6.8.15 - Sydney | Ayeres Rock

Yesterday, after written you, booking dives to Cairns and have a nice nap, we went out to say goodbye to Sydney.Destination: Darling Harbour. A fancy spot, just across the harbor which has the Opera House and Rocks.Walked arround Chinatown - the garden was already closed - and went to the port. Several yatchs, good atmosphere and many restaurants and bars. An Italian bar with a bella ragazza indicating the tables and how Happy Hour work, drink several gins at half price. After that was the goodbye and return home to cook dinner packing for today.Today everything was running as usual; it's not like we do on purpose to always walk in the nick of time.So after we left home, there is a blurring whether or not to load the metro card - don`t recharge it - when we got to Central, on the sound system: "Emergency, emergency: please evacuate the station. All passangers "and everyone ran out of the station."- Let's take a taxi?- Where's a taxi?- Are we entering on the station!- Let's go by underground ".Off we went running to take the metro to the airport.The flight, internal, full of Spanish, some Portuguese as well as we, French, German, Chinese and some Australians, had several windy shake that made it very interesting from the point of view of adrenaline. The landing was with the plane unbalanced due to the wind, on a track that seemed the lunar surface. Love it!Ayeres Rock has a smaller airport that the bus stop at Batalha. But that's not important, the important thing was to land in the desert to see Uluru, the sacred mountain.Carry the Mitsubishi, decorate with the logos of fluidotrónica, Norfer, eni, Arax Gazzo, Roadgalaxy, Agência Paraíso, Hama, Monte Campo, Vida Económica,

Alpinestars, Nau Helmets and Konica Minolta spent at the hostel to leave bags - there gone are the hotels and apartments luxury - change clothes - put the Monte Campo leggins to be able to walk freely in the middle of vegetation without me poking and without the bugs sting me - and headed to Uluru.20 km of asphalt road in the middle of a red surface, reminiscent of Mars, with some low vegetation and few trees. Signs of reptiles and other wildlife. All towards the mountain worshiped by the natives.In the middle of everything, like a giant ship or a meteorite if erge from the flat land a red mountain without vegetation.Walk around - you can not go up, it is disrespectful towards local - took pictures and saw the setting of the sun on it.Beautiful, wonderful. A peace, an atmosphere, a feeling that can match what I lived in Abu Simbel; those things that I will remember forever.The trip was worth it.So much so that it's not worth writing anything ... See you tomorrow.

5.8.15 - Sydney

Last official day in Sydney and the sun woke up to cheer us. To Palmamaníacos like me and João have been, was almost "Acorda Menina Linda" (almost because he can sing it ... I can`t.).Sunny, with everyone awake, went by bus to Bondi Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world.Down straight to the sea, between houses of the first part of the twentieth century begins to sight the Pacific. Beautiful, not for the beach or the sand or something fancy to appear; beautiful for being the Pacific, to be, for me, "one check", evil were near the beach, despite the cold, have taken the shoes, rolled up his trousers and was getting his feet wet. The water was warm.Bondi Beach is a beach old-fashioned, with the homes of vacationers, the typical hotels, a marginal where many people do sport, painted murals and a blue-green sea with some waves to remember Furadouro, or Espinho, or Povoa de Varzim, or Santa Cruz, or Maçãs or other typical beach from our Portugal.Bondi Beach followed by a wooden walkway, leading us through the cliffs to Tamarama and Bronte. A lot of people walking dogs, jogging, enjoying the scenery. Along the coast several sea pools, reminding our travel partners that one of the most famous in the world is in Leça da Palmeira and the architect, Portuguese, is Siza Vieira who won, among others, the Pritzker.In addition to the pools, the surf spots and superb houses the architecture and privileged location overlooking the sea and the cliffs, numerous bowling clubs; It is that here practicing the first part of bowling, namely the grass.Between Tamarama and Bronte, in a scenario of peace and the deep, lies a cemetery. Celtic crosses, Roman or right arms, classical statues, columns and Masonic brackets, to which are added Irish, English, Italian names. At this cemetery we have the perception that who came and built Australia: from fleeing or forced, from various faiths and social life, having in common the desire to leave a life behind and start another.This was the last day in Sydney because tomorrow morning we`ll travel to the center of the country, for Ayeres Rock and Uluru.Sydney is a fantastic city, with the major attraction poles of the Opera House and the bridge, and everything is very close.Talk about Sidney is talking about the new world verses the old world; is London versus New York; It is Lisbon vs Rio de Janeiro. It is a vibrant city that can not - or want to - hide their maternal influence but that the buildings, the people, clearly points to the contemporary, a very cosmopolitan way and open-minded.A rock that was the fate of British prisoners has become the great nation it is today.

