[Days 43-46] Time to Unwind

*sidenote: Music is a huge part of our lives so we're posting songs. Sometimes they'll relate to the post, othertimes they'll be what we've been listening to, and othertimes they'll just be cool.

The Books "That Right Ain't Shit"


Well, Northern Eastern Australia (the province of Queensland) was transcendental. After Cape Trib we went back to Cairns and partied for 2 nights. The receptionist was really cool and decided to put us in an all girl dorm. Good times.

After that, we rode a greyhound to Mission Beach. Brado went skydiving and I just lounged poolside at the only hostel in Mission. It's a small town. There's pretty much nothing to do but chill. It IS the word relax. Met some wicked travelers. Moved onto Townsville that night, which is the port for Magnetic Island.

On the island we basically just balanced out the mad partying of the days prior... climbed trees, spearfished, rented scooters, hung out with a koala bear, played with an opossum, wandered deserted beached, sunbathed, slept a lot, etc.

I tried writing twice but all I got was:

'Paradise paradise paradise. I'm on a rock just off the shore. Tide's come in; waves are crashing all around. The moon is high and ¾ full. Magnetic Island—the pics say it all; having trouble writing because everything is so beautiful. That's it for now. Can't escape the moment.'

and

'Her hair is prairie brown. It flows, no dances, no waves to the world in the gentle wind. Picturesque contrast between her and the ocean. Dusk. Mystery.'

...whatever.

Mission Beach Hostel

Brad's skydiving team

Dinner in Mission Beach

What's up Magnetic Island

[Day 40] Cape Trap

Calexico - Slowness


Last day at Cape Tribulation. Completely relaxed and reflecting on whatever. First & foremost the dreams. I'm experiencing the most vivid dreams. We're talking out-of-body experiences. The kind that when you wake up you feel more THERE than here. VIVID. Transcending to another realm. Or perhaps I dunno. I cannot comprehend what's going on. All things feel more real than before; like life's getting rewired or something. The mornings aren't groggy, rather disconnected.
____

I lost my wallet the day of the reef dive. Someone turned it into the front desk but took the $225 cash. Found out right when I got back— hellish icing to a magnificent cake; sulked at the smoking patio near the pool; watched two syblings interact while amidst my dejection. Preschool sister and an elementary brother. Sister played poolside with a pink soccerball and the brother pretended to be Hercules...

She climbs out and runs over to him. She smiles and screams “PLAY!” She tosses the ball, but instead of catching it, he punches it hard. The ball fires back and pelts her in the stomach. She's emotionally hurt by his denial, physically hurt by his relative strength. Her face droops as she turns toward the pool. Her eyes are struck by evening sun; but, rather than squint they grow! She grins and jumps in, hugging water throughout the plunge. She bops up laughing and wipes the hair from her face, dog-paddles over to the side, hoists herself out, plants her feet, and does a frantic flip back in.

When life punches your balls, you gotta turn left and see the beauty of it all. Front-flip a smile back into it. Come up smiling truth and wipe away whatever the hell's blocking the sunshine.
___

I'm at a table on the veranda. An English lady just sat down with a small salad and a large cola. Late 30s, plump, forest green sun hat, soccer mom blouse, obvious dentures; traveling Oz for 4 weeks. We talk about the world and she quickly states her regret for not doing a trip similar to mine during her youth. Well, at least you're doing it now right? “Ya dat's true. Suppose you gotta live for today uh?”

And that's how conversation is with travelers. Most are from Europe. The single-track living of most Americans still pains me. Last night there were those ambitious young Irishmen at the bonfire. They'd been traveling for so long. Also there was Meg, the English botanist, who journeyed from Belrin to Mongolia on the trans-siberian railway. She told fascinating stories. Taught us Mongolian drinking games and how to tell Mongolians apart from other Asians (their traditional attire, wind-burned skin, and regular drinking). Mongolians drink fermented horse milk out of bowls. Meg said it's really alright, but the cottaged lumps at the bottom, as well as the sharp aftertaste, are quite shitty. The key is to drink it fast. Said it really gets you going. Good gawd. She said the hangover's ripe. Thanks anyway Mongolians.

