Bondi Beach - surf's up!

Bondi Beach is one of those mythical places that I've heard about for years, but never really had a picture in my head of what it looked like.  It's just a 45 minute ride on public transit from central Sydney, and I can imagine that in the height of summer, the place gets packed.

Bondi Beach

It took me a while to figure out that if you click on these small pictures, you get the full size version.  You can even skip all of this commentary by just clicking on the big picture to move to the next one.

Anyhow, being just a few days into spring here, and with rain yesterday and a forecast in the mid-60's F, the beach wasn't too busy, but there were plenty of surfers out in the water, and the waves were in good form.  Facing the water, it's newbies and soft boards to the left, and experienced with fiberglass boards to the right.

There were some really talented surfers out there.  I imagine that the weather is good for surfing year round, so plenty of opportunity to practice.

There's also an excellent skate park at Bondi, along with a fairly lame version of Venice's Muscle Beach.  Lots of well behaved dogs walking off leash, and plenty of little kids that I was sure were going to get washed out to sea, but never did.  Also some cool art on the walls along the walkway.

Back to the city for my last hurrah before heading up to Alice Spings and my caravan (RV) in the bush tomorrow.  I took a lap up and around the end of the Harbour Bridge, and stopped in at a small brew pub called the Tap Room for their Aussie IPA and a plate of "kangaroo croquettes".  Never had kangaroo before, so when presented with the chance, how could I say no?

Roo balls

Just a tiny bit gamey with the texture of pot roast, when you add some spices and a few more ingredients that I can't identify and then deep fry them, they make for the perfect pub fare to go with a cold beer.

Here are a few final photos from my Sydney walkabout.  Signing off for now and I expect for a while.  No idea what to expect up in Alice Spings and around Uluru and the Kings Canyon National Park.  Hoping to take a lot of great photos and get my drone up in the air.

Manly, Harleys & Beer

Sydney's Iconic View

I met an Aussie on the flight over who said that a ferry ride up to the suburb of Manly was a very good way to spend an afternoon.  The ferry runs right from Circular Quay and leaves every 30 minutes for the ~20 minute journey.  Some time spent poking around the Internet before I went found one of Australia's oldest craft breweries right at the Manly warf, and North Beaches Harley-Davidson a short Uber ride to the north.  Sounds like a Manly kind of day!

Departing Circular Quay

The ferry ride itself is amazing with views of the city, the Opera House, and the Harbor Bridge - along with great views of the many coves and beachfront homes that make up I'm sure some of the most expensive houses in Sydney.

Sydney Opera House

The Opera House is an amazing structure from all angles.  I wonder if Pearl Jam ever played there?

Manly living

Manly would be to Sydney what Bainbridge Island is to Seattle.  Close enough for a commute if necessary, but a world away in terms of pace.

From the inner protected warf, it's a 5 minute walk across a pedestrian plaza lined with bikini and surfboard shops to the ocean beach.  As I arrived, a stage was being set up for Manly's Evening Jazz program which unfortunately doesn't start until the weekend when I'll be long gone.

Manly Beach

From Manly Beach, I grabbed an Uber for a 10 minute ride up to North Beaches Harley-Davidson with the idea of checking out the inventory and costs relative to the US, and of course, to buy a t-shirt.  In the end, it turned out to be pretty much same-same but with heavy emphasis on Sportsters and other smaller bare bones models  Not so much of the big baggers that are pushed in my local shop.  Owner of the shop says the roads in Australia are not as good as in the US - no freeways, mostly rural 2 lane roads, so I guess less of the 80mph, 500 mile days that are typical of cross  country rides in the States.

After beaches and bikes, you of course need beer - so Uber back to the warf and to the 4 Pines brewpub sitting up on the 2nd floor just across from the ferry landing.  Enjoyed a nice pint of New Zealand Pale Strong ale along with some bread and hummus and some tasty calamari & finished with a short time in the brewhouse with the head brewer who shared tastes of a couple of experimental beers - one brewed with hemp seed and one with seaweed.  Both were excellent!

Micro Beers on the balcony

I was really impressed by this brewpub and the brewer.  They seem to be really into the craft and trying new things, brewing over 60 different styles each year I'm told.  The great thing about brewpubs is that it really allows for that kind of experimentation.  These guys also can their beers for the outside market, and seem to have a good balance to should provide for good income while still being "craft".

