Singapore: The Country with One City

We wake up at 6 am to sign out of the hotel and make our way to our next stop. Rachel and Dennis went to their next hotel in Sydney and Angel(a), Kyle, Martin and I made our way to the airport for departure! After we said our goodbyes to Angel(a), much thanks for taking one of my suitcases back to the U.S. with her, our journey to Southeast Asia was about to begin!

8 hours to Singapore with a connecting flight in Kuala Lumpur. We made the mistake of going through Malaysia customs instead of just going straight to the connection. There's two stamps on my passport that makes me seem like a travel buff phony. Haha. But man, never that again. So much time wasted for no reason.

We got to Singapore around 8 pm and hailed a taxi to our hostel. I hear many stories of how Western and advanced Singapore is. It is so westernized that English is one of the main languages spoken.

Our taxi driver did not speak or understand English at all. Haha.

We entered our hostel, located near Little India, set our stuff down and walked to a hawker station down the street for dinner and to watch football on the television with the locals. Food is so cheap!

The next day we were well-rested and ready for out day in Singapore! We took a bus to the Botanical Gardens first.

We walked a lot. We walked to town, had lunch at a really cool restaurant, Marche, then walked more to the Fountain of Wealth.

Then we walked by the Singapore Flyer to Marina Bay Sands.

I really wanted to dive into the famous Infinity Pool but you have to be a guest at the hotel.. umm for over $500 a night, errr, no thanks. I just have to marry rich I guess. This was the only thing we got to see...

The day just never seemed to get dark. We used the train. Wow. It really is efficient. And CLEAN!

Singapore is just so clean.

Its even against the law to chew gum, so I've been told... Whoops. I guess I'm a badass.

We made out way to Chinatown where I bargained for a ring watch.... which I immediately lost after... :( Then we ate in one of the restaurants. It was good, but I want to just eat from hawker stations! Damn white boys not trusting the food.

On our way back, we went shopping, because that's also what you do in Singapore.

And I ended up with nothing.

Not having money is really frustrating sometimes. Singapore is just the first stop, and I don't know what I should splurge on or how much to save since I don't know what we're going to be doing in the other countries. I don't like being cheap.

After, we walked back to our hostel and had dinner at the same hawker station. We had chili crab because that's what you are suppose to try when you go to Singapore. Om nom nom nom nom.

Then we decided to check out Clark Quay. I really liked it. Pretty bumping, AND with people our age. Unfortunately, for some reason, these guys just don't want to party with me. :( They were "too tired" and we have to "wake up early" the next day. -_- I'm not about to get belligerent by myself and be taken care of.

This was blowing cool air and it was everywhere... Why does this look phallic?!

Kyle was very very very compelled to sneak into Marina Bay Sands to see the Infinity Pool, because the hotel, that would charge you during the day to just see the pool, would not have any form of security when its closed. -_- So we walked from Clark Quay to Marina Bay Sands.

Like, I said, we walked a lot.

Despite the fact that I was very tired, I was glad we walked and saw much of Singapore at night as well. We saw a lot of the same places. Its pretty awesome, and I wish my pictures could make you feel the way I felt just being there.

Good start to our trip. I am even more excited for the rest of the trip.

Cambodia tomorrow!

Blue Mountains

After fighting over who would sleep where at Angel(a)'s place, and annoying Dennis while he about to sleep, we finally passed out dreading the early morning wake up.

9 am.

HAHA! Ok so it wasn't that early, but man, not having early classes makes you really lazy.

Rachel, Angel(a), Martin, Kyle, and I, with Dennis crutching behind us, took a 2.5 hours train ride to Katoomba to see the Blue Mountains, and boy were they breathtaking. I was just wish I didn't feel so out of shape.

Dennis left to explore the area, while we hiked the Three Sisters and the waterfall. Wow-wee, was it hot. There's not really much else to it. Haha. Why does anyone hike? To enjoy nature, and that's what we did.

Unfortunately, I didn't back up all my pictures and I was only able to recover four pictures that I took from this day, which is awful because I had some real good pictures.

But thank goodness for Rachel's camera!

Tomorrow we leave for Asia. This feeling of leaving Australia is very discomforting. The idea nauseates me. I'm going to be back for a bit after Asia, but if I'm already feeling this way now, I don't see it being any better when I leave for real. But alas, that will be in another month, nothing to do now but to get excited for Southeast Asia! (which I already am!)

Updates on Asia ASAP, but I doubt the internet will be my friend in that matter.

Until next time! 

Goodbye Newcastle.

Newy, my home for the last 5 months or so. I can't believe I'm leaving. This experience has been unbelievable and I am very lucky to have been able to do this.

I've been so busy trying to do this and that for the past week that it really hasn't even hit me that soon I will be going back to the States, although not too soon. The feelings I've had here were not like the ones I had in England. All that excitement, the anxiety, first going to Oxford was not experienced again for Newcastle. I'm not saying its a bad thing. I think it had to do with time. I only had about two months in Europe, but five months in Australia? There's so much more time and I like this so much better. I had so many firsts: driving on the other side of the road, driving stick, zorbing, living out of a car, accompany a friend to the hospital and laughing about it with him later, hanging out with locals, etc.

