Catching Up

The flight from San Francisco to Sydney wasn't nearly as bad as one would think. We flew at night, so after watching a few shows and eating dinner on the plane, we were able to sleep for long enough that 15 hours in a cramped airplane seat didn't feel that long. The 3 hour layover in Sydney was used up by waiting for bags and catching a bus over to another terminal for our flight to Adelaide.






Customs was a joke. As strict as the Canadians were with their interrogations just to cross the border, Australia seemed like going from California to Oregon. They said hello, we handed them our papers, they gave us stamps, and sent us on our way! Setting up a new bank account was just as easy, without needing any information like phone numbers or addresses. Ridiculous!






Once in town, it became apparent that we really were on the other side of the world. Cars drive on the left, but people also walk on the left of the sidewalks. Screen doors on balconies are on the inside instead of the outside. The air conditioning units have remote controls that open up vents like transformers. Even the moon is backwards! Over here the shadow falls on the other side, so what we can see is different. The streets are littered with Holdens, odd European sub-compacts, and more modified imports than I've ever seen. Food and just about everything else seems to be more expensive than the states, but the tax is included in the price. So if you see $49.95, it's really that and nothing more. Also, you don't tip at restaurants because they work on salary, which makes it a bit more affordable.

The money is crazy. The lowest bill is a $5, like in Canada, and all of their bills have little windows in them. I'll take a picture soon. They have holographic clear plastic holes with designs on them cut into all of their bills. The coins are similar, but odd. Their $2 coin is the size of our penny, so it could be lost easily. Instead of a quarter, they have a 20 cent coin. Odd!



Anyway, as of now we are limited to our internet usage, so I'll upload more pix and stories soon. Here is a shot of Glenelg Beach at night. Wish the panoramic worked:



We also got to celebrate Australia Day on 26th January (as they say it). Vegemite, Coopers, and Cricket. Doesn't get much more Australian than that! More to come. G'day mates!