And that's how conversation is with travelers! Irish Laura has $20 to her name. Terry the weathered/ half-deaf mountain man was kind enough to let her stay at his camp until she gets on her feet with a job and what not. “When I was in Thailand, some Welch asshole robbed all my money on a bus. I had nothing. If I can get through that I can get through anything. Never had a problem with locals... left my things around Thai regularly and they just gave it back with smiles you know? Just travelers I've had problems with.” Wow that sucks. Karma. It'll come back to him. Her face changes; I've struck a chord of sorts. She replies “Live and let live.”

That's how conversation is with travelers. Dublin Ray was so wise. He never went to university but had such a keen view of life. A few of his quotes were: Money, politics, and religion. Man, take those away and you got a beautiful world." and, in Gaelic (which is a bad-ass language!) he said "Mind the pennies and the pounds look after themselves." Later he said "It's only after all the trees have been chopped down, all the rivers have been poisoned, and all the fish have been killed, only then will we realize we can't eat money." (Cherokee Navajo proverb).

And that's how conversation is with travelers! And it forms high and flows smoothly, rocketing foreword full of energy and intrigue. Perfect strangers smile and passionately converse. Casual banter transcends into substance and it's warming and beautiful! And then, with equal grace, with equal ease and equal fire, it dissolves. Paths part with the sad understanding that each will most likely never meet again. Or, at least, not for a long, long, time.
___

Complete security and comfort in all environments; traveler's confidence; open good-will. It emanates from that brunette employee Donelle. A wonderful little Kiwi pixie she is. Danced so sexy to that tabla drum, twirling fire chains, overwhelmed with natural pleasure. She skipped and giggled about. There was no moon that night; her the only light—and a brilliant one at that.
___

Locals call Cape Tribulation 'Cape Trap' because it's so moving. I get that now.

[Days 38-39] Great Barrier Reef & Fresh Water Swimming Holes

Cape Tribulation is magical. Like a miniature Kuai with less people; a puny town with crocodiles looming in nearby creak-beds (too far to be a threat). It's two hours into Daintree National Park, which is believed to be earth's original Rainforest. Daintree is home to 13 of the 19 primal plant species. Thus, scientists presume that Daintree was the Rainforest of Pangea. A trippy idea to realize when you're there.

Dee the busdriver is a curly thirty something. Her face is painted only by God's love. Her tounge is studded. She tells us about the ancient Casowary bird. It eats all the fruit of the region; and, the seeds of the trees rely on it's digestive juices for fertilization. It's foundation of the forest. It's bright blue and related to the Ostriche. It has a single retractable talon that can slice a human wide open, though it's never happened. “Yeah, they're a real fuck off bird.” Why do you call it that? “Cause when ya see the freaky thing you say fuck off!” We make a few stops at look out points. One has a great view of Snapper Island, which is where Steve Irwin was stabbed by a sting ray (may he rest in peace).

[The following were taken on our way to Cape Trib]

Snapper Island




They named this 2.5 metre croc Shooter






Cape Tribulation 'town' consists of 3 buildings: pharmacy, small market, and PK's Backpacker resort. Everyone at PK's is between 19 and 30, and comes from all over the world. At night people drink, play pool, twirl fire, have drum circles, and stargaze on the endless vacant beach.

On the first day, we did diffreent things. The rest of the trip was lounging around paradise, doing whatever you wanted (eat something, perhaps take a nap, perhaps read a book, whatever)




the girls who work here are fire twirlers, and they're REALLY GOOD!

sunrise


____

Garrett's 1st morning.

