hopping: to Bondi and beyond!

Yes. I've just gotta. This lovely stretch needs no introduction. Hello, Bondi!

I was about to finish my breakfast at Bourke Street Bakery when I noticed that there's a bus stop just around the corner. I stood up to get a closer look at the buses that would stop and as luck would have it, a bus to Bondi would be arriving in less than 10 minutes! I downed what was left of my coffee and hopped on the bus to Bondi.

Bondi is the best place to be if you want to let your hair down and bask in the sun. I got there around 9:30am and people were just starting to flock the shores. On the way down, there was a long strip of colorful graffiti (a boardwalk, if you may) that I've just got to check out.



The usual big, twisty, neon letters were drawn beside some of the most creative stuff I've seen on walls.

The "boardwalk scene" was an awesome mix of chill and hip. People on skateboards were busy doing really cool tricks, some were walking their dogs, some were jogging and some, like me, were having a pretty good time just taking it all in. 

Ahh, the beach. Sure, nothing beats the beaches back home but Bondi was wonderful. It had really fine, white sand and was set against the bluest of waters. Unlike most of the pictures I see on TV or online, Bondi wasn't really that crowded when I went there so I had a really cool spot just a few steps away from the beach.



What I loved most about it is that everybody just did their own thing. Pigeons were also welcome.



After an hour of roasting myself, I shook off the sand from my clothes and ran to Surfish. This was recommended by a good friend of mine who swears by their fish and chips.

I have a funny story about this. Do you see that two chambered catsup and tartare sauce on the plate? Well, it was my first time to encounter sauces placed on containers like that and didn't know how to use them. So I took one, pressed it from opposite ends and OUT GOES THE CATSUP on to my chest. Nevermind the stain, at least I know how to use it now!

Yep, that's how it's used.

After lunch, I decided to go back to Circular Quay. I didn't have anything planned but I felt like I needed to see a kangaroo... and where else to go but Taronga Zoo?

Taronga Zoo is a 15 minute ride away from Circular Quay and is open from morning up until 4:00PM. I was on board one of the last trips to the zoo. With me are a bunch of parents trying to hold down their excited and giddy kids. If only they knew how difficult it was to hold it in - I was just as excited as they are!

There's something about zoos that brings out the kid inside. I came for the kangaroos and koalas but I didn't expect I'd be enjoying all the other animals in the zoo.

Red kangaroo (or wallaby?)

Hi there, little fellow!

You had to pay a few dollars to see and interact wth a koala up close. But I was so lucky that this one was quietly sleeping on this my side of the tree.

I just want to take him home!

There were sharks, primates and all sorts of animals! I also had a chance to see a platypus. Didn't get a picture because they were placed indoors, in a dark room (with little lighting) and they don't allow flash photography.

After a pretty long hour of hopping around, I said goodbye to my newfound furry friends and got back to Circular Quay before 4pm.

The Taronga Zoo ferry docked in the same bay where the Manly boat was about to dock. Manly was a New South Wales suburb, 30 minutes away from Sydney via ferry. I've been reading about it in the brochures and leaftlets I got from the hostel and it's getting a lot of love online, too.

Lightbulb moment: Why not visit Manly to see what's there to love? This wasn't in the plan but it seemed like a good idea. Plus, I thought it would be perfect to catch the sunset on board the ferry.

 I think there's a special ferry that brings you there in half the time but it was double the price of a regular ticket. I stuck with my Opal card because at that time, I had already incurred more than 15 AUD in bus, ferry tickets (15 AUD is the daily cap for Opal card, anything in excess will be considered FREE!

You can see this on the way to Manly Harbor.

Manly Harborside

Hello, Manly! The port was busy and bustling. As soon as you tap out of the terminal/bay, you're greeted by an array of interesting food establishments. That's always a good sign!

The picture above is from the The Corso. It's a ten minute walk from the harbour and a must-see! The Corso has it all - from souvenirs, surf shops and clothing stores to restaurants. If you walk from the harbour to the end of the strip, you'll be reaching Manly Beach.

There was an ongoing Jazz Festival when I got there. I tuned in for a while before I decided to sit by the beach.

A popular attraction in Manly (according to the reviews) is the Royal Copenhagen ice cream. There's a couple of them lined up along the strip and I got one on my way back to the harbor.

Strawberry and chocolate, my faves!

