A day on the Gold Coast

After figuring out the best way to get to the Gold Coast, we figured out what train to take. That was the easy part. We had a few little issues with the bus to the actual beach, but eventually got on the right one (or at least one that took us to a beach) with the help of a few drivers and the guy at the train/bus station. We're at a real disadvantage with never having to take public transportation ever.

We ended up at Burleigh Head beach which is on the Gold Coast. It's a bit farther south than the more touristy beaches (Surfers Paradise) but it was well worth the trip. The air temperature was probably in the 70's today but the breeze made it a bit cold. Laurie and I went for a swim--the waves were great but the current was a bit too strong for my liking. The water was also cold but not unbearable. There were many surfers along the shoreline and we just enjoyed an afternoon of lying on the beach and soaking it all in. Yes, mom, we wore sunscreen.

We also came across a little state park area which had a couple of kilometers of hiking trails along the shore and up into a rainforest-like area. We had some great views of the Pacific and coastline.

The bus and trainride back were uneventful except for a massive amount of soccer or rugby fans that had just left the stadium and flooded our train. Both teams were well represented--seas of orange for the Queensland team and gold for the Gold Coast team. I'm not really sure who won but the gold fans seemed a bit happier. There were several groups of people bursting out in their team's songs. Funny, I don't ever experience that after leaving an Orioles game...

We have one more day in Brisbane tomorrow but our flight out to Cairns leaves around 6pm. We'll finally meet up with Roberta and I'm looking forward to our next stop in Australia.

Visiting continent number 6

Hello from the future and "down under"! We've been in Brisbane for a few days now and this is the first time I'm posting--sorry about that. The jet lag is getting better--I'm able to stay up past 8pm and not wake up until after 7am. The traveling here went quite smoothly--a train to philly, a plane to LA, another plane to Auckland NZ, another plane to Brisbane, and a bus to our hostel. Needless to say, we were exhausted. Our accomodations are okay--I mean, it's a hostel. We're in a very central part of the city and it's very walkable. We're right along the river and they have a great cycling/running path along both sides. It's been nice to go out for a run in the mornings. It's kind of chilly however in the mornings and especially when the sun goes down.

Yesterday we spent the morning walking around the botanical gardens in Southbank and then took a tour to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It was unlike any kind of zoo that I've ever been to because there were very few fenced in areas or the areas that were fenced in or had walls were kind of low so you really could get close to the animals. The kangaroo and emu enclosure was huge and you could just walk around and pet things. I was waiting for one to attack. They didn't. Amy and I held a koala--they have large claws but are very soft and look like stuffed animals. Of course we have many pictures. I'll have to wait to post those until I get home however. We also we to the Mt. Coot-tha lookout in the late afternoon and got a good perspective of Brisbane and just how large it is.

We met some Tazmanians (they were on this tour with us) and they asked if we like shows. We were kind of perplexed at the question but said sure, thinking like Broadway shows. We learned that a show is kind of like a country fair. We're going to attempt to go it tonight as it only runs for a week or so.

As for today, we spent it walking around Brisbane and doing some shopping (there's an artisan's market on the weekends). It's been relaxing and a good day overall. We're hopefully going down to the gold coast tomorrow to check out the beaches there. It's a two hour bus ride and we're still figuring out where and when to get those. I'm sure we'll figure something out.

Thanks for reading and I'll hopefully post again soon.

Biking in CA

If you're interested in reading about my family trip in Lake Tahoe click here.

The start of summer 2010

Another school year has ended (and a good one it has been) so that means that my summer traveling plans have begun. This past weekend, my friend Tanya and I spent three days on the Loyalsock Trail. We planned on doing about 38 miles of the 59 mile trail but hiked 42 miles due to some directional challenges. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for hiking and the company was was pretty great too.

On day one we started off on what we thought was the right direction but when we passed mile marker 20 (we started at 22 and were supposed to be counting up) we realized we hiked for about an hour in the wrong direction. The trail guide told us that the section we were planning on hiking that day would take us 12 hours so we were a bit concerned about getting into camp late after hiking 4 miles out of our way. However, Tanya and I hiked like it was our job and did 10 miles before lunch and then finished the last 6 to get us into camp at 4pm. We definitely celebrated with some "celebration stew" and biscuits for dinner and were asleep before the sun went down.

Day two was a little less strenuous but tired legs from the day before caused us to hike much slower and we took frequent breaks and a long lunch. We hiked 12 miles to World's End State Park and checked in at the park office since we had already reserved a campsite. However, when we learned that our campsite was another mile from the office, our look of despair must have caused the park rangers to have pity on us and we got a ride to the campsite from Ruth, a lovely retired teacher who volunteers with the Alpine Club and helps maintain the trail.

We decided to change our plans a bit on day 3 and make it to "the haystacks" to play in the water and then camp instead of getting there on sunday. It was a hot afternoon and the water felt great. We took advantage of various photo opportunities and lounged on rocks. We ate our last dinner (more biscuits of course with a hamburger stew) and hiked the last two miles to Tanya's car and came off the trail a night early.

It really was a great trip--one of the best backpacking trips either of us have ever had and a great way to start the summer for me. Now my legs can rest for a few days before they tackle cycling in the Sierra Nevadas with my brother and dad.

Pictures

Click here to check out ALL of my pictures from the trip. I'll be adding more once I get them from others. Enjoy.

Things I won't miss

1. Mosquitos
2. Putting on deet to protect me from #1 (which I'm pretty sure can cause neurological damage)
3. Dogs barking/chasing me as I run
4. Wearing the same clothes for a long period of time/"washing" clothes and not feeling like they were so clean
5. Not snacking between meals

And the things that I will miss? That list would be rather lengthy. Pretty much everything else I got to see and experience and all the people that I met over the past month. I'll work on pictures tomorrow. Just letting you know that I'm home safe and sound.

The end is near...

I can't believe that I only have one more full day here in Nicaragua. This month has flown by. However, at this point, I can say that I'm ready to be home. This really has been a great experience--I think I would stay longer if I was living with a family and volunteering somewhere in the community in addition to taking more classes (maybe next summer--he he). Nicaragua is a beautiful and very safe place. I've been able to meet some great people, improve on my spanish, and see so many things that I didn't expect.

Here's the report from my last weekend here: On Saturday I spent the day in Grenada--a beautiful colonial town but it was a bit too touristy for my liking. I know that I am a tourist and will always look like one no matter how hard I try, but we have gone to so many places that are not tourist filled that it felt weird being around so many other foreigners. Unfortunately it rained most of the day or was at least cloudy so the views of the lake and surrounding volcanoes were a bit obscured. We did head out on Lake Nicaragua on a small boat and got a tour of the isletas--many of which were owned by the ridiculously wealthy. There was a very small one for sale for only $100,000 if anyone is interested.
Today was a bit of a lazy day. I finally got to take a horseback ride up to the ridge behind Volcan Masaya. The view from up there was amazing and despite having to be on a horse, all was well. This afternoon I studied a bit of the subjunctive (no, I don't think I'll ever get it or use it correctly) and treated myself to a pedicure. It cost $5. You wouldn't believe how gross your feet could get in a month here. Currently I'm sitting out on the terrace enjoying a beverage and lamenting the end of Le Tour and the fact that I didn't get to watch any of it. Que lastima.

I'm looking forward to talking to all of you in person and I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as I can. What a month. It will be a shame when this place gets to be well known...I'm glad I came when I did.