Australia
We spent time in Sydney and Cairns (Great Barrier Reef). I got to dive the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and watch a performance at the Sydney Opera House
June 30: Around the World in 42 Days- Sydney Australia
So today was fun! I woke up pretty early. My dad had an important call, so Ansley, who came over to our room seeking enter entertainment, and I Facetimed my mommy. I love Facetiming my mommy, I miss her and my baby Mika so dearly. Next, I attempted to do some online shopping for Ansley’s B-day, yet that failed miserably after I was conflicted not knowing what size to buy Ans’s presents in. I ended up having to settle ask her what size she was, but that also failed because she sent me a whole list of what she wanted, so she knew exactly what I was describing. “What pant size are you, Small or X-Small”-Riley “ Oh! For my Adidas sweatpants I want them to be kinda baggy, not tight fit, so get me a small”-Ansley, Riley cries in the inside(JK) Anyway, then I researched surfing options, yet with it being a holiday here(No clue what holiday, but kids are out of school) everyplace at Manly beach, where we want to go just to say we been, was booked.Sad face:( Anyway, then my dad finished his meetings early because the first one went so good, they cancelled the second one.Way to go Daddy!Love you!So my dad about gave me a heart attack, he quietly entered the room while Ans and I were on our phones, and he jumped and grabbed us. I legit screamed in terror flying forward, in attempt to escape as a result of initial shock. Anyway he took us to breakfast,for Aleisha was still asleep.We went to a crepe place, surprise, surprise, and I ordered a Nutella and caramel crepe.It was delicious. Then we returned and cleaning ladies were cleaning our room, so my dad went down to the hotel restaurant for so coffee, while Ansley and I grabbed a key for Aleisha’s room and crept in there. She, we soon found, was awake. She had been for 20 minutes. So we got ready to head to Manly Beach. I threw on yoga pants and a t-shirt, then was pretty much bored for the hour it took Aleisha and Ansley to get ready.I was so bored, I ended up compiling a bunch of socks together, creating a sock ball thing I kept throwing against the wall and catching it. Yep folks, I was that bored. I even began involving myself in completing tasks, like making tea, for Aleisha. Next, finally when 11 came around, my dad and I told Aleisha and Ansley we were heading down to the lobby, and they could meet us down, yet after about 10 minutes of waiting, my dad and I decided to head down to the docks, and meet Aleisha and Ansley there. So we walked there, I led because I have become so used to walking there practically daily, I memorized the route. Though what we didn’t know was Aleisha and Ansley were following us, hiding behind people or trashcan whenever we turned our heads. They crept up behind us, and terrified my dad and I. So that was that. Then we hopped on a ferry out to Manly Beach. Aleisha and I headed out to the front of the boat because well its obvious, its cool. We watched the boat rip through the water, it was incredibly entertaining. As soon as we stepped off our ferry, we set out on our voyage to find kites. After like 5 stores, and a block of walking, we finally came to a shop that carried kites. I got a kite that looked like a crow. Then we went out, and looked for a place to eat along the beach, finally deciding on a restaurant called the Pantry.I got gnocchi and we all got bruschetta as an appetizer. At that lunch, we all regretted our life choices of not bringing swimsuits. We went on to the beach to fly our kites, struggling at first, I even thought they provided us with an extra pole in case one breaks, no I just assembled the kite wrong. Then getting it off the ground was a total fail, it took about hundred tries before i finally got the hang of it. By then Aleisha and Ansley had left us in search of bodyboards and wetsuits to rent, so my dad took Ansley's kite and my dad and I flew kites together. By then I could actually get the kite in the air, and it stayed in the air on average about a minute or two before collapsing. After kite flying, I ran off to try and find “Manly Surfboards” were Ans and Aleisha were, yet the first time I went in, they were in the changing room, so I thought I was in the wrong spot, so I went back to my dad, who said I was in the right shop and to go back. Next, they went to another shop to look for bathing suits, so yeah I almost left a second time, but asked the guy if he had seen a little blonde haired girl and an older brown haired girl come into his shop, and he told me they left but said they would be right back. So I waited and tried on some wetsuits, though apparently, I tried on the wetsuits for sale, rather than those for rent, great job Riley, yet anyway, Ansley and Aleisha returned and made the fact I was trying on the wrong wetsuits crystal clear. Anyway, we all were fitted for wetsuits, and were given a small locker room to all get changed in. The suits were so tight, so they were hard to get it, it required a lot of jumping. Finally, once we had dressed, we got our bodyboards and hit the beach. Getting some quick photos before, then running out to catch some waves. I only had attempted to catch 2 waves before a huge wave caught Ansley by surprise. What she told us was it dragged her down, she did a full front flip, hitting her head and it pulled her all the way to the shore.She jerked herself out of the water, and poor Ansley; her face was red and scratched up, my dad and Aleisha believe by tomorrow she’ll have a black eye. I just saw the wave knock Ansley out, she disappeared for a moment, then she appeared back on shore. I threw myself ashore, as fast as someone can run in water, but through the tears, she was all ok. Plus my little trooper didn’t let this stop her, she went out on the board with Aleisha, still a bit scared to catch waves by herself, and all three of us headed back out. It took a while to get a hang of, I didn’t get what to do and failed to catch any waves, yet then Aleisha started pushing me into the waves and I caught some monster waves, some were as tall as me or a bit bigger. Then I started to get the hang of it and I could catch them without Aleisha. Aleisha eventually went and grabbed Ansley’s board, which she used. Ansley, who was not a fan of being by herself, stayed by the shore catching the smaller waves, while Aeisha and I, swam out and caught a bunch of huge waves taking us all the way back to shore.Ps: bycatch waves I mean by laying on the bodyboard and surfing, not standing up, I’m not that balanced:) I pretty much couldn't feel my feet, they were so numb, but who cares, I was having a blast! We surfed for like 2 and a half hours. I probably caught like at least 25 waves. Along the ones I caught, there were plenty I failed on, but who cares, it was epic. I loved the feeling of catching a big wave, were all of a sudden you feel like you’re flying, squinting as water crashes in your eyes, feeling like you’re gonna fall off, but you don’t, then the final stretch where you’re brought all the way to land and you feel victorious. It was so cool. We eventually got to the point were Aleisha and I would catch a wave in, and Ansley would join us in on the final stretch to shore.After finally, we all were done we all rode a wave in, and we waddled our frozen bodies to the surf shop. We pulled off our wetsuits and miraculously changed back into our tight fitting clothes. Next we walked back to the Wharf, where we went to a cafe and got hot chocolate, mine with marshmallows in it, and these molten chocolate lava cake things. Then I went and found the black licorice, my mom requested we brought back, from a candy shop. Then we caught a ferry back to Sydney, abandoning our plan to go to Luna Park after staying way longer than expected at Manly Beach. We ate at a Thai restaurant back in Sydney for dinner, it was good, no clue what the noodles and vegetables I got were specifically called, but they were good.We talked about our plans for New Zealand and that's about it. Back at our hotel, I showered, got ready for bed, then packed. Eventually going over to Aleisha and Ansley’s room to look for my stuff, beating them there(they stopped at a store for makeup) and I let them in after hearing their voice in the hallway, rather than Aleisha having to dig through her whole bag to find a key.We leave for New Zealand tomorrow, so yeah, then I finished packing, running between my room and Aleisha and Ansley’s here and there, finally, I worked on and finished my blog. Then I went to bed, so peace out, good night! Gotta say I’m living the dream:)
June 29: Around the World in 42 Days-Sydney Australia
So today Aleisha and I woke up late because we had stayed up late the prior night, talking. So I woke up to the sound of pounding on our door, thanks, Ans, Aleisha opened the door, obviously a little annoyed, and Ansley explained she wanted to know if she should order room service, or if we were gonna go to breakfast. Aleisha and I, after laying in bed for about 15 minutes, we decided to ordered room service. We scrolled through the menu, and after a while trying to decide, I finally picked banana bread and a vegetable omelet. Though sadly, I couldn't go up to the gym to run with Aleisha because I had to wait for the food, so yeah I was forced to stay behind. Sad Face!So I just had to play on my phone for like ever before I heard a knock on the door, it was our food, yet when I looked outside it wasn’t only our food, yet Aleisha had returned right when the food had come. I could have so gone to the gym with her!Anyway, enough complaining, the food was good, that made me happy. Then, after I ate, I went over to the room my dad and Ansley slept in. Ansley and I Facetimed my mom and OMG do I miss my mommy and baby Mika(my dog). My girl got so confused, she heard Ansley and my voice, yet couldn't find us it was so sad!Though it was nice to talk to my mom, and I loved getting to see my baby on the screen. So I enjoyed that. Next, we just all relaxed until around 11:30, when I started to get ready for the yoga class we were all going to attend. I threw on yoga pants and a T-shirt.Then at 11:45 we walked to the yoga studio that was a few streets down, about a 5-10 minute walk. At the studio, we all walked up these steep stairs, confused at first which room we were supposed to go into, but we finally found it. We picked mats near the back because those were the only spots open. Yikes, this team started to fall