SO I’ve had four nights in Singapore. Nice plce, and funny thing, is I didn’t do any of the things I had planned. which were preaty much get a singapore sling at the raffels, and go to the night safari in the zoo. Because of chinese new year, I wasn’t able to do the zoo, which I’m a little bummed at, and I intended to get the drink, but it just didn’t happen, besides, it’s way to expencive. now I’m headed into Malaysia, Kuala Lampur. I met of with a couple of people who I should be traveling with for the next couple of weeks, and there should be some cool stuff in the next little bit. that’s all for now!

SO, last night was chinese New Year, and a big deal here in Singapore. We headed down to chinatown, to check it out, and lots of people, standing around doing whatever, but we couldn’t find out where stuff was in chinatown, so while walking, some bar said to us “Cold Beer” and so that’s where we went. After this nice little place, compleate with locals singing karaoke, we made our way to the harbor to watch the fireworks, nice. (although I think the one’s for CNY in wellingron were better) so then we wondered the festive area, with little stalls and such, and made out way back to littlew india, where we were staying. we then spent the next 5 plus hours hanging out infront of the 7-11 next to our hostel, the most happening place in singapore!!! at least every hour a new group of people would come by, and it was crazy srtrange times. we were bought drinks from random people, and talked to a few locals and with ourselves till the wee hours. I very tired now, but singapore has been fun. And 7-11 is the place to be.

So, I arrived.

I made my way to the Melbourne airport, and sratred to check in. as I was doing this, the agent the desk told me, that I needed a onword ticket to goto singapore. after a while of questioning me, he called someone, and they said as long as I had a credit card, I may have to buy a ticket on arrival. I knew this wouldn’t be a huge deal, as I cound just buy a fully refundable ticket, but it was still something I didn’t want to do. after spending some time in the airport, calling a few people, missing most of them, (people, why do you have a phone if you don’;t answer it?) I boarded. we were first delayed because they couldn’t figure out an electical thing. then some sudden thunder sroms apeared, and we had to wait another 30 or so. but we finally rook off. It felt good to be in the air. I arrive and, as expected, it was the smoothest of entry procedures, and all these things that I gor worked up over was for nothing. the I took the reain in, found my hostel, had a been, and I’m about to go to sleep.

I’m in Asia!

Ok, so I’m leaving Australia. It’s been fun, but I’m really ready to leave, and very excited about the new adventures to come.

anyway, as my parents left I made my way over to kings cross, to stay in a hostel in sydney for the first time. I’d called in the morning to book it, not sure how full place were at this time. as I was waking from the station to the hostel, I found out that My place was way more expencive, oh well. SO I checked in and then did a wonder on kings cross, an interesting place. well, I wasn’t really up to being tourist so I found a place that had unlimited internet for $2, so I went. I applied to my tesl course, and did a bunch of stuff I had been puting off. well in the short of it, I had two more days in sydney, and the weather was crappy. I went around and saw the rest of downtown, palce I hadn’t seen yet. But the one place I wanted o go, Bondi Beach, I didn’t go to, because of the rain and cold. So, I left for melbourne a couple of days later, on an overnight bus. And Melbourne. I liked it, though I didn’t really do anything. I walked over much of it, saw a little part of a museum, spent a lot of time on the beach, and sorted out all the tings for my tesl course. not a bad last week, but nothing very exciting either. and now I go to Singapore, and to adventure.

yeah!

So, my parents just left, and I’m back to traveling. So I’ll now try and recount some of the past few weeks.

After Perth we headed to Bun bury, not a very interesting place, but it seemed a good distance to travel on this first day. Needless to say we left here the next day and made our way down to Margaret River. We stayed here for three day, and it was a nice place. On our second day, we took a canoe trip on the river that included a history of the area, and a bushtucker lunch, of traditional bush foods, yum. The exciting thing we did the next day was go to one of the many caves, which abound in the area. After Margaret River, we went to this forest area, where there is a great drive through all these cool forests, and you can clime this tree. It used to be a fire lookout, but now anyone can clime it. You start by going up these rebar steps incased in chicken wire, and they take you up, and up and up. Then you climb a series of latter’s on platforms until you reach the top, this is 68.8 Meters high (that’s about 220 ft) it was a crazy climb, and I had on sandals. So after this we came to Denmark, Albany area. We got a little self-contained cottage unit here, but it was a little basic. We then wondered around a little, and coming from Margaret river, there wasn’t much here. Also the weather had taken a turn for the worse, so the beach wasn’t particularly inviting. We started thinking that instead of the four days we had planed on staying here, we may cut it short. On our second day, we went up to mt barker, and went to the Banksia Farm, the only place in the world where all 73 species of Banksia grow. So much botany! So that night after dinner, we got the bad news, my nana had died. It was good for her, as she had been in much pain, esp. the last month or so. But it was nice that we got to get this news among family. We had also decided to leave the next day, and try exploring further north. And so we did. We spent a fairly leisurely day driving north, till we got to York, and a nice little hotel there, with great courtyards. We did another big day of driving the next day, and stopping at this old monastery along the way (the name escapes me right now), before ending our day in Gerldton. Then we got to the part of this going up north I was really looking forward to, the Pinnacles. This area of desert, with thousands of limestone pillars standing up, some as high as 5 meters. This was quite cool, and it only the weather had been better. So then we returned to Perth, where we got ready to head back to Sydney. Which we did, and coming back, we stayed at this nice hotel in the Rocks. So the room wasn’t anything special, but it had an amazing location, and a rooftop pool and spa. And with the weather not being great in Sydney, the spa was really quite inviting. And that was the basics of my parents trip. Yes, there was allot more that happened, but I just want to get this posted, and be brief, so that’s all folks

So I arrive in Sydney, and my Parents meet me as I’m getting off the bus. great timing. and we then find our way to our hotel, which was quite a bit further out then I had even though. After getting there, for a little, we head downtown, and wonder around a bit. walk around darling harber, and up to the rocks and ciruler quay. then as we are all fairly tired from traveling that day, we see a film and then head back to the hotel. the next day we head back into the city, go to the Zoo, which was OK, and then back and goto the botanical gardens, before trying to find a place for dinner. Our next day we decide to head out to find a far out botanical garden, where my parents wanted to find some native trees they use the pods from. it was a nice garden, but it was also really hot. so then we had luch at the garden, and headed for the blue moutains. cool place, nice views. I hadn’t been in moutains in a while so nice to see, then Dinner in katoomba, before we headed back to the hotel. the next day we started with a lazy morning, before we took the train to twon, as it was new years eve, and I was not going to drive into downtown sydney on this day. we had some dim-sum, and then went to the chinise gardens, whice were very nice. then we wondered about through the city, going through hyde park, and by the historic govt buildings, before seeing the crazy prepereations and security for new years. we then foubnd a drink, then a a place for dinner, before my mom went back to the hotel, and Richard and I waited many hours for the fireworks. we ended up finding this nice little park, the had a perfect view of the bridge, and so we staked it out. after a little while I got in touch with my friend Nat, whom I had worked with in Wellington, and she came down a joined us. so the view was not a great as we thought, because not all the fireworks shoot off the bridge. and it only lasted 12 minutes!?!?!? I’v been to longer fireworks depalys for no real reason, and I had expeced at least 30 minutes. but any way it was fun hanging out, and seeing nat again, and we sat out till about 6:30am, then I thought I should probably get back to the hotel, as we were leaving for perth the next morning, and had planned to leave the hotel about 10am. so disapointing fireworks, but a great new years, and my second in a row with Nat, and good tradition. so any way, we are now in perth, and start the real west coast tomarrow.