Gruh. The red razor cell phone I borrowed from Scottish Lisa last night goes off for the 3rd time. It's 8:15am. 15 minutes. Can't hit snooze anymore. Slept in board shorts—no shower: yesterday's sea salt still pebbles my skin—souvenirs from that incredible swim. Today's will be better... the Rum Runner will rush me to the reef. 10 minutes.

Short groggy shamble to the front office. “Garrett Mincks are ya?” That's right! “Where've ya been hun the bus' already been by twice!” No way my ticket says 830am. “Let me see.... Right here: 8am.” Damnit! There's no way! He's taking me to the Great Barrier Reef! “He's gone off for anotha pick up. Stand near the road and flag him down.”

I climb onto the rickety white bus. The driver is probably 45 but looks much older; a mountain-man beachbum; shoeless, tattered jeans, tattered shirt; his teeth are chipped, jagged, and black; his hair's matted and blond. He's peaceful and very kind. He's in tune with nature. Calmly he drives to the loading dock.

I walk out to the dingy, which buzzes over to the twin hull sail boat called Rum Runner. Engine revs up and we begin the 45 minute trip to the reef. No clouds over the water. No wind, just gentle breaths of ocean air. Crew says it's the best weather they've had in over 90 days!

We set sail. Divemaster Richie conducts a scuba briefing and before you know it we're at the reef. Anchor drops and I find myself on the bow feeling like a pirate. The air truly is ideal. A tender breeze of perfection, just enough to chill the beads of sweat bubbling on my bronzing skin. I'm standing on the bridge between hulls. My feet are planted on a grating of diamond-shaped holes, through which I see sun reflections strobing on the enchanting aqua.

Australia awaits on the distant left. It's 10am and that's where the sun is. Low clouds softly hat the continent. Ocean sky is crisp and bald. Water is a tropical hue with vast dark spots, like cow hide, signals of the colorful landscape below. Sparse groups of mushy whitecaps crumble in every direction.

½ a Km away is a small island where 5 people sunbathe. If you were to take a gelatin letter 'P', and you use your teeth to hold the upper left corner, and then stretch it straight out like melting cheese, you would have the shape of that island—the sunbathers bask in the elongated loop. A white diveboat is anchored right offshore, between us and the loop. A bunch of heads just popped out of the water. They look like tan beachballs floating with the swells. There are 4 more boats on the reef. 3 are too far to distinguish past little white dots. The fourth is equally distant, however it's huge. Small cruise ship? Massive yacht?

The contrast of the horizon is curious in it's signaling of an infinite curve. I feel my energy flying over as I fantasize what lies beyond: no images manifest, just dreamy senses. Fountains are heard over the idle engine—diving's just begun. A deckhand informs me that I'm up in 10 minutes. This sparky blond also tells me that she's from Stockton, California. Came here on holiday and never went home. I don't blame ya sweetheart.


Scubadiving is surreal and I can't articulate it for you so just do it.


It's also kinda interesting to watch, especially when the weather is as perfect as it is right now. Here I am, back on the bow of the boat, lounging in the sun, enjoying this incredible view (a view that would have me in tears if I wasn't so full from that excellent lunch), allowing my mind to blank out as I get lost in the shoreline. Suddenly, 8 fountains balloop out of the depths. Time slows. I re-live that life-changing experience of 15 minutes ago... time slows; focus my breath; observe the sun; in the moment; short-term memory overcomes reality.

Wow. Scuba rocks.

[all the pics I took were on a waterproof disposable camera... haven't used it up yet]
_____

Brado's 1st morning.

I wake up abruptly to a strong knock on the dorm room door, I don't know where I am and it feels as if I got hit by a truck last night. I pop up hung over as all hell (the previous night's bondfire got a bit out of control, but I did see the most beautiful stars ever, I saw eight shooting stars; thats how clear it was!) and find my Canadian friend Mike and English friend Jeff whom I met on the bus to Cape Tribulation. They ask if I want to rent bikes with them and ride to a near by watering hole deep in the rain forest and I figure why not, even though I know biking isn't the best thing for a hangover. We stroll over to the nearby Chemist (aka Pharmacy) and pick out our bikes. A detour is in order on the way as we decide it necessary to stop of at the beach and ride on the sand just because we can. The horseshoe, practically baron beach it absolutely gorgeous! The rain forest meets the vanilla sand and the sun is shining, man Im glad I got out of bed!

