personal freedom during my yoga practice; however, they were fleeting moments--nothing as long-lasting and amazing as my time right now.
But in the past month, I have learned that regret can come in many different forms. A surprising focus of my trip was to see where I come from and to meet people who could enrich my understanding of life "back home" aka Fiji--and for the most part I've met some great people. There have been a few hiccups here and there but for the most part it's been a great ride. And I encountered a new form of regret--the "i did this for me, it blew up in my face and i hate it, but i'm still glad i did this or i would never have known" regret. All I can say is I was invited to a cousin's place who seemed sincere about having me over and I thought he wanted to meet me but it turned into this hindu showdown where I was analyzed and dissected by a bunch of people who I didn't know and I had to stand on trial and prove why I'm not insane by their standards. It was a long and interesting weekend. At least I got pancakes out of it and an uber comfy bed! Not the perfect way I wanted to end my stay in Melbourne but whatever--woulda, coulda, shoulda!
This trip has been quite liberating for me too--as you all can probably tell lol--and it's brought out a new side of me that I didn't realize was possible. I'm more gutsy than before and I've done some stupid things...wait, scratch that. I've asked some stupid things and wish I didn't know certain things about people--this showed me another form of regret: the "why did i open my big mouth/why can't i just wait for the other person to be a man and tell me?" regret. lol. Let's just say I probably didn't time certain things properly and even though it seemed like a good idea, it kind of blew up in my face lol. But it's all good. Had I not been stupid then I would've had the age old regret of "why didn't i do it?".
I guess what I'm trying to say in this weird, half-drunk blog is god or the universe or your mom gave you life and you need to LIVE it. The end result may not be perfect 100% of the time; however, lessons you learn about yourself and other people are well worth the effort. Instead of spending your life wishing you had done this or that when you were at whatever age, spend your life doing things and remembering how you felt during those experiences and trying to learn something from them. I.e.: I came to a certain cousin's house to reconnect with him and to learn about my roots; instead I was bombarded with strict hindu rules and a character trial--> what did i learn? to try and see things from the other person's point of view and keep a cool head and see the silver lining (pancakes).
& Now the not so silver lining...they won't drop me off at the airport so I have to take a stupid shuttle which will take 1 hr and drop me to the airport 2 hrs before my flight. yippee for waking up at 5am. NOT!
cheers :)
From the get-go, one of my main goals was ensuring that I didn't miss out on anything that peaked my interest or was just plain cool! As demonstrated by my skyjump and skydive, I made sure I had no regrets :) And at this point in my journey, I can say I have no regrets as far as taking part in experiences is concerned. This trip has taught me to listen to my heart and really know what I want from life and not just jump on the bandwagon because someone tells me to do something or because it would be good for me. I had glimpses of this personal freedom during my yoga practice; however, they were fleeting moments--nothing as long-lasting and amazing as my time right now.
But in the past month, I have learned that regret can come in many different forms. A surprising focus of my trip was to see where I come from and to meet people who could enrich my understanding of life "back home" aka Fiji--and for the most part I've met some great people. There have been a few hiccups here and there but for the most part it's been a great ride. And I encountered a new form of regret--the "i did this for me, it blew up in my face and i hate it, but i'm still glad i did this or i would never have known" regret. All I can say is I was invited to a cousin's place who seemed sincere about having me over and I thought he wanted to meet me but it turned into this hindu showdown where I was analyzed and dissected by a bunch of people who I didn't know and I had to stand on trial and prove why I'm not insane by their standards. It was a long and interesting weekend. At least I got pancakes out of it and an uber comfy bed! Not the perfect way I wanted to end my stay in Melbourne but whatever--woulda, coulda, shoulda!
This trip has been quite liberating for me too--as you all can probably tell lol--and it's brought out a new side of me that I didn't realize was possible. I'm more gutsy than before and I've done some stupid things...wait, scratch that. I've asked some stupid things and wish I didn't know certain things about people--this showed me another form of regret: the "why did i open my big mouth/why can't i just wait for the other person to be a man and tell me?" regret. lol. Let's just say I probably didn't time certain things properly and even though it seemed like a good idea, it kind of blew up in my face lol. But it's all good. Had I not been stupid then I would've had the age old regret of "why didn't i do it?".
