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Wednesday 6th Jan
So after 3 emotional weeks at home for Christmas, I've began part two of my 6 month travelling journey which has consisted of a 50 hour trip with my sister from the UK back across to the other side of the world to the wonderful land of Oz (Australia of course, not the green emerald city with munchkins). We arrived at our hostel, Sydney Central Youth Hostel which was just opposite Central train station around 10am. My friend from university, Jamie, had organised for her boyfriend to greet us and had upgraded us from a 6 bed female dorm to a private double room for the same cost (£20 each a night). Sam (her 'fella' I referred to him as which he found amusing) showed us up to our room and was really friendly. The room is lovely and clean with our own bathroom and a nice comfy bed. The rest of the hostel is great, very different to anything experienced in Asia, but if I was to compare, its more like the hostels Lauren and I stayed in in Vietnam. It's much bigger and accommodates for families as well as younger travellers. There are two huge kitchens so you are able to cook in to save cost on eating out - it actually reminded me of being a student again back in shared kitchens but it's much bigger and with utensils etc provided. It also has a cinema room, tv room and gym/swimming pool/sauna with an active sociable weekly itinerary for things going on there.
After Sam left us we decided to try and stay awake for a bit to sync our body clocks with Australian time.
As it was chucking it down outside, we went and lounged in the cinema room with lots of others. It reached early afternoon and we decided to go for a nap having not been able to keep our eyes open any longer. Later on we took a walk to find woolworths (yes it exists here which I never knew) and bought some dinner and breakfast in. Walking around Sydney it reminded me so much of home, the streets, buses and the buzz was very similar to London, and had I not known id just spent 3 days travelling to the other side of the world I would have thought I'd just woken up in London. Back at the hostel we cooked up some fajitas in a very busy kitchen and sat down in the communal area to eat. I started chatting to a girl called Talia from somewhere near Melbourne after she'd giggled at me when I opened a bottle of pop and had it fizz all over the table. Talia was away for the weekend on her own just to do something different and was really pleasant to talk to. The three of us chatted about places we'd been and some differences in our countries politics and after a few hours she went back to her dorm (although she was reluctant to in sharing it with 3 messy people). We finished up the night by looking at the travel guide for things to do over the next few days and got to bed.
Thursday 7th January
Thankfully I slept through the night until half 7 in the morning so I'm feeling a bit better now about the time difference. We used the communal dining area at the hostel to have some coco pops and then headed out to find a hair salon my friend Vicky had recommended, 'Blow Dry Bar', in the MLC centre near Martin place. We used our Opal cards (similar to Oyster cards used in London) to get a train to the stop near it and spent the next hour wandering around finding about everything but the hair salon.
We got to know Sydney city centre very well. All the designer shops and little cafes with people strutting around in formal work attire again reminded me much of London. I stood out like a soar thumb in my bright coloured travelling patched trousers and matching green trainers and top...but I think the place needed a bit of vibrancy to all the black/white dresses and heels. I even at one point attracted some kids who looked like they were in some kind of kids scout club...or a school trip with bizarre bright patterned camouflage as uniform..anyway I got a comment off one young kid to say that he liked my trousers, I turned to see he himself was wearing black ones with huge flames up them and of course Lisa found his appreciation in my fashion hilarious. We kept bumping into big groups of these kids all over and it was funny watching them 'high five' everyone they walked past and for a moment it took me back to my childhood memories of my school trips to Fousseau in France.
Thankfully the weather had cleared up a bit so we didn't get drenched. We stopped off inbetween at a nice corner pub-type place called The Angel for some lunch which I was impressed that they give you a little sheet to tick boxes and customise your sandwich. We didn't end up making it to the hairdressers until a few hours later due to our inability to read a map. When we arrived we were disheartened to find it was closed until Monday but had to laugh that we'd spent so long trying - we even at one point had a consultation in another salon but they were trying to charge me $250 which wasn't happening. After our failure we did a quick visit into H&M where I picked up a hoody to help me cope with the cold weather (still got a cold from England too) and then we went onto the Sydney tower eye where we were told a lift had broken down so it would take another 90 minutes before getting up the top....so we bailed on that and then a second attempt to do something touristy went to the harbour bridge and took a walk along the east side of it. The views were nice and we saw the opera house which in person looks much smaller. After a long day we headed back to woolworths to buy some dinner in and then came back to the room for a lie down and to get ready for the evening. There is supposed to be a cheese and wine night tonight so I will update on how that goes tomorrow.
Xxx
- comments
Auntie Loz So glad you arrived safely and are now getting a proper rest enjoy your cheese and wine love ya xx xx
Gina Omezi Woolworths? Similar to what we used to have here..First time I have commented but loving the blogs! :)
Doreen Thomson Hey Sheila hostel sounds awesome! Home from Home in Sydney then! Shame you didn't find the hairdressers but least you had a good look round .. Enjoy your cheese and wine nite .. We used to do ties back in the seventies! ❤️Xx
Rob Thomson Hi DLA, just caught up with your blog. Glad to her that you have acclimatised & enjoying yourselves. Keep safe & have fun. Love & miss you loads Papa Bear x
Kirsty Have only just read my comments on here, yes all good in Sydney and my cold has finally about cleared up slight cough still! Haha thanks Gina hope you are all good (: xxx