G'Day Mates!

Well, well, well. It's day two in Sydney, and I am in love. Truly. This city is absolutely fantastic -- from the scenic views to the incredible accents. I arrived in Australia yesterday morning, bright and early. After a 16-hour flight from Los Angeles (an 2 additional hours because of fog in Sydney that postponed our descent), I was greeted by the beautiful faces of Desi and John. I cannot explain the feeling of excitement that I felt seeing two familiar faces after nearly 24 hours of travel. We hopped in the car and drove back to the Burns' house, which was about 20 minutes away from the airport. I walk through the front door and am greeted by the most stunning view. Their living room has giant glass windows that look out onto the beach -- it is literally breathtaking. Desi, John and I ate some breakfast (Australian's have Wheatbix, not Wheat-a-bix, weird??), then hopped back in the car and drove down the coast line, stopping randomly to take pictures with the white crashing waves and the crystal blue water. We continued on until we got to Manly, which is a little suburb of Sydney with adorable little stores, cafes, and a beautiful beach. I got to see my first Australian Speedo, worn by no other than a 90-year old -- woo whee.

After strolling down the main street, or "corso" as Australians call it, we stopped on the Manly Wharf and ate lunch at the Manly Wharf Hotel, which had a section of the restaurant out on the wharf, so we ate outside -- the weather was perfect. I got a delicious Mediterranean Vegetable Salad, one of the ingredients being "capsicum", which is the Australian word for bell pepper. So unusual, but I'm learning so many new words, I love it! To accompany our meal, I ordered a glass of Fat Tree Champagne, and Desi drank Coopers beer, and John had a glass of Carlton Draft. We were definitely celebrating the 10 days that were to come -- I still can't believe that I'm in Australia! It is such a dream come true.

We hopped in the car after a few hours in Manly, and went back to the Burns' humble abode, where Desi and I got reconnected with the world via e-mail. Then came dinner, which was also very tasty. I was very impressed with John's help in the kitchen, as he whipped up a delicious assortment of veggies, rice, potatoes, and "spicy yoghurt chicken". I finally got to meet John's parents over dinner, and the conversation was lovely -- lots of good banter. Circa 8:30, my eyelids began to feel very heavy. Luckily, Desi noticed the wave of tiredness that I was experiencing, and we cleared the table and it was recommended that I go to bed. Needless to say, I did not argue.

I woke up at 4 am, but managed to go back to sleep until 8:20, when I bound out of bed, threw on some tennis shoes and went for a good run along the beautiful coastline. I cannot believe that the Burns' actually live in this place -- it is definitely a dream vacation site. I was met by Desi after my run, I showered, we ate some breakfast outside on their balcony, then got into the car and headed along the coast (a few more scenic stops on the way) until we reached Balmoral, another suburb of Sydney, where the Taronga Zoo is located. After going on the safari last year, I swore I would never go to a zoo again, but today was incredible. We got to see so many fascinating and exquisite animals. I want a pet koala bear! We were hit with two bouts of rain, but were likely enough to go inside to the cafe for lunch during the first and were on our way out of the zoo for the second. Besides those two quick showers, the weather has been fantastic. It's "winter" in Australia -- but you would never know that from going outside. Desi wore a dress today and I was in shorts. If only Texas had winters like that!

John, Desi and I are now relaxing before going out for a night "on the town". I will write again soon!

Love from Down Under,
Ailee