Getting to know people

Since I got back, many people have asked me whether I got to know many people while travelling. Well, the answer is: I met lots of people. Considering that I spent most of my nights in hostels, sharing rooms with an average of about 4 people, and went on several multi-day tours with between 10 - 20 other participants, plus the people on the Magic Bus (many of whom I travelled with for several days), plus the wine tastings and guided tours, I'd say about 200-250? With most of them, I had the following conversation (either initiated by me or by them, doesn't matter):

Q1: Hi, where are you from? 

A1 (in 90% of the time): Germany. (Go to Q1.1) 

A1.2 (the rest of the time): Some (probably middle-European) country. (Go to Q1.2)

Q1.1: Oh, ich auch, woher denn genau? 

A1.1: A place in Germany I've probably never heard about. (Go to Q2)

Q1.2: Oh, really! Whereabouts in ... (insert name of country)? 

A1.2: Some town I've never heard about. (Go to Q2)

Q2: And how long have you been in New Zealand/Australia?

A2: A description of the places they have been to (the same places I have been to, or, if they are doing the tour the other way round, the places I will go to next)

Q3: Sound great! And how long are you travelling alltogether?

A3: Mostly a year, but there can be interesting variations ranging from 2 weeks to 5 years.

Q4: Oh, cool! So where have you been before coming here?

A4: A description of - mostly - South-East Asian countries ensues.

Q5: Amazing! And where are you off to next?

A5: See A2 (in reverse)

Only after getting through this can one start to ask other, potentially more interesting questions. But by that time, we're both so bored that we have to move on to the next person.

But to answer the initial question: I've met a handful of people that I really like, and had the time to get to know a little bit. With these I'm still in touch and hope to continue to stay in touch. 

But (please don't vomit now): The journey really helped me to get to know myself a lot better. I know it sounds really cheesy. But getting away from the daily routine, and having to take decisions on what to do each day just based on what I like (yes, it's all about me, me, me), really helped me to figure out a few things.

May the force be with you (and me)

Just a few more hours to kill before I have to leave Down Under. The last few days have been pretty quiet, because I had caught a cold and was not feeling well. It didn't matter because the weather wasn't that great anyway. I went to a few museums (among others the Powerhouse with its very interesting Star Wars exhibition), to the cinema, read some books... Maybe it was good to have this week before going home to have time to think about everything I've seen and done.

I've had a wonderful time! It was sooo good to just get away from my usual routine and get a new perspective on the world. I think I'm coming back a different person. No, not because I have a deep tan now (It's no fun to be out in the sun in Australia, because everywhere you look there are warnings against skin cancer with photos to illustrate - so I was careful and managed without getting burned or overly tanned, because, as they say on the public busses: " There's no such thing as a safe tan" - the Aussies don't really seem to care, though).

But I have changed my outlook on many things. And I've caught the travel bug, so this won't be the end of this blog. The next adventure is already on the horizon.

To be continued...

When it's raining, go pouring

I know one shouldn't use drink to fight depression, but a wine-tasting is different. Or is it? Anyway, this time it was the Hunter Valley, and it was a good excuse to escape rainy and cold Sydney. Yes, 19 degrees is really cold, I'm wearing all my clothes and am wondering how I'll survive Germany next week. Aaargh, it's already next week - where did the time go? Give me some more wine!
P.S.: The Hunter is most famous for its mature Semillons, by the way.

Summer's going - so am I

Today, as predicted, the temperature has dropped considerably. A chill is in the air, everything is a bit greyer, more subdued. Leaves are falling off trees and Sydneysiders are putting on their padded jackets (a bit extreme in my opinion, since it's still above 20). Still, it feels like the first beginnings of autumn, and it looks like it won't improve before I leave :-( The end of summer for me, then. I know I should be grateful for what I've had (and I am), but's still a bit sad for me, as always.

Went exploring the suburbs of Surry Hills, Paddington and Woollahra today. Liked the first, with lots of little shops and restaurants on Crown Street and lots of beautiful Victorian terrasses on Bourke Street. The other two are very up-market, lots of expensive shops which looked really empty even though everything seems to be on sale.

Spent the afternoon at the Customs House, which is now a library (loads of newspapers and magazines to read), plus a cool model of the city, interesting art (see "Green Void" on the right) and a cafe with great views of Circular Key and the Harbour Bridge on the top floor.

The weekend

My favourite spot are still the Botanic Gardens, and I've spent a lot of time just sitting there, watching time, ships, bats, ants, ibis etc. go by and being happy. Friday evening, I joined the long queue and got a ticket for the open air cinema there. Amazing setting - forgettable film (Marley and me).

On Saturday, I went to Watson's Bay by ferry and did a walk around the cliffs there, then had fish and ships at the famous Doyles seafood restaurant.

Sunday, the main event was an interesting guided walking tour round King's Cross, Sydney's famous red-light district. It's a very diverse area, parts of it very posh (I now know where Hugh Jackman lives when he's in Australia, not that it matters), parts extremely poor, lots of tourists, lots of drugs, at times violent, but also colourful with interesting shops and restaurants.

It's all too beautiful!

I needn't have worried, I love Sydney, too. Actually, it's even better than Melbourne :-) I spent the first two days hopping on and off the tourist buses (the Sydney and Bondi Explorers), which gave me a good feel for the city. Looking at my photos just now I get the feeling I spent most of my time to take pictures of the Opera House, though (don't worry, I deleted most of them). But it is very photogenic. And: I managed to get a ticket for Die Zauberfloete on Wednesday evening, yippie!

Yesterday, I went on the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk (after a great lunch on Coogee at Barzura), so I got to see most of the Eastern beaches: They are all great-looking, relatively clean, and by European standards not crowded. And so close to the city center! On the way I passed a cemetery - even the graves have lovely views here. No big plans for today. Just want to spend some more time in the Botanic Gardens, lying on the grass with a good book (which I've yet to buy).

Bye-bye favourite city (so far)

Oh, I'm really kind of sad to be leaving Melbourne tomorrow morning... But Sydney's calling. I'm just a bit worried because most of the people I've talked to like either one or the other. Rarely both. But there were some exceptions, and I hope to be another one of them.

The last couple of days, I went to see the musical Billy Elliot (with Anne, whom I'd met on the Great Ocean Road trip), explored the South Bank, went round on the free tourist bus and tram (in other cities you'd have to pay a lot of money for that), walked the Italian quarter around Lygon Street (the place to go for pasta, pizza and ice cream), explored the Botanic Gardens (again, free - why is this possible in Australia and not in Germany??) and watched the Chinese New Year parade (very colourful and loud).