The Long and Winding Road, Sept19th - 23rd

Sheer unadulturated excitement  couldn't begin to describe my feelings and emotions when I got up this morning.  Im glad that I took a melatonin so I could actually sleep the night before.  Anticipation only comparable to a kid on christmas eve...I was raring to go at 5 in the morning.

I have watched surf flicks and various other documentaries always dreaming of one day taking a surf trip of sorts...and this is what I have been planning for quite sometime. SO its natural to be excited and almost giddy over the fact this day had finally arrived.

Although, I hope to do one of these excursions one day with some friends, this type of tour caters more toward the begginer however, you cant beat the price for travel, food, stay and surfboard / wetsuit hire...really thats the best part of the deal...that you don't have to worry about much, just relax and enjoy what is offered.

The excitement was quickly stemmed by a 6 hour bus ride up the coast to our destination....ehhhh  Busses and Trains ... just aren't my bag,  So I tried to stay busy reading and catching up on things.
Once there, at our first stop...a beuatiful little gem called cresent head, the excitement didn't end there...this place was amazing. Our Living quarters are dorm style with bunk beds so much like the past couple weeks of traveling. But it was clear this group would be much more fun than any other before. Only numbering around 25 or so...I had made fast friends  on the ride with a couple lads from Northern Ireland....Collin and Mark.  The northern irleand accent is one of great difficulty to pick up...but now having traveled and met some irish recently as well as all the other accents, I guess you get acclamated fairly well...it helps to know some of the sayings or connotations as well. If I didn't understand I would just laugh because there were
mostly funny anyway....so easy get along.  WE all did what we could do to keep busy and make time go by quicker....the bus driver put on a movie...ohhh good. Except it was Ghost..?  Yeah the one with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore... who knows. Guess the bus system has a limited number of movies.  Had to wonder if this was out of his personal collection or what the hell?

We made a quick pit stop for food and booze.  Again the Irish toting as much beer that was hummanly possible had me laughing.  Back on and only two more hours....

Finally getting into "Creso", the Aussie's abbreviate everything ...its absoulutely comical. later...its as if you are on a baseball team with dug out lingo..  the way they shorten words / names and things up or add a "y" on to them.

As we got off the bus it was easier to start meeting people especially once in the room.  We quickly unpacked and got ready for an afternoon "sesh".  This place is amazing, which I will probably sound like broken record but it is and there's only so many words that I can use to describe what I am seeing and feeling.  Oh..and another thing Aussies, especially these surfers are very forward and to the point as can be determined by the rules written on the surfboard.... my favorite, The customer is always wrong, and the Instructor is always right!

The compound itself is a bit outside of town in a nature perserve along the coast which is a very common thing here in Australia. Cresent Head is a small city...and all along the coast in either direction its all protected and national park land....so NO Builings or Structures or any sort along the beach or back from it for half a mile or so.  As we walk along the winding sandy path through the low lying bush there are section of wooden plank walkways to help you along the way ....the soft sand and burrs can be problematic.

Immediately I am thrust back to my childhood and those long walks from the summer beach house in New Symrna...everything seems bigger and longer when your young, but the wooden boardwalk that wound through the sand dunes there seemed like a bloody mile!  However, torturous at the time, it was cool for sorts and enjoying the rustic environment that existed back in old coastal Florida...which is now long gone.
As we come out to the bluff and the downgrade that leads to the beach I am still amazed at this beach.  The bay flanked by to emerging points of rock that rise up into the air and obviously give its name....like a nice cresent moon....it truely is out of this world to me.

After some quick instruction for the group we were in and having fun.  We were out for almost a couple hours and now after a strech and the walk back we got ready for dinner.
The meals at this place are as wonderful as the surroundings.  Several of the local markets supply the food and the surfers cook it up to perfection.  Locally butchered meat and freshly grown vegetables are welcomed and important...as surfing twice a day, along with what is sure to be a little campfire partying at night...we'll need all the nourishment we can get.