apart, we weren’t experts for sure. It was hard and this was only the beginner class.The instructor moved from pose to pose in such a fast pace, plus used terms that sounded like “blah blah what” to me. Like stack your shoulders or like surrender yourself to your hips, I was confused, not to mention inflexible. I was struggling to attempt some the different poses, yikes!Plus there were things were you like held yourself up with one hand and one foot, and had to balance, and Ansley and I were the only ones in the room who kept continuously falling. In the 2 minutes, we help that position Ansley and I probably fell a total of 20 times, which of course caused my dad and Aleisha to erupt in laughter, causing the once quiet room to be filled with our craziness.It was pretty funny. Though yikes, that class was hard, if you tried to do the poses actually right, it was a beating. Though it was pretty funny how miserably we were failing, everyone else acted like they understood, while we were all just in astonishment, confused. Though that definitely loosened my body up, I think; I know I was relaxed afterward. Then after our class, we cleaned our mats, got all our stuff then decided we wanted a photo, so went back into the studio, did the pose where we crossed our legs and clasped our hands together, and had our instructor take a photo.Then next, you’ll never believe this...we took an UBER!I know we usually walk everywhere, yet we were off for Bondi beach to do the Bondi to Coogee walk, and if the car ride was 30 minutes or something like that, I can't imagine have had to walk all the way there!So the only thing interesting about our UBER ride was this really neat cathedral we passed on our way, St Mary’s Cathedral. It had a beautiful design, I loved it. Bondi beach was so energetic, there was a bunch of buzz and numerous surfers hitting the waves, and a very neat vibe.Anyway, at Bondi, we first ate lunch at a restaurant along the coast. I got a veggie burger. I loved the vibe of that restaurant, so light-hearted, happy! What was truly incredible was as we were eating, we watched as a bunch of huge humpback whales were playing and jumping out of the water, and they were quite close, not crazy insane close, but close. It was awesome!We saw like 6 of them.Anyway, after lunch, we took our iconic double koala photo, were Ansley and I both cling to Aleisha. Hard to explain, but the point is it's a meaningful photo we take at every beach we go.Even at seagull island, we took this photo. So next we started our 6-mile walk to Coogee, on the well known Bondi to Coogee walk. The walk was beautiful, a lot of the time Ansley and I would go off on the rocks, climbing and jumping from rock to rock instead of taking the normal path, which always proved difficult for us, but it was a bunch of fun. The whole path was wonderful, watching the waves crash on the rocks, squirting up into the air, sitting at the top of a cliff and looking around at the vast sea, walking by the numerous beaches on our way to Coogee. It was a dream, plus we encountered a bunch of dogs on the trail, and it was magical.We took a bunch of great photos, plus you’ll never believe this, the people in our group from the rainforest safari in Cairn, we saw them again, about halfway through the walk. What a coincidence! At one point, due to storm damage back in 2016, a part of the trail was closed off, so instead of a detour, we had to walk through a graveyard as night was falling. Not total darkness, luckily, just that sun is setting beauty that leaves everyone breathless. I thought walking through the graveyard was cool, Ansley not so much, but Aleisha and I were intrigued by the unique design of every tombstone. Some people had whole little buildings dedicated to them, there were some really nice graves. Ansley, on the other hand, hates graveyards and looked terrified. Then near the end of the walk, I can’t put this vivid scene to words, it was one those moments like the stars in Africa when you can’t believe your eyes. The sky swirling in a bubblegum pink and baby blue, the clouds taking on these colors, appeared to be cotton candy, the sea, oh the sea was lavender purple, sparkling. It looked like a scene out of a movie, it was lovely. Anyway, after the incredible walk concluded and like 3 hours later we hit Coogee, we went to this restaurant a lady we met on the walk recommended. It was a great restaurant, so lively and casual, we all ate dinner on big comfy chairs and couches. It was great. It was a place buzzing with personality, and smelling the sweet aroma of french fries and pizza. We all shared two pizzas, the one I ate from was a margarita pizza that was quite good. After dinner, we took an UBER back and our driver was from Iran, so it was interesting to hear his story, his comprehension of the world, and to hear what Iran is like, the people, culture, beliefs… I learned a lot, this world is so beautiful, and people take it for granted sometimes, so many different people all with different stories, different beliefs. People commonly fear difference, but difference makes this world so wonderful. We learn so much through experiences we face, places we go, people we meet, it helps us recognize the beauty of our world. That's why I love to travel, I love to learn things a textbook can’t teach me, understand the stories of all the people I meet, it helps me see how wonderful our world is. It helps me understand that I’m truly living the dream. So anyway, after we got back to the hotel I wrote this blog and as I was writing it I heard “Boom, Bam, BooM” and I looked out the window and saw fireworks, bursts of color, of spirit, lighting up the sky. It was amazing.After the incredible display and I had finished my blog entry, I went to bed, and there you have it, that was my day.Gotta say I truly am living the dream :)
June 28: Around the World in 42 Days- Sydney, Australia
So today was a no clue what we're doing kinda day.We woke up pretty late actually, about 8. Aleisha and I didn't really feel like running today, so we headed straight to breakfast.The cafe we chose was .2 miles from our hotel, so we just walked down some stairs, went straight then, BAM, we were there!That place was good, but Omg was it expensive!It was 80 dollars for 3 people to go to breakfast, like #noway. Anyway, I got scrambled eggs with toast, spinach, mushrooms, and a tomato, it was spectacular. Next, we walked across the street to a contemporary arts museum.It was free to enter, so we decided to look around for a bit. It was not your usual museum for sure.There were like sculptures made of tin foil, and like a bunch of ½ doors, as well as like magazine pages and wooden sculptures. It was really unique and different; I liked how it was not your typical idea of an art museum. I didn’t see one painting hung on the wall or one blown glass sculpture, or anything really that you would expect to be at an art museum. Anyway, we went and looked around in the gift shop of the art museum, they had a lot of cool room decor and toys and books and pretty much everything in between. Next, we headed back to our hotel, as the dark clouds wailed overhead, getting ready to shed their tears. As soon as we got up to our hotel rooms, we threw on our bathing suits and headed down to the pool, well I guess we went up to the pool, for its on the top floor, my bad. Anyway, Aleisha, rather than swimming, is going to work on different tasks relating to her soon going off into the workforce. Ansley and I created different challenges in the spa(the punishment being spending 10 seconds in the cold pool, rewarded to the looser.) Though, instead of a punishment, we started enjoying spending time in the pool, and before long switched from the spa to the pool. In the pool we played mermaids, choosing powers, names, tail colors, and acting as if the humans got a photo of us, and we had to find a way to delete it, which was basically impossible since we couldn't go on land, so I had to use my ability to move things, so I made the camera fly out of the guys hand onto the floor and crack.We did different plots like that. It was so fun, I love using my imagination to create different stories.Then no longer were we alone at the pool, a whole family came down to the pool, so Ansley, who was to embarrassed to play in the pool around other people,went over into the sauna room. I got back in after pleading with Ansley, for who knows long, to come back in the pool with me, she never gave in. I just swam back and forth across the pool for a while, gliding with every stroke, then wonts the family cleared the hot tub and went in the pool, Ansley joined me in the hot tub for 2 minutes before getting out again. We then just went back to the room, where I showered and got ready to conquer Sydney, then I just played on my phone and worked on my entry for today that you are reading right now, while I waited on Aleisha and Ansley. At one point, Aleisha couldn't find the battery pack, so she turned it into a competition, first one to find the battery pack wins and was rewarded the choice of where we went for lunch. Aleisha found it, yet told Ansley and I both to agree on a place, I never fully supported it, but didn’t feel like arguing, so once again, for the thousandth time we were sitting at Four Frogs Creperie.I got a butter, sugar, and lemon crepe with strawberries on the side, while I also ate some of Aleisha’s caramel and Nutella crepe that was really good. I have had crepes so much this trip! Well anyway, next we went up to Top Juice, where Aleisha got a smoothie while Ansley and I split a juice. We had decided at the creperie, not only that we wanted to go to the Powerhouse Museum, but also we established I say yes to everything while Ansley says no to everything, while I say yes to everything. Penguin excursion: me-Yes, Ansley- no, Wildlife Sanctuary: Riley- yes, Ansley- no Lookout Tower( the place where you can look out at all of Sydney.): Riley-Yes Ansley- No, you get the point. The only thing I said no to was the fish market, obviously, which was coincidentally the only thing Ansley said yes to.So we walked down to Darling Harbor, where we were heading towards the Powerhouse Museum, yet were very confused as to where this museum was. On our search for the museum, we saw this park that we couldn't help but play at!It had a zip line thing that you sat on and it carried you a good 25 meters long. Aleisha, Ansley, and I all rode it, and at one point I was sitting on top of Ansley, so we were zip lining together. We also climbed up this 40 foot rope climb. It was insane, we