I just spent an hour in Manly and I do not recommend you to do the same! If I'll ever be back in Sydney, I'll make sure to spend at least a day there. An hour is not enough to appreciate the calm of Manly beach and to sample all the food choices in the Manly Harbour. Ooops!

I needed to go back to Circular Quay right away because it was almost six in the evening and I was chasing the sunset. There was only one ferry with the schedule that covers the sunset and the terminal was swamped - a bunch of them were tourists like me, who were also keen on getting good sunset photos. I made sure I got the first in line so that I could run to the boat when the gates open and choose the best seats in the house.

Despite being seated in the "premier row" by the ledge, my seatmate was a hogger so halfway during the trip, only a half of my butt was supporting me against the plank of wood I was sitting at. However, I was rewarded by beautiful views of the sun setting against the Sydney skyline. Nah, who cares about sitting.

By the time I got to Circular Quay, it was almost seven in the evening and I was about to crash. I've been walking, tripping, hopping around Sydney the whole day and my hostel was a couple of blocks from the harbour. At that moment, the idea of a bed and fluffy pillow would mean all the world to my tired bones but I reminded myself that it was my last night in Sydney and it was a Friday night. So with the little energy I had left, I hopped on the ferry to Darling Harbour. 

Darling Harbour felt great on a Friday night and I got back enough energy to walk around and enjoy the harbour. Despite it being just around past seven in the evening, people were dressed to the nines, the music was roaring from the harbourside bars and the mood was festive. I would've wanted to join the fun but I was running on adrenaline and it was starting to get chilly. Decided to go to the nearest McDonalds, got some coffee and walked back to my hostel in The Rocks. 

That long walk home ended my trails in Sydney. I think this "long walk home" deserves its own post but I'll try to let you in on it a bit. To cut things short, I got lost - made a few wrong turns and eventually took the longer route back to the hostel. Maybe it's because I was also lost in my thoughts at that time. I was trying to fix some work-related stuff that surfaced when I got connected to the internet and well, try to "manage" my feelings of joy and gratitude. As my heart sang about all the places I've been to and seen, my mind was somewhere filled with anxiety for what I left at home.

As the girl labelled "intense" by her boss, I thought: "Would it be totally impossible to let go of the strings that tie me down and stops you from enjoying? Even for a weekend?"

Little did I know, I was getting a perfect weekend as soon as I woke up the next day. Next stop, Canberra. Let's go!

hunting for breakfast: Getting lost in Surry Hills

When was the last time you set out on a journey to a place you’ve never been to before? Alone and unarmed - well, at least a map with you? 

The idea might seem daunting but when you’re twenty-five and had been working your ass off for more than a year without any legit vacation, you’d be thrilled to do something outside your usual grind. That, for me, meant getting lost in Surry Hills on a sunny day in Sydney.

Several months before my Sydney trip, I’ve been googling up restaurants and other places to “be” in Sydney and stumbled across Bourke Street Bakery. For some reason, this place got stuck to my head and I decided to visit it for breakfast that day. I woke up unusually early and eager to start my great Sydney bakery hunt in Surry Hills.

Since it seemed to be the nearest jump off point to my destination, I got off from Museum station and started to walk straight, along Elizabeth Street. 

According to the map, it didn't seem like a long walk. The map was inconveniently big and I didn't want to attract attention from the locals. I decided to keep it inside my bag and enjoy the stroll. I just needed to walk straight on, make a couple of left turns and voila, BREAKFAST! I kept that as my motivation as the walk started to get a little weird. 

After a couple of turns, I made my way into a plain and quiet neighbourhood with similar looking houses. It was just around seven in the morning so I assume most of them are still asleep or preparing for work. I thought, hmm, this could be Surry Hills already. However, I was starting to worry. I didn’t want to be “judge-y” but this doesn’t seem to be the place for a good bakery to be in. Aside it being sleepy and slow, it was a pain to be wandering around because it was hilly and boy, I had some cheeky sandals with me. 

I wasn’t quite dressed appropriately either. Though a sunny day was about to explode (so says the weather station online), people wearing layers of sweaters and jackets were giving me bewildered looks as I went around wearing sleeveless and shorts. 

Yep, with some Ruby Woo to top! That pic was taken when I finally gave up my pretentiousness and dug up my map. I retraced my steps and at that time, I was able to walk around 5 kilometers within the span of an hour! I was already half way so I decided to stay there, rest my bones for a bit before the final stretch.

