WonL

The random thoughts of an architect-turned- lawyer from the deep south living in Washington, DC...

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Australia (post-Sydney)

After we left Sydney (with new Camera in tow), we headed north to CAIRNS. Not sure how or why we got it in our head that a trip to Cairns meant beachy time, but there are not actually any beaches there. Well, there was a big man-made lagoon with large metal fish but the nearest beaches were a 30 minute bus ride and they really weren't all that. Cairns itself was sort of this apex starting point for everything amazing to do in northern Australia. This draws in backpackers from all over the world and makes it a uniquely adventurous place to go.


(Sidenote: speaking of adventure, I stayed in my first ever hostel. I have some mixed feelings. I had a great time staying up late and playing poker with the French boys on the porch. On the other hand, I could have used some light or airflow in our room and surely could have done without the constant door slamming all night.)


Back to real adventure: we maximized our adventure in Cairns by doing three one-day tours. The first day we toured the Daintree River and the Rainforests in Cape Tribulation:


"Cape Trib" is the rainforesty area that runs along the coast. You can see why they use the slogan "Where the rainforest meets the reef." The above shot is actually the area where Steve Irwin was diving when he was pierced by the stingray. In our trekking around the rainforest we also went crocodile searching, saw green ants you can lick, cassowarys (which are supposed to be really dangerous), and had lunch at a bar in the middle of the rainforest. We also learned about the disastrous introduction of the cane toad into Australia and attempts to get rid of them using golf clubs and microwaves. (If you don't know the story, go read it, it's truly fascinating.)


Our second day tour was of the Great Barrier Reef. Although the weather could have been better, it didn't really diminish the beauty of the reef. Well, reefs technically. I guess I was expecting one huge reef instead of multiple smaller ones. Stunning nonetheless. We got the best of both worlds. We took a boat out there and spent time in the water getting up close and personal with the inhabitants of the reef:





Then, we took a helicopter back to shore enabling us to take in some of the most breathtaking views ever:





And that was the Great Barrier Reef in a day.


Our last big tour in Cairn's was Uncle Brian's Tour. This was hands down the best tour we took in six weeks. Gus (the bus) and Cousin Kyh took us into the Atherton Tablelands in the interior of Australia to multiple different waterfall sights. Uncle Brian's is a small outfit with only two drivers who rotate days and only one Gus that fits about 20. We sang songs, slid down waterfall rocks, swam in a volcano and went Gus surfing (this is where you stand in the aisle and balance using no hands while Cousin Kyh takes the curves on the mountain rather quickly to try to knock you down.) There really isn't a way to describe the tour that would do it justice. I will say they really had me contemplating scrapping this whole "career" thing and moving to Cairns so I could drive Gus around!





While Cairns itself didn't have too much to offer, the adventures that were right outside of town made that leg of our trip one of the more unforgettable ones.


After Cairns we went to BRISBANE. Since there wasn't quite as much to do or see in Brisbane, it was nice to be able to recuperate after our exhaustion in Cairns. We did spend quite a bit of time at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary cuddling the little critters and feeding kangaroos. We also had dinner with my ex-boyfriend and his Aussie girlfriend feasting on Emu, Kangaroo and Wallaby. They also graciously allowed us to use their place to wash clothes, burn CDs of photos and get onto the internet. Plus, they fed us Vegemite and Pavlova. My last day there, I did a tour of the FourX brewery and I also spent time walking around the "beach" in Brisbane. I should note that the (man-made) beach was under construction and those Aussie's used it as an opportunity to show off their sense of humor (note the sign):





All in all, I loved Australia. We spent more time there than in any other country and it was time very well spent. I think that the one thing that stood out about Australia more than anything (besides how funny all the locals are) was how everything and everyone is so outdoorsy and in touch with nature. Spending so much time with the animals, birds, fish, trees, flowers, reefs, rainforests, etc. really did define our Australian experience. After enough time, you begin to realize that each part of nature has it's own personality:


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Monday, August 06, 2007

Mahalo Hawai'i

When K and I arrived in Honolulu, we were actually quite surprised at the lack of stereotypical Hawai'i. No one met us at the airport with leis. No beautiful women were hula dancing. In fact, since we arrived so late on Wednesday, we had dinner at a pizza place as we watched hookers mulling around in front of us. I felt as if I could do that in D.C. Apparently, Waikiki has a bad prostitution problem. Interestingly, in speaking with locals, we found out the hookers are not native, rather they come from Ohio and other mid-western states. I guess if you are going to leave home to become a hooker, Hawai'i is the place to do it.


