So this is my very first blog entry - i will try my best to make it interesting and informative and funny etc, but the creative part of my brain is not always switched on ! But anyway here goes

let me know what you think ...........

I arrived in Singapore at 6.30am on wed 05.04.2006.
it was a hot day - kinda stormy and muggy.
I hd booked into a hotel nice with a balcony at my window and a nice outdoor pool which was really nice to dip into after a hard day of sightseeing.
My only complaint was the city was abit far to walk to from it - but they did offer a free drop off, pick up service so i did that and it took me to Orchard road.
Orchard rd is a strange place - full of shopping malls that are like 3 or 4 stories high. I found it a bit overwelming and strange !
The more i walked and saw stuff the more i thought how westernised that place was- its just a huge western city. I was expecting more culture, more temples and shrines and older buldings - its too modern and too much of a western metropolis and is not a very good representation of Asia. 
I just got the feeling i could be in any city in the world  and it would be no different.

So at the end of the day, i decided to get the free pick up bus back to the hotel so i went the bus stop and waited for the free bus to come. And waited. And waited. It never came so i had to get a taxi back - luckily they are really cheap so it wasnt really a problem in the end but i just wonderd why it never came.

The next day i had to check into another hotel as this one was fully booked. Again it was a nice hotel and this time more central and in a nicer part of town.
The little side streets were really cute and the smell of spices and the beautiful coloured silks scarves and sarongs hanging outside the shops, made it all seem so much more interesting. I still dont think its that fantastic though.

It ained on the second day so i didnt really get to do much, but when in finally stopped, i went and found a cute little mosque near Arab St - it was brilliant white with little gold tops.
The next day i walked down Queen st to Bugis Junction and then went in search of chinatown, Saw the Kwan Im temple, which was interesting and a few other things. It was nice but once again very comercialized and full of tourists, tacky tourist shops - and of course Mcdonalds.

So now im in Sydney and its alright as cities go - a bit dirty and full of homeless people ( not that im a snob or anything i just think its not a nice thing to see.
Its hot here but thankfully no rain yet.
Im staying at the Railway Sq YHA, its big, clean and seems to be friendly as i have already got to know a few people.Its funny the hostel is laid out like a railway station - i think thats what it was berfore it was a hostel, so im sleeping in a "carriage" out the back of the main hostel building. Its got charactor. i like it.
Im not sure how long i will stay here in Sydney - there seems to be a lot to do and i have met some nice people so we will see.
 

So i have seen the Opera house and what an amazing building that is ! I walked down through the Botanical Gardens and then the Opera house and Harbour bridge came into view. It was a great feeling to finally see it. i cant describe to you how i felt seeing it up close for theh first time - i had always seen it on tv or in magazines but to be right on it - its cool, unbelivable. I got very exited and took a million photos !

Next i went to Bondi Beach and i have to say i was not at all impressed - if this is the standars of Aussie beaches then i will be very disapionted. Too many tourists and fag-butts. Its nothing special at all.

So i have met some really nice people here and we have all been here a while no its nice. There is an English guy called Dave, an Italian called Ifan, a chinese girl named min and Andrew who is korean to name a few.
Some of us went out to sample the night life and found the 3 wise monkeys - a bar on 3 floors with live music, really good live band playing all kinds of rock, emo etc. I enjoyed - i think we all did.
Me and Andrew went to the Aqarium and saw some cool stuff and then when we got back he insisted on making me Kemchi - a korean dish, although i dont remember what kind of Kemchi it was - apparently there are many kinds. It was very nice though.

I am going to Brisbane tomorrow - i booked a flight. The weather has turned funny, it seems to rain alot so i want to head north abit - Brissie seems a good enough way up north for the weather to be slightly better. Lets hope im right, eh ?
Everyone else is packing up and moving on so thats another reason to go i guess.

I went to Manly to see what that is like and it is a lot nicer beach than Bondi.
The beach is so nice - someone had made a sand sculpture with candles lit in it when it got dark. And the little town with its shops and cafes were nice. We also saw the art gallery - very small but some very good exibits. The ferry ride back to the City was beautiful at night with the Opera house all lit up.

Me, dave and Min, decided to go for a weekend trip to the Blue mountains. I really enjoyed that - it was so beautiful and nice to get out of the city for a couple of days. We stayed in the YHA which was a really nice hostel and then saw Echo park and the 3 sisters rock formations. We also did the Scenic Railway train down the mountain- almosy a verticl drop and then walked around the forest at the bottom, we then took the Cable car back up to the top. It was so good. It only takes 2 hours from Sydney central station and cost $51 bucks for the return train ticket and open top tour bus.
I also saw the Austrailian Museum and spent some time people watching in Darhling Harbour and i went Paddy's market a few times - it sells everything you could possibly need. That brings me to the end of Sydney and almost a month of travells - its been really good and can only get better - so watch this space !