March 14, 2011

• Josh Goes to a Land Down Under

  

  Once again, dear readers, it is time to embark on another whirlwind tour around the globe. Having traveled through europe, asia, africa, and the middle east, It was high time to get low…below the equator that is. So I gathered up the usual traveling companions and off we embarked for the counterweight continent, the land down under, the empire of Oz, the country and continent all in one that is Australia. By this point I am sure you know my international adventure posse, but let me take a moment to once again introduce the key players, named after the band for whom this post is titled, the Men At Work:

  

  just kidding, of course. Here is the real Australia crew

  

  On the top right of course, is yours truly, Dr J, international man of mischief and trip planner extroirdinare; bottom right brings us to the conscience of the group, the honest, the financially astute and the unfortunately gullible Koh, aka “short round” for those of you who remember the Road to Jordan trip; moving along to the bottom left is emergency physician, outdoors lover, and all around survivalist ward from the Bangkok Dangerous Trip ; and a new addition to the group although not to this blog itself, my enabler and partner in crime, purchaser of plush animals and maker of pithy observations, crystal.

  Our first destination in Oz was Sydney, one of the most well known and beautiful harbors in the world

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  Completed in 1973, The Opera House is easily one of the most iconic sights of Sydney and Australia in general. The design, depending on which australian you ask is mean to represent anything from a ship sailing into the harbor, to eggshells, to a bowl of fruit (yeah i didnt get that one either) The Grand Organ is located in the Concert Hall and is the largest pipe organ in the world, boasting over 10,000 pipes. It is 16 metres high and 13 metres wide and can also be played remotely by way of an electronic console.

  By contrast, the largest organ in the world belongs to yours truly

  

  Anyone expecting a higher level of maturity than that should probably leave now.

  

  Lunch was at Chef Neil Perry’s Rockpool Bar and Grill, a remodeled Bank from the 1930′s done in the gothic/art deco style.

  We stayed in the Sydney Harbour YHA Hostel, recommended to us by FushMush, a friend from the Road To Jordan Adventure who Koh and I had kept in touch with. More on them later. Our Hostel was actually built over an archaelogical dig site. At first we were all impressed until we found out that the ruins we were sitting over were from the 1800′s. The conversation was something like this:

  Koh: Wow a hotel on a dig site? that’s pretty cool
  Ward: yeah how long has this stuff been down here? how old are these ruins?
  Random AUstralian: bout three weeks mate
  Dr J: god dammit.

  As you can tell the rooms were quite cozy, but we had our own shower and an amazing view from the roof of the Opera House. But enough of my droning on and about, there will be plenty of time for that, lets get some pics from that first day of Sydney and the new culture we were to immerse ourself in

  

  The QVB mall (queen victoria building) and Luna Park

  

  The Sydney Harbour Bridge and more art deco architecture

  

  We were so Manly, that one of the local aboriginal tribes invited Koh to join them for a sacred male ceremony. More on that later as well.

  And now, SYdney at night

  

  

  As I am making a gentle return to blogging after yet another extended vacation (in both the literal and physical senses of the word) I will try and ease back into the stories while letting the pics speak for themselves. 

  If you are new, welcome.

  If you have been following for a while and stuck around, thanks! I’ve missed you.

  Until next post

  Dr J

   

  • 12:23 am
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