Seven bridges walk - 2009

The last week’s Sunday it was Sydney’s Seven Bridges Walk; A city event and perfect opportunity for us to walk around the city and get to meet something else.

I may have not said it properly in the blog, but I have been in Sydney’s CBD just a couple of times before this walk, even though I am going to have two months in Australia. The reason of this lack of visits to Sydney’s CBD is due to we came down under short of money and we cannot afford to spend our money as we were tourists.

Anyway, Kathy was looking on the Internet the city event planning and bumped into the seven bridges walk website (Sydney Events Calendar). This event’s idea is to walk around to city, getting to know something else than just the Sydney‘s regular attractions, gathering the bridges stamps, starting and finishing in your nearest point and walking a closed track of 25 kilometres length. As we are living in Hornsby, our nearest point was maybe Lane Cove Village, but we decided it would be better to start near our beloved Sydney’s Opera House, so our starting point was moved to The Rocks.

And so, the Saturday before the event, we went to our closest Chinese market (in other post I will explain the pros and cons of those markets) to get to waterproof ponchos (just in case it started to rain during the walking) and get some bread at woollies in order to make sandwiches and maybe an apple or two for the journey.

Sunday morning it was truly a sun-day, because at very early hours in the morning the sun came up soon, shining and heating without mercy, but something fishy was in the air... I had read in the Sydney Morning Herald that rain was predicted during the day... So we packed our waterproof ponchos, water bottle, apples and sandwiches and marched to gather with our mates at the Hornsby train station heading to Circular Quay station (the nearest train station to The Rocks). Once in Circular Quay we noticed the Opera House was opened for free visit during that day... Was I already told you guys, we were not wasting our money, so decided to give it a shot and visit the Opera House, but 30 minutes later and 25K ahead of us we knew we needed to start walking; back to the walking at the rocks we picked our passports, take a picture or two and marched to the Pyrmont bridge (our first bridge from The Rocks).

Oh! Almost forgot to show you a funny thing, a techno-aborigine... He he, in our way to The Rocks an Australian aborigine was peacefully playing his didgeridoo in the floor at the beats of a techno music. Pretty cool beats!

Quick note: The first thing to notice when you have the map is you don’t really need it unless you are lost. Every block, turn or redirection is marked with sign related to the event. So you better concentrate in the signs and check your map just to find out how much you have walked and how many is pending.

Pyrmont Bridge gave us a nice surprise, rowing race, as well as rain. But we wanted to finish this event no matter what cost, Kathy and I pulled out our ponchos but our mates didn’t had anything to get covered with, so we walked to a couple of stores just to find, those ponchos are sold in very few places; but raining or not, we wanted to keep walking (not trademarks or slogans were use) and marched to the Pyrmont village to get our stamps in our passport. At that point we noticed our passports (with very few water drops on them) started to suffer some heavy damage due to the water and storage place (my pants’ pocket)... but what the bloody hell, with or without passport we were going to finish the walk (still 6 bridges ahead, no biggy). Put the passports back to my pocket and headed to Anzac Bridge.

The Anzac Bridge showed its silhouette 15 minutes later; is a beautiful and modern cable-stayed bridge. This one was Kathy’s favourite so she took her camera out and starts shooting every aspect of the bridge.

As we kept walking, the rain kept falling hard upon us, but every step near another bridge seemed to fade away the water so we could take a couple of pictures and continue with our journey. That way we went through Iron Cove Bridge (an art-deco ugly bridge with a nice view of the vicinity), Gladesville Bridge and Tarban Creek Bridge (bow concrete ribbed modern bridges with awesome view of Sydney’s vicinity with an outstanding Harbour Bridge perspective at the background) and Fig Tree Bridge. Was at the Fig Tree Bridge were we count those bridges left behind and realised there was one to go... Only the Harbour Bridge was pending for us to walk upon his concrete and iron structure. We took the map out just to find a horrible truth: we were 12 kilometres away from the Harbour Bridge and almost every bridge of this event is included into the very first (our very first) 13 kilometres of walk... But how hard could it be? 13 kilometres went by without any issue... So let’s keep moving forward! (again, no trademarks used)

The thing with this part of the track is, gets very into a residency area with hills and slopes with up to 45 degrees; maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but after almost 3 hours walking in cold rain and those slopes our legs muscles were making our way harder to complete, but we marched on through Lane Cove up to North Sydney. I got to tell you, my left knee was killing me more than anything else because of lesions I had suffered when kid, but I didn’t want to slip this away. Once in Milson Point (about to start the Harbour Bridge) the pain was almost unbearable; the knee was making me squizzed my teeth against each other but at last I was in the Harbour Bridge.