After our brief beach ride we get back onto the trail to our destination. The pavment quickly turns into a gravel/dirt road. The road is lined with full-on lush green rain forest, accompanied by the type of animal sounds you hear on those rainforest cd's you can buy that are supposed to help put you to sleep. Its a muggy day and I begin to sweat prefusely, I rip off my singlet (Aussie for tank-top) and keep treckin! The road to the watering hole is virtually all uphill as I soon find out, I was not expecting this at all! It doesn't help that Im out of shape either. My legs literally feel like they are on fire, but luckily Im not the only one struggling; I peer back and see that Mike and Jeff are having a hell of a time too, my ego feels a little better!

About half way through the ride I literally cant bike up the hills anymore and I have to get off my bike and walk the hills, but Mike and Jeff are right there with me, complaining the whole time too...haha! I begin wondering how in the world are we going to make it home? I feel like Im on some reality tv show where they set tourists up in ridiculous situations that make them think they are going to die, because at one point I literally felt this way. But I had come this far, there was no way I was going to turn back now so me and the boys kept on going. Things got worse before they got better, but eventually we arrived to at a stream that meant we were close to the watering hole. We all make a mad dash to the fresh-water as we are all drenched head to toe in sweat. The water is not deep at all, but as I exited the water I become very thankful for this fact. A yellow sign catches my eye and to my surprise I read that crocodiles inhabit the stream I was just in....holy crap! Due to the shallowness of the water and how slow crocodiles move, I was in no real danger because I would have seen one coming for me, but the thought of being in the same water as crocodiles still sent chills down my spine!

We take a quick look at our map and find that we have to go on foot now to the watering hole, so we lock up our bikes and start marching. The walk is a delightful ten minute treck through absolutely stunning rain forest. Walking in this environment is no longer a chore, its a joy! Crazy animals everywhere, curious trees and plants that I have never seen before, its like stepping into a whole new world. Soon we arrive at the watering hole and what do you know, it is stunning as well! Im not even going to try and describe it, Ill let the pictures do the talking. We all swim around in the water for about an hour, looking around in complete awe the whole time. its so serene and beautiful its unreal; and to make it even better there is a twenty foot cliff to jump off which provides us with entertainment the entire hour.

Our bikes are due back in an hour so we part ways with this spectacular place that we worked so hard to get to; although we could have probably spent the remainder of our day there. The ride back was MUCH more forgiving than the ride there. It took us about an hour to get there, and only twenty minutes to get home...haha! About five minutes from home we run into these three Irish nurses that we hung out with the night before. They are on bikes as well and tell us that they are going to the same watering hole we just got back from. We warn them that it is a rough ride there, but worth it in the end (Im actually laughing to myself, saying “you are screwed!” under my breathe). Later that night I see them and ask how the ride was and one exlaims, “It nearly killed us, we didnt even make it”! I break out in laughter as I know their pain! I tell them that the watering hole wasnt that cool anyways to make them feel better, but I know the truth and couldn't be happier that I charged through the exhaustion and pain to see such a spectacular place!







[got pics of this but it's time to go party.. upload em soon enough]

[Day 37] Cairnes Day 2: Soaking In The City

That long night of sleep was needed.

Strings of morning light stretch between the opaque blue curtains. Cairnes is softly strumming a paradise-toned song. An invitation is heard. I rise, shower, dress—cut-offs, tank-top, hemp-colored sandals. See Bradon in the computer lounge. He's uploading Halloween pics from Anna's camera. “Meet back here at 230 to book the Cape Tribulation tour. I'm going to The Lagoon!”

