hope you're all doing fine.
Landed in Aussieland after a 14-hours stop over in Kuala Lumpur where I got myself a nice hotel in a luxury environment. That's why the receptionist looked at me in disgust when I appeared jet-lagged with my two backpacks, one of which seems to have gone through real war. When in Sydney I got confronted with a massive queue for custom. They check everything you bring in the country!!! Even if your hiking shoes are dirty. Because the ecosystem is going to be affected by it. Which makes quite sense to me, in the end, after aboriginals have been wiped out by small pox, and not only that.
In Sydney (I'm in North Bondi) in a house everybody would dream of, with a bathroom ensuite. Thanks Graeme! (Thanks Zoe!!) :-) I see the Ocean from my room!!! And there is Jessy a dog who's 25% dingo!!
I consider myself a very privileged backpacker, I know in a couple of days I'll be in a 4th class hostel, because you have to have some balance in life.
On day no. one I was laying on the blinding white sand in Bondi (pronounced Bonday) and a guy who could easily be taken for a local, asked me with a kind of Roman accent: can you make me a photo? I said yes I could, and next thing I said was: are you from Rome? He blushed all over of course...Cause not only you could hear he comes from Italy, but he can't hide his Roman accent even when he's 15.000 km away from home :-)))
Well, he told me he's been travelling a month and he's leaving Friday. And he too celebrated his birthday in Australia!! Like I'll be doing. So in the evening, on day 1 in Sydney, I was sitting at his friend's place having delicious pasta, good wine, and amaro del monte...And last but not least the unmissable Australian Lemington. Talking about redbacks appearing in the garden from time to time, and avocados trees in the back yard!!!
For more info on redbacks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider
Gosh all jet-lagged on the other side of the world, I found myself having Italian dinner with guys from Rome and ending up talking about the idiots that are supposed to be called ruling class. And of course the idiots that vote for them. I felt it was not real...
(Bondi Beach on my arrival, looking towards Graeme's house)Anyway love this country, and love the people of course!
Summer is approaching, and I'm ready to head to Surfers' Paradise. You can easily figure out why...
Talk to you soon***
Koala-syle hug!
xx