When you start reading about Sydney, the first thing to pop out is the Sydney’s Opera House and the second is the Harbour Bridge. To be honest, I didn’t find anything special about this bridge except it was big, but as the time goes by and you keep readying about your future place to live you start to develop some empathy with its things and a caring sensation grows within. Near the concrete pylons making the Bridge to stand as is, your heart starts pumping and adrenaline flows through your veins. Is something magical that makes you admire the structure and fully understand why this bridge is so important for Sydneysiders. Every step in the bridge was painful but at the same time made me wonder about its construction and how perfect it seems to be. Kathy was mesmerised with the Opera House view and very 20 metres stoped to take another picture of those five hundreds we already possess. At the end of the bridge there was what we believed to be our last stamped. A lady asked us very kindly, “Is this your last bridge, right?” after nodding due to be breathless she told us “you got to hurry up, in order to complete the walk you got to return to your starting village so they can stamp in your passport the walk completed stamp, and it is almost about time to pack everything... Without that stamp your walk would be pointless so hurry!”

All of the sudden, my knee started killing me badly, but my wife and Joe (our only mate to complete the walk with us) cheer me up to walk 3 more blocks to get the final stamp. We saw the village and a peaceful sensation embrace us; we finished our walk at the rocks having these glorious red stamps in our passports. Maybe isn’t something big to finish a 25 kilometres walk, but for us (that we never had participate in these kind of events before) tasted as having completed the Australian Iron Man.

Back to home, the body started complaining about everything done during the day... Due to almost 5 hours of cold raining I was having hypothermia and Kathy had terrible back pains the following days. But even as painful, as hard and exhausting it was... Get to know your city and complete this event is something great and worth it to be done again, in many cases the view will be enough to mitigate exhaustion.

Quick notes:

As we walked, we noticed the experienced one among the group. People don’t tend to give for granted weather conditions, thus bring with you something to take cover. Umbrellas don’t work well.

To protect your passport bring something waterproof. Plastic bags don’t work. Maybe a plastic folder would work well.

As you will be burning out your energy reserves during the day, is great practice you have a high energy breakfast (high energy cereal with milk, sugar, pancakes, etc) but you will need to keep it light as you keep walking. Fruits will do it for lunch and maybe snacks, but right after finishing the walk a hot chocolate (or just a chocolate candy bar) will replenish the energy shortage you might be suffering. If the weather is cold and you have low energy reserves is highly probable you will suffer some kind of hypothermia as I did. Believe me, isn’t pleasant.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and the story.

Cya soon mates.

Since our arrival

Since or arrival (on September 9, 2009) we have manage to enjoy the days with the easy and graze of any Sydneysider; he he, not really.

The day we got to the airport and after the inspections to our bags, we went to exchange some US Dollars into Australian currency (that was our very first time having in our hands these plastic funny bills). With some Australian dollars in our pockets we asked some directions of how to use the phone which work backward to those in America, where you put some money in, dial and talk; here instead you dial the phone number and after someone picks it up you put the coin in the machine. This cost me two dollars to find out until a gentle man told me how to really use it.

After calling, all we needed to do was waiting for a little bit till our mates came by and picked us up, to take us to Hornsby (where we were supposed to spend the next days without flat unit) then take us to meet our closest mall, The Westfield shopping centre and the Water Clock in the Westfield middle park. I must say, I was dreaming all the way to the mall and back, with mare remembrance of opening the account at the commonwealth bank of Australia we went back to meet David (building manager where we were renting) and he told us what we needed to do to get our flat, thankfully to my mate Moira, I was able to rent at once in the building, paying as few as possible.