I guess what I'm trying to say in this weird, half-drunk blog is god or the universe or your mom gave you life and you need to LIVE it. The end result may not be perfect 100% of the time; however, lessons you learn about yourself and other people are well worth the effort. Instead of spending your life wishing you had done this or that when you were at whatever age, spend your life doing things and remembering how you felt during those experiences and trying to learn something from them. I.e.: I came to a certain cousin's house to reconnect with him and to learn about my roots; instead I was bombarded with strict hindu rules and a character trial--> what did i learn? to try and see things from the other person's point of view and keep a cool head and see the silver lining (pancakes).
& Now the not so silver lining...they won't drop me off at the airport so I have to take a stupid shuttle which will take 1 hr and drop me to the airport 2 hrs before my flight. yippee for waking up at 5am. NOT!
cheers :)
Friday, February 4, 2011
i heart alice springs
So I know I should update my blog since so much has happened since Western Australia and yet I don't know what to write!
My stay in Alice Springs was amazing and I don't know if my writing will do its beauty any justice but I'm sure as hell gonna try.
My departure from Perth was kind of scary as a cyclone was about to hit South-Western Australia and it was forecasted to hit when my flight was going to be leaving Perth Airport...saying I was terrified is putting it lightly. Thankfully I have great people in my corner who I was able to talk to and they help me put at ease my fears. Once I got safely to Alice Springs, I fell in love :) I mean the beginning of my journey to Alice was awesome--I got to walk on the tarmac to my plane lol--it's the little things that entertain me, alright? And then after boarding the plane I had quite the bumpy ride but could see the terrain and geography change between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The airport in Alice Springs is super cute, it's like one tiny building with only one line for screening and one carosel for baggage. I loved the small town feeling. My hostel...well it wasn't great but it had a/c so in that respect it was great. Walking around the town for the first time was scary--having been warned by the locals about the aboriginal people, i was pretty scared. But once I got to town, it was pretty cool--uber tiny town! but they have a coles and wollys (superstore and safeway equiv) and a kmart and kfc and VERY FAR AWAY was the mc donalds (or macca's as its called here...iunno why)
Then finally the day came when I got to go on my long-awaited 3 day uluru/kings canyon/kata tjuta tour with the rock tour group. And it was total bliss. I was so worried about camping in swags out in the dark with all the dirt but it turns out i fared alot better than the other girls--in true suzanne fashion ;) one asian chick kept screaming everytime she saw a grasshopper...u can imagine how much i wanted to smack her.
the first day we went to kings canyon aka the hardest hike of all three days and it was such a nice change of pace from western australia where all you do is either see beaches or drive places. it was a 3 hr climb and it was well worth allthe sweat and grime. and then we had lunch then drove a long while till we got to the place we would get our firewood--the side of the road in the bush lol. It was quite a liberating experience breaking all the branches and logs--got to use my muscles finally (or whatever strength was left in 'em). Then by the time we got to the campsite it was pitch black which didn't make setting up camp any easier but its all good. We got all the firewood down from the top of the trailer, then got the fire started and finally started cooking. Then we started playing campfire games like never have i ever and would u. that day was the first day of my life where i peed in the bush AND didn't take a shower after getting grimy and sweaty...it was pretty hard but all good i survived!
the second day was supposed to be easier hiking the kata jtuta aka the olgas but it ended up being super steep and i injured my knee :( the group was very supportive and i was able to keep going on and my tour guide was super sweet and said i was a trooper and helped me alot! this was also the day i saw uluru for the first time and i can't believe it but i fell in love :) it was so beautiful and knowing what kind of culture and history went into that "rock" as some people call it, i was speechless. ...i actually teared up and it was kinda funny lol. anyhoos, we went and did the mala walk where we saw some cave drawings and learned the cultural/dream stories behind the mala walk. then we drove to a sunset viewing spot that was filled with alot of tourists-all the old ppl who spend 2000 to see uluru and have champagne while they do so along with other backpackers. the sunset wasn't that great cuz it was cloudy but it was still a great experience chilling with all the group--who by the way, have to be my fave group so far :)
the third day we woke up at 430...yes it was a disgusting time. i had to wake up before the sun two days in a row! but it was nice lol...i was pretty groggy till 6am and i couldn't understand how everyone else was so chatty. we saw the sunrise and got to see uluru change colours and it was pretty cool. we also sat around and got to bond with each other over breakfast :P after that we had the choice of doing the base walk (9-10k, the previous walks were around 8 or 9km per day) or doing a portion of it. my knee was bothering me so i opted for a portion of it. it was pretty damn amazing and i can't understand how i love uluru so much. afterwards we drove to a station stop for lunch and it was nice how the entire group clicked. i guess it was cuz we all saw each other at our worst (early morning puffy faces or late day sweaty disheveled faces) and we were so comfortable with each other, uber awesome.