I began to see some establishments along the street - a couple of cupcake stores, laundromat and even a mini grocery. This could only mean that the bakery is but a few meters away.

To cut the story short, it took me around thirty minutes of hardcore "hill" walking before I finally got to the place and was on the verge of giving up. Lifting this from my travel journal:

I was supposed to give up already but then I was able to get a whiff, a smell of really good bread. And just as I was about to give up - THERE IT IS!

Bourke Street Bakery (Surry Hills)

There was a line when I got there and on several times when I was eating. Most have their coffee and bread to go but for those of who want to enjoy their breakfast, there's a couple of chairs and tables on the side (al fresco).

Come to momma!

When I finally got to the counter, I was too giddy enough to get a decent shot of their goodies and just ordered. It felt overwhelming to finally arrive at a place you've been thinking (and drooling) about for the past few months. I got myself a decent Reuben Sandwich and some Mocha.



Was it good? HELL YES! My only regret was not trying their bagels, pies and muffins!

That ends my story about breakfast. Sharing with you some of my thoughts and feelings about this mini adventure:

1. Sometimes, the journey will last longer than expected.
2. Despite ample preparations, you could get lost. No map could prepare you for being right there, on your own. Just go, walk as planned. Check your map or pointers from time to time. Again, there's a possibility of getting lost but this should not scare you. 
3. You may have a map with you but you also need to know how to use it. Sometimes, you just don't take it and use it as it is. You have to study the map, know where you are (cross-reference it with the map) and find out the best way to go to your destination.
4. Taking shortcuts is okay. Switching paths could either make the trip shorter or longer and one wrong turn could make you lose your way. If shortcuts don't work, use the map.
5. You can also ask other people. Ask people along the way. 
6. Sometimes, getting there won't feel like what you've imagined for so long. Just take whatever you have and move along. I imagined me taking lots of snapshots of the place but ended up cozied at one corner with my coffee and sandwich. 
7. However tiring it is, nobody can take away the miles you've covered, the sights you've seen, the lessons you've learned along the way, the coffee and the Reuben sandwich you got for breakfast.

reminiscing: Of Christmases present

Merry Christmas!

I’m currently feeling like a koala, chillin’ on a branch of eucalyptus. All the holiday food keep on coming and well, couldn’t resist!

A couple of days ago, I’ve stumbled across a couple of posts on Facebook from friends my age lamenting how they still haven’t felt the Christmas spirit yet. To some extent, I sadly agree. I’m currently 25 and at a crossroads in finding a new meaning to this season.

How did you spend your Christmas?

An hour before Christmas eve and after wrapping all our presents, I slowly slipped into dreamland while my parents were preparing for our family Christmas eve party over at my uncle's place. I found my way to my room, slept and told them I can't join. I was too tired and my energy was running out for it took me more than 12 hours to reach home, in time for the holidays.

You see, 24 hours before I finally decided to rest, our LCLC reunion had just finished and I was packing my stuff, getting ready for my 4am ride to the airport. I tried to get some shut-eye but was too worried I won't be able to wake up to my alarms. I was able to get to my trip, then my flight. 

Arrived at Cebu just on time. The mood at the airport was light and jovial. All the attendants were cheerful, as well as the tourists and travellers eager to reach home. I was one of those people, a little less cheerful than the rest because I was worried I won't be able to catch the RORO trip back home. That I needed to pack all my things in my pad in Iloilo, catch the trip, reach home before midnight and celebrate the holidays with my family. Man, I was starving so I indulged myself with some airport lechon. Before I knew it, my flight was about to leave and in less than an hour, we landed in Iloilo.

Off I was, rushing to my pad. I had exactly 4 hours to pack a year's worth of clothes and other stuff from my pad. As much as I want to go reminisce all the moments and memories that went with everything I was packing, I needed to do much in so little time. I passed by McDonald's and drove like crazy to the RORO port, boarded the next ship out and patiently waited for the ship to dock at BREDCO.

I don't want to bore you with details of my boring Christmas any further. I may have dozed off and skipped the Christmas eve party but I felt blessed to be home. This year, Christmas for me meant going back to a place of peace and happiness and being with the people I love the most, my family. It's about turning away from work-related stress and the petty worries of the world and finding time for the people and things that really matter to you.

That's about it, for now. I'll also be finding time for my next OVERDUE posts about Canberra (and the rest of my Australia trip), Seoul and Siargao. Let's go!