We play a couple social games to help everryone feel a little more comfortable...and a name game to help with the obvious....which is really really goood. The group we have I think will be lots of fun and I am already starting some bonds that I know will last beyond this trip. There prob are 10 or so Germans, a couple Mario and Franzi on vacation from work and School...they are very easy to talk to about current events and realations between countries and the world... but pretty shy and reserved otherwisea.  A handful of Norweigian girls which were popular targets of the surf instructors both on the ride up and once we landed at camp.  Its clear that the wall flowers will be brought out and scrutinized if non participation is a part of their thoughts. None the less they seem nice even if a little timid.   A few Dutch, which are always a favorite because they get along with everyone and have a generally try anything, happy mentality...very cool... and these three were no different.  Thiel, Jason and Marium.... right off I made quick friends with Theo as I call him, he's a lot of fun and shares the same sense of humor.  Later on that night I got to know Jason who seems super bright and has a year of abroad study waiting for him at Oxford when he returns...and Marium has quit her job as a social worker to travel for a year as well.  There are two other Americans, Ryan and Patrick who are from Arizona...so getting to know them was very easy and quick.  They seem cool and also on a similar path... tired of banking and insurance jobs for 5 or so years....decided to embark out on a year off to maybe work a little, but mostly travel and have fun.  There are a couple South Africans, one a former banker ( yeah I know funny bankers timing n' all) who has an Australian boyfriend who she met at a soccer world cup game in SA. Marteen is down here to visit him and do some travel on her own.  The other kid is going to be a funny one you can already tell. He's one of the younger ones and has a very distintive laugh....Very Vince Vaugh-ish from Clay Pigeons or Swingers and quite odd  Steve is  very happy go lucky and ready to learn to surf but is also down this way to visit family in New Zealand and to watch some World Cup games...so we naturally have a bunch to talk about....oh and one French, Stefan, very quiet and reserved, so not much conversation with him as of yet.  Most of the German guys and girls are alike, very quiet and not very social....very hard to carry a conversation with other than basics.  A side note... and kinda interesting to that point....when we did the name introductions where everyone had to remember names, you also had to tell where you were from, a joke, and if you couldn't remember a joke....a sound of an animal you like.  Needless to say NONE of the Germans told Jokes and were pretty lame on their animal noises.  Guess they are just a bit conservative, reserved or whatever.....just not a lot of reaction from thenm.  Of course the Irish Kids and the Three Americans...were the only ones to tell jokes...All were pretty crass and took some further explaining to some that didn't understand some of the multiple interpretations of words in the english language.  Collin probably brought the best one with   "whats the worst part about eating a vegetable"...what? "Putting her back in the Wheel Chair"  .....Everyone laughed but not everyone understood as days later would reveal such and the explanation brought further laugter and reaction on what fun we were having surfing and as a group.   The rest of the night was pretty much like a college party or something...or i guess just a good campout...lots of drinking games and others "building relations", regardless everyone was getting stoked to get into the surf.

The next day goes the same way...wake up eat breakfast get the surf report and head out for the morning sesh.  However, Im usually already up for an hour or so...I like to walk out and check the surf myself...besides it's nice with first light and the sun rising out of the coral sea.
Lunch, some relaxing in the warm spring sun and then another afternoon sesh..followed by some dinner and drinking around the campfire.  The skies here are lit up with stars and the cool breezes keep the clouds away for some nice gazing.  The surf instructors have clearly made their intentions for the Norweigian Girls but they seem pretty intent on stemming the tide.  However there are some definite hookups going on amoung the others, quite funny as you notice empty beds in your dorm that was full the day before, haha so....always interesting to see who comes out their shell and its usually the most quiet of the lot.  The Norweigians are interesting since they get so much attention...along with two of the German girls they are the most desireable of the pack. So I always like watching the group dynamics and the games as they begin and develop.  Australian guys...especially surfers are notoriously bad mannered dudes when it comes to respecting women, so in fact its almost like being in Jr. High at times. There is one asian with a norweigian accent...yea just about as weird as an asian with a Scottish accent! You kinda have to look twice and just laugh or smile... Anyway, Veronica seems funny but can barely talk two words with out coughing! Apparently they have been in Asia before here and picked up some nasty colds. She said it happened right after a bug in Bejing flew down her throat... So I automatically deamed it Bird Flew!  They both are in our dorm....The other two Scandinavians Celia and Annette are in other dorm and seem ok but pretty reserve thus far.
That's pretty much going to be the schedule the rest of the week...and I Love it.  Lots of surf I hope and more getting to know different people.