all went to the very top, it was cool. It was fun to jump up and down on the ropes near the top.Then we went up a rock wall, and down a slide that was wet and you can guess how that went. Then we also went on this round, circle, net swing, where Ansley and I would sit on the edges and Aleisha would pull it back and send us flying super high, though she did make my feet hit the white poles that hold the swing up, a few time, as well as make us almost fall out every time the swing smashed into the pole, even if it made no contact with us, the force almost made me fall out an every time. Though I hated it when she would run in circles, spinning the swing, it always made me dizzy and sick to my stomach. So after the epic park that I loved so much, we struggled a bit longer to find the museum, eventually finding some signs pointing us in the right direction,and after twisting and turning we finally found it. Though as we were walking through one the tunnels on our way there, a rat ran in across far in front of us. Our reactions varied, I chirped “cute” Ansley said “cool” while Aleisha looked like she was going to throw up. Anyway, back on track, oh right, we get to the museum to find out it's closed. Sorry, I mean it is closed in one minute, so a bit disappointed, yet not too disappointed because we’d rather of spent an hour at that park and not been able to go to the museum , than not have gone to the park and gone to the museum. Plus the museum didn't really look that cool, and was kinda small.So anyway, we were gonna go to the wildlife sanctuary I wanted to go to, but that, too, was closed, and Aleisha had an awful headache, so we headed back to our hotel.At the hotel I worked on my blog, got ready for dinner, then read my summer read a bit(not that much). Aleisha tried to nap, yet couldn't, her head was killing her.At about 6:30, my dad told us to meet him in 15 minutes, down by the restaurants next to the ferries.I ran to my dad's room to tell Ansley, who was watching Gossip Girls, we were leaving for dinner. She, who was wearing PJ pants and a T-shirt, threw on a pair of my leggings and a jacket at the speed of light.We met my dad at who knows what the restaurant is called, what I forgot, all I know is I got a spinach and ricotta lasagna thing.Plus this place had a tv playing a bunch of people doing crazy adventurous things.After dinner we went to get Ice Cream, well Ansley got Ice Cream from Baskin Robbins Aleisha and I got Gelato, it was delicious.I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream.Anyway, then back at the hotel we got ready for bed and went to bed after I updated my entry and finished it, of course. Gotta say I'm living the dream:)
June 27: Around the World in 42 Days-Sydney, Australia
So today, in the morning, wonts again Aleisha and I went on a run.A way shorter run compared to yesterday, but still a run.We ran 3 miles;)Our path was down to and around the Sydney Opera House, through and around the botanical gardens, and ending at the same breakfast place we went yesterday.We ran a strong pace of on average 7 minute miles.Pausing to get a photo in front of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House, yet other than that we ran non-stop.So we ate at the same place as yesterday, and we shared the scrambled egg thing we got yesterday, as well as a parfait.We walked back to our hotel as soon as we got our food because Ansley was back all by herself, so the sooner we returned, the better.We then just hung out for a while, I face timed my mom, Ansley and I locked us out of Aleisha and Ansley's room, so I was forced to go down and get another key, then Ansley did Aleisha’s makeup, hair, and chose her outfit.Finally, after begging to leave for what felt like eternity, we left and walked towards the restaurant mall like area, where the crepe place is, and Aleisha and my scrambled egg to place.We first went to Top Juice, where I got a lime,orange, grapefruit, and pear juice as well as a chocolate covered strawberry.Next, we went to Ansley’s favorite the crepe place for lunch, where I got a banana-Nutella crepe.We played the Pinterest game, where Aleisha says a category, like for, say wedding dresses, and Ansley and I have to find a photo that best represents Aleisha’s personality in regards to that topic. Then Ansley thought we were taking forever, so she acted like she just walked out and off, yet really just sat outside the restaurant. We waited 2 minutes, expecting her to come, back but when she didn’t we rushed outside and saw her sitting at one the tables.Then we walked over to the boardwalk, where we bought our tickets for a ferry to Luna Park. While we waited, Aleisha and I looked in a souvenir shop at everything, while Ansley went to the bathroom.So we boarded the ferry and rode it over to North Sydney, more particular, Luna Park. We walked over to Luna, growing with excitement as we noticed the lack of people in the park, yet it turns out there is a reason the park was deserted, it was closed. Apparently it's only open on the weekend! Which makes reasonable sense because kids are still in school, for in Australia it is winter.Disappointed, we walked aimlessly through North Sydney, quickly recognizing a playground we could go to. For the first 30 minutes we spent running around, climbing on the nets,sliding down the slide, playing on the seesaw, that kind of stuff.Then we went on to completing obstacle courses, having tournaments trying to knock the middle person off the seesaw, while they stand,attempting to remain on longest.There was this sweet little girl, who wanted to play with us the whole time, and it was adorable! Then I took this video for Aleisha and Ansley were they pulled themselves up, flipped and dismounted, all on this bar, and it took one hundred retakes, but finally we got it.Then we went to this cafe place, where we got drinks.After, we went down along the coast, took a bunch of photos, called the “floor is lava” in the most unpractical environments.Then rather than getting a ferry back, we decided to walked along the Sydney Harbor Bridge, which felt way longer walking it rather than running it.We turned the floor is lava into a competition, winner getting the prize of picking what we do tomorrow, judged based on who has the least amount of fails.We called the floor is lava twice on the bridge, one Ansley was a genius and called right in front of a security guard, who got mad at us, and told us to not climb on walker's path barrier fence between it and the road.We then walked down along the harbor, admired the view, took some photos, photobombed all Aleisha’s attempts of individual selfies, then we walked back to our hotel. When we got back I got ready, then worked on my blog until six.Though at six, when I went to to see if Aleisha and Ansley were ready for dinner, I saw they had not moved a muscle since we got back.So I dragged them both out of bed after giving them 15 minutes to finish whatever they were doing, then we eventually left for dinner.We walked down to Darling Harbor the longest route possible, it was insane! We spent a good 30 minutes walking to somewhere that should be 5 minutes away, worst part being we were all starved.We had gotten lost, and ended up taking the long way, which consisted of a lot of dimly lit, abandoned streets of which I'm not a fan of, and at multiple points we thought people were following us.After that painful walk, made worse by fear we arrived.We walked down a long line of restaurants, checking the menus at all, finally I gave in and agreed to eat at a sushi restaurant.If you know me, you know I hate sushi!I ended up tolerating it, getting edamame, this tofu/seaweed\salt\vegetable soup thing/white rice and vegetable rolls( vegetarian sushi).No I did not eat that much food!Aleisha, Ansley and I shared all the the sides and Ansley and I shared 8 vegetable sushi rolls.Plus because we were angels at dinner, Aleisha was not going to randomly lick us, as she was going to as a punishment for our chaotic energy that got on her nerves.Then from dinner, we researched this epic dessert place, that looked like desserts straight from heaven, but required us to walk a mile over to it.Shielding our eyes at the sight of more convenient, not as good desserts(also with the help of me shoving Aleisha and Ansley away from dessert distractions). It was a far way, we were going to take an Uber, but in Ansley’s attempt to make us go back to the hotel she said an Uber would be a waste of money just to get dessert, so we agreed to walk.It felt like we were walking forever, when stopped at crossing paths and stuff, it was Ansley and I against Aleisha trying to step on her feet and she was trying to step on our feet.It kinda freaked me out how many people were wearing head to toe black, we were on full alert cause wonts again we would walk on quiet streets with little light.I loved when we got to busy streets with crowds of people, I felt so safe.Plus when a guy walked in front of us, we acted like we knew him or were somehow related to him.Plus we called Aleisha “mom” to appear less of a target than 3 sisters would be.Finally when we got to the place I was happy, there were a lot of people in that shopping network.We all shared this peanut butter fudge brownie piled in ice cream and whipped cream and this molten chocolate lava cake in this mug jar thing. It was like little bites of heaven, so worth the walk.It was delicious!So we devoured our desserts, eventually finishing and walking another mile back to our hotel.We all in all walked/ran 12 miles today.A pretty decent amount.Then back at the hotel we threw on our bathing suits, and made it just in time before the pool supposedly closed, but we stayed way after closing time.The plan was not to get our hair wet, yet Ansley and I ended up getting our hair wet, me because somebody splashed me then shoved me under water, cough, cough, Ansley.Ansley believed she wouldn't swim, so she didn't wear a bathing suit, yet we forced her to come to the pool with us, and after seeing the pool and deciding maybe she wanted to swim after all, she swam in her clothes.We swam for about an hour.It was fun, the pool had a great view of the city and we had races, competitions, and simply relaxed, a kind of relaxing I can handle.Switching off, spending time in both the hot tub and the pool, I found it very enjoyable.Someone, cough, cough Ansley, used my towel because she didn't bring one, Miss. I'm not going to swim,so it was already wet when I used it, thanks Ans, love you!Next we just got ready for bed, and fell straight asleep, as soon as I finished my journal, of course.Yet as I was writing my blog, Ansley sat straight up, and started mumbling deformed words, words as clear as dirt, so yeah no clue what she said, but it was funny. So anyway, goodnight! Gotta say I'm living the dream:)
