That being said, for the little Canadian girl who just arrived, things aren't going all peachy. The plane rides were great, although transferring terminals at LAX was a feat I first thought I would fail. Let's just say the signage in the States is less-perfect than Canada's, and when no one is around and it's dark out and you're getting jet lagged, that last place you want to be is outside the terminal waiting for a non-existent terminal bus. Luckily, the bus turned out to be existent! I met a nice little father and daughter combo who'd come from Ottawa and were also heading from terminal 2 to 7 so we chatted for most of the ride.
There was a bit of turbulence on the 747 into Sydney but I don't mind that. The only problem was that it was a United Airlines flight, which means the decadence of a personal television installed in the seat in front is a thing of imagination. I also had a window seat in a three-seater, so my bathroom breaks were limited. I actually slept under the thin, scratchy blanket, my head propped up on the flimsy pillow and my neck seizing up whenever I jolted awake. The food was great and I had a beer on the first flight. I actually had the window seat for both planes which meant disturbing my two other seat mates whenever I had to get up to pee.
Landing in Sydney was really cool. From the air, all you see is the ocean and suddenly, the Australian landmass is extensive. You think, 'ok, so we're not flying into an abyss of ocean' although you start to think that after 10 hours above only water. We circled around and I saw the Opera House and the Harbour. So gorgeous! However, all I could think about was where I was going to go first. It wasn't so much a worry at this point, but more of a quandry - what to do, Mel?! I passed through immigrations no problem and made it outside where I bought a shuttle bus ticket into town. One problem - what was my destination going to be? I knew my friend Dane lived in Sydney, but I also knew he was out of town until Jan. 4. Where to go? Surely a hostel would be available?
Wrong!!
The nice bus driver dropped me off at the hostel 'hub' in town - chock full of sketchy hostels and a few good ones every where you turned. What was I thinking, I wouldn't know a good or bad hostel if it bit me! I proceeded to sweat profusely, not from the warm temperatures, but from the panic that was arising - I was in a slummy hostel hub with no friends, no bearings, and certainly no idea what to do. I popped into a couple places and realized they were not for me. Alas, I also was turned away due to New Year's overbookings. What to do? I popped into the Holiday Inn and asked for a room. They have one. $250 for one night. And that's not even the New Years rate - this was the night before. No thank you! I turned away and started getting really nervous. Would every hotel be this expensive? It was only 10am, but here I am starting to think, I may have to get out of town to search for a less-popular place in which to dwell.
The picture of my desperation room I ended up settling for.I'm feeling a bit lonely at this point. I am hot. I'm still wearing the same clothes, which were perfect for a cold Canadian day (I had left my coat with Kates at the airport, though). Dressed in long pants, a sweatshirt, and my heavy backpack I trudged the streets. Would this be a repeat of 30 years ago when my mom arrived in France only to be stranded? I found a public washroom and changed, popped in contacts, and turned my appearance around to look more back-packer-ish. From there, I found a hotel - an $80/night room with no bathroom and that is where I'll be staying tonight. This is where we are right now! I still have no place to go tomorrow night, but my day's work today is to find a place. Oh the struggles of life when all you have to worry about is a roof over your head and food. Alas, I leave you here with my adventures. But not to worry, Sydney is a very friendly place and I am making due the best way I know how.
