Australia - Another Trip of a Lifetime

I'm home now, safe and sound.

Australia was a wonderful place and I enjoyed my vacation and time in each city. My favorite city was Sydney, and while at the start of my trip I felt it would only be once-in-a-lifetime, I feel now that I will definitely return someday, sooner or later. I loved the laid-back yet city culture vibe, the outdoor living on the water, the little artsy suburbs, especially Glebe, the nooks of the city to lose yourself in, and the places to stand out when you wanted. Most of all, I loved seeing the opera house. The whole experneice of finally being there was very surreal, and I hope I took enough photographs and spent enough time there to remember everything.

Cairns was a sleepy little tourist town at the base of the Daintree Rainforest and the surrounding mountains. I liked it because it was small and walkable, and it reminded me of Ocala.

The Great Barrier Reef, and having the opportunity to snorkel it and experience it as I did, was another surreal moment. I hate using the same adjective twice, but there really is no other word for it. I still can't believe that I actually snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef. Who does that? I did. Unbelieveable.

Melbourne was a busy city, trendy as can be with people sporting funky hairstyles and skateboarding down the street. There were lots of cafes and shopping opportunities, but alas, it was just a big city. There wasn't anything drawing me to it, culturally or otherwise. I think I would only return to Melbourne to do another day trip out of the city, like I did for the Great Ocean Road.

Having said that about Melbourne, I very much enjoyed the Great Ocean Road tour. It was, in a word, majestic. There really is no other place on Earth like it. And I feel very lucky to have seen the natural structures that I did see with my very own two eyes and through my camera lens, as those structures will eventually succomb to the natural forces of the Earth and no longer be there in another hundred years or so.

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A few tid-bits and interesting facts about my trip:
 - I am growing quite fond of traveling around the world and finding the most beautiful places
 - Koala bears sleep 22 hours of the day and eat only four or five of the many eucalyptus varieties.
 - Eucalyptus is toxic to most any animal that eats it, even koalas. Before they are old enough to eat on their own, their mothers have to chew it up and feed their joeys (baby marsupials) mashed eucalyptus to provide the enzymes needed to break down the plant in the future.
 - Koalas have a bony plate on their bottom so they won't get sores from sitting in the same position in their tree for 22 hours at a time.
 - Kangaroos are a variety of the wallaby family.
 - Kangaroo moms have the ability to 'press pause' on their pregnancy for up to 12 months. If their body feels that the time is not right to have a joey (for example, there is a drought and the mother isn't intaking enough water or food), the body will automatically hold the pregnancy in that stage. It can do this for up to 12 months and still produce a healthy joey.
 - The black carnivorous snail is a vary rare sighting in the temperate rain forest along the Great Ocean Road, as they are a native endangered species in the area. I saw one.
 - The coastal walk in Sydney from Bondi Beach to Coogee beach was probably the most difficult, tiring walk of my entire trip. The views were worth every milisecond.
 - I am now the proud owner of two black Australian opals.
 - Sydney reminded me of Savannah while Melbourne reminded me of Atlanta. Cairns reminded me of home.

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My last moments in Australia consisted of my staying awake on my last night, catching a taxi to Southern Cross Station in Melbourne to get the free airport shuttle Sky Bus to the airport around 2:30am, waiting around for the check-in counter to open at 4am (I got there early so that my taxi/bus catchings would be when people were still about in the city), and then catching my first flight of the day to Sydney at 6:45am.

This first leg was a domestic one, just an hours flight to the main international terminal in Sydney. I flew Quantas, and in the short hour, they offered us free breakfast. I wasn't hungry so I declined, but this was just the first glimpse of the outstanding service that Quantas offers.

After a short layover, I boarded for the long-haul flight, Sydney to Los Angeles. This flight was just over 13 hours, but I must be becoming a pro at these long hauls because it went by unexpectedly quick. I slept most of the time, but when I wasn't sleeping, I thoroughly enjoyed the in-flight entertainment, food, and friendliness of the attendants.

I stayed awake since I woke up Tuesday morning (it was now early Wednesday afternoon) so that I would be able to have a good sleep on the long haul flight to make the time pass quickly. (Getting good at this.) But before I fell asleep, and within the first hour of the flight, lunch was served. Before I explain about lunch, let me first explain that I paid for the cheapest ticket I could possibly find. Total, it cost me about $2000 to fly from Korea --> Australia --> America. It was either that low price or the next lowest, which was around $4500. My low price included sitting in the farthest back cabin of the plane, which I was fine with. As long as I arrived home, I was okay. However, Quantas treats all economy passengers the same. Same menu, same service, same friendliness... same everything. No wonder why they're rated a 4-star airline. (If I have anything to say about it, I'd give them 5 stars.) So back to this lunch menu. We had an option of three different meals, including chicken and salad, beef and potatoes, and pasta with steamed vegetables. I got the pasta and each of my seat mates ordered the other two. Mine was delicious, and theirs looked so good that had I known them each a bit more, I would have stolen a bite while they weren't looking. Each meal also came with a garden salad, chocolate mousse, a Cadbury chocolate, and our choice of beverage, ranging from the usual water, tea and coffee, to a variety of juices, and ending with a selection of wines and spirits. I ordered the sparkling wine, and I received my very own bottle. It was only about 400ml, but it was my very own bottle. In addition, the lovely tray we were served lunch on came with real silverware and a real glass. Nothing was the usual flimsy plastic. And everything was served fresh and hot and with a friendly smile and prompt help, should anyone have made any requests.

Mid-flight we were served a delicious pizza snack, and at any time we could get up and help ourselves to cookies, crackers, and/or chocolates at each cabin section. The restrooms were clean and well stocked, and stayed that way throughout the duration of the flight. And the cabin crew and flight attendants, who worked to serve us the entire 13+ hours as one shift instead of two like some other flights I've been on, continuously served us patiently with smiles and helpfulness. So yes, if I do have anything to say about the quality of the Quantas domestic and long-haul international flights, it is that they should be upgraded to 5 stars.

When I arrived at LAX I had a short layover. Because of this, I was given an express pass and rushed through customs, baggage claim, and baggage re-check-in. When I got to security I had bought myself enough extra time that I was able to just wait in line with everyone else. (Which I thought was better, maybe more scrutiny would be given to those with express passes.) By the time I got to my gate, boarding had already started and I boarded for the 4.5 hour flight to Orlando. This service on this flight was almost 180 degrees from that which I received on Quantas. Oh well, at least it got me home safe and sound. I came out of the terminal tram area and almost instantly saw mom and dad waiting. We claimed my bag at the carousel and then started home.

I've been home a few days now and have been more jet-lagged than I've ever been, waking up about 4am and falling asleep in the afternoon hours. Hopefully it's almost passed. I am happy to have so much more time at home this year - 2.5 weeks this time compared to last year's 6 days - so I guess the jet lag is okay. I have time for some much needed R & R.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, eating more western-style food, doing a bit of shopping, taking lots of photos, and just being in America and back at home. I leave for Korea on June 3rd, and am looking forward to living back in Gwangju for my third year.

Happy travels to all!