With a bit of jet-lag setting in, we woke up on Thursday and were on the beach by 8am. Even at that early hour, the place was packed. Fighting through the Japanese tourists, we were able to secure some spots for much needed lounging. The water was so clear that standing neck deep, I could see my toes. And the fish. The fish were everywhere and would swim right up to you as long as you stood still. Pretty awesome.


After a day of tanning and some shopping we adorned ourselves in fresh flower leis and headed to the Paradise Cove Luau. There, we found the "Hawai'i" we were searching for. We were greeted with mai tais and shell necklaces. We made our own bracelets, we watched natives climb trees and pull in the fishing nets, we got Hawai'ian oil tattoos, drank more fruity drinks and watched the ceremonial un-earthing of the pig before sitting down to a Hawai'ian feast. The luau concluded with a Polynesian dance show which can only be described as amazing. The costumes, the dancing, the fire-twirling, the 1/2 nekkid Hawai'ians. Truly amazing!


On Friday, K had to deal with some luggage issues so I spent the day by myself on the beach. My $7 investment in an innertube proved well worth it as I spent my time floating out in the crystal clear waters with the fish and surfers. I met back up with K to buy some Malibu Rum and pineapple juice so we could sip it on the balcony while blaring Jimmy Buffet on the Ipod speakers. We had dinner at Duke's then joined the crowds on the beach to watch the sunset as the sky released a misty rain that felt great on our tanned skin. For the most part, that marked the end of our time in Hawai'i.


Hawai'is "most notable": The people! The natives were so friendly and welcoming. Obviously, tourism is huge in Hawai'i, but they go beyond that. It's as if they want you to truly understand and get to know their culture. "After all, cousin" they say "you are family."

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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow!

Too bad I won't really be seeing the sun tomorrow since I'll be on planes all day long. However, when the sun comes out Thursday, I'll be there to soak up those rays on a beach in Honolulu. For the next six weeks, I'm on vacation. A real true vacation. The book-reading, magazine-perusing, people-meeting, beachy-tanning, nighttime-dancing, cocktail-drinking, cultural-touring, picture-taking, just-plain-relaxing vacation! I'm not sure I even know how to handle all this. Have no fear, I'll figure it out. Probably before Thursday night's Paradise Cove Luau.


I will try to keep y'all posted along the way, but quite honestly, only if it does not interfere with any of the above listed activities. I do love y'all, but right now, I love me more. :-)


And now, I'm off for my trip of a lifetime!

For those of you who have inquired:
August 5-17 in Australia where we will visit some wineries, cuddle koala's and snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.
August 18-23 in Thailand where we will ride elephants, go on rafting tours to see floating markets, visit palaces and watch a Thai drag show.
August 24-27 in India where we will visit friends and friends of friends and the Taj Mahal.
August 27-30 in Dubai where I will be in architectural/engineering heaven and we'll go dune bashing then visit a Bedouin campsite for camel rides and henna tattoos.
August 30-Sept. 9 in Istanbul (not Constantinople), on a cruise around the Greek Islands, then a few days in Athens.
September 10-13 in Egypt checking out some pyramids.
Then I guess we'll come back home.





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Saturday, June 16, 2007

Is My Price Right?

Okay all you travel buffs...I need some help again. Since everyone was so helpful last time, I figured I'd put it out there again (keeping in mind I've lost a lot of readers since then because my life has become boring and filled with Bar study). We have been working diligently to make our post-Bar Exam trip happen (and by "we" I mean our travel agent). I have never used a travel agent before nor have I traveled so extensively. I just want to make sure we are getting a good cost. The following is the current itinerary and I would love to know approximately what folks think this should cost. I should note that I have no intention of divulging what we are actually paying in this public forum. Rather, I just need your input so I know where our projected costs are falling.