June 26:Around the World in 42 Days- Sydney Australia
So today was, well, today.My dad and I both woke up early, around 6:30.I played on my phone for a bit before forcing myself out of bed at 7:00. While I was getting dressed, I got a text from Aleisha asking if I wanted to go on a run, not knowing what I was getting myself into, I said yes.I threw on leggings and a running tank and met Aleisha in her room within 2 minutes.We stretched, then began our run the second we set foot outside.We ran around Sydney, eventually, after running up 100 stairs found what we were looking for: a running path along the Sydney Harbor Bridge.We ran across the bridge, and ran all over the town on the other side, up to the prime minister’s house, up to the coast, where we admired the beautiful landscape and sea, then just got familiar with the town.Next, we ran across the bridge again, ending the run with a sprint to the staircase where we entered the bridge, then we ran in search of a breakfast place, finally finding this savory breakfast place.All in all, we ran 7.3 miles.What really was brutal was running up staircases and steep hills, ugh it was torture! Though Aleisha and I each kept each other strong.We were dying by the time we were done, tight and sore.We ran a variation of paces, our best pace being close to 7 minutes a mile, and our longest being 9 minutes to a mile.I’ve never run so far in my life!Aleisha and I shared scrambled eggs, with spinach and avocado, with whole grain toast after I accidentally ordered something with meat, not knowing what a word meant, and assuming it was a vegetable.Good Job Riley;)So anyway, while we waited for our food, we went over and got fruit smoothies and couldn't resist getting chocolate covered strawberries, so we did.Our food was so good! Those were the best scrambled eggs I've ever had.Plus, we gave my mess up a meal(the one I accidentally got with meat in it) to a homeless person.That warmed my heart.Next, we went back to the hotel showered, got normal clothes on, then my dad and I booked whale watching for 2 PM after we had brainstormed what to do for the rest the day.In the meantime, I FaceTimed my mommy, which was nice cause I miss her so much, and she told me the exciting news of us possibly going to Mexico for a week after I get back, with one her friends! I'm so excited to practice my Spanish!Then I just played, imagining I was a princess getting ready for a Ball, yet in my imagination, I was going to sneak off on my horse because I didn't want to wear a dress or go to a dance, it's complicated.I love creating stories and plots using my imagination! So anywho, we left at 12:15 for whale watching, stopping to eat lunch on the way.No clue what the place was called, but I do know I got a Mexican burger, with a veggie patty replacing the meat patty, and an oreo shake. At one point a seagull flew over, squawking at Aleisha and stealing a french fry.Later, we walked down to Darling Harbor, where we boarded our boat and we found seats altogether, at the back of the boat, it was a small, speed boat, so obviously I took a seasickness pill and was wearing a seasickness bracelet.I get really sea sick. Then we headed off, out of Darling Harbor, yet up until The Sydney Opera House, there was a slow speed limit, and on this trek between Darling Harbor and the Opera house, my dad and I saw a penguin on a military submarine.As soon as we passed the opera house, we went lightning quick!So fast, like my hair was going insane flying every which way, I was laughing over all the wavy bumps we were thrown over, and somehow my sister was asleep during all this.We followed these two humpback whales all over.It was so cool!They were gigantic! They would come up every 4 minutes, and they surfed 5 times before throwing their tail out of water and diving back down.At one point, they swam directly under our boat.They were both still young, only 7-8 years of age, migrating just to understand the routine rather than in order to maintain the true reason of migration. The true reason of migration is, allowing pregnant mother whales to give birth in warm water, giving their babies a better chance of survival.The 2 whales we saw were considered juveniles, for they were young.The humpback whales were marvelous!So elegant and majestic, yet displayed power with every move.After about an hour of watching the 2 juveniles, we had to head back, stopping in front of the Sydney Opera House just long enough for quick photos, then we returned.I quickly realized, there was a reason that as we were heading back, Ansley, wanted to sit in my nice outside seat, other than the effortless view or the fact it's not in the middle. So we rushed off the boat and wonts we were far from earshot, I was told Ansley had to go to the bathroom so bad, she peed on the seat!She had pulled down her pants, blocking herself with her jacket, and peed on the seat.My dad said it was either that or listening to her complain the whole ride cause our speed boat had no bathroom. What I found super weird was before we got on the boat, Ansley already went to the bathroomtwice because my dad foreshadowed something like this happening. Aleisha and I thought they were kidding at first, but it turns out my family is crazy.So we walked back to the hotel, at our hotel at first I went to check out our hotel pool, first time was a fail, as I forgot a key to get to the staircase leading to the pool.So I went back, had my dad open the door for me, for the 100th time, and got a key.The first of the two pools was all drained out, so obviously that one was being repaired, then the 2nd pool was a struggle to find, it requires you to pass through a few gates.Anywho, the pool looked nice, very well maintained and luxurious, yet no one would come to the pool with me, so yeah I didn't end up going swimming. I then worked on my blog until it was time for dinner.Later we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant, I got gnocchi(vegetarian) and we talked about school, success, and goals for most of the dinner. Then we walked back to the hotel, and I put on my PJS and worked on my blog, finishing it then falling asleep to the TV. Gotta say I'm living the Dream:)
June 25: Around the World in 42 Days-Sydney Australia
So today was a travel day.We woke up early, and the second we woke up, we started packing.Rolling up our clothes and packing our bags.After we finished packing, Aleisha and I met up with Ansley and my dad for breakfast, at -The Pancake Houses.Aleisha and I were so hungry, we practically ran there, making an 11 minute trip in 5.I got chocolate chip pancakes, drenched in chocolate and topped with ice cream.What chocolate is a girl's best friend #chocolateisawesome? Then while we were eating, I squealed “look at the bats, which is actually a real thing you see often in Cairns, and as everyone looked away I stole Aleisha's giant, delicious looking, strawberry on the top of her crepes, Bam What! Next, we went back to our hotel, finalized packing, then had a van take us off to the airport.At the airport, same old same old, check bags, go through security, our find gate, find food.My dad and Ansley went to some fried food place, while Aleisha and I enjoyed a more elegant approach, Italian.I got a delicious vegetarian pizza, yum!Love!Love!Love! In the meantime, while we waited for our flight, we created quizzes about ourselves and tested our fellow “around the world squad”.Then, of course, we ended up moving over near some charging stations because this crew can not survive without their phones.Then we got in line and boarded, I’ve been in so many airports, at this point, it's now just muscle memory.On the plane, I played on my phone, then slept on the floor for the rest the flight.I at this point, sleep with the same comfort on an airplane floor as I do on an actual bed, it's sad.Finally, when we arrived back in Sydney, we got our luggage and got a UBER to take us back to our hotel. Where we checked in and went up to our apartment hotel rooms, I love My dad and my room, it has a perfect view of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge!I organized all my clothes, like legit hung, folded and put in drawers, or set out in an orderly fashion.No clue where I got the motivation to do that, but I did.We all walked to dinner, it was a decent walk.This trip, I noticed we almost always are walking, I swear I bet we walk at least ten miles a day, I can't remember the last time we took an UBER for anything besides an airport drop off/pick up.We went to the same pho place we went last week, and I ordered the same thing, pho with no broth(it is all meat broth) instead of water, that a drench in soy sauce, lime juice, peppers, basil, and these little extra sauce things.After dinner, we walked to a convenience store, where we got snacks and food in an attempt to save money avoiding hotel mini bar snacks, yet I don't think we saved much, everything in Sydney is crazy expensive!!!Back at our hotel, we had to get another key because Ansley and Aleisha forgot to grab a key from their room, and locked themselves out.Then I ate my dessert, It was this hollow chocolate egg that had a toy in the middle, I know really epic right?I got it from the convenience store.Then I sat in bed and typed out this blog. So hi to all the fellow people who are reading this right now, and I love you, mommy, whenever you read this!So yeah, that was my epic day.Gotta say I'm living the dream:)
June 24:Around the World in 42 Days-Cairns, Australia
