2008-Feb 29Friday

澳门：迷行·印象

2008年2月29日13:57　 一图胜千言, 椰子笔谈　3条评论 || 3 Comments

　　真、真、真苦啊…… 总算到了珠海，澳洲之旅迈出第一步。各位，现在我可一点都不像那些潇洒的背包客，牛仔裤、T袖衫、腰系一个简洁精悍的腰包，背着一个好像甲虫壳似的大背囊，从后望去上不见脑袋下不见屁股，简直就像背囊长了腿似的。嗯，我的确腰系腰包，背驮背囊，但问题是…… 胸前挂着一个鼓鼓囊囊的书包，还斜挎着一个五斤重的电脑包，帽子被风吹掉了，但身上好像挂满轮胎一样几乎没法弯腰。由于从广州到珠海的路上和水瓶有了若干次亲密接触，其结果是到了拱北以后遍地找洗手间，总算在真功夫里头找到了，舒爽—— 但却随即发现一个严重问题：我没法掉头出来了，因为身上的累赘太多了一些；而且还没法往后看，因为大背囊实在太高了一些。最后我只好在众目睽睽之下，像登山家攀铁索下峭壁一样，小心翼翼地用脚摸索着下两级阶梯，完成这一任务以后连自己都在傻笑。

自拍技术有限，没法展现“被行李淹没”的效果……

　　好了，花絮就不多说。大约40分钟以后，我就跨越了两道关卡，踏上了“东方之珠”—— 啊呀，是“东方之珠旁边”的澳门的土地。
　　我瞎逛了20分钟才找到往机场的AP1线终点站，原来AP1线竟然是辆—— 中巴，而且车窗上还贴着破破的谨防诈骗的告示，而且车费竟然是三块六毛，咳，内地来客哪会换钱换得这么精细啊？我总算摸出一个5元硬币扔进去，也算是为澳门建设作贡献，心里却对澳门印象分减减…… 想着在香港上水火车站坐A43还是双层大巴，还有好心的香港市民帮我换辅币的说。
　　传说AP1是在澳门半岛东绕西绕，我也就顺便当看风景，不料到机场的时候还是只有五点半，还要在机场等五个小时？当然不干。当机立断，把毛主席换成了大三巴（澳门货币），溜去市区转一转。存妥大包包，拦了部出租车扬长而去。过关前得Li师妹“短（信）”授机宜，说到澳门应该看建筑和吃美食，美食我没兴趣，建筑还有点意思，就说去大三巴牌坊吧，心想澳门弹丸之地也，十五二十块应可抵达，没想到竟然跳了65块，还给的哥以机场税为由要添十块，我心想叶某待会就要一飞冲天，跨洋、跨洲、跨赤道，也就不予你计较了去，但是心里对澳门的印象再减减。

大三巴牌坊，建筑的确精美

　　至于大三巴牌坊，似乎也仅有到此一游的乐趣，不过此乃高地是也，所以可以看到澳门塔、威尼斯人酒店，那的士费也不算白花。大三巴旁边还有鬼子的古炮台，于是来个登高远望，反正参观也是免费。
　　看完炮台，看看表也就六点半，心想不妨听Li小妹一言，找个什么美食街尝尝去。翻出那本2004年版的红宝书（《中国地图册》）查了查那幅不胜简略的澳门地图，发现西南角的名胜最多，于是自言道：夫名胜聚集之地，必为品尝美食之地也，何故？名胜者，游客向往之地也，而游者之肚尤重要焉，怎可无饮无食？哈哈，于是掏出指南针看定方向就大步向前，心里还对自己的推理颇为得意。
　　有句成语叫“得意忘形”，这个时候使用是很有道理的，不过我并不至于“得意忘‘行’”，只是把澳门半岛的地“形”给忘记了。此地的街道横横竖竖斜斜歪歪，而我又不能像古希腊大英雄解救美女一般带一个线团来走，其结果是本来应该笔直向西南而行，结果这一街道拐着拐着向西北了；下一个路口左转吧，转着转着又向东南了，加上一阵上山又一阵下山的，这么走了一个小时，我已经昏头昏脑五里雾中，人疲马渴饥寒交迫了。由于贪图近道，我走的小巷一辆的士都见不到，走了老远终于看到一个巴士站，但所有的站名竟然一个也不认识，真晦气，只好放弃到西南的计划，转为向东而行，想尽可能地接近机场再打的以便呵护那并不富裕的钱包，同时坚定一个信念：道路是曲折的，前途是光明的，……