Including all of the above flights, hotels (all with breakfasts), hotel taxes, cruises (with meals), three day-tours & transfers to hotels...how much do you think we should expect to pay? What about for just flights alone?



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Thursday, April 12, 2007

Round-the-World Trip

Okay, we met, laid out maps, reviewed emails and WonL comments and I think we have a pretty good first draft of our trip planned. I'd love to know if anyone has any thoughts on any of these places!


(3 days) Hawaii - not sure where yet, just want to break up that brutal flight to Australia...besides: getting lei'd and sipping mai thais...sign us up!


(12 days) Australia - Sydney, Brisbane, Hunter Valley for winery tours, Dubbo for sleeping in a zoo, then heading north to Cairns for some snorkeling/scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Since it will be winter over there and downright freezing, we are going to skip Melbourne and New Zealand


(7 days) Thailand - Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai


(4 days) India - Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and possibly New Delhi


(3 days) Dubai - amazing architecture/construction (including indoor Ski slopes) and good shopping and beaches too


(7 days) Greece/Turkey cruise - Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Istanbul, etc.


(7 days) Egypt - Cairo


(5 or so days) Antigua - after Egypt, my traveling companion has to return home for a wedding. However, my cousin just got into medical school in Antigua so I'll keep going.

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Friday, April 06, 2007

Let's play a game

...called "help me plan my bar trip". That would be the trip after I complete the bar exam not a trip to random bars. Believe it or not, this stumps some people. Anyway, I wrap up the Bar at the end of July and don't start working until the end of September. This leaves plenty of travel time to exotic destinations. My friend and I have some general ideas of places we would like to go but now we are ready to get specific and start planning our trip.






We definitely want to go to Australia. I already emailed the ex-boy in Australia for advice. He responded "what kind of experiences do you want (i.e. skiing, scuba diving, camping in the Outback, wineries, city hoping, spend the night in a zoo, etc)". I'm feeling pretty confident he will hook us up on the Oz front.


We have a strong desire to go to a few North African places (including Egypt and Morocco).


The guy who came to look at Bug's bed highly recommended Thailand (not just Bangkok but also much more south like Phuket.)


We also thought Greece would be a great place to explore.


Ideas? Thoughts? Suggestions?


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Monday, April 02, 2007

Share my moment

I had a moment this weekend. You know, an "I am so lucky to be in such an amazing place" moment. Share my moment:


I am in my car heading into D.C. from a haircut in Old Town. I'm in a happy mood because I always enjoy my salon visit. My stylist is wonderfully fun. I met him at a party in D.C. a few years back. He and I ended up sipping adult beverages on a sofa while I tried to pick out who was gay and he told me if I was right or wrong. Fun times. I thought for a moment about all of the people I have met here and all of the very random connections they have lead to. I love that about this city.


My windows are down and my new favorite radio station 104.1 is blaring. I have always loved the drive along the George Washington Parkway, but today seems especially beautiful. I pass the marina on my right and wonder how long it will take before I have a boat in there. I do my best "that's my boat" Forrest Gump impression and then giggle at myself.


Driving on, I am coming up to Reagan National Airport. I could not begin to count the number of times I have flown in and out of that airport in the past six years. I lived in Louisiana for twenty-four years and could count on one hand how many times I traveled from there. There is something about D.C. that brings out my love for travel. I am not sure if it's the people I have met or the accessibility and ease of traveling from here. All I know is I am currently planning a six week trip around the world that will include Australia, Africa and Asia and every person I met this weekend had a recommendation based on somewhere they have been or somewhere they think I'd love to go. As I pass the airport, I think of how much my fellow D.C.ers love to travel.


As I keep driving, I pass the Pentagon. For almost six years now, every time I have passed the Pentagon I remember that day. I remember smelling the burning as I walked across the bridge. I remember the candlelight vigils and bonding with strangers. Although I hate that 9-11 happened, I have always said I am glad I was here for it. I experienced a solidarity and patriotism in D.C. that changed me.