I have definitely enjoyed the company of the Dutch kid Theo, he apparently injured his leg and has some degenerative complication which has yet to be figured out with his hip....otherwise he'd been a talented soccer  player. He is one funny guy and always smiling and laughing.  In the water everyone encourages one another so its quite fun to see everyone having fun and enjoying themselves.  It definitly translates over to land and loosens everyone up a little.  The other Dutch are having a hard time picking up the surfing but I have gotten equally close with Jason and Marium and spend alot of time talking about  anything and everything under the sun... Same goes with Marteen, who is quite athletic and is on her way to NYC to run in the marathon.   Pictured Below Theo and Jason...and the line of girls, then Marteen and Our Lead instructor "Antman" Anthony.

So Three days came and went and we were sad to have to leave all this R&R that we had gotten used to along with the food and sights.  But most of us were also eager to try a different spot.  The waves were decent here and good to learn in but the wind had made it hard a couple days with the drift and rip currents.

This affected my decission to take out the GOPro video camera as well... I didn't want to worry about losing or having it come off my hand etc.  Our last day, Wednesday was much better and really I should have gotten the GoPro Vid cam out for that sesh.  But I am hoping to do so in Coeff's Harbour our next stop.

Unfortunately, the Horse Latitudes that plagued sailors back in the early days of ocean travel has had a similar effect on us...we are stuck with no waves and getting itchy.  Wednesday, brought us into Spot X in Arrawarra Beach just north of the Harbour.  However, no swell had followed us....ehhh  Plus the bus was late and we got slowed up along the way with various stops etc.  So the Wednesday morning that started out so well...had quickly deteroriated with the help of the "Bus" and no waves.   Again, busses and trains....not my fav!

We made the most of it and enjoyed ourselves that night with the hope of getting into some better surf in the morning....but it didn't look promising.  The drink ups at night were becoming more and more adventureous as the........   The surf the next moring was bad and barely ridable I made the most of it and tried to hang in for an hour but the already bad conditons were getting worse. Plus I had gotten a head cold from the unusually cold weather at night.  Clearly one Low and High pressure had moved out and clearing things away...everyhting had gotten a tad colder as well as nothing to create a swell either.  So I dried out, got some rest then headed out to the beach when it was nice and warm during the day.

Later on in the day still with no swell I decided to take a Kayak tour up one of the Tidal Creeks back into the peserve. It was a nice trek and some enjoyed swiming in the warmer waters and swinging from a rope swing.  I layed low that night and went to bed early in hopes of drying out this head cold...

Then it was time to get back to camp and pack up for the late afternoon bus to Byron Bay.  Everyone was clearly  eager to leave...not having enjoyed the surf here...it made this spot less enticing...but really it had all to do with the lack of surf not the surroundings or the people...

As we headed out of town, I think Everyone was hyped and ready for Byron Bay due to everyone telling you how great and cool it is...but plus for the hope of a new swell and waves.  Regardless, some good parting shots.

Days Like these, Sunday Sept. 18th

I awoke to Kat, and the other german girls packing and getting ready to go on their work stays. Buffy wasn't there so no uncomfortableness to operate around.  As it turns out I guess she had been there as long as my German friends, they said she was french and that she routinely walked around the dorm and floor nude. I joked by inquiring if the perision nudist had changed their own ways during their stay...I think Kat was the only one that understood me as she laughed and said no...clothing much more acceptable way of opperating during daylight hours.  It never gets old hearing different verbs in translation....if not careful I will find myself saying "taking pie and coffee please" the next time I order. 