Outside is dreamy! Hot and humid, but not that sticky sort of humid, the sort that textures tropical air and permeates in a pleasant way, that omnipresent kind that serves as a constant reminder of where you are, a continuous endearing rub from mother nature. I squint in the bright light; Ray Bans soothe. Look to my right: two uniformed schoolboys, perhaps age 6, are playing violins, the cases to which are opened for tips. Toss in a $2 coin.

Stroll across the boulevard to The Lillipad Cafe. A hippie girl with the most beautiful dreadlocks is behind the counter in an apron. Perfect skin. “Huevos rancheros and an iced coffee.” Grins at the accent. Everyone loves Americans! I find a wooden table adorned with an elegant sunset painting. On the wall are ads—Fire twirling lessons $15; Lazy Latin fitness class Thursdays, 530pm; Foreplay Fridays at Decadence Gentleman's Club. Suck down the last sip of coffee and exit back into the cozy warmness.

Walk down the street and see the most wondrous trees. They appear to not have a single trunk, but rather, be reaching out of the soil with thousands of vined fingers. Most people roam around in bathing suits or beachy attire. All are tanned. Just 4 fluffy clouds float through the sky. Walk for 5 minutes and arrive at The Lagoon.

It's huge! A salt-water infinity pool filled with all generations. 3 steel sculptures of angel fish are in the distance, as well as someone doing a hand-stand. Beyond is the great Pacific. I approach through the combed bordering grass. On the way I pass 2 duos of sun bathing topless girls, mid 20s, 3 blonds and 1 brunette. I reach the ocean and smell the beach air. To the right is a yacht-filled harbor. To the left is an endless boardwalk. I rest on a wooden bench.

6 pelicans bathe and flap. Close my eyes to the sound of water gently waving on the shore. Inhale the warm salt. Focus on just that: the feeling of ocean air entering my nose. The feeling of sun on my shoulders. The feeling of a thick warm breeze. Aah.

Walk back to the hostel and write this. 2pm. We're in paradise!

[Day 36] Cairnes Day 1: Sydney Rugby Players Are Ridiculous!

Our plane left Sydney at 9am Sunday morning. Rather than sleep the night before, we rockstar'd it up and partied all night— that flight was gawd aweful. Slept for a blurry hour. We arrived in Cairns at 11:47am and it was paradise hot. We hired a taxi to the hostel, checked into our 10 person room, threw on board shorts, and hit the pool...

IT'S A RESORT! There is a 25 ft waterfall emptying into the kidney-shaped black-bottom pool, surrounding which are palms and white sand! NICE! On the south side there's a massive bar/patio. We checked that out and were quickly greeted by a Sydney rugby team. All were joking and laughing and wearing the most ridiculous clothes, like Australian flags and boxer briefs... that's all. They seemed to be hammered from the night before.

A huge pale guy wearing a pink mini skirt was belligerently singing. He stopped and called me out: “Water! The hell ya drankin water for! Poe it on ya head! Poe it on ya head! Poe it on ya head and I'll give ya a beer! WATER! HELL NO H2O! HELL NO H2O! Poe it on ya head and I'll give ya a BEER!” Brad & I were delirious and laughing hysterically. These guys seem awesome! I dumped the water on my head and he swerved a drink at me. He then snatched my sunglasses and used them as a shot glass for his beer. Needless to say, that didn't work and he spilled beer all over himself. Then he peeled half a mandarin and slapped himself in the face with it. He was covered in beer and orange pulp. He turns to me and chuckled out “Hey what's better than eating a Mandarin! Christ look at the size of your nipples! Mine are like seashells and yours are like tic tacs!” He sang "big nipples little nipples big nipples little nipples aaaaah.” He flopped onto the wooden bench and turned to Bradon. “Whats better than eating a mandarin? Eatin Amanda out!” He slapped his friend in the face with the fruit, pounded another beer, and let his eyes glaze over in beligerance. “You're American are ya!... San Diego! Shit hole town! Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi! Drink anotha beer! Drink anotha beeeer!” He fills up our glasses. What the hell is going on?!

