Closing time - Semisonic

Closing time
Open all the doors and let you out into the world
Closing time
Turn all of the lights on over every boy and every girl
Closing time
One last call for alcohol so finish your whiskey or beer
Closing time
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here

I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home

Closing time
Time for you to go out to the places you will be from
Closing time
This room won't be open till your brothers or your sisters come
So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend
Closing time
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
Take me home

Game Over

I arrived two days ago back to Sydney, ending 2 months of travel in Australia, which are part of a total travel of 9 months (and 1 week) in a corner of the world. In that time I went through 7 countries (actually visiting 6), 5 out of 8 Australian states, more than 5 islands, with the help of 4 Lonely Planet guides (and another I didn't even open, just got it nicely soaked with water), 3.5 reading books, 1 camera which produced about 15GB of data, which are 8248 photos, 961 of them ended up on Flickr, 12 flights (out of them 7 domestic), 2 overnight train rides, almost endless bus rides, day and night, ferries and 1 rented car, who circled Tasmania for 1700km. My longest trek lasted 20 days, my longest tour 11, but the average was 3. I went rafting for 3 days, climbed 4 walls, visited the under water world 18 times, but mostly walked, a lot. I visited 2 doctors, 1 physiotherapist, had 3 colds and 0 traveler's diarrheas. But who counts, right?

This journey would not have been what it was without a lot of people. First, a huge community of travelers. A group of open-minded people who were willing to share the way the life in their countries really are, shading a different light than the stereotypes and TV and newspapers based knowledge I came with. Then there are the people I met from each country I visited, which added the spices and herbs to make each spot more than a collection of natural and artificial attractions. Finally the great group of people I left home (and around the world), my family and friends, who, though far far away, were always there to encourage, support, advise, help, criticize and comment.

If you'll be looking for me, I will be in Sydney for the next two months, trying to figure out what I'll be doing next without a backpack (and keep myself warm with those blasted cold waves). After that you might find me in Bangkok, maybe around Road Rambuttri, eating stir fried rice on the street, or maybe even at Haad Yao, Koh Phangan, reading a book and watching the sunset. Somewhere around the beginning of October, I'll head back home.

חתולי - בוטן מתוק בקרקס

חתול חתולי בתוך קופסת קרטון
תעשו לי קצת חורים אני רוצה לנשום היום
פיתולים פיתולים מתיר את הקשרים
פינת החדר ואני אני ואת

אם את כאן או לא כאן
אם את באה והולכת
אני לבד אני חושב
מי בכלל הסכים לך מי נתן לך רשות
להסתובב אצלי בתוך הלב

בלבולים בלבולים איבדתי מזמן
את הדרך ולאן לאן לאט

אם את כאן או לא כאן
אם את באה והולכת
אני לבד אני חושב
מי בכלל הסכים לך מי נתן לך רשות
להסתובב אצלי בתוך הלב

Do what you have to do - Sarah McLachlan

What ravages of spirit
conjured this temptuous rage
created you a monster
broken by the rules of love
and fate has lead you through it
you do what you have to do
and fate has led you through it
you do what you have to do ...

and I have the sense to recognize that
I don't know how to let you go
every moment marked
with apparitions of your soul
I'm ever swiftly moving
trying to escape this desire
the yearning to be near you
I do what I have to do
the yearning to be near you
I do what I have to do
but I have the sense to recognize

that I don't know how
to let you go
I don't know how
to let you go

a glowing ember
burning hot
burning slow
deep within I'm shaken by the violence
of existing for only you

I know I can't be with you
I do what I have to do
I know I can't be with you
I do what I have to do
and I have sense to recognize but
I don't know how to let you go
I don't know how to let you go
I don't know how to let you go

Private road - Bent

My heart from now is a private road
No thoroughfare
No heavy load
No slow traffic
No graphic details
Cold or collision
No more stories to make me end

I'll always love you, still you are mine
Why do you have to take so much time calling me?
I just wanted it to be easy like
Sunday morning

Snow falls in silence and covers the green
Still you can see where the birds have been
Hungry but alive and free
Waiting

Up along the East coast in a month and a half, part 1

The means: A hop on hop off bus ticket, a golden plastic card backed up with a luxurious bank account and, as one intelligent guy once said, underwear ( In my case, ten of them).