I was still very tired and planned to take it easy today...turns out the girls had been up all night...or morning rather as they thought it would be easier to sleep on the long bus and train rides they were about to take.  We all exchanged goodbyes and well wishes as having made new friends is always a good thing and welcomed.

I went back to sleep and awoke a few hours later deciding to do some laundry and get my thoughts togther.  I know my mom says I take after (in looks) the spanish grandfather side of her family...but I am thankful for good Irish, scottish and german innereds on trips like this!!!  Anyway the day passed and I did some random errands and enjoyed what was left of the day.  I tried catching up with a work friend of one my friends who now lives in Sydney....but they had worked together in CA.  He was nice enough to write me back a few weeks back prior to my trip and give me some suggestions on things to do while I was in town. I had hoped to grab a beer with him and catch up and thank him in person...but it just didn't work out.  I was however, going to check out a particular bar and restaurant in an area down near the Old Sydney harbor.  I remember seeing the area while on the tour and thought it would be a good sunday evening top off.  I was very hungary so the timing was right.

I had a  nice cab driver down to the area known as the "rocks"  He had some nice stories of people, places and general events that had happened along the way.  The cabbies here like many places are well dressed and this one you could tell very much enjoyed his job.  He liked meeting other people and learing where they were from and where they were going....besides its an easy way to pass the time as it was about 15 minutes drive.

Sunday night is typically a locals night out in an area like the rocks...so I was excited to catch an "irish jam" at one the cities finest pubs THe Hero of Waterloo.  I could tell the moment I stepped up onto its large sandstone steps and peered inside it was going to be a good place....and evening.

You could probably look the complete history up on this place on the web, but my general understanding of it from reading the back of the menu is that a dude who was a builder owned the land adjacent to a church he had built...he decided to build a proper bar and drinking establishment.  Yea I know at first in conservative thinking this would seem odd...but hey its 1833 and this is a land of convicts, so why the hell not build a bar next to a church. So he did and apparently the cut he used was called Argile or something which I assumed was to described how it was cut from the quarry which it came.  Because you could see the diagonal chips or cut lines in the dark sandstone rock.  Apparently there are lots of tunnels below the place that run to the waterfront and as legend has it...there were plenty of stories of nefarious types of people getting shanghied on to ships in an enslavement type of deal.  It wasn't unusual to get drunkenly and lured into the cellar...probably in hopes of getting more booze, but instead getting ferried onto a boat and before one knew it you would awake at sea.  Yup, pretty much a done deal...work or get thrown off.

Clearly I was looking for a much more luxurious drinking experience and no endentured work tonight....and it didn't take long in the way of a story from a unique lady that was taking a break from the Irish Jam. 

I had just orderd a nice cool Porter and meal....and needed a table to sit while listening to the music.  Only one spot was available and it was at her table.  She gladly ableiged when asked and again after hearing the accent asked where I was from...turns out she had met some other americans this night.  The conversation quickly turned as she mentioned her new found friends through travel and music in the states and with the wonder of Facebook...she hoped to look them up and stay with them....as she very much liked traveling to the US and enjoying what it had to offer.  After a few more questions from me, I soon found out just how interesting traveling by yourself can be...when you are forced to meet and talk to people you absolutely wouldn't otherwise if in a group or with friends.  In this case...Lilo had a very cool story.
Turns out she was originally from Sydney and like some of the bigger cities in America its unusual, but when found these local are very prideful and not only know their history but are willing to tell you about it.  With Lilo, it was more about Herritage as she was a Direct Deccendant from the "First FLeet" which was the first 8 boats that landed in Sydney with the convicts from England.  In fact the Manifesto of sorts hang on the wall right beside our table.  She even pointed out her 4times Grand Father...THomas (last name forgotten) who was a prisoner on the ship from past days of traveling or highway robbery.  But the story gets more interesting as it goes because her grandmother who married Thomas was also a prisoner on the ship.  Her last name beign Blyton.  She had been convicted of stealing lines from the hotel where she worked in London....and selling them to Hock for money to survive on.  She was apprehended by the authorities because apparently they were able to trace her handwritting and name off the sales reciept in the place where she pawned off the linens....well easy case, done....off you go to Australia.  Well after time served... I really couldn't get ALL the details because the music was quite loud...and not so much traditional Irish Folk music as it was more American Folk Music...otherwise known as Good Ole Rock n' Roll.