So today was a complete chill and relax kinda day.We woke up early, and by about 8:00, we were at our hotel's buffet.I got chocolate chip pancakes!They were so good!Next we returned to our hotel room, and basically we had to plans for the whole day, and when Aleisha and Ansley wanted to relax the whole day, I was determined to find something to do.If you don't know already, I hate to relax, I always want to be active, seeking adventure, having fun, I legit hate relaxing.So I decided to head down to the hotel zoo.Yes, this hotel has an actual zoo!In addition, in the zoo, there’s zip lining, 2 rope courses, bungee jumping, dome climbs and at the zoo you can hold a koala!You have to pay for all the separate activities, I did the koala one the first day, yet haven't done any of the other ones.I went to enter the zoo because my dad had got us a family pass, so we could all enter the zoo anytime we pleased, yet apparently all children must be accompanied by an adult.My dad was working, so he said he would be available to come down within the next hour, so I went to Aleisha hoping I could drag her down to the zoo.Ansley, after finding out there was a rope course, was completely on board, Aleisha agreed to take us after she uploaded all her photos to Facebook and edited them.It took forever!So I resorted my time to tieing a bunch of my clothes together, to make a zip line for my stuffed animal koala.I tied it up and after the zip line idea failed, Ansley and I turned it into a koala slingshot, where I would pull back on the clothes slingshot, and aim my koala towards a pile of pillows.It was definitely entertaining.Then Ansley and I created a koala swing, where we attached my koala to the clothes ropes, and spinned him and swinged him super high.Then, after our playing with my stuffed animal koala,I created the idea of sumo wrestling,where we shoved pillows in our shirts, and would run fast at one another.Ansley knocked me down and experienced victory, all 3 battles we had.Yeah, I know, pretty sad.Anyway, finally we all went down to the zoo and first we walked around looked at the animals.On a side note, like on seagull island, a bird swooped at Aleisha’s head, and was an inch off from hitting her when she ducked.Poor Aleisha, birds just truly hate her.So at the indoor zoo, building, dome thing, we saw animals like wallabies, koalas,crocodile,alligator, turtles, quolls,frogs, snakes,and a bunch of different types of birds, including a kookaburra.Most you probably don't know this, but there was this nursery rhyme involving a kookaburra, anyway, I hated it and threw a fit every time I heard that song, so it was funny to see the animal that ate all the gumdrops from the gumdrop tree.Anyway,we were given two activities each, from my dad, that we could partake in, after we ran back upstairs to get a credit card to pay, of course.Lucky for Ansley and I, Aleisha did not want to participate in any activities, so Ansley and I got an extra activity. We decided to do the low and high rope course, as well as harnessed freefall.The low rope course had one zip line involved, as well as a lot of jumping from thing to thing, balancing, and walking across weirdly shaped moving platforms.Then the free fall thing, we had a harness around our waist, and we fell from high up, onto a trampoline.It was cool.Then the high rope course was 10 times better than the low rope course!It had 3 ziplines involved and more hardcore obstacles.I really liked it! Though both rope courses had a bunch of birds hanging out on the obstacles, so Aleisha would of hated it!Next, we went to a lunch place in our hotel where I got potato wedges with sour cream, cheese and chives.It was yummy.Next we went back up to our room,where I was forced to relax for like 20 minutes that turned into an hour.Cough, cough Aleisha.I was annoying Aleisha so much, asking her questions and talking during her down time, that she decided to pin me down and put her smelly shoe in my face.Gross!So, instead of bothering Aleisha, I just typed my blog, edited my website, and played on my phone.Then, finally, my dad saved me, he said he would go down to the pool with me, which made Ansley and Aleisha also agree to come down to the pool.First, we tried to heat up the hot tub, later discovering it was broken, then we went into the sauna until Ansley and I were dying of heat, so we went back outside, all while Aleisha was inside working out.My dad threw me in the pool, which started a revolution, ending with Ansley, too, in the pool after she tried to escape, and was snatched by Aleisha and thrown in the pool.Aleisha carried her from the gym, outside, then jumped in the pool with her.In the pool we played colors, then did competition, and tried to jump off Aleisha's shoulders and stuff like that.Then we returned back to the sauna, where my dad was.We remained there for a while, Ansley and I each taking turns pouring the water onto the hot coals.After we went back to our hotel rooms and got ready for dinner, like always I showered and was dressed within no time, yet had to wait an hour before everyone else was ready.So in the meantime, I worked on my website.So we went down to the boardwalk to find a restaurant, and while we were walking there countless bats were flying overhead, it was insane! So we went to an Italian restaurant, where we got bruschetta as an appetizer, and I ordered vegetarian spaghetti with mushrooms, spinach, onions, squash, that kinda stuff.Back at the hotel we got ready for bed, broke into song a few times, as well as randomly started singing and dancing.In addition, we played this game called Koala hide and seek, where Ansley hid my koala, and I came back in and looked for it.It was fun, but actually quite hard, what Ansley is great at hiding things.Then we just fell asleep, I Worked on my blog, finishing it then going to bed, but you get the point. Gotta say I'm living the dream:)
June 23:Around the World in 42 Days- Cairns, Australia
So today was the one day where we could all sleep in, cause we had nothing planned, but instinctively, we all woke up early.We woke up around 7, then got ready, then by 8:30 or so we were walking to breakfast.We we're trying to find Lillies cafe.It had been recommended to us by someone on the boat yesterday, so eventually,after walking through random alleys and accidentally passing it a million times, we found it.Either it needs s better sign or we’re bad at following Google maps, but we struggled to find it at first.I liked Lillies, I got a berry crepe, and it was delicious! Though the portions at Lillies are huge!It is impossible to finish!At one point, you’re too full, and you just slide the plate away from you and give up.So then, we just relaxed, I edited my website, added some extra stuff, Aleisha worked on her computer, also engaging in booking a rainforest safari for the afternoon.She booked a safari for 1:30, so at 12:00 we got prepared for our safari, and then went to eat lunch at a crepe place, thanks Ansley.I got a savory crepe, just to change it up, keep things interesting.Then we finalized our preparations, and at 1:30, it was a game of luck to identify where the car was that was picking us up.The hotel had like 3 different entrances, and the hotel across the street had the same name as our hotel, with numerous entrances of its own, no I have no clue why 2 of the same hotels are next to each other.Anyway, we eventually found the right car, and introduced ourselves to our tour guide, and said hi to the 2 other people in our group and then we were off.It was an eventful safari!First, we drove out to an open field, where we saw about 10 wallabies, and we practiced using our binoculars.The Wallabies were so cute!In addition to the Wallabies, there were these green ants that will bite you if you disturb them, but apparently, their green skin tastes sour and fruity.So then our tour guide recommended we licked one, so yes I got tricked into holding the head of the ant between my fingers, so it couldn't bite me, then licking its butt, to taste the supposal formic acid.I had to for this twice because my dad did not video the first time.So yeah Aleisha, Ansley, my dad, and I all licked a ants butt just as truly as we had a animal poop spitting competition in Africa, yeah we’re weird.It wasn't actually that bad, it was like I tasted a sour candy or something,green apple maybe. Then I put the ant back on the fence, and stood in shock that I just licked an ant’s butt.So then we went to the actual rainforest, where we first had tea and snacks, then headed down a path through the rainforest where we got to see these thousand year old huge trees, deadly and harmful plants, as well as we found this vine we used as a swing.Aleisha,Ansley and I all got to try the swing vine, our tour guide would pull us back as we sat on the vine, and it was a legit swing.Anyway, so we made our way through the rainforest( oldest rainforest in the world) and just got to experience first hand all the wildlife.Then the scenic walk ended at a volcano crater that had filled with water creating a lake. While we were driving, we stopped to look at numerous fruit bats hanging in a tree, they were adorable, they looked like flying monkeys.Some them were awake and moving and showing off.It was awesome! So anyway, next we stopped by this privately owned pond thing, where we saw a platypus.They are we smaller than what I imagined, their about the size of my hand.We saw a few quick glimpses of him/her before he/she disappeared into its burrow.Then we went past a tea factory, and a bunch of tea shrubs.Where we stopped to look for a tree kangaroo, yes this is a real thing, I'm not making it up, there are only a 1000 left in Australia.We saw one right away though, it was in a tree right near the tea factory gates.It was adorable, it had this cute adorable face, and was smaller than a common kangaroo and a lot more chubby, which made them even cuter.Plus they had these long tails that helped them balance hanging. down.They were just crazy adorable.Next we went back to the pond and looked for another platypus, we watched one for about 20 minutes as he made his way around the pond/stream thing.They come up to breath, then go back down for 45 seconds, then come back up.They are so small!Plus they look so adorable, their bill and webbed feet make so unique!Next we went to another old volcano crater that became a lake, where we looked at the turtles and fish in the lake.We saw 15 turtles, and these fish that spit out water at insects on trees; in order to make them fall in the water.Then we went into a small town to eat at an Italian restaurant, I got spaghetti
marinara.Later, it was dark out and we went out on abandoned roads, and our tour guide used his headlamp to try and find eyes of nearby animals,we found a bunch of coppery brushtail and common brushtail possums, kookaburra’s, giant white rats, spiders, lizards and a few other insects and small rodents.We went to another place as well, where first we walked through a trail and we saw this large strangling fig tree, it was a huge tree whose roots are out of the ground.It picks a tree to begin its life on, growing down rather than up, and eventually strangles and kills that tree that supported it, that's how it got its name.So then our tour guide turned off his flashlight and we were in pitch black, in the middle of the rainforest, it was epic.Then he used his red, green, and purple light only, to light up the place, and it was so cool.Then we walked along another abandoned road, where we basically saw the same stuff as the other road we walked along.We even used green light to get really close to a possum because they are color blind and couldn’t see the light we were shining on it, therefore couldn’t really see us.Then we headed back to our hotel, making one quick stop to look at all the wallabies that came out at night, there were countless!Then we waved bye to our tour guide and went up to our hotel rooms, where we fell right asleep.Barely keeping our eyes open long enough to brush our teeth.Gotta say I’m living the Dream:)
