Nov 2006

hi all! yuk! a huge cockroache just ran past my foot. but i contained myself with my usual sense of grace and did not scream- there are far worse things i will encounter along the way!
not been up to much last couple days between trying to sort out banks and getting a job and gettimng no where!!! its so competative here-can u beleieve taht u need a degree to make a coffee!!! also this man said to me today -we do not employ your kind-travellers!!!!! not happy bunny!!!
anyhow took a break and went to darling harbour-wow taht was an eye opener all the rich people walking around in their
suits! felt like a scruf in my thongs!! (sandals!) anyhow my plan for this week is to go to palm beach - its the beach where they film home and away! but not just taht its supposed to be gorgeous. went to a pub that does crab racing again last night- very surreal but good fun! also getting used to asking for a scooner and not a pint! dont think they quite understod when i asked for a snake bite tho!!!
anyhow of to bed-glad i sleep in a bunk-can cockroaches climb ladders?!!!!!!!

i have just returned from the mountains and i am in absolute awe. It is one of the most beautiful places taht I have ever been.
seeing the three sisters standing together overlooking the rest of the mountains and embracing the space around me, made me feel an inexplainable sense of peace.
I shoudl explain -the three sisters are 3 rock formations that stand together. the story about their formation comes from aborginal folklore. The story is that the father of the daughters went away into the mountains and a mounster came to attack his daughetrs. Before the mounster reached the daughetrs the father managed to turn his daughetrs into stone to protect them using a magic wand. but then he got chased by the monster and dropped the wand and to this day he is still looking for it to change them back to humans.
i had decided to stay in the mountains for a few days as it vwas one of my must sees while i was in auz. i had also been experiencing withdrawal effects from not seeing any mountains such i have been here!
however since i had booked the trip there had been bush fires and i was nervous of still going! but i was not told not to go by my travel agency and had been looking forward to the trip all week! anyhow it all worked out fine -all i saw was some distant smoke and a few fire engines. also went to the Jevolen caves and these natural formations were amazing. they are underground and they are the most unsual shapes and colours. because of the bush fires alot of people were afraid of going and so there was a small party of us. we managed to be able to access a cave that is rarley shown because of this whcih was very special. i cant explain everything atht i saw that weekend otherwise i would be here all day but my best memory seeing the three sisters at night, lite up, with bats sweeping accross them and the ambers of the fire in the distance. i could defintely live here!!!

hey so left yha yest. oh my god i am not exagetratting -(god my spelling is bloodly awful!!!) i thought my back was going to brak and i swear to god its those bloodly conatcts! my bag is already broken-being held together by duct tape! was really hot to but got to the guesthouse taht we srae staying till until xmas/new year. its a nice house in an area called glebe. its 15 mins from sydney iand is like a studnet area. lots of scruffy people so felt at home!! lots of international people at the house-germans, amercians, canadians. am still the only welsh girl tho! god knows what the accent will be like after a year. everyone seems nice but have a confused look when i speak to them- tell them its normal!
today thought shoudl try and get a job so rang this "charity" that sells wrist bands. went to the meeting! the guy was called calvin, looked like a secondhand carsales person and he smelt of BO. It was obvious that this so called charity was corrupt. walked out and told him in my own sweet way i wanst going to be involved! not lowereing my morals for any money! going to the blue mountains for a few days and tehn will come back and re think job hunting. cant wait to see the bush and stay in this hostel that is supposed to be eco friendly. also meet some otehr people interested in wlaking. only walking people do in sydney is to the pub or to the office!

surpised myself and directed myself to kings cross today. this is the red lite district of sydney where all the postitities hang out and is full of sex shops.
actually i was a little disappointed. its literally just a poor suburb with a few sad passed out homeless drunk people. no dramas. no different to any town in wales. a few knickers shops and thats about it! must admit was impressed by the huge coca cola sign that is the landmark of the cross. there was also the elizabeth bay house which is one of the oldest houses in auz. it was beautiful. it housed poets and bohemian artists at one time. poor burgers lived there with no electricity! glad i made the trip as it was nice to get out of the city. i just thought i wish some of these yuppirs from the city would make the trip and realise how lucky they bloody are!

went to taronga zo yest. was a bit dubious about it as a general rule i dont like zoos but teh animals were so well cared for. i was like an excited kid in a sweet shop!! kangaroos, koalas, walabies, wombats, snakes, and animals i had never heard off.
there was also elephants, lions, tigers, and this big ugly lizard thing-i have never seen anything as ugly in my life- wel maybe on a night out in swansea!!!
took the ferry to the zoo-the view was amazing- u could see teh whole of sydney-the bridge, harbour, the opera house-wel worth the visit for that.
we then went to a famous cheap italian called mamas house where they do the best lasenge i have ever tasted for 4 quid. yum! then went clubbing and sambled druneburg and coke which is rum and coke-very nice and Tooleys beer(also very nice!!)
god i am a civilised lady arent i?!