What was next...? Oh right, the next couple of days we went to Bing Lee to shop for our washer and fridge plus some other stuff. The tip here is, talk to the vendor. He (as you) likes a good chat, and what is better than looking for a berrigans? We talk to ‘Eddie’ trying to get the price as low as possible and we got the fridge, washer, vacuum cleaner and iron for under a$2,200.00 saving odd a$250.00 or more as we got free shipping to our home. Then we went to buy the matrix for our bedroom and bumped into a comfortable matrix tagged as a$ 5,000.00, but due to low stock and the one we wanted was on display, we got it for a$2,000.00 or a$1,999.00 (as the sales lady told us, you are having a cool matrix for under two thousand dollars, that’s good deal). When I had to pay, she told me that I needed to by 40% of the bed set, but I didn’t had on my wallet a$800.00 so I tell her if there was any problem on paying just a$300.00 which told me ‘no worries then... head over those $300 and pay the rest when bed is delivered’.

Back to our flat, my mate and her husband got us two sofas and a dinner table with someone had it for us, our apartment was nearly complete with its basic furniture and we were ready to know something else from our new city. So our first stop was the beach (as spring break open just two days after our arrival) then Sydney CBD to be standing in front of the Sydney Opera House. Is it me or is more beautiful than in pictures, don’t know, the thing is, I am truly in love of my new home.

Back to Hornsby, the next couple of days we were staring sunsets (as shows in our balcony), with one rare hail fall and today, unprecedented strong dust winds or sandstorm. Oz really wants to show us what nature beholds.

This sums it up till present days; I will leave you some pictures of today’s sand storm.

Cheers and till next time.

Last days in Venezuela

These posts are a compilation of every aspect of moving, packing and farewell every migrant will suffer when its time is right. With this I would like to express the stress and exhaustion of the last month getting ready for what awaits.

The last days are split into these separate posts, read it as you wish or follow the order:

• Last days, visa granted aftermath
• Last days, quitting the job
• Last days, to-do lists
• Last days, getting yellow card
• Last days, decisions to make
• Last days, pick and pack clothes
• Last days, pick and pack stuffs
• Last days, shipping our stuffs
• Last days, getting perfect travel bags
• Last days, closing unnecessary accounts
• Last days, planning a trip
• Last days, issues
• Last days, farewell parties
• Last days, Bogota - Colombia trip
• The last day, uh that song

Thanks for reading, and till next time.

Last days, visa granted aftermath

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This post is part of a bigger compilation of thoughts and thus, it might have no sense or lead to miss information. If you want to fully read it, start from here, otherwise continue reading.

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As you probably already know, my visa was granted on March, 19th and since then, all despair, excitement, sadness, joy, wrath and stress have been taking a new meaning. Picture it as your entire world is wipeout and you just have to put it all together again. That should be the exact feeling.

So, what to do? What to do? Obviously finishing work, find more information of our new place, enjoy family (this one got to me several times… “You got to enjoy your family to the fullest, because you are going to miss them”).

All of the sudden, everything reminds you what you just have in front of you. The land that watched you grow, become from baby to kid, from kid to teenager and from teen to man, giving to some nostalgia for what you haven’t lost yet. All of the sudden the problems and issues are dimmed by those good moments that defines you (then some biker yells at you, someone press the horn or start fighting and that moment is gone) and you can’t stop asking yourself, what if… everything change? What if everything would it be different… would I make the same choices? The truth is, I am totally in love of Australia at the moment and everything here (Venezuela) seems to be so full of chaos that the only way to secure a more stable and peaceful future is moving somewhere else.

As the days goes by, you start moving again, thinking in the future and start planning everything for this moment we (my wife and I) have been dreaming for more than 3 years now.

The next big step is resigning the job, gathering everything to move and enjoy the last days.

Last days, quitting the job

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This post is part of a bigger compilation of thoughts and thus, it might have no sense or lead to miss information. If you want to fully read it, start from here, otherwise continue reading.