June 22:Around the World in 42 Days- Cairns, Australia
So today started out really early when my dreams were disturbed by a bright shining light at 6:05 AM, Aleisha was barking “time to get up”.I jolted out of bed, and threw on a bathing suit and cover, and got everything I needed together.Today we were going to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.After Aleisha and I were both ready, we went to meet my dad and Ansley down at breakfast.We struggled to find the breakfast place at first, yet eventually asked for help and located the buffet.I got chocolate chip a waffle and a pancake, both smothered in whip cream and ice cream.Next, we walked down to the harbor, where we waited for our boat to be ready.After we boarded, we had a safety orientation where are the lifeboats?Life vests? That kind of thing.Then we had an 1 hour and a half boat ride out to our first stop, green island.The boat ride was long and bumpy.About 20 minutes before we arrived, we were given our masks, wetsuits, and flippers.Finally, after we got there and had our equipment on, we first had an explanation something or other, then we had to take a glass bottom boat over to the island.We first did a 30 minute underwater snorkeling tour, where we had an instructor show us all their favorite spots.We saw all the best reefs and a bunch of cool fish.Later, afterward, we went out on our own to explore.Aleisha and I split away from my dad and Ansley, going all over. Aleisha and I were the last ones out, who a boat had to come over and tell us to come back.We swam through schools of fish and saw unique sea life you can't find anywhere else.Plus we saw all types of coral, and we got to the point where we learned to hold our breath and go really deep down.Then it got super cold, but coincidentally, just as we were returning to the beach, to heat up a bit, a little-motorized raft told us we had to swim all the way back to our boat because it was lunch time.This was the same spot we were before we swam out to the beach.So anyway, we made our way back and ate lunch out on the front the boat.Then after, we traveled by boat another 15 minutes to another location.Then we jumped out the back of the boat and went snorkeling once again.This time was a thousand times cooler though.It was a private location, where our boat was the only one there.It was epic.We saw giant clams and eels and every type of fish imaginable.My favorite was the rainbow fish.It was so cool, unlike the other location, there were reefs everywhere! You didn't have to swim around to find reefs they were all over.Plus there were these deep areas surrounded by reefs, where you swam through a reef to get into, yet once you were there, there was every type of fish you could imagine.Plus, so many different species of coral and it was insane.This time, it was my dad and I paired together.We swam all over, even when it started to rain and got cloudy, we continued to snorkel.Once again we were the last ones out there.I saw this eel that was insane, it was like 3 feet long and super skinny!Then I saw plenty of Nemo’s and Dory’s. My dad and I searched all over for either a reef shark or a turtle #unsuccessful, yet we saw a bunch of other cool stuff.I can't put it into words how incredible that experience was, there was color everywhere, it was beautiful! We explored both the east and west side of the reefs.I would hold my breath and go swim with a school of fish, or go over the reefs and explore the wildlife.I found it fascinating how well some the fish could camouflage.Finally, after it was dark out, we went back to the boat.Though when I thought Ansley and Aleisha were still out there snorkeling, I almost jumped back in, yet right before, someone told me they were on the glass boat tour.So in the meantime, I ate the pieces of cake they provided.After the glass boat tour people returned, we headed off on our 1 hour and a half boat ride back to the harbor.I got so seasick, it was crazy bumpy because we were heading into the waves.The boat was jerking and it kept going over these huge waves, which made us jump in our seats every time.I was dying!I put on this sea sickness wristband thing and my dad opened one the covering screens for me, which resulted in us getting splashed a ton, but better than me feeling like I had to throw up.Finally, when we got back to the harbor, we took a group photo then exited the vessel.We then when back to our hotel, showered, got ready, then within no time, we were out at dinner. No clue what the restaurant was, but I got a delicious veggie burger, so yeah!The restaurant was out near the harbor, that's all I know.Later that night, we got ready for bed, watched a movie(Sully), then we said goodnight!Gotta say I’m living the dream:)
June 21:Around the World in 42 Days- Cairns, Australia
So today I was woken to the voice of Aleisha vibrating through the room,”time to get up!” I rocketed up to a sitting position and forced myself out of bed.Today we had a flight to catch to another Australian city.We made sure everything was packed, then did final walk throughs, and made sure we weren't leaving anything.Then we walked to a local Starbucks, seriously they’re everywhere, where I got a chocolate muffin and savory, egg, spinach, tomato tart.We ate our food there, then rushed back to grab our bags and call an UBER.After the UBER dropped us off at the airport, we went through the most simple security ever.Apparently, Australia is too loved for terrorist attacks.We literally just had to self-print our tickets, put our bag tags on, self-put our bags onto a bag drop, and walk through security.Ansley brought a bagel through security and I took a full bottle of water through, which in the USA would have been confiscated and donated to the trash, while here they ignored our violations.Then we found the gate and met my dad at a table near a cafe.I got a smoothie and we were researching what to do in New Zealand.Then we boarded the plane, which I wrote some of this blog, talked to my dad and Ansley and slept on the floor, oh and I listened to these extremely loud children, who were practically screaming the whole flight, behind us.When we got off the plane, we exited through the back of the plane, so we had to walk outside to the main airport, where along the way my dad called “the floor is lava” In the main airport, we got our luggage and took two taxis to our hotel.My dad in one and Ansley, Aleisha, and I in another because we had too much luggage to fit in one taxi.Eventually, after we got checked into our hotel and got on new clothes, we headed down to a place in our hotel where we could hold Koalas!!!:)We Made it just in time if we made it one minute later the Koala would be on its hour resting break!!! So the Koala can only be held for 30 minutes a day, so we each only got to hold it for less than 30 seconds.The Koala was so soft, it snuggled up against me and was crazy cute and sweet.I got one photo, then hugged onto it until the handler took the koala from me.Then, after we held Koalas, we walked to dinner down by the water.We ate at an awesome Italian restaurant, where I ordered a penne pasta something or other.Then I also got bruschetta. Then we went back to our hotel.At our hotel, first, Aleisha kept throwing these cookies to me from across the room in hopes I would catch one, yet they kept hitting me and I failed to catch any of them.We also did funny impressions of people and my dad got Tim-tams, which we all ate, they were good.Then we got ready for bed, watched a movie(passengers)and went to bed.Gotta say I’m living the dream:)
June 20:Around the World in 42 Day-Sydney Australia
So today was entertaining!So first, I woke up to find Ansley still asleep, Mikey reading, and Aleisha off on a run.At about 10 Aleisha had returned from her run, Ansley was up, and everyone was ready to begin the day.We searched the streets for somewhere to eat, Ansley Insisting on crepes again, which resulted in an outburst of no’s.We finally, after a restaurant on Yelp not being what we expected, Mikey admitted she saw a pancake place, near our bridge climb registration place, she saw on yelp.So we went there. Walking for a bit of distance, playing “ floor is lava” along the way. At the pancake place, I got chocolate chip pancakes and they were so good! The place was called “pancakes on the rocks” it was so cute and comfy.I loved it! Next, we went to the bridge climbing place and checked in. While we waited, Mikey and I went into the museum like area, in the building, that gave facts and information on the Sydney Bridge. Mikey and I went into the theater like the room, where we watched a documentary on building the bridge. Later, wouldn't we were called to begin our adventure, we ran up the stair and met with our bridge climb guide.We first were given a quick speech, then had to talk into a breathalyzer, even Ansley and I had to get our breath checked for a trace of alcohol, weird.Then we got our climbing jumpsuits and harnesses.Then we got accessories like handkerchiefs, hats, jackets...All these things were attached to our suits by attachment clips, everything needed to be attached to us because an object hitting a car that drives 150 meters beneath us, did not seem safe.Then we got our radios and headsets, tested them, then we were ready to go.Next, we headed out. When our guide asked who wanted to be in front, I hollered “me” almost by instinct, quite loud, and everyone burst into laughter. So I was the line leader.We were attached to a wire that ran the full distance of the bridge, walking along skinny platforms or climbing up stairs. We started about 50 meters above sea level, and at the Sydney bridges highest point we were 134 meters or 440 feet above sea level. Our guide was so lighthearted and amusing, it was an awesome experience. At one point, when our guide unattached himself, and trusted me as the line leader to keep his attachment rope thing, it's hard to explain, and I acted