Carla's Chronicles

Hello Everyone or Anyone who may still be looking at the site.
Sorry I have not kept this up...It became more difficut as the trip went on.
Mainly, because I did not have my laptop with me as Jessica had taken hers so I didn't take mine.
After Hong Kong, Jess & I were not always together. And when we were, internet was either very expensive or not reliable. An internet cafe could not keep it's connection and I lost anything I wrote.
Excuses I know. I was also busy and enjoying my holiday!

However, I am going to finish the journal on the rest of the trip - next week. I am away on work training for 2 weeks so I will have lots of time in the evening to be on the computer. So I will be updating the site starting next Monday -April 28....that is - if anyone is still checking this site out.

Good day Mate!
Until next week, take care!
Love Carla -proud to be Canadian!

So day 2 and 3 were relaxing.. Grant lives in Skye, Victoria which is about 50 km outside of Melbourne in a suberb... so quite different than the hustle & bustle from the last week we had in Hong Kong. Wednesday, I stayed at Grant's and spent alot of the day out on the back deck and booking our Sydney trip for next week, co-ordinating with the other activites that have already been planned...so finally booked our flight, found a hotel on line, so that is all good to go. We were all invited over to John & Jenny's home for supper...(Sara's parents)...They had a beauuutfiul meal for us and the company was just as great. They are very wonderful, down to earth people. Grant is lucky to have such great in-laws. We visited most of the evening and headed back to Grant's.
Day 3 (March 20) was started as a nice, relaxing morning. It was anyways, but we decided that we would go out for breakfast as Garry had cooked a big breakfast each morning, we thought we'd give him a break and go out. Well, easier said than done. We must have went to a dozen places and either they were closed, or did not serve breakfast, or breakfast was over and they don't serve lunch till after 11...so between 10 and 11am , don't get hungry.... we ended up going back to Food Star I think... we had to wait about 10 minutes till they opened their doors.... we were tired of driving around...and it isn't easy on Garry driving on the wrong side of the road, doing u-turns, etc....so we ended at this buffet, which was not very good....but k-sara-sara...? spelling? Sara had worked nights, so we left to let her sleep and in the afternoon after she got up, she drove us to a mall a long ways away as she needed to go their to some particular store (something for the wedding). We went out for supper that night to a Vietnamese restaurant - which was good- to celebrate Sheila's birthday. It was alot of fun, as John entertained us with his Ausie versions of charades.... )) or maybe better put - sign language. We had a big table with lots of laughs. The restaurant was a bring your own booze...so the guys had lots of beers, and the women some really good wine. In Australia, supper is often ate close to 8pm....After a full stomach, we headed back to Grant's and was asleep at a decent hour.
It is a long week-end back home starting today here and tomorrow in Canada. It is Easter week-end.
and it is also the hens party... stay tuned...

Good Day Mate! We arrived in Australia fine. We were chauffered back to Grant & Sara's home and a wonderful sleep. I woke up early the first morning...first one up. Grant & Sara went off to work (Grant is a lawyer and Sara is an E.R. nurse). We had a big breakfast...have to tell ya, the coffee in Hong Kong and in Australia canNOT compare to Canada's and doesn't hold a candle to Tim Horton's coffee.....I would love to have a Tim's...anyone want to fly one over for me? or better yet - start a franchise here- we could/would do very well! Mostly in Asia, and Australia, they have either espressos or cappicinos....or instant....so that is what I have been having. I did bring a couple of Tim's packets with me...but to early in the holiday to use yet. But, at least Grant has a coffee maker...most and almost all places do not...all hotels everywhere serve instant as well as restaurants. So, we did have some decent brewed coffee at Grants... We then made a lunch, cooler of beer, and headed off to the beach. We wanted to have a relaxing day after the week in Hong Kong....Well, it was relaxing...wasn't overly hot...but hot enough that I received a sunburn....I wore a 2 piece...first time in over 20 years that my tummy saw sun, I'm sure....so it burnt as well as around the back where the top piece was worn...right where my bra would be... (after 2 weeks, it is finally peeling).
In mid/late afternoon, we packed up...stopped at a grocery store and bought some meat, etc. for our bar-b-q supper. We actually went to a 'Safeway' and it was pretty neat to go up and down the aisles as they have the same food, but name them differently...eg. Rice Krispies is Rice Bubbles. They do not keep their eggs in a cooler, but rather a shelf. and food is expensive here. dozen eggs ranges from $2.99 to $5.89. I can't tell the difference by looking at the milk which is whole, 1% or 2%...so not even sure if they have the different types of milk. I can't find creamed honey anywhere...liquid honey and even that is different tasting (ours is way better)..these are just to name a few....
so after groceries, we or Garry drove us back to Grant's...I must say, it does take some getting used to being on the 'wrong' side of the road and sitting in the front seat on the left hand side and the driver on the right behind the steering wheel just plain feels strange...After a couple weeks now, I am getting used to it...
The Aussies shorten or abbreviate everything...eg.. university is 'uni' ; bar-b-q is 'barby', it takes a couple fo secs to figure out what they are saying or meaning...and that is after hard listening, cause their accent is hard to compute at times...they put an 'r' behind alot of things, especially in a sentence and if the word begins or ends with a vowel...make sense? eg. Carlar and Dellar (instead of Della) went to the beach...
Gas is expensive here. $2.45.9 a litre....and on tuesday, wednesday & Thursday, it may go down to $2.35 point 9....
Everybody drives new vehicles, have maybe saw 2 older vehicles in the 2 weeks I've been here. and surprisingly, Greg, there are no bikes....a few scooters, and I've seen one actual motorcyle. go figure...cheaper on gas, easier to get around, never no snow....so dont' know if they have to import them in or what...90% of people drive Toyotas..which are imported in.
So Melbourne has had plus 40 degree weather for over 2 weeks...the night we flew in, was the last night of that. The beach day was already lowered and in the 20's...(I was wanting hot- like 30)..and it has been steadily getting cooler...I guess it is autumn here and going into their winter......
So after our big bar-b-q and day in the sun & surf, we headed to bed early....
Life is good down under!