We eventually wander down to the pool and enjoy the spectacle from lounge chairs. The coach is 40ish, 5'4”, tattooed like a biker (skull and cross bones on the beer belly, pirate stuff on the arms, the whole nine); black handle-bar mustache complimented his blond Britney Spears wig perfectly. He swaggered around in an orange lifeguard speedo, found a massive lifeguard chair in the corner, barely made it up, and melted into an exhausted slouch. With a straight face and endearing tone he shouted at his team: “Hey girls! Make out! When are you boys gonna kiss? Look at the gay little boys! Hurry up and kiss girls!” He stumbled back down the chair and fell into the pool. The wig floated off but he dog paddled after it and pulled it back on backwards. He grabbed his pint of beer, poured it over his head, filled it up with pool water, walked over to a group of girls tanning in bras and panties, doused them, returned to the pool, filled up his glass, returned to girls, and doused them again. They laughed at him. This repeated several times. What the hell is going on!

An hour goes by and the team is totally HAMMERED. The littlest one found a yellow exercise ball. He screamed at an enormous teammate “LET'S GO!” and they walked to poolside-center, in front of the patio where the rest are drinking. Then, they turned away from one other, walked as far away as possible, and turned back. The little one brought the big yellow ball to his chest and screamed “GO!” They charged back and leaped chest-first over the water... CRASH! The little one gets launched back like a baby in a bounce house. SPLASH! What the hell is going on! We love Cairnes!

[unfortunatley this was all unexpected... wish I had some pics!]

[Days 28-35] On the 8th Day God Created Awesome (aka Sydney)

These few days were full and insane. Met up with Karen, Crystal, and Maskell from SDSU. We'll recap it all as quick as we can for you.

Late afternoon as the plane descends into Australia. From the window we watch jet-skiers rocket down the coast; not a cloud in the sky. In customs we're greeted by a big blue mural: 'Welcome to Sydney.' Beneath it is a row of airport-style chairs. Black leather. The only people sitting are two employees. Bradon says “Dude! Take a picture of me sittin' with those two old ladies!” He rushes over. I bust out my camera and peer through the viewfinder. Flash. All of a sudden the women scream at me in the most frightened/angry tone, you'd a thought I was decapitating a koala bear. “NO PHOTOS IN THIS AREA!” HOLY CRAP LADIES! One runs over and demands my camera. I tell her screw herself. Three federal officers tackle me: boot to my temple, hands cuffed, lots of yelling. Just kidding. But she did make me delete the photo and I really did request her to settle down. Australia here we come!

Take a short taxi to Karen's apartment... it's in the heart of the city! On the way we meet the coolest couple: originally from Vietnam but spent the past 14 years in Brisbane. We discuss all sorts of things: driving on the wrong side of the road, the husband's consulting company, Australian transvestites. They tell us about Chinese New Year and how it's a family holiday so most shops close. They say they'll be in Saigon with their family. So will we! They invite us over! AWESOME! He gives me his business card and I receive it with both hands.

545pm. Walk into Karen's apartment and she's Skyping with the roommate/ our college buddy Maskell. He's over in Hong Kong with his boss; business trip but they missed their morning return flight; salvaged the situation by emptying the minibar. They're joking and dancing around in the most fantastic display of fun and debauchery. Maskell starts yelling out ridiculous stories from the night before. He screams “KAREN! KAREN! BRADON & MINCKS! CRYSTAL! KARRENNN! WE MISSED OUR FLIGHT! HAHAHAHA!” among other things. Crystal informs us that we're going to the casino in an hour. Rad.