as if I dropped it by covering it with my arm, yet he did not believe me for a second. Along the climb, we got to stop and our guide would take our photos in different places along the bridge.Then our guide, as we climbed, would tell us stories and facts relating to the bridge or in relation to Sydney as a whole, and we listened through our headsets.The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the largest steel bridge in the whole world!It was so cool watching the traffic below us buzzing with excitement, and here and there people would wave up to us.We we're crazy high up, it was insane!At the very top, we got tons of photos, and got this video, where we sang and danced a backstreet boys song.I don't know who the Backstreet boys are, but I went along.Then we got to walk across twice, the width of the bridge, legit over the traffic on these maintenance walkways that went across to the other side of the bridge.It was a passageway of iron mesh, so you could clearly see you were walking 400 feet above the busy streets. Then as we were walking down ladders, as we were going down the bridge; on one the platforms, two trains passed on either side of me, me being 10 meters above. It was so epic! The whole process was like 2 hours. That was such a cool experience, I loved it. Afterwards we returned our equipment, took off our suits, then went and picked 10 of our favorite photos from the climb to take home on a disk with us.Next we just looked in the gift shop for a tad, then left. We yelped for a pho place because Ansley craved pho, then we walked 15 minutes to the nearest pho place.It was a place along Darling Harber.It was delicious. There was no vegetarian broth, so instead I got water, pho noodles, vegetables, and the flavors of lime, soy sauce, and these other two sauces.It was incredible.Though it filled me up.It was like a late lunch, early dinner.We then walked back to our hotel, playing the “floor is lava” like we always do, everywhere else.When we got home I relaxed 15 minutes, then Aleisha did my makeup for tonight, Mikey and I are going to the Opera at the Sydney Opera House.Ansley didn't want to go, so her and Aleisha are doing something different.Aleisha did full on makeup, a lot of it too.I liked it, though I seriously looked way older.Then I put on the formal dress I got in India, yet the zipper broke, so this was a dilemma! Aleisha had to sew my dress shut, because we obviously couldn't zip it. Which this problem lost us a bunch of time, so Aleisha had to put my hair in a bun rather than the original plan of straightening it.Anyway, we walked to the Opera, I had to hold up my dress, so it didn't get ruined by dragging on the floor. Anyway, when we arrived we claimed our tickets, then when straight back outside to take photos while all dolled up. We went to see”Two Wedding and One Bride It was fantastic! It was like a musical, kinda.It was about two twins, whose father needed to marry the two girls off, to erase his debt he owed due to gambling.The two girls are identical, one wore only pink, while one wore only blue, so there parents could tell them apart. Yet when one the girls gets kidnapped by pirates on the day of the wedding and cancelling is no option, the sister must get married twice and pretend to be her sister, as well as herself.The staring girl played both twins and she was incredible, great singer, actor, and she could switch costumes in less than 2 seconds! At the end the cast all came out, and one member held out his jacket covering her, and instantly she came up wearing a different outfit. I don't understand!After the show, we took a few more photos, getting a farther away angle, then we went in search of a dinner place. Meanwhile, we stopped in a souvenir shop for Mikey to look for her boyfriend to get him a gift, although she walked out empty handed, I walked out using 45 of my 50 Australian dollars I found on the floor in the Dubai mall, on a soft, stuffed animal koala. After we looked everywhere for a place for dinner, yet the only one that was still open at 9 was the crepe place we've already been a thousand times to. Definitely not going there again, we gave up and got ice cream for dinner at a ice cream shop. I got caramel ice cream on a cone.Then we headed back to our hotel, where I packed because I leave to another city in Australia tomorrow.Then after I packed, I got ready for bed( most importantly removed the ton of makeup on my face, and cut the stitched closed dress open to rescue me)wrote this, then went to sleep.Gotta say I'm living the dream:)
June 19: Around the World in 42 Days- Sydney Australia
So today was a dream!First thing we did after we woke up and got ready, of course, was head out into the streets of Sydney, where we searched for a breakfast place to eat.That task was actually way harder than you would expect because getting all 3 of us to agree was like teaching a dog to do a. backflip. We finally ended up at the same place we went yesterday, the crepe place because Ansley craved crepes and yeah. So I got something new, a ice cream, almond, caramel, chocolate crepe, rather than my usual banana Nutella crepe, that I got yesterday.Then, after, we ran to catch a ferry to the zoo. We got our ferry cards and had to wait it bit before the ferry, so meanwhile we did quizzes about us. It was cool. Then we sat at the outside on the ferry, and looked out at the vast ocean. Once we got off the ferry, we had to ride a gondola up to Tauranga zoo. I love gondola’s, we got to see the whole city as we rose. At the top, we walked through the gift shop, and then entered the actual zoo. We saw all kinds of Animals at the zoo! First we saw reptiles and amphibians. Then we walked through African animals like elephants, giraffes, zebras, basically a lot of what we saw on our safari in Africa, yet they didn't have any lions, cheetahs and leopards.They only had the basics. Then we walked through the rainforest animal, and then we saw chimpanzees. The chimps were awesome, there were like 8 of them, and the highlight was when the zookeepers were feeding them, they threw down like 2-3 coconuts, the chimps favorite snack, this one coconut rolled down the hill into the water.Therefore, after like 20 minutes of struggling and hard work, this female chimp brings over a branch, throws it in the water and drags the coconut to her. She then ran to the highest point of the chimps playground, and the other chimps chased her and tried to steal it from her, yet she wouldn't let them.It was cute.The whole time we were playing “the floor is lava”, my trick was to pick places where there was like nothing around, then I would call “ the floor is lava” and everyone would scream and try to get off the ground. Then it was time to go to our wild rope course reservation.We first got on our equipment and went to a short orientation. Then we went out on the course. We were able to do one low and one high rope course. We first did the low rope course where Ansley led, it was hardcore! We were like jumping from like board to board, 3 feet apart, or like crawling sideways through a moving cage thing, or walked on a single rope.We recommended the rope course to like 3 people that asked us if it was fun, it was such a cool experience! It was kinda difficult!Though at the end, there was this flying fox thing that was basically zip lining back to the rope course building, then we did the high rope course. It was even more hard! There were some that the boards would move as you jumped onto them, almost throwing you off, then there were some you had to like shuffle walk on these stilt-like things, balancing on one foot to the next.It was so cool! Hard Core!!!I loved it, I almost fell a thousand times and it was definitely a work out, but it was a ton of fun. I thought I was training for the military or something!After the epic rope course, we went to lunch. We spent some time looking for somewhere that served decent food, eventually we just went to the cafeteria near the sea animals area.The second we walked in there was a peacock, I'm not joking a peacock was searching for food on the floor. So anyway, I got macaroni and cheese, a coke slushie, and salt and vinegar chips.It was difficult for me to not feed the birds!I wanted to so bad. Afterwards we visited the nocturnal animals, finished looking at the sea life, then we looked at Australian wildlife, like kangaroos, koalas, Emo’s, etc. The whole time continuing to call “ the floor is lava.” At 4:00 we caught a gondola going back down, leaving the zoo behind. We caught a ferry back, then just relaxed waiting for Aleisha to get back from the airport(she went to visit a college friend, who lives in a different city, she had to fly to)I forgot to mention, while we were returning Mikey let me stop in a dessert place to get two macaroons I got one milkshake macaroon and one buttered popcorn macaron, they were both so good! In the meantime, Ansley watched YouTube, I worked on my blog, and no clue what Mikey did. Then second Aleisha arrived, I opened the door and called the “floor is lava”on her.She balanced on her suitcase, holding onto both walls. Then Ansley and I showed Aleisha what a Tim Tam slam was, and she tried it.They’re so fun to do! Then we all walked along the streets, looking for a restaurant to eat dinner. We finally decided on an Italian restaurant, it was good! Mikey and I both shared vegetarian pizza, it was delicious. While we waited for our food we played hangman, and Ansley and I told stories to Mikey and Aleisha about our childhood. Well we still are children, yet I mean when we lived back in Washington.After that, in the lobby, Miley and Aleisha stopped to look at some coupons, while Ansley and went up as fast as we could to the elevator, waited in the halls and called “the floor is lava” right as they entered the hall. Next, after we returned back to our room and I was sacrificed to try and get us another free wifi access code because Ansley used up all the wifi we were given. You're supposed to have to pay for wifi, yet Mikey talked a guy into giving it to us for free, but it only gave us wifi connections for 3 devices, so there was a constant battle over who got those 3 spots. I went down, acted confused and sad why my family's wifi wasn't working, where we aren't even supposed to have wifi in the first place. The lady felt bad for me, helped me get wifi on my phone then gave me not only one, but 2 access codes in case one didn't work. This means we get 6 devices and twice as much data. Next, we all watched Divergent, that was the second time I saw it, yet it was still amazing. Then we got ready and went to bed.Gotta say I'm living the dream:)
