Flying Foxes and Sandy Cheeks :)

The past few days have been just crazy! Yesterday started as a lazy day. My roommates were sleeping in so I decided to make my own day. I packed a bag full of clothes and supplies and ventured out. I first visited my gym- the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Center- and had a nice workout. After a shower, and around 2pm, I ventured out into the city. I walked around casually, first finding Hyde Park near the center of the city and relaxing there. I watched skateboarders for a bit and hung out with an Ibis (weird bird found here) who was hanging out in the bushes near me. From there, I went into St. Mary's Cathedral, a huge catholic church on the west side of the park. The church itself was amazing and huge, and looks like a European style cathedral with gothic influences. The inside was enormous and spacious, with beautiful painted glass windows and paintings of the Resurrection hung on the walls. It was a nice escape from the busy city.


Afterwards, I wandered on towards the Botanical Gardens, which are one of the coolest places I've been to so far. At first, the gardens were calm and beautiful. Flowers here and there, a few pidgeons and Ibises. After a few minutes into the garden, however, I could've sworn I was in the middle of the Jungle. There were birds running like chickens on the ground in front of me. Tens of different kinds of trees towered over me, and I lost sight of other people. The paths were still well defined, however I lost track of where I was very easily. Above me there were cockatoos and birds of all shapes and sizes. Corners of pathways were hidden under palms, and I heard animal calls that I'd never heard before- some sounded like monkeys, I swear! There were things rustling in the bushes as I passed, and I was worried a few times! My favorite site in the gardens, which were the flying foxes. These huge bats covered the treetops, and occasionally I saw them flying- they had a wingspan of about 4-5 feet! Eventually I moved on through the jungle. I found a small cafe, as I hadn't had anything more than a few crackers before the gym. I had a scoop of chocolate ice cream for my walk and bought an apple danish for later. I walked along the path which had amazing views of the city skyline, Opera House, and Harbor bridge. I found my way to a nice spot overlooking the Harbor and sat to study with a great view! It was pretty hard to concentrate with the amazing views, however! I studied there for an hour or so, then made my way back to the apartment for a late dinner and a glass of wine with my roommates!



Today was also a great, busy day. The roommates and I woke up late and found our way down to the harbor- Circular Quay. We hopped on a ferry which took us through the harbor and towards the Ocean. We landed on the north side of Sydney, and visited Manly Beach, which is the second most well-known beach in Sydney- next to Bondi Beach! The beach was enormous, however super crowded. I'm currently still on the mend from an awful sunburn on my belly! I fell asleep at Coogee beach the other day and ended up with a lobster red stomach. I reapplied at least 5 times today, and thankfully, I don't think I burned! Tonight, my roomates and I made dinner. I just finished eating, and we're waiting on dessert to be ready. We each made a little something to contribute. I made brie on toasted baguette with cranberry sauce, Catie made bruschetta, Keri made eggplant parmesan, and Sam made the dessert- Apricot-honey crisp! We'll have the dessert with a glass of wine while we're watching Australia the movie on TV tonight and taking it easy! I have a presentation and a quiz this week in classes, so it'll be a good week to finish up January in Oz! Love you all! :)