Waiting for us there is Karen's friend Mark and their two other Aussie buddies. Mark's cool as hell. Nightlife guru, seems to know everyone in town as well as the entire rap industry (literally), has some weird Chinese fish that's bright gold and worth $10K. We test our luck at the black jack tables and I quickly double my money! YES! I get cocky and lose it all— discover profanity is forbidden at black jack tables. Who knew? Float around the bar a bit and soak in the terrific skyline. Eventually, we swim over to the Hugo's Nightclub for pizza and drinks. 9pm.

It's an upscale lounge jamming with beautiful women and great music. We order 6 delicious pizzas and grub every last crumb. Girls drink champagne, guys drink beer. Dance a bit, talk a lot, and eat way too much. 11pm— cab it to the bar district and stroll into Dragonfly.

Apparently Dragonfly's an after-hours bar as it's just starting to rev up. Music is rockin and the ceiling is all disco balls! WOAH! 12pm. Amazing women are everywhere and they love the American accent. I go outside for fresh air and meet two blonds. Amy's from Wales and Sarah's from Wisconson. Amy is a total dime and dances like a sunshine machine, while Sarah pretty much sucks and dances with a scowl. Crystal, Karen, Amy, Bradon, and me dance all night. An MC starts rapping over the techno music, then starts singing. And he's great! Rage 'til 5am!

The best way to acclimate yourself to any new environment is to party your ass off with good friends. I woke up on a twin mattress in the living room of Karen's chique little apartment. Shirt, shoes, and socks were off. Nice. Fell asleep to an episode of Friends. Phoebe was twitterpated over some dude, at least that's how it began. The best alarm clock, next to some sweet sweet lovin, is the hushed chit-chat of friends warmly reminiscing about the fun you all had just 6 hours previous. Karen's at class. Crystal and Brado are catching up. Being far away from home manifests the most amazing connection between you and any acquaintance, and deepens the relationship between you and any friend... both immediately blossom into a fizzy shared glee. Hangover hunger hits the three of us hard and we start wandering around town. Nobody really cares what we eat, just where. Crystal's little travel book says great views are at Darling Harbor!

Later that evening, Mark, Karen, Crystal and us dine at an extravagent restaurant for Crystal's last night in Oz: amazing views of the Sydney bridge and the world famous opera house. Absolutely incredible. After that we wander over to Opera Bar for a bottle of wine. We just sit around this red harborside table, 100 metres from the iconic building, beneath the stars, enjoying eachothers company. At night the Opera House is a magnificent spectacle. It's elegantly illuminated and swarms of gulls circle above, looks like a party of fireflies waltzing in the moonlight.

11pm. Maskell arrives looking the victim of a bear-mawling; says food poisening vanquished him to the airplane bathroom for of the entire flight... the worst 12 hours of his life. He then recites hilarious tales of Hong Kong and we fire back stories of New Zealand. The laughter of people you care about is always so comforting... it fills the air and warm energy hums. And there we were, surrounded by friends old & new, overcome by that rare peace which manifests when everything fits.

Over the next few nights we partied with friends from Auckland whom happened to be in Sydney; Andrew, Pamela, Anna, Kristin and Eeda. Every night was an adventure in itself and needless to say very drunk...

Friday was Halloween. We decided that dressing up was a must even though it's not too big in Oz: nobody trick-or-treats but most backpackers costume and 'get on the piss' (drink heavily). So, that morning we sauntered over to a strange flea market to realize outfits, still very buzzed from the night before. A few ideas catch traction: Italian Guidos, Firemen, White Trash Americans... none really keep our attention.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Bradon spots the most neon yellow tanktop he's ever seen... IT'S ON! He notices a matching orange one. Immediately after, Brad's eyes are again redirected to neon yellow and neon orange hats, equally if not more bright than the tanks; AND, the hats have neck shades, making them the stupidest articles of clothing on earth, hands down! There we had it. We buy everything neon in that crazy little market and agree to figure out what in hell to call ourselves upon sobering up.