June 18:Around the World in 42 Days- Sydney, Australia
Good day mate, so today was awesome! First, due to jet lag, we woke around 10:30 in Sydney Australia.We got ready at the speed of light and went to 4 frogs( something like that) creperie. I got two small crepes, one basic(lemon, sugar, butter) and one Nutella and banana crepe.They were very delicious! Then, we went on a walk over to the Sydney Opera House, where we took photos and stared at the iconic building. Next, as we noticed the rain had come to an instant stop, and it was pretty nice outside( ps it was raining all morning) we decided to catch a ferry to Luna Park. This was Mikey's first ferry everyone!We got tickets, waited for the ferry to arrive, and boarded, then enjoyed a nice, beautiful ride out to wherever Luna Park is.Then, after, getting off we had a bit of a walk to get to Luna Park. I swear, the whole time we were walking uphill and it was a pretty long walk! Also, it wasn't just uphill, it was like legit, steep uphill.Anyway, once we got there, we took photos in front of the huge clown entrance, where you walk through the clown's mouth to enter the park. We got tickets, getting unlimited rides for Ansley and me, then the first ride we went to was kinda like the Superman at Six Fags, if you are a fellow Texas Resident. If you don't know what the Superman at Six Flags is, then it's the ride that brings you up really high, then drops you.I tried to scream, but we were falling so fast that no sound left my lips. That was amazing, then we went on a roller coaster ride that was cool, the scariest part wasn't the typical things scary about roller coasters like drops, loops etc, it was instead the feeling the cart was going to tip over. At the speed, the cart was going and the sharp corners it made, not to mention how old it appeared, I legit thought we were going to fly off the track numerous tones. Then we did this fun spinning and elevation change ride. Then we went to “ Clooney island” where we ran across moving floors, went down huge slide ramp things in potato sacks, as well as sat in the middle of a moving platform, where the ground is slippery and it's spinning fast, so I lost and this random little girl who went with Ansley and I won.Later, we enjoyed more rides like this spaceship moving, spinning, incline one. Then we did my favorite, the best, scariest ride ever! So you're attached to these hanging seats, Ansley and I were together, then it raises you up really high, then on its side and starts rotating and the seats start spinning in all directions, as the arm structure is spinning you! So we were like an upside down, while the arm was spinning fast downward! It was insane! We did that twice.Then this roller coaster- Ferris wheel mix where it went up and down, around this loop, really fast while you sat in these seats. Ansley was flying into me the whole time, I was being crushed! Then we did the Ferris wheel, in which we got a sky-high view of Sydney, then we had to leave. My dad's friend picked of up from Luna, we were looking for them and didn't know they were behind us, so it scared us a little. They gave us a great tour, taking us past Manly Island, where we got to take a walk( or as we call it a picnic) around this trail, where we ended up seeing some whales in the far out ocean and got a great view of the crashing waves and steep rocky cliffs. We viewed the city a bit more, then returned to their lovely home, met the rest of my dad's friends sweet family, and ate delicious food. I ate gnocchi because I am a vegetarian, it was great, I also enjoyed pumpkin soup and a dessert I can't for the life of me remember the name of. We were also quite entertained by the tricks, Lucky the dog, did for food. She did everything roll over, sit, lay, shake, jump, speak, she would even dance. We also enjoyed Lucky’s reaction to this husky online saying “I love you” she went crazy, howling, running, jumping, she was an incredible dog!I also learned that the whole “ dingo ate my baby” line my dad taught us when he tries to use an Australian accent, was a real incident, I always thought he made it up! Apparently, along with the thousands of things wrong with that, a family brought a young baby camping, like 1 week old, somehow left the baby unattended, on the floor where a dingo came in and ate the baby.A to is wrong with that true story! Anyway, after dinner we went home and tried the Tim Tam slams, don't ask it's an Australian thing, JK it's technically taking these candies, biting the ends off, then using them as a straw to drink a hot beverage, then letting the melting candy burst in your mouth.So good. Then we got ready and went to bed. Plus, of course, I wrote this whole entry!Gotta say I'm living the dream:)
June 16- 17: Around the World in 42 Days- Sydney, Austalia
So today was fun.I woke up to the peaceful sound of the song “21” booming as loud as physically possible, thanks a lot, Ansley. Aleisha was really sick! She threw 8 times last night! She woke up at 4 AM and has been throwing up ever since. Therefore, we got room service, I got chocolate pancakes, and sat in bed watching movies. We watched 2 movies before eventually getting ready for the market. Today we get to go to the market at Commercial Street. Yesterday as Ansley's day and I was forced to remain at the hotel all day, and now finally we can go out and explore the streets of Bengaluru! We got room service for lunch, I got spaghetti, then we had a hotel driver take us to commercial street.The first store we went into was a fancy dress store, I begged Aleisha and Ansley to let me go in there. It was serious, legit like the tv series “Say Yes to the Dress”, so I tried on probably 15 dresses all out of my budget, all pretty yet my favorite was this baby blue, flowy dress lined with jewels making its top and a pinch of gold.I ended up buying it. Then we went to this traditional Indian clothing store, and we all got these comfy, sweatpant, like pants, mine colorful, obviously.Then it started to rain so we ran across the street in the rain to a cool looking shop.I loved how colorful that shop was, plus it had this cool elevator that was so fun to ride.Then we went down bargain alley( or that's what I call it) where Aleisha got 4 different clothing items, there was this one blue dress I wanted really bad, it was so cute, yes another blue dress, yet the people were stubborn and wouldn't agree to our asking price.So no I sadly didn't get that dress. Then we went and picked up my dress from the first place, they especially tailored it to fit me perfectly; then we requested our driver pick us up after looking in a few more stores.Aleisha, as we were going to our car, stopped in a sunglasses store, and after Ansley went out to bring her back, they both returned with sunglasses. So back at the hotel, we rented another movie, surprise, surprise! In the middle of our movie, Ansley ordered a chocolate lava cake to be brought to us. After the movie, we packed because we are leaving for Australia today.Then we had to pack for my dad after discovering our flight was an hour earlier than expected, it took about a two hours and a half for my dad to return from work, and my dads UBER threw him out in the middle of nowhere because he didn't want to drive that far in traffic and rain.So the second my dad arrived, he went from car A to car B. The drive to the airport was 2 hours thanks to traffic, fun. At the airport we went through the restaurant familiar motions check luggage, go to security, then we ate dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant, none of us have eaten real food since lunch and it was 11:00 PM, so yeah we were starving. I got fettuccine alfredo. Our flight was at 12:05 AM, so we had some time, so we ended up going to a shop to get snacks for the plane.We struggled a bit, not understanding the difference between India’s new money vs its old money, as well as, the cashier understood little English, so yeah that created a problem. My dad gave us a handful of Indian currency, we didn't know how much, so we didn't have enough to buy everything we grabbed between the 3 of us.Consequently, we were holding up the line, and trying to tell the cashier, who knew little English, to remove a few items.Eventually, after we went to the end of the line, we made it work.Only having to give up 4 items.Then we went to our gate and boarded the plane, meeting my dad at the gate.On the plane, I wrote this entry and I slept on the floor.The full length of the plane ride was 4 hours.Then in between flights, we went to a breakfast place where I got a vegetarian omelet, and for the first time in 5 days, I could order water and ice without worrying what bacteria infested my water.Anyway, next I ran off to the butterfly garden, where Ansley joined me for about 5 seconds before running off somewhere different.The garden was gorgeous and the butterflies were so carefree and lovely. later found Aleisha and Ansley in their luxurious state of mind, putting their feet in these foot massager things.I tried it and it was awesome.During our foot massage, Aleisha, Ansley and I all tried different international candies, then we rated them and compared and contrasted them to different US candies. Later we took an express train to our gate, where we had to walk through more security and they checked our bags again.Singapore's security is so tedious!When we finally got on our second plane of the day, I slept on the floor most of the time.Then the rest the flight I played a “learn Spanish” game, it was actually really fun. I learned a lot. This plane ride was 7 hours to Australia! Yay!So yeah, then we got our bags, and my dad's friend picked us up and brought us our hotel. He was super nice! He even got us groceries and invited us to a BBQ tomorrow night. Anyway, the apartment/hotel was really nice, and I forgot to mention that Aleisha went to catch another plane to another Australian city, an hour and a half by plane away. My dad has a lot of business stuff going on, and Aleisha was going to visit her college friend, so my dad's cousin Mikey came to Sydney to help out. After getting ready, we walked around the city and looked at all the lights, the Vivid festival was taking place and it was beautiful.We walked down to the food trucks, where I got nachos. We watched the Sydney Opera House glowing up, changing designs, as well as like every building. The festival was awesome! Then we just went home and got ready for bed. Peace out peeps! Gotta say I'm living the dream:)