after saying bye to everyone, we got ready to see each other again and to party at the rock bar. that was an awesome night. had amazing yummy shots and got a bit drunk and even started dancing where there was no dancefloor (the entire place didn't have a dancefloor lol) it was fantastic. and the tour guide is a great person, she encouraged us to just be ourselves and eff the rest. and my meal! it was soooo good :)
so all in all alice springs was pretty damn good to me and i hope to visit it again some time. ...if not for uluru then for sure for the rock bar lol
...
i guess i found something to write about lol :P
My stay in Alice Springs was amazing and I don't know if my writing will do its beauty any justice but I'm sure as hell gonna try.
My departure from Perth was kind of scary as a cyclone was about to hit South-Western Australia and it was forecasted to hit when my flight was going to be leaving Perth Airport...saying I was terrified is putting it lightly. Thankfully I have great people in my corner who I was able to talk to and they help me put at ease my fears. Once I got safely to Alice Springs, I fell in love :) I mean the beginning of my journey to Alice was awesome--I got to walk on the tarmac to my plane lol--it's the little things that entertain me, alright? And then after boarding the plane I had quite the bumpy ride but could see the terrain and geography change between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The airport in Alice Springs is super cute, it's like one tiny building with only one line for screening and one carosel for baggage. I loved the small town feeling. My hostel...well it wasn't great but it had a/c so in that respect it was great. Walking around the town for the first time was scary--having been warned by the locals about the aboriginal people, i was pretty scared. But once I got to town, it was pretty cool--uber tiny town! but they have a coles and wollys (superstore and safeway equiv) and a kmart and kfc and VERY FAR AWAY was the mc donalds (or macca's as its called here...iunno why)
Then finally the day came when I got to go on my long-awaited 3 day uluru/kings canyon/kata tjuta tour with the rock tour group. And it was total bliss. I was so worried about camping in swags out in the dark with all the dirt but it turns out i fared alot better than the other girls--in true suzanne fashion ;) one asian chick kept screaming everytime she saw a grasshopper...u can imagine how much i wanted to smack her.
the first day we went to kings canyon aka the hardest hike of all three days and it was such a nice change of pace from western australia where all you do is either see beaches or drive places. it was a 3 hr climb and it was well worth allthe sweat and grime. and then we had lunch then drove a long while till we got to the place we would get our firewood--the side of the road in the bush lol. It was quite a liberating experience breaking all the branches and logs--got to use my muscles finally (or whatever strength was left in 'em). Then by the time we got to the campsite it was pitch black which didn't make setting up camp any easier but its all good. We got all the firewood down from the top of the trailer, then got the fire started and finally started cooking. Then we started playing campfire games like never have i ever and would u. that day was the first day of my life where i peed in the bush AND didn't take a shower after getting grimy and sweaty...it was pretty hard but all good i survived!