Anyway...I got the crux of the story but was amazed by which all the details of this story had come and where she found all this out.  Well again here, bits and pieces were lost in music cover up and thick accents...but apparently Blyton is a big and famous name back in England.  SHe didn't know it but one day found out about her Heiress family name who apparently was quite a writter of sorts and amassed a fortune doing so... I missed how this connection to how she got on the trail of her family history in Austrailia back to the Blytons in England...but regardless she had the curiousity, did the research and stumbled into one great story herself. 

I could tell it was only the tip of the iceberg and there were many more facets to it....none the less I appreciated it like any good story.  Not different their mine or anyone elses presently.  I'd like to think I am making or have made good stories to pass along one day...as well as knowing my family history.  Just like the cabbie on the ride over and his history lessen, they come in all different shapes and sizes...and connect lots of different people from worlds appart.  Somehow they never get old of hearing or being told....and I think its our general need as humans to be connected in some fashion if not to feel some sort of belonging...then to maybe understand where we are going, and only doing so by learning who we are and what makes us tick certainly can help  that along.

I don't know if any of that makes sense or you are able to understand my logic...I may like alot of things in these blogs...have to go back and make clearer.
What I do know is that I enjoy traveling because the people I meet and the stories I hear about their existence along the way....much like I enjoy biographiical represenattions.  I think this comes from the sense of faimly and direction my mom knew about her own roots and our collective family whereabouts through being a member of D.A.R, Daughters of the American Reveloution.
Regardless and innocent mellow night out had turned into a pretty special event that I can only imagines happens quite frequently at this establishment...after all it was built on that very same thing.  So its with great pride and reason I had to steal a line from a Van Morrison Title and name this entry.  I can't think of a better way to describe my travels to this point and what I am feeling or have felt through the years.

............Croí follain agus gob fliuch !

Saturday Sept 17th Sydney, One g-day

(These Posts are a bit behind due to the slow upstream speeds through out the the country, downloading pics is even taxing)

I woke up at a decent hour to get motivated on an early bus which will allow me to hook up with an ajoining bus to the Bondi Beach area.  One thing of note when I got up this morning... there was a completely neck'd gal in our room... I don't know if she's a friend of the others or what...but apparently she has no problem sleeping in the nude! I didn't really take note the night before..... but maybe she was in worse shape then any of us and didn't know she had lost her clothes....anyway, pretty funny stuff... well I guess for some!

A beautiful spring day finds the tree lined streets budding with fresh leaves and lots of bustling Sydney-ians, Sydneagians....Sydneans... I don't know.

As you can see this city is Ridiculously cool and Beautiful. My pics don't even do it justice nor my skills or camera phone.  The opera house showed up better than I thought... my memory of it was much browner and darker... but miraculously it turns out white in the pic....this is really messing with me!  Anyway... I decided not to do the boat tour of this...in hopes of making it to Bondi and further enjoying a great day.

Back in 1788 England decided to ship off the first of many boats of prisoners to Australia as some sort of Punishment... yeah think that backfired on them.  Anyway, a part of town called Sydney Square or the Old Sydney Port marks the landing place of the first 8 boats back in Eightenth Century... I can't think of the term used for the original old row of shops and housing that supported the English while here...  But a really cool area of town pictured below.