There was one big thing that I've learned and accept is that there is never enough time. There are so many things I have yet to explore near Newcastle, like Nelson Bay, town, beaches, etc., but with the time crunch, I wanted to hit more "different" places instead of explore "one" place. The good thing about that is, it means I'm meant to come back. :)

A huge thing that's changed is the beach and me. Formerly did not mesh. "The beach is nice, but kind of a waste of my time." Australia, I don't know what you've done, but all I want to do is go to the beach now! Its funny how things work.

I have always said that Europe is where my heart is. Whatever I do, the end will be me in Europe. I can't say I liked one experience over the other. They were completely different, but nevertheless, both a huge impact in my life. In England, I realized what I like and what I don't like. Australia was to test it out and I don't know where my heart truly belongs. But I'm ok with that. I'm at the point in my life where I just want to test everything out.

Unfortunately, since I was in a rush packing and doing my part in cleaning my unit, I hadn't had enough time to say goodbye or see the friends I've made, but I guess that means we're suppose to see each other again. (Hopefully.) As relevant as pictures are, they are some of the last pictures in Newy, and I like them. :)

 

 

(Photos from Rachel.)

As sad as I am, I am equally excited for my next adventure. After we leave Sydney in two days. I'm going to backpack, with some of the friends I've made at Uni, Southeast Asia for a month. That's four weeks in seven countries with only seven kilos on my back, and whatever else I can manage to sneak on the plan. I've travelled my whole life, thanks to my parents, and its just a dream come true to be able to continue doing it.

The thing I'm looking most forward to is the food. :)

Vietnam town?

After Victoria, Angel(a) and I went back to Sydney for a night so that she could finish her final essay and for me to get my Visa for Vietnam. 

Then we made a trip to visit my cousin and her family. This was making me nervous. I have never met these people, let alone meet them without my parents. My mom told me I didn't need to go if I didn't want to, but I'm sure glad I did. After my aunt told my cousin that I was in Australia, she has been so persistant about me coming over. I was far from annoyed. I was endearing how much she already cared for someone that she has never even met. She even told me bring a friend. Thank god for Angel(a).

My cousin lives in Cabramatta, about 45 minutes to and hour outside of Sydney. She left work to come pick Angela and I up, but she lived so close to the train station, we could've found our way there. It was nice that she did this, though. I love her already!

She had a typical, ordinary family... And three dogs, one of which gave birth to puppies just a day before we got there!, and a sheep. Yes, you read correctly, my cousin has a sheep. Haha. She said they got a sheep because they were too lazy to mow the lawn. Her daughter told me they used to have a goat, but it was too agressive. Hahaha!

She has three kids. Two girls, 18 and 14, and a boy, 12. It so strange to meet Vietnamese people who spoke broken Vietnamese with Australian accents. Haha. They were so accommodating and fed us. Oh, the wonderful Vietnamese food that I haven't had the chance to eat in almost 5 months. I never thought I would live this long without home cooked food.

The oldest took us to town the next morning. It was small and quaint, but so unexpected. This was full of Vietnamese people. Sydney had Chinatown and something resembling K-town, but Cabramatta resembled Little Saigon. AHH! Angel(a) and I were so excited for the food! We ate and walked around. 

After getting lazy, we walked back to her place and watch American Horror Story. Haha It was a good break from all the travelling we were doing. That night I had to do my familial duties and see the other elders. Its surprising how everything works out. I was so nervous about seeing and communicating with everyone, but they thought it was wonderful how much I knew and seemed to actually like me. Its a good feeling.

The next day my cousin took off work to take us out to eat. DE-LI-CI-OUS! Best shrimp paste on sugarcane I have ever tasted! She walked us to the station and quickly paid for our ticket back to Newy.  Its so funny to see her immediate reaction to when the man told her how much it was. She's so funny. Haha. I really do hope to see her and her family again. Yay, Cabramatta!

The Great Ocean Road and Melbourne

Angel(a) and I decided to scratch the plans to New Zealand. Angel(a) couldn't afford both, and I decided that backpacking around Southeast Asia for a month would make up for it. Next time, New Zealand, I promise.

We flew to Melbourne at 6 am... which means Martin had to drive us there by 4 am. Haha. Poor boy. Anyways. I didn't sleep that night, as I saved packing for last minute. I will never learn. I was extremely tired, but I was too excited to sleep on the plane ride. Our plan was to fly to Melbourne, rent a car, and drive the Great Ocean Road.

The rest is all on Angel(a)'s post here. 

I got a bit lazy, but here are some more pictures! Video coming up soon!

 

I learned a few things on this trip.

- I like to jump in pictures.

- Driving all day is so freakin' tiring.

- The sun can be a huge bitch. I don't think I've ever been so angry at nature until I drove to Phillip Island with the sun in my eye. ARGHHH!

- Never drive behind a train...

- Check under your car before you drive away, penguins might be under it. Haha.

- 60 kph is not even close to 60 mph

This trip was extreme. Four days in a car all day and night can really test a person's patience, but I'm glad I did it with a bitch, yeah that's right, you're just a bitch. :b Haha. I loved it. Adventures like these are so unforgettable. There are just no words. I still can't believe I got to share this with one of my best friends.