A day at the beach.

Hello,

Well today I spent the day with Mike and Sarah in Coogee and Bondi beach area. Mike is a colleague of my father's. He and Sarah are working down under for the year. Rough life, let me tell you!

We went for a great long walk from Coogee breach along the coast past Bronte beach, and as far as Bundi beach. Along the way we stopped off to snorkel in the clear beautiful waters. We also paused to watch a surfing competition. As I said, rough life they have here.

The beaches were packed as today was a public holiday day as part of Australia Day long weekend. It also marks the end of summer holidays for most people.

Mike and Sarah have been too good to me. When I arrived at their place they had a beautiful bed made up for me, fresh towels and everything! They made us all a picnic lunch and then took me out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant along the Coogee beach.

I am sorry that I have to leave tomorrow. I told them that I would more than happy to just move in with them. hehe

Tomorrow I am off to the Blue Mountains and then I will board an overnight bus to Byron Bay.

Cheers,

L.

Pics from my biking tour of Sydney

Australia Day!! (part I)

Australia Day! (part II)

Mount Lowe, LA

Goodbye Sydney

Hello all!
I just want to shout out a Happy Birthday to Isabell!! I am so gald we got to celebrate you before I left!
So here I am still in Sydney for the moment. I spent most of yesterday biking around the city which was amzing but I am feeling it today. Loads of walking too.
I have tones of pictures that I want to upload for you all. I hope I will be able to do that tonight.
I am off to the beach today. I am meet up with some family friends.
I am so excited to spend the day on the beach!!!
Sydney has been great.
Beautiful city!! It is a total cross between Halifax and Toronto. If Australia wasn't so far from everything I could easily see moving here. I feel very much at home here.
Well my minutes are almost done.
I must say goodbye.
cheers,
L.

Happy Australia Day!!

G'day!
It is a stunning morning here in Sydney. It should be a hot day, and very sunny.
Today is Australia day!!
I am meeting loads of people here at the hostel. Everyone is really nice and there seems to be tones of solo travelers.
I was really tired all day yesterday. I slept most of the afternoon. I woke up in time for the BBQ here at the hostel which was great. I met a couple great girls that night.
Today I am planning on heading down to the Rocks with some people. There is a big free concert going on down there. It is the historic part of the city on Sydney Harbour, and the Opera house is right there.
Tomorrow I think I will head to the Blue Mountains.
Then on Monday I will head out to Bondi area to stay with some friends.
I will take loads of pictures today, I promise. Getting them onto the web will be another matter.
cheers,
L.

Aussieland!

Hi all,
I am in the airport in Sydney. I have landed.
THe flight was very long and we were delayed, total of about 16hrs on the plane. I had an exit seat so it wasn't soo  bad.
Mom and Dad, I will try to call after I have checked into the hostel.
The shuttel is on its way to pick me up.

I AM SOOO EXCITED TO BE HERE!!!

Let the adventures begin!!

Tem I love you!!!
Charlie, I am sending you a ciber hug. Thank you for being so kind to me.

Cheers,
L.

Goodbye from LA

Well in a few hours I will be in the skies heading out over the Pacific to Australia.

Tem and I have had an eventful time the past few days.

Yesterday we went to a korean spa which is a favorite of Tem's. It was sooo like a Japanese onsen, it was amazing!!! Tem and I each got the Bliss treatment which meant a totally body scrub down (at times I felt like I was going to bleed the woman was working so hard), massage, facial, and hair wash/scrub. Now when I say total, mean total! The woman, Yang, now knows my body better than I do. There was not one inch of me she did not work over thoroughly. No privacy issues allowed! It was amazing but it felt more like hygiene then luxury self indulgence. It was painful, but boy did I feel newer than the day I was born when Yang finished with me. I highly suggest a trip to Olympic Spa for anyone coming to LA. I think it needs to be a yearly experience.

Today Tem, Chuee, and I went for a rigorous hike up Mount Lowe in Pasadena. It was 2.7 miles of hard uphill climb. The views were spectacular and it felt so good physically pushing my body like that. At the top of the mountain the winds were biting cold but the view and the ruins of the historic hotel that once stood there were worth it all. I have pics from the climb but I have not uploaded them onto the computer. Next time.

Tem and I hit up the Rosevelt hotel for a late lunch on Hollywood Blvd. 

What a fantastic trip!!

Thank you so much Tem for everything! There is nothing like being with your sister.

Ani, I wish I got to see you more, we were just so busy. I will call from the airport.

Cheers all.

LA done.

Next stop: Aussieland!!

L.

Shopping shopping shopping!!

The problem is, that the equation Target+Clearance= Broken Bank, just does not make sense when one starts out at the fabulous US chain store. But it can very easily be a reality. Tem and I had a little too much fun shopping today. We hit up Target, Forever 21, Express, MAC, and American Apparel. Lets just say I will be a very well dressed backpacker.We took a little shopping break and lunched at Terroni's, famous in TO, and now smoking up the LA scene. 

We didn't stop there, after our late lunch, we picked up Chuee and headed back to Griffith Park to do some hiking. The sky was getting really stormy, and it made for some fabulous pictures.

I think we might stay in today and snuggle up in front of the fire, but we may hit up the town. There's no stopping the Deathe sisters!

Cheers,

L.

LA Hills