the second day was supposed to be easier hiking the kata jtuta aka the olgas but it ended up being super steep and i injured my knee :( the group was very supportive and i was able to keep going on and my tour guide was super sweet and said i was a trooper and helped me alot! this was also the day i saw uluru for the first time and i can't believe it but i fell in love :) it was so beautiful and knowing what kind of culture and history went into that "rock" as some people call it, i was speechless. ...i actually teared up and it was kinda funny lol. anyhoos, we went and did the mala walk where we saw some cave drawings and learned the cultural/dream stories behind the mala walk. then we drove to a sunset viewing spot that was filled with alot of tourists-all the old ppl who spend 2000 to see uluru and have champagne while they do so along with other backpackers. the sunset wasn't that great cuz it was cloudy but it was still a great experience chilling with all the group--who by the way, have to be my fave group so far :)
the third day we woke up at 430...yes it was a disgusting time. i had to wake up before the sun two days in a row! but it was nice lol...i was pretty groggy till 6am and i couldn't understand how everyone else was so chatty. we saw the sunrise and got to see uluru change colours and it was pretty cool. we also sat around and got to bond with each other over breakfast :P after that we had the choice of doing the base walk (9-10k, the previous walks were around 8 or 9km per day) or doing a portion of it. my knee was bothering me so i opted for a portion of it. it was pretty damn amazing and i can't understand how i love uluru so much. afterwards we drove to a station stop for lunch and it was nice how the entire group clicked. i guess it was cuz we all saw each other at our worst (early morning puffy faces or late day sweaty disheveled faces) and we were so comfortable with each other, uber awesome.
after saying bye to everyone, we got ready to see each other again and to party at the rock bar. that was an awesome night. had amazing yummy shots and got a bit drunk and even started dancing where there was no dancefloor (the entire place didn't have a dancefloor lol) it was fantastic. and the tour guide is a great person, she encouraged us to just be ourselves and eff the rest. and my meal! it was soooo good :)
so all in all alice springs was pretty damn good to me and i hope to visit it again some time. ...if not for uluru then for sure for the rock bar lol
...
i guess i found something to write about lol :P
Saturday, January 29, 2011
bye bye perthie! :P
Hey all,
it's my last day in perth and i'm heading off to alice springs tomorrow! i can't wait--this is going to be an experience of a lifetime; intense heat, intense hikes AND best of all BUSH CAMPING! yes, i've been nervous about it but i realized everything i was worrying about is pretty petty :) this next week is going to be amazing :D
...and the next 16 hours will be quite interesting as well. a few cyclones are heading towards australia--two towards queensland and one towards perth. eeep! it's supposed to get to the southern coast of australia around the same time my flight will depart--i have faith in the flight crew of qantas and know that the passengers' safety will be their number one priority. i'm not going to lie though, the past couple of days have been stressful because i was pretty worried about my flight being cancelled and thusly missing out on my tour and everything else i have planned afterwards. but thankfully i have lots of great people in my corner, like my mom and anne, who comforted me and it helped me realize that whatever happens, happens and it's all good. i'll deal with whatever happens when it happens. the universe is watching over me and knows what i want and will take care of me :)
as far as my planning for alice springs and my uluru rock tour goes, i've got the right mindset and i've prepped as much as i can as far as gear goes...so all i have to do is just do it -- as a wise sydneysider told me (my cousin sunil) :P
i'll be w/o internet and reception for 3/4 days for sure so you may not be hearing from me for a that time but i'll be ok and i'll write soon. take care all
it's my last day in perth and i'm heading off to alice springs tomorrow! i can't wait--this is going to be an experience of a lifetime; intense heat, intense hikes AND best of all BUSH CAMPING! yes, i've been nervous about it but i realized everything i was worrying about is pretty petty :) this next week is going to be amazing :D
...and the next 16 hours will be quite interesting as well. a few cyclones are heading towards australia--two towards queensland and one towards perth. eeep! it's supposed to get to the southern coast of australia around the same time my flight will depart--i have faith in the flight crew of qantas and know that the passengers' safety will be their number one priority. i'm not going to lie though, the past couple of days have been stressful because i was pretty worried about my flight being cancelled and thusly missing out on my tour and everything else i have planned afterwards. but thankfully i have lots of great people in my corner, like my mom and anne, who comforted me and it helped me realize that whatever happens, happens and it's all good. i'll deal with whatever happens when it happens. the universe is watching over me and knows what i want and will take care of me :)
as far as my planning for alice springs and my uluru rock tour goes, i've got the right mindset and i've prepped as much as i can as far as gear goes...so all i have to do is just do it -- as a wise sydneysider told me (my cousin sunil) :P
i'll be w/o internet and reception for 3/4 days for sure so you may not be hearing from me for a that time but i'll be ok and i'll write soon. take care all
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