4 Pines Brewhouse

Heading back to Sydney, I get the reverse view of things which is no less wonderful.

It's been a good day!

15 hours to the other side of the world

My 15 hour flight from LAX to SYD was really not so bad.  I think its sort of a memory muscle that builds up over time doing long trips.  I actually appreciate that it's so hard to get here - otherwise it would lose some of it's specialness.  I watched a movie on the plane that dealt with worm holes and ways to skip across the universe. I guess that would be cool, but something would definitely be lost if someone could get to the other side of the planet without some effort and a bit of suffering.


Sydney Harbour daytime timelapse from Paul Taylor on Vimeo.

I'm too tired to write, but don't want to make the mistake of sleeping during the Australian day.  Many things to see and do, so staying upright for now.  Well, maybe just a little nap...

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Darling Harbour

15 hours later, I meandered through the central business district of Sydney to Darling Harbour - another jumping off point for ferries, a place to catch a party boat, or visit museums, the city aquarium, and other tourist attractions.  If Circular Quay is similar to the Seattle ferry terminal area, Darling Harbour is the equivalent of the Seattle waterfront to the north, less Ye Old Curiosity Shop.

In my now more than 24 hours in the city, I can say from my extensive experience that Seattle and Sydney seem to be twins separated at birth and sent to opposite sides of the planet.  The biggest differences I see are:

• There are few to no people who appear to be of African, Middle Eastern or Indian origin.  Mainly European and Asian.  Given the geographies, I suppose that makes some sense.
• No insane people on the street, no one begging passers by for change, no one camping in public places.  It's very clean here, with no obvious reason why (i.e no heavy presence of police or other authority).  I'm thinking Seattle's mayor might want to pay a visit and see what she can learn.

Darling Harbour Aquarium

Other than those things, I think you'd find yourself hard pressed to tell a significant difference - on the surface anyway.  I suspect that the differences that are easy to see have some deeper underlying roots in the culture.  We'll see if my perceptions or understanding change over the next few days.  

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

I'm going to the Land Down Under where Women glow and Men plunder (click me)

Seems like I've been trying to get to Oz since this song came out back in the early 80s.  I've been to other places just as far away, but always thought that it would be pointless to go to someplace as vast as Australia without at least a month (or six) to explore.  Australia is roughly the size of the US, so even with three weeks in front of me, I'm just going to get a small sample.  A week in Sydney, staying on the harbor at Circular Quay followed by a week around Alice Springs, Uluru, and the Outback in a RV and ending with a week-long liveaboard dive trip out of Cairns, north to the Coral Sea.  A 15 hour flight from LA to Sydney seems daunting, but there are worse things in life than having 15 hours with nothing to do but sleep, eat, read, and binge watch Netflix shows.  

something to look forward to:  https://vimeo.com/290798606

Cabo San Lucas - One Day in Paradise?

First time in Cabo and sitting on the balcony of my room with intermittent wifi and a cold drink, I feel content to watch the boats, pelicans, and the world go by below me.  Out on the streets, there is an endless row of stores selling tourist crap that no one needs and touts trying to entice you into touring new hotels, getting a massage, or going deep sea fishing.  The fishing I would like to do, but since I'll be getting on a boat shortly to swim with them, I have to pass this time.

I don't really mind the touts - everyone has a job to do.  But given my short time here, I know I won't really get a chance to get to know the place, so I'm just not going to bother. 

I did get to meet Jose, the owner of a little taqueria just next to the hotel.  He's from Guadalajara, and his little restaurant blew away in the hurricane that swept through Cabo in September of 2104.  He rebuilt, and seems to be doing well.  With big corporate restaurants all around, I enjoyed supporting a local guy, and he beamed when I told him that his shrimp fajitas were the highlight of my day.

Tonight, I meet up with the rest of the divers coming from the Silent World dive shop in Bellevue which will make up about half of the divers on the boat.  We board tomorrow at 8am then off for the next 8 days of what should be incredible diving.  Not sure of connectivity out at sea, so will update next when I can.  The boat is the Nautilus Explorer, and is currently sitting right outside my window.

