Sydney

After approximately 23 hours I landed in Sydney with the clear impression that traveling is still a big adventure!
I showed up at LAX at 8:30 pm and went through check-in / security; I was not lucky this time, my bag got searched 3 times and I got stripped (shoes, shirt, belt...) but fortunately...no anal lube :)))
From LA to Fiji the audio of my video screen broke down and from Nadi to Sydney the video blew off! Not my day! I was not frustrated though, and I kept reading my books. I spent 3 hours in Fiji waiting for my connection. Raphael picked me up at the airport, we hit it off right away (these Americanized French are incredible!) and he allowed me to get well organized. I stayed with Raph and his girlfriend Daniela for 3 days and I'm now moving into a studio for a week. Honestly this place is a dump and not cheap either (50 Aussie a day) but I'm right on the beach. It is a rip off for a place with original carpet from the 60's in a semi-state of decomposition and with the bathroom floor showing mosaic tiles (Pompei style) that they can be described as "quite funky", to say the least: God only knows what lives between those cracks ! But I keep laughing and enjoying myself.
Sydney is beautiful, the ocean is inviting, the sandy beaches are really attractive and I still have to get used to the tropical rain that regularly hits the city for 30 minutes or so, a few times a week; everything is quite lush, especially compared to Southern California.
I'm looking for a new board to buy. The surf supposed to hit in a couple of days. I'm quite sure I will leave Sydney area soon to head north. I will try to settle in Byron Bay. The air is filled with the intense scent of Plumeria trees: they are everywhere, averaging 20 feet in height and looking absolutely stunning! From a botanical point of view it's "plumeria madnes"! I enjoy the crunchy granola vibe in Manly (where I currently settled); there's plenty of organic veggie joints to choose from. The food in general is delicious and the variety of available foods is stunning! Thanks everybody for the constant support. I'll write soon...

Cheers
Dario aka "The Botanist".