Just a dream

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Just a Dream

dear blog readers,

I've finally reached the end of the road with my line of photographs showcasing the beautiful and glorious lands of Australia. I've been procrastinating, wanting to push back the last post till a later date; only because the task of reviewing the photos and writing the posts have been a chance for me to re-live the experience that I had down under. To tell the truth, though my heart longed to be back here in Singapore whilst i was away, I knew deep down inside that a part of me will always be in the foreign land. Not to sound melodramatic or anything, but I guess my 5 week trip had paid a huge contribution to the upheaval of my dreadfully heavy spirits. It was a place where i could put my frantic heart at ease, a place where i could slow down my pace to one where i could genuinely bask in the task of being comfortable in my own skin. I miss Australia, and wish that someday, somehow, my footsteps would lead there once more.

So to the land of smiles, I bid a final farewell. Lead my heart and turn my head towards the remaining journey that I have yet to complete here in Singapore. Focus.. no more will i sit amongst the dark clouds of my self loathing.

and here i present to you my final post.

The 2nd last week of my stay in Australia (spent the last week in church camp set in the blue mountains - merroo christian campsite- with the sydney bp members) took me and Cheryl to the ever so popular blue mountains. Being ever so reluctant to embark on the trip because of the mediocre remarks about the national park, I was motivated by the comments that a visit to the blue mountains as is crucial as a visit to Sentosa if you were to come to Singapore. oh well...

so there it is, in all its majestic glory. Speaking of which, have u ever wonder why the blue mountains are 'blue'? The name derives from the bluish tinge the range takes on when viewed at a distance, which is caused by a process known as Mie Scattering. Mie Scattering occurs when incoming uv radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere. When Mie Scattering occurs incoming radiation lengths mix as no wave length is predominant over another (unlike Rayleigh Scattering where shortwave length radiation is predominant during the day and long at sunset, hence blue skies and red sunsets) creating a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects (such as mountain ranges or even clouds). It is widely believed that the blue colouring of the mountains is created by light reflecting of eucalypt leaves and although this is a romantic idea, unfortunately it is just folklore [explanation taken from wikipedia]
so now you know!

frankly, i was bored to the core by the blue mountains. Sure it did offer spectacular views, but in my life, I've seen better. and seriously, the blueish tinge was seeping into my brains, it was just everywhere. Made me doubt that my eyes were actually functioning properly.

With that said, we took our mandatory breaks and tourist stops to snap some pictures and off we went to Jenolan Caves which was a 1 and 1/2 hour drive from Katoomba. One of the most insane drives i ever embarked on as the roads were windy and driving on them was such a strenous thing considering that we were both exhausted from the previous days travel (southern coastal drive).
Finally we reached, just in time to join in the final cave tour to the Temple of Baal.

Apparently, I had visited the caves when i was much younger and in my faint memory, i remember seeing the skull of this poor unknown creature that had lost its way in the caves only to claim its fate there as well. Guess what? Upon my visit to the caves this time round, I saw the same thing, only that the skeleton was excavated out from the floor and put in a glass case. How cool is that?!



Despite the tortorous drive back to the city after sunset, i must say that the Jenolan caves are a MUST visit for any travellers going to the blue mountains.

After reaching the city, Cheryl and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner before calling it a day. The next 2 days we had planned to rot around in the city just visiting a few spots around town.

First stop, the Sydney FIsh market! to sample some of the freshest seafood and raw oysters!!!
yummy seafood platter for 2 that we shared among 3 of us, Cheryl, Gillian (cheryl's fren who resides in Sydney) and I.

Then a trip to Bondi Beach after church on Sunday. I certainly did love the atmosphere in the air. Bet it would be a pretty lovely place in summer.

Nuns on the beach?!

 Then we took a walk around the Bondi Beach market and got our hands on a few fabulous buys before heading for an early dinner and soon it was time to pack up for church camp!

dinner at some thai resturant. This picture is to pay patronage to Cheryl's favourite cuisine. Pad Thai!!! this girl eats it at almost every thai resturant that we go too! need some expert advice on pad thai, just ask Cheryl!
and with this, I've come to the end of my postings. Come to think of it, its the first time I've concluded with posts of my long overseas trips. *beams*. oh well, just had to share the place with everyone since it brought so much beautiful experiences to me. Here I would like to thank a few people, Cheryl my wonderful travel companion. Thank you for putting up with my nonsense throughout the trip. Uncle Sam, thanks for sending me off to the airport! Kengyang, thanks for the dinner treat and being so hospitable to Zhiheng and I. Gillian for being such a terrific hostess as well. Thank you guys for making this trip such a memorable one for me!
Cheers.

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