As I approach the Arlington Memorial Bridge, I brace myself. Some driver will inevitably not know how to handle the circle and someone else will swerve and there will be honking. This time, though, is smooth sailing. I veer right and pick my lane. I turn off the radio and listen to the sounds of D.C. I spend the short drive over the bridge just breathing in that view. Breathtaking. The sun is reflecting off the Potomac on both sides of me. The statues at the end of the bridge stand tall to let everyone know when they are entering and exiting D.C. I cannot see Mr. Lincoln ahead of me, but I can surely see the monumental white building in which he sits. And I see tourists everywhere. I'm not annoyed or upset though. I feel proud. I feel proud that so many hundreds of thousands of people are coming to see the beauty of my city right now. And it sure is a beautiful city. My city.


I met a few new people this weekend and one conversation somehow turned to past relationships. I mentioned that my last relationship was long distance. Someone said "yeah, those are hard because you get to a point where one of you has to decide who will leave to be with the other one." I smiled and said "that was actually never a problem. He knew I was not willing to leave here. I think I have found home."


If you are in D.C. and have a moment today, I recommend you enjoy your moment. I enjoyed mine.


On that note, I'm off to enjoy this glorious day with tens of thousands of other prideful D.C.ers to cheer on our Nats to an opening day victory. [hey, we tried]

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Monday, March 12, 2007

L.A. Highlights

We only had two days to spend in Los Angeles so were naturally quite limited in the vacationing we could accomplish. I'd say we did fairly well considering. Here are our most memorable moments...

After we arrived on Tuesday, we picked up our convertible rental car and had some In-N-Out before checking into our swanky hotel. While the burgers were divine, I must say that I found the french fries to be horrendous. Honestly, if I want french fries, give me the real thing. Healthy french fries should be banned.

Back at the swanky hotel, we admired our modern surroundings: bubbly swinging chairs hanging from the ceiling; toys in the pool; artistic light montages on the walls; Californians playing on their laptops and of course an aquarium in the lobby where a woman lives at night.

We got dolled up and headed to Santa Monica so my friend could attend her reception and I could wander the beach. I did some great shopping around the 3rd St.Promenade and watched the sunset near the Santa Monica pier.


We had dinner at the Border Grill and were treated to great food and even better service. I was quite surprised at how downright nice most of the people in L.A. were. I had always heard of the stereo-typical southern Californian and let's just say I was not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. So much so that I asked the waiter to come home with us. After seeing the excitement on his face, I clarified that I didn't mean "home" back to our hotel, I meant "home" back to D.C. I explained to him that an attentive, knowledgeable, polite server could make a killing in our nation's capital. He came back to our table three times to thank us for our very kind words. He even brought us each coupons for $20 off. After bidding Jonas the waiter farewell, we headed back to the hotel to peruse the mini-bar and play in the expensive robes on the balcony.


On our second day, we woke up early, put on the sunscreen, put the top down and headed up the Pacific Coast Highway (or "PCH" for those in the know) to Malibu. I had been told by more than one person that this was the most beautiful amazing drive in the country. I'm might have to disagree.


Don't get me wrong, it was pretty, but I think "amazing" or "breathtaking" might take it a little too far. I hear things are supposed to get better north of Malibu but we just didn't have that much extra time. We did find ourselves a secluded beach to stop and play on the rocks.


The drive was still worth it as we rather enjoyed having the top down, hair whipping in the wind and sun beaming on our faces.

Back in town, we did the Hollywood thing for a few hours. We saw some shiny gold stars and some footprints and handprints and a really amazing view of the sign.


We got dolled up again and hit Sunset Boulevard for some adult beverages. The night was fairly uneventful minus that little issue of the hot bartender accidentally giving away my credit card to another girl. He leaned in all cute and charming holding a credit card with a "sweetheart, I have some bad news." He said that it was an honest mistake considering I had a last name very similar to the other girl. I tried to keep my bitchiness to a minimum as I expressed my doubt that her last name was actually anything like mine (it's pretty unique). We had about twenty minutes of discussion that included the manager and some complimentary drinks and profuse apologies. When I asked Hottie Mc.Bartender to see the other girl's card I noticed that her last name was like mine. In fact, it was mine. In a crazy turn of events, he had actually given the other girl her own credit card. After fending off many-o-drunks during our brisk walk up Sunset Boulevard back to our hotel, we ended our night by giggling incessantly over the condoms in the mini-bar.


And folks, that's L.A. for ya.

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