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Once your visa is granted (well, in my case was way before getting the granted) you must tell your boss you are planning to move overseas. In my case, wasn’t a surprise for them and had it expected, preparing everything to avoid delays and help me going. It might sound that my job wanted me out, isn’t? but wasn’t like that, in fact the company was moved to Hermosillo, Mexico and I was offered a position there and I rejected because as for me, was pointless to move to Mexico waiting the Australian visa.

Once I clear out the final days on work (which at first, was last of May, then it was moved to last of June with the purpose of gathering more money) the only thing to do was preparing my way out with the best references I could get, training other coworkers in “my thing” so they could continue working without the gap behind my departure.

In my case, the definition of the “last day of work” was sort of a nightmare, many of my coworkers were prepared for the job, but the manager was lacking of the necessary skills to lead the team (and from my point of view, didn’t mind it to learn it neither) so I got to write a huge report that took me some of the days (odd 10 days) later my leave (which wasn’t cool at all). The hard thing of these days was saying goodbye to your mates and wishing the very best for them (as so do they).

My advice at this point, get everything done so you can resign up to 45 to 60 days before traveling. 30 days seems to be much time, but really isn’t.

Once I was out of duties I could manage my mind and focus to get pending things to its final state, but to accomplish it, I had to create a to-do list.

Last days, to-do lists

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This post is part of a bigger compilation of thoughts and thus, it might have no sense or lead to miss information. If you want to fully read it, start from here, otherwise continue reading.

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Who doesn’t know what a to-do list work for? I didn’t fully understand it till these days when you get so crowded with stuff in your mind that things when to on priority to “what was I going to do?” in no time.

In any case, my wife got me a piece of paper and told me to list everything I was planning to do in the upcoming days. As I had it mentally listed for so long, building up the list was easy… following it was the hard part :P Got to buy shipping bubble plastic, got to buy the travel bags, got to… do so many things, Oh lord!

I went from home to the streets and back all day long gathering those final details (but important) that many don’t give it importance till you are wasting so much time in things you could had done way before the visa approval.

My advice in this part, build a to-do list with every possible aspect needed for the departure… if you have near 50 items in that list, I bet you there are 20 more you haven’t thought.

With the to-do list ready and priorities assigned the following days are execute those tasks shipping those not possible for now. Our top priority was trespass our vaccine history to the yellow card (International certificate of vaccination).

Last days, getting yellow card – Finally

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This post is part of a bigger compilation of thoughts and thus, it might have no sense or lead to miss information. If you want to fully read it, start from here, otherwise continue reading.

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You might be thinking “god rod not again the story of your 5 shots in the arm…” and I am not going to recapitulate how painful it was.

The important thing is how to get the yellow card so you can travel without any but nor complain. We called the sanity department requesting directions to where, when and how to go. With clear directions and regular vaccine history in our hands we marched to the sanity department general office in “Centro Simon Bolivar”, Caracas, Venezuela and asked the board, we were sent to the 4th floor general and public epidemiology department.

There, we were requested to show our airplane bookings (to check the traveling dates) because they were only attending to those within 30 days prior to travel (bring your bookings, just in case you are requested to show it). Thanks goodness the receptionist was willing to generate the card and accept our 35 days prior traveling as 30. In that moment, you are called for examination and in case you don’t have the influenza vaccine or the yellow fever vaccine you are going to be dismissed in order to get it. Important note: the sanity department doesn’t provide any vaccine to general public; you must go there “with your vaccine already in your regular history”, also double check your history (and the yellow fever vaccine), otherwise you will be requested to go somewhere else to get it first. In the examination you are told to get the influenza vaccine as well in order to avoid any further problem with the H1N1 spreading all over the country.

It is also important to remark, check your vaccines histories, Kathy had an issue with her card as her history does not mention the vaccine batch applied to her, so she had to go and get a brand new shot in her arm. The yellow fever shot could be applied at least every 10 years but it really doesn’t matter if you get it twice in a year, avoid 40 days vaccines prior travelling, for us this would be a problem (because we would be short of days) but the doctor told us not to worry because she had a shot before.

This section advice, bring the information needed to prove you are traveling outside the country limits and the destination request the yellow card in immigration; in some countries such as Venezuela, this card is something very unusual, thus some doctors or receptionist will look for excuses to not give it to you.

Next, packing.