For those who are following my son, Max, who is in Cuba on a photography and cultural adventure of his own - we just heard from him today and he is safe, happy, and meeting the locals for what sounds like an incredible time.  More to come on that I'm sure. 

Socorro Islands - Diving with Pelagics

Diving with a whale shark in Thailand last year was the highlight of my off and on diving career that started 36 years ago.  I was still in Thailand when I saw Silent World's postings from the Nautilus Explorer in the Socorro Islands southeast of Cabo San Lucas, and knew I had to go.  Odds are good there of encountering everything from humpback whales to dolphins, hammerhead and white tip reef sharks, and my personal favorite - giant Pacific mantas that can grow to a wingspan in excess of 20 feet.  The dolphins and mantas are known to enjoy their interactions with humans, and I'm looking forward to some close encounters. 

For now, its just a short flight from Seattle to Cabo (shorter than going to Thailand anyway), where the weather is in the 80s and the sun is shining.

The Tattoo, the Hangover, and the Layover

I knew I wanted to do second tattoo as soon as the needle stopped buzzing from the first one.  The artist that did the drawing that became my Manta also did a nice one of a shark, and after a few minor modifications, I had what I wanted.

My brother had told me that Eak, the tattoo artist that did the manta was still around - but that was in the fall, and by the time I got to Chiang Mai, he was gone.  Looking for alternatives, I found Naga Tattoo, a shop run by a guy named Ugly who seemed to have a lot of good reviews from people online.  I talked the design through with Ugly's partner, Nicky, and set up a time for the next day.

Getting tattooed hurts, but is mostly tolerable.  Getting this one on my lower leg was more tolerable than getting it on my upper arm 2 years ago, and Nicky powered through the job in just under 3 hours.  There was a lot of fine detail work, so more time and more pokes with a smaller needle.  In the end, it came out just as I had hoped.

Of course, no tattoo is complete without a celebratory night out on the town.  Ours started at Ginny Place Cafe with a lot of good food and drinks, then proceeded over to the Boxing Stadium for some Muay Thai fights, 100 baht bets ($3), local beer.  A couple of Ian and Tee's friends who teach English as their day jobs are Muay Thai fighters at night. They weren't fighting that night, but they helped us get up close and personal with the boxers.

After the fights, we wandered up the street the a very sketchy looking row of pool table bars.  Turns out that these are the "katoey" - or ladyboy bars where Thai males put on their little black dresses and spend most of their time primping and posing.  We shot several rounds of pool and had a few more Tiger beers.  by 1am, I was done, but Max was just getting started. This is why I booked us separate accommodations throughout the trip :)

This morning, I woke up to an email from United Airlines that said exactly this:  "United flight UA838 from Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) to Tokyo, Japan (NRT - Narita) on February 15 is canceled."  That's it - no we're sorry, no alternatives, and only directions to contact a United representative at the airport.  Of course, here in Chiang Mai, there is no United presence.  I tried to call United, but due to the winter storm on the US east coast, it was impossible to speak to anyone.  I tried the Bangkok office, but it's a Buddhist holiday today, and the office was closed...

Fortunately, Tee came to the rescue, dialing office after office until she got through to someone who could get into the system and make changes.  We ended up getting a Thai Air flight tonight - about ten hours earlier than our original flight - that will connect well with our flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, but will end up giving us a 12 hour layover in Tokyo/Narita.  Max has a friend in Tokyo who's offered to show us around for a few hours, so we may get the full Anthony Bourdain experience.  I'll keep you posted.

Postscript:  Max and I arrived in Tokyo after a pleasant and fairly short (5 hours) flight from Bangkok on an Airbus A380 (big plane!), only to find Narita Airport being drenched with pouring rain and blowing winds - not the most conducive to a quick outing to the city.  We decided to stay put, but were looking for some minor compensation from United Airlines for canceling our original flight plans and giving us this wonderful 12 hour layover.  All we wanted was access to the United Lounge - but no - "it is not possible" the kind Japanese woman at the counter told us ("no soup for you!).  

Knowing we had a long day ahead and that free food and drinks and comfy chairs were just on the other side of the glass, I ponied up $50 each to get us inside - but gave Max the firm direction - we will extract $50 worth of food and drink out of this place before our flight leaves.  This should be interesting....