Blue Mountains:: Week 3

yes, the mountains are really blue!!

our trip there was rather unexpected. it was supposed to rain during the weekend, but some gorgeous weather turned up later in the day on saturday and pushed our decision the good way.

the mountains are about 100km north-west of sydney, located in the australian-indian preserve area and therefore have indian names:: australian-indian names. (yeah, surprise surprise: the aborigins even here are called indians.) we got to a place called ::katoomba:: which is sort of the center of the forest. (by the way, the name sounds really cool when you say it out loud.. katooomba.. hehe.)

after finding out about what to see and do there, we got a map from the visitor's center and headed for the katoomba (hehe) waterfalls. we started at the top of the falls (katoomba cascades) and went down to the bottom. it was a pretty steep 1.5 hr hike down, but the views on the way, and down at the waterbed, were pretty good. here, see this to get a glimpse.

we then took a hike along the cliff to reach the three sisters, one of the famous attractions in katoomba. it is a tripple rock formation in .. eh! i think this picture will explain it to you better.



the thing that got us wondering was the fact that the rock was actually blue. a collegue later on told us why:: the mountains are filled with eucalyptus trees, and the eucalyptus oil from these trees forms layers on the rock by oxidizing itself (using water vapour), thereby making it blue. and more beautiful!!

we hiked down to the mini-orifice in one of the sisters, and it reminded me of a ride in six flags. the sheer vertical drop of the cliff accentuated my acrophobia, but like the ride, it was well worth it.

we did a little bit more hiking and wanted to get to leura cascades, but unfortunately, the light gave in and we had to change our plans. oh well, there is so much there that we didn't do:: we'll probably go back once more in the coming months.

Shopping:: Week 2

after having a ball of a time searching for houses in a completely new world, we figured we would settle down for a furnished apt with a fairly decent view. furnished apts are difficult to find in sydney. for one, people here prefer to stay in individual houses than apts; and as far as possible, they would want to use their own furniture, even if they are staying for a short time. furnished apts are not only very expensive but also very scarce, and usually rented out as temperary corporate housing. that should explain the ::totally-omg:: view from our balcony.

the week was busy as usual, and we unpacked during whatever little time we had in the late evenings (.. finally!!). almost all the shops here, including groceries, department, clothing, close at 5pm during the week days. and sunday is a holiday for everyone, even the shops; with the exception of the 'touristy' places. needless to say, saturday was our shopping day.

after we were done with the "necessary" shopping, we dared to venture into "lets look around for something interesting" shopping. general piece of advice:: if you are ever in sydney and you want to go shopping: make sure to carry a defibrillator with you. and believe me, you will need it in quite a few stores. because the prices here are Exorbitant:: thats right! with a capital E. i know some of you guys are thinking:: "it can't be that bad. maybe you walked into an expensive store". well.. maybe. but to give you a drift, here is a peice of conversation that actually occured in one of the stores::

PJ:: have you seen the price on the jeans pant?
me:: no, how much?
PJ:: $165!!
me:: no way!!
PJ:: check it out.. (shows me the price tag right about the time when a serviceman approached us. )
SM:: yes sir, can i help you?
me:: are these jeans $165 or is it a misprint? (our eyes are still as big as lemons.)
SM:: no sir, thats the right price.
me:: is there some kind of a deal for mother's day?
SM:: yes sir, they are on a deal.
me:: whats the original price?
SM:: $210.
me:: good for you. (our eyes normal now, we walked out.)

few shops down the isle, we entered a shoe store:: another place i could have used a CPR. i saw a pair of running shoes not unlike the ones i brought at nike in santa barbara for $80. rather inquisitive, i peeked in to take a glance at the price. $230. the glance turned into a stare:: are you kidding me!!! a serviceman sneeked up behind me::

SM:: that is a good shoe.
me:: i know. i have them.
SM:: do you want to look at other models?
me:: for what?
SM:: for running.
me:: no, thanks. i've stopped running.

during a lunch discussion with collegues the following week, we found out that the goods that are imported are expensive due to taxes and additional fees and whatnot. the funny thing is: australian clothing is expensive too. because they typically involve snake/croc skins, heavy hats, and high boots.

ok!! i think i'll stop with these niggling trivialities now. sydney so far has been good to us.

Sydney:: first week, first look

pretty!! that word would pretty much sum it up.

it is a young city, not even 200 years old. and hence not much of history. it started off as the prime location for the english criminals to be transfered. it was only in the late 19-th century when the english settlers found abundance of resources here.. and ofcourse the gold rush!! But enough with the history bit, let me show you how it looks today.



ofcourse, a couple of blurry pictures are not enough to show you sydney. so, i created this log, which i'll update weekly (not promising, just thinking out loud). check it out from time to time.

Journey:: Quantas

its late friday afternoon, and raining outside. i am returning from a bi-weekly team meeting and just about finished with my work for the day. so, i guess you can't blame me for not feeling very productive!! besides, its been long since i shared my fair bit of ramblings. so, here it goes.

the journey to sydney was quite un-interesting. although i can't help but mention that my future roomie, Pankaj, or PJ as he likes to call himself, and i did not travel together as we were supposed to. we were together from SB to LA. and then, we were supposed to board the 10:15 flight out to Sydney. it was only after we reached the gate in LAX that PJ found out: he was scheduled to fly out at 11:50 instead. our travel agent, whom we knew by then to be quite a character, as if to prove that very fact, felt the need to book us in two different flights during the major part of the journey. as it turned out, i was able to catch up on my much needed sleep, only to wait for PJ in Sydney.

Quantas is a good airline to fly. it maintains high standards in most of the details relating to customer care and comfort, especially in the food department. no, i am not talking about the quality of the food here, (considering which, i have had better) but rather their uncontrollable need to feed you.. even when you are asleep. they tend to wake you up albiet your multiple "no thank you"s and would not let you sleep without having something to eat. aawwww!! those considerate caring bastards!!!

i was also amazed to notice the leg room, or the lack of it, that their planes offered. now, my notion of australians, and i might be going out on a ledge here, is that most of them are tall and strong. and frankly, i thought there would be more leg room even if it means reducing the seating capacity. but then again, its just 14 hrs of journey over the pacific with merely a patch of hawaiian land to stop in case of emergency. so, why bother with those almost-trivial comforts, more the passengers the merrier! damn commercial airlines and their money-making mindsets!!

i spent about 10 hrs sleeping, with intermittant eating ofcourse. and i watched a movie: "good night, and good luck". its a well made movie with a good story and all, but it was slow as hell. it almost put me back to sleep again before i landed.

the first thing that struck me when i arrived in sydney, apart from the warm breeze, was the fact that i am stepping foot in the southern hemisphere for the first time. i am looking at the southern sky for the first time. it was mildly exciting and mildly intimidating, but mostly normal. meh!! so, i am here, big deal!! it looks like sky elsewhere.

after a couple of hrs of wait without anticipation, i was joined by PJ. we were planning to take a taxi to the hotel. so, we went to the information desk to find out where we could get taxis, and instead got convinced that it is better to take the shuttle. i guess its a hang over from my grad student days that got slapped on to my face:: all he had to do was tell us, in his strong australian accent, that "its cheepah". PJ and i looked at each other: "oh yeah, thats a better option" ... some people never change.