4.8.15 - Sydney

A gray and cold weather welcomed us today in Sydney. The rain threatened and it looked like the Serra da Estrela was next door.We had planned to go to the beach - just to see - but thought it would be better do it tomorrow, if the weather cleared.So, we went by tube to Kings Cross - Sydney Red Light District - to see the biggest Coca-Cola announcement of the southern hemisphere - which craze! And, just like yesterday at the post office, I have serious doubts that littlelyoutdoor is the largest in the south of the globe.From there we follow towards Parramatta. We arrived to a very fancy area, behind the Botanical Garden were is parked where some of the Australian war fleet. Among the "little boats", with a colossal size, an aircraft carrier. Wow, even the far, far away, I felt tiny!In this area, some old warehouses converted into a hotel and very beautiful houses side the water, a marina with beautiful boats: Sunseeker, Riva, Princess, wrapping other didn`t recognize the brand but it filled me measurements.Here too, a typical mobile home food, silver, with Harry's name. In addition to meat pies and vegetables, hamburgers and other specialties of this kind of "restaurants", hundreds of photographs of famous people who have been eating there. Of course I and João took a selfie; It was our face!We cross the Botanical and entered the city, where ancient buildings mingle with the skyscrapers and go down to rocks.We passed Rocks and went up to the bridge, crossing it to the other side.We again see the Opera House from a different perspective and arrived at the Luna Park, the sun came to us.We took pictures, laughed and caught the ferry to the other bank.After a gin in the Opera Kitchen we follow again to Kings Cross to see the Red Light in a more nocturnal perspective.A pint, pass by the supermarket and are at home to cook.Tomorrow is the last day in Sydney. Bondi Beach ?!

3.8.15 - Sydney

Sydney: a wonderful city; It will the southern hemisphere effect?!The day was full of knowledge and new things: we started to go to downtown to see the building built in honor of Queen Victoria. Imposing as any British building of that era, beautiful, mischaracterized the place - better in London - and recovered. Inside, a shopping center with major international brands and some niches such as art galleries, the Tate and MOMA shops, a spiral staircase to the roof with a tiny door to remember Harry Potter.Hence, crossing Market Street, we went for the Sydney Tower and had the opportunity to climb its 309 meters. Upstairs, a 360 ° view of the city, giving us the real prospect of those coming from the sea, land or air. Curiosity of the moment: a landmark mail even up there, saying it is a milestone in the highest activity in the southern hemisphere. In the Andes there isn`t postoffice ?!Continuing the city tour, followed by a garden that looked like an Oxford copy then we enter a road that led us to the Art Gallery New South Wales and the Botanical Garden.In the museum the better from first half of the twentieth century, with Picasso head, Matisse among others.Here, when took a selfie, a girl from high school came to ask if I wanted her to take off the picture. My selfie became a selfie with João and part of the secondary class, to laughter from the teacher who accompanied them.Ending a cultural visit, a lunch in the park for then we walk through the Botanical Gardens, to the Opera House.The garden grows as a natural barrier from the sea to the skyscrapers, a mix of color and life.The Opera House, designed by a Danish architect, through a draw without engineering project, with its white ceramic works as a ready to light and energy attraction. How does a shapeless object, brutal in its design, which generated an incalculable debt can attract so many people from all around the world ?!From Opera the Rocks was a hop, just in time to see the Museum of Contemporary Art before dinner. Various facilities with Energies title could put the audience to interact with the art: jobs headphones, running a hand through several draws, these emit different sounds. Or an image of a mountain where we could, by hand, fly like a bird and have many different perspectives.Nearly the end the day, a well-deserved dinner. Entries eat grilled vegetables, tuna flambé and bread with humus. For main course  lamb shoulder and white and dark chocolate parfait and goat cheese for desert. To drink, a white wine from New Zealand, varietal Sirah.
 Was it expensive? Yes, but here nothingis cheap ...

2.8.15 - Sydney

Yesterday Singapore was ran from one end to the other, leaving only a few sights to see in return.Because of this, with a flight at two in the morning in a very spartan low cost we were all very tired. No movies, no food, cramped seats, the 7 hour trip seemed that never passed. But for 170 euros, we could not ask for more.Arrived at the Australian city, went directy by metro to the apartment: twelfth floor with panoramic views.Thus, Sydney, just took a little back along the harbor and the Opera House. The rest is for the next three days.It was dinner time; for us, because for them this time had passed long time ago, and the streets were deserted. The restaurants doesn´t no longer serve and we take refuge in a bar with live music, burgers and beer.The building of the Opera House and the bridge, illuminated and reflected in the water, create a unique atmosphere. With no one else seemed a show mounted only for us.Tomorrow we will see it with day light and compare!