The mission: Go through about 3000km of beaches and other natural attractions, fake ones too, hostels, pubs (sometimes the same thing) and drunk travelers.


15-16 May - Coffs Harbour


A nice town I liked for its nice coastal scenery. My highlight was walking up to mutton bird hill, a nesting spot for the mutton birds! They weren't there when I was but the view was excellent. Other than that there is a nice mangrove walk and pretty big botanical gardens.
The YHA hostel over there was one of the best, with very friendly staff and rides to a local hotel for cheap dinner and backpackers' gathering.

17-20 May - Byron Bay



Hippie Byron Bay is definitely that. But other than that it has a nice beach, a lovely national park with the most easterly point in Australia and a relaxed atmosphere. Off the beach you can see Julian Rocks, my first diving spot along the cost. I went for one dive with Sundive and saw many Wobegong sharks, one Leopard shark and a turtle. The sea conditions were pretty rough as the sun decided to disappear just when I needed it (this element will repeat quite a few times in the story). Nevertheless, the visibility under the water was excellent, one of the best I ever had. It was also the first time I went into the water commando style, rolling backwards.
I stayed first at Arts Factory Lodge, a famous hostel. It was quite unique but a bit too expensive for the facilities it provided. I moved after a few days to Cape Byron YHA which was very good.

21-22 May - Surfers Paradise



A paradise? Maybe, I'm not sure for who. The main activity around here is clubs or pubs "crawling". The bad weather decided to join in on my arrival day. From stories I have heard, I'm not the only one to whom it happened. I believe it might be more than a coincidence.



The main reason I arrived to Surfers Paradise was Dream World, a rides theme park. So the next the day, with excellent weather, I went there for some roller coasters fun. I was disappointed to know that the park closes at five. In contrast, the Six Flag parks in USA close at midnight. On the other hand, I went in the middle of the week and there was not that much to do. So I did the big five thrill rides about seven times each, except for the roller coaster, which was quite lame. The ushers on the big five insist that you strip off your belongings and anything that is not attached to you. Fortunately there are reusable lockers for the whole day. The ride that maintained its excitement level throughout repeated rides was the Claw


The free fall won second place.

23-25 May - Brisbane



Brisbane is a nice spot, but not a lot of places of interest to me. The main area of interest is the South bank of the river. There are quite a few museums for modern art and the like. There is a nice park, some nice take away dining and an artificial beach with real bodies.


I took a bus to mountain Coot-Tha, which has a view over the city.



From there I walked down a trail that leads to a now dried waterfall, because of recent years' draught. Next stop was the planetarium on the way down. I have watched a movie about our galaxy and Brisbane's night sky. The movie was shown around three. Being in a very very dark room at this time of the day meant that I had a good nap too.

I went to the city hall, visited the mayor's office and wondered around. You can go up to the clock tower of the city hall, which is a famous(?) symbol of Brisbane. Sadly, the only view from up there is of the skyscrapers surrounding it. The botanic gardens are a nice spot to have a quiet afternoon.

In Brisbane I met Stacy, whom I met in a hostel in Hobart, Tasmania. She is studying at Brisbane, but originates from Taiwan.

My hostel was a nice one, if a bit expensive. One day before my departure, the cleaners "cleaned" a bit more than they were supposed to. I found some of my personal belongings at their room, one thrown out at the corridor and that's about it. The manager had them look for the stuff but it wasn't found. The story hasn't ended yet. The annoying part is not hearing an apology from him (or anyone else in that matter, though one of the cleaner might have said something...).

26-27 May - Noosa



Noosa was a stop I didn't plan but came out quite well. There are actually a few "Noosa"s around, Noosa head, Noosa hill and more. The place has a mellow atmosphere to it, even though it is quite commercialised and oriented more towards those with deep pockets. Next to the beach is a national park with several walking tracks and koalas, if you can spot them. The marking of the tracks was the best I ever seen. I stayed at the Halse Lodge YHA, which is a historical building (but with modern facilities...).

A trip I did not know about and therefore missed was going through a place called the everglades for a few days with a kayak.