Drop off our bags-of-greatness at the Hostel, eat an Irish Breakfast in an Irish pub, then meet up with Maskell and bus it over to world famous Bondi Beach. The weather is paradise, aside from the annoying flies, which for some reason love my nostrils.

[Bradon wrote the rest]
The Beach is a massive horseshoe; the transluscent water is a heavenly blue. One thing about Australia is that the sun is much stronger than in Cali and you can burn in 15 minutes! I bought sunscreen at the flea market earlier that day, but I'm convinced it was just white paste. Garrett used some but for some reason couldn't rub it in to his face, providing constant comedy for everyone the entire day... hilarious!

On the way back, we stopped at McDonalds for 30-cent ice-cream cones and I ate 4. We then went to a Chipotle-style burrito place. It was the closest thing to real Mexican food since we left and it was so good. Tapatio hot sauce, Pacifico Beer, just like SD. It was in the gay district of town so we sat outside and played a fun little game of guess the gender. Soon enough the sun began to set and it was time to get suited up in our neon attire and figure out exactly what we were going to tell people we were. Our two Swedish friends Anna and Kristin came over to our hostel for a preparty. After a few cocktails we decided that when people asked what we are we would simply respond, “I'm the definition of awesome,” or “You ever heard of the word awesome? Well thats what I am”, etc. It sounded like a great idea after a few drinks and we went with it the whole night. We ventured out to a backpacker bar nearby and to our delight everyone was dressed up. We got plenty of high fives for our outfits the entire night. And when you dress as ridiculous as we were you automatically are given the license to dance like a complete jack-ass and we took advantage of that license the entire night. We were dancing so much a few people thought we were dressed up as laser beams...haha!

After a few hours of debauchery there, we decided to head to a dirty Irish bar down the street. On the way there, I decided to test out his hand-stand skills on the sidewalk; you think you can do a lot of things when you are drunk. After a few ugly tries I took a nasty spill to the ground messing up my hip and elbow pretty good. While in line at Scruffy's Garrett leans up against the railing, only the railing is in sections and he doesn't realize it. The railing and him go crashing down onto the sidewalk and it makes a massive scene; it doesn't help that he is wearing neon Orange all over his body either. The security guards assume Garrett is too drunk and don't let us in the bar, which puts an abrupt end to our night. But we had a blast nonetheless as the definition of awesome that Halloween night.

The next night was our last in Sydney as we had to make a 9 am flight Sunday morning. Some of our favorite dj's who happen to be from Australia happened to be playing that night at a club called tank. So we decided it only right to party all night to the sounds of some of our favorite dj's and not go to sleep at all, then get on our flight to Cairns. The club itself was really cool. There were two levels with three different rooms of music. But the only room we cared about was the main one where our dj's were playing. Their name is the Bang Gang Dee Jay's and they are a crew of eight. They were all taking turns djing and often had two guys djing at once. But they were all on point the entire night, mixing in and out of songs so seamlessly easy it was incredible. Their skill level is at a point I can only dream of being at one day; hands down one of the best dj performances I have ever seen! We rocked out on the dance floor the entire night. Garrett started to fall asleep around 5:30 am so we had to call it a night. We took a cab home, packed our stuff and headed to the airport. At this point we were both starting to get hungover and the needless to say the plane flight to Cairns was very painful do to the fact that they don't serve booze on domestic flights...awwwww! But the agonizing three hour flight was well worth our amazing last night in Sydney.

Hugo's! Josh, Bradon, Karen, Mark, Crystal, and your's truly

Dragonfly

Darling harbour art

Lounging in the park

Drinks at the Irish pub with Andrew... Baby Guinni shots & pints of Gunniess... everyone joined us soon after!



Anna, Bradon, Kristin, and me rocking out on halloween... they dressed up as the Swedish flag!

Bradon attempting to breakdance at 3am

Watching the Oz vs. England rugby game... Aussies won. Word.

Got behind the dj booth & had a few drinks with Bang Gang!