Then just around the corner...the historic area gives way to the towers of the city.  There are so many port views because Sydney harbor has three or four different fingers to it....adding to the luster of the city are the incredible vistas from almost any vantage point...water, buildings... and house lined hills.

I don't know how my attempts of Archeitechural Digest (or the spelling of) will turn out...but I tried as the downtown area gave way to a gentle hill of another area of town that escapes me at the moment...will have to look up later....but just over the hill from downtown lies Bondi Beach....and I am in love.

Needless to say again, the pics can only do so much justice for this place. I was eager to get my feet in the sand and get wet. After which my feelings for the coming week were only bolstered further by today's trip trip to Bondi.  I hope that we drop Manly (the other main beach of Sydney to the North) on our way out of town up the coast.  The day went by quickly so I gathered my stuff from the locker and caught the last return tour bus back to the city.  I was eager to get back, get showed and some food then watch the Australia Ireland match. 

The German girls were invited to a drink up and to watch the match....apparently a part of the UNSW Rugby Union...which is the governing body for the Uni league / Teams in New South Wales.  They invited me join them so I gladly tagged along to the marriot hotel down the street.  Of course I had to inquire more about the neck'd chick in our room...as she was still sleeping when I got back.  Apparently shes quite the night owl and slips in when no one is awake or aware...and sleeps most the day.  Interesting... will have to make a mental note that if I hear what seems to be a Siren singing in the middle of the night...to quickly pack up and leave!

So the drink up is in full order and lots of guys all dressed up in the lobby watching the match in an ajoining room. No wonder these gals got invited...perhaps they were the only ones that accepted?  After a few minutes of Joni loves Chachi... i quickly assertained that I wasn't too welcomed here....perhaps it was the poor performace by the Aussie side, or my favoring Irish looks...regardless I was growing tired of the Chachi's here.  After using the mens room I noticed a small eating area and bar that had the match on...so I sat there to watch the end....and what an ending it was.  The Irish prevailed on 5 penalty kicks and held the green and gold to two themselves.  Great game and a HUGE upset... hard to remember in the past couple world cups a bigger one.

I was eager to get out and enjoy my evening...apparently so was Katvrina.  She left her german friends behind and joined me on the short cab ride to Kings Cross.  A notorious part of Sydney...it didn't dissappoint with tons of people watching to do...along with great bars and restaurants next too seedy strip clubs....its a crazy melthing pot of all Sydney has to offer.  You see fancy dressed up girls, obviously from  decent background...out for the night clubing and such... walking alongside or passing other girls that aren't so fortunate in life.  Anyway, we found a good drinking hole with Bohemian beer on tap and talked to some Canadians seated next to us. They were all on similar paths and headed up the coast to Cairns. The other german girls caught up with us after some texting and walking around we found them and proceeded to another bar... apparently we had just missed an old school burlesque show... I wasn't too disappointed since some of the left over dancers were walking around and talking to others....needless to say, these gals weren't to far off from the Russian Weight lifting team and definitely would have to be DNA tested if ever to perform in any women's sports.  Agan, the mix of people in attendance was intriging.  There were couples my parents ag out on the veranda having dinner and drinks.... as I got outside to get away from the crowd for a breather the tiny side street showed some interesting houses...that kind of shared a New Orleans feel to it... later I wished I had taken some photos. 

Evening turned to morning keeping in tune with the theme of the day and time flying bye. We all hoped a van cab back to the hostel which had a late night club and bistro underneath it. Katvrina and the others were giving me a hard time, but my dishes were done and I was heading to bed.  This time I was more aware, but no sign of the Siren Buffy and it was 430am...ehhh.
Anyway the night became morning and we all shared a Van Cab back to the hostel that has a late night club w/ food below. I wanted to write a bit but quickly became tired and headed off for sleep.  The late night Siren I'll call Buffy... was out / at it again appearently, no sign of her in full glory as I got in my room and into bed.