So the two-week mark approaches. A third of the way through already. I've left Asia behind and now Saturday morning dawns in sunny Sydney.
A good time to take stock, reflect and take an honest look at the whole travelling business, as promised in one of my first posts.
The first thing that needs saying is on a trip like this you have to pace yourself. When we fell off the train at Singapore after two nights of very broken sleep we were completely knackered. And so we spent a day pottering gently rather than whizzing round the city, and the evening watching telly on You Tube in our dressing gowns. However much there is to see, it will all be there tomorrow. Tiredness is a real killer; it dampens down the joy of exploring and makes things feel more of an effort than they really are.
Secondly, do your research thoroughly. This avoids the moment when you pitch up at the airport and and hear the immortal words; 'your boarding pass won't print because you don't have a visa.' It simply never occurred to me I'd need any kind of visa for Australia. The lesson is; never assume. It's sheer luck that the Qantas desk was open and I could buy a a last minute visa (thirty five quid, rather than free, if I'd done it in advance). Otherwise this would have been an extended post on the joys of Changi airport.
The whole food thing is an interesting one. Eat the street food, everyone always tells you. And we did - plates of rice and stir fries in hawker markets, fragrant bubbling fish on Yarowat Street in Bangkok's Chinatown. Did we suffer for it? A little, to be honest, but nothing serious. But it can be a bit daunting - no-one wants to spend any of their precious time away unable to leave the bathroom. The old advice that if you can see it being cooked, and its fresh off the flame then it will be fine - is good. But if you're still unsure, join a locally-run food tour, which offers the reassurance that the stalls picked will be a good bet. Or swerve it altogether if it you're not sure - travelling shouldn't be about feeling pressure to do things you don't really want to.
I guess the final lesson is - talk to people. I'm lucky - a lot of this trip is for work, so I'm constantly having coffees and lunches with people. Last night I had a fascinating evening, learning about how the Sydney coffee shop siege affected the city, and the love-hate relationship the Aussies have with New Zealanders. In Singapore, talking to local workers gave an insight into what life in one of the world's most pristine cities is really like.
The girl I was chatting to last night works in tourism, and she was saying how differently people travel. According to her, Chinese visitors tend to travel in a 'tick it off' kind of way - a picture of the Sydney Opera House is enough, on to the next thing. For me, travel is about getting under the skin of somewhere, getting little insights into what makes a city or country tick. Even going to the launderette - this morning's glamorous adventure - gives a little snapshot of a city going about its everyday life.
It does feel quite a thing, though, to be on the other side of the world. Coming face to face with the opera house yesterday was quite a moment; face to face with something I'd seen hundreds of times on TV and films. I've just booked a ticket for Tosca, (and will do my best not to fall asleep, as I did at the Met in New York) and can't wait to sweep up the steps (not in a street cleaner kind of way). Here's a pic. Happy Saturday.
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