大三巴牌坊西南方向可见威尼斯人酒店

　　有心摘花花不开，无意插柳柳成荫，虽然西南的名胜区没去成，但一路上看到澳门各具特色的建筑还是让我不至于太沮丧。由于陆地面积有限，这里的建筑之密，就好像蜜蜂挤在蜂巢里一样，就连山坡上也堆满了建筑，我觉得可以名副其实的称为“山城”。里弄小巷，又曲又弯，两边的老式建筑像饼干盒里头的饼干一样整整齐齐的码起来，外观是粤式骑楼，但装饰却又含西洋风味。也许转过弯，在某个小小的广场，你可以看到一栋纯西洋式的建筑，一般都与葡萄牙统治时期有关，真是中外建筑的博览会，其建造又精美典雅，既是对我这号外外行来说，也可以视之为艺术佳作而尽情欣赏。
　　到了差不多八点的时候，我总算看到一条三车道的马路，还挺热闹的，心想我寻寻觅觅冷冷清清总算光光明明，又看到前面不远处有家KFC，赶紧冲进去大吃大嚼，把Li小妹“品尝澳门美食”的忠告抛到了九霄云外。吃完以后一看已经差不多八点半了，又三步并作两步跳到马路边拦了部的士，直奔机场。结果澳门迷行两个多小时，回机场比去的才便宜了区区4块钱……
　　航班没有误点。当乘坐的那架波音767在澳门的夜空里腾空而起，我把头探到舷窗前，看着澳门海滨的灯光星星点点，心里对这次短暂澳门过境的“乱撞”不知是应该感到后怕还是回味。不管怎么说，不必拿澳门来喧宾夺主，半个月的澳洲之行正在前方招手呢！当飞机穿过南海上空阴沉的云系，开始向南进发的时候，我在隆隆的噪音中开始沉沉地打起盹来。

2008-Feb 28Thursday

Tour completed

2008年2月28日23:58　 English island, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

When there is a start, there will be an end, so does my tour in Australia.

It’s certainly an enjoyable journey, or should say, a out-of-expectation journey. I traveled for more than 5,000 kilometers in just two weeks, visit great places, meet great people, take great photos, all of all are so pleasant. But exciting and remarkable experience needs both good starting and good ending. When I arrive the “truely” home at around midnight on Feburary 29, I can annouce “tour completed!”

Firstly my most grateful thankness goes to my relatives in Australia, my grandpa, uncle John and Bob, my aunties and cousins. I stay in their house and they drove me out to see place of interests. If their helps were not present, a pleasant journey would be impossible for me. The same thankness goes to cousin Sean’s cat Claw, she stay with me when I was alone in uncle John’s house and we became rather good friends.

Then I would like to thank my dear friend Ashley Chan, and her family — uncle, auntie, her cousin Karmen and Angela, and their dog, Prince. Thanks them for accommoating and driving me around at Wagga Wagga. For Ashley, I would greatly admire her courage and determination, I would like to pass my best wishes for her in this post as well.

I would like to thank Michael and Angela for the helps they gave during my trip on Melbourne, especially for the b.b.q. kangaroos. Wish them to have a pleasant honeymoon in China.

I would like to thank Simon for showing me around the famours Mt. Stromlo Observatory and the campus of RSAA/ANU.

I would like to thank Robert and Donna, who were so kind to drive for two hours to pick me up from Gunnedah and show me around at Siding Spring. I had also learn a lot from Robert, and extra thanks to him for the poster of Great Comet McNaught, the comet which is his most famous discovery.

I would like to thank Miss. Sue for her great meal.

And thankness also goes to all other people, known or unknown, who have lend me their hands during the great tour.

Although the ending is far from best due to the disappearance of my luggage, I won’t let my excitement ruined. Touring diary in Chinese and beautiful photos would be followed after I take time to write and process. Ahh, surely have to wait after I have process all the headache things about the missing luggage with Vivamacau! \_/ and I have to annouce that all the gifts were placed in it…

2008-Feb 26Tuesday

Leaving is always sad

2008年2月26日20:36　 English island, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

I do not want to leave Siding Spring Observatory, although the price of lodge is more than $100 per day. In the morning, Rob finally contact the person who can bring me into the 3.9-m AAT and look around the giant, but sorry to have kept you wait for photoes — I promise they will be up. The diary now is only something like a pipeline — stay tuned for more “diary” ones.

Then Rob drove me to Coonabarabran and had the postcards delivered (limit products!), then we said good-bye to each other. I took the coach from Coonabarabran to Mongee, then to Lithgow, and then board the train back to Sydney (yep, the train delayed again), took me eight hours again.

I’ll stay at Sydney for another whole day and shall be back to China in the evening of Feburary 28.

2008-Feb 25Monday

The day at Siding Spring

2008年2月25日21:40　 English island, 泉志咨文, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

Although I sleep at 2 a.m. last night, I woke up at 8 a.m. in the morning. It’s already pretty sunshine outside. At 10 a.m. Rob came and guided me to the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). I’m very lucky because today they are going to remove the 16-t mirrow for maintanence, which occurs only once a year. The procedure will take a whole day to complete so we only checks at some important time. By the way — the 3.9-m AAT is also the largest telescope I have ever seen.

After short checks on the AAT, we went to see the 1.2-m UK Schmidt, visit the observatory shops and have lunch, have a great chat with the assistance (she’s not a professional but an astronomer — it’s still pretty nice to me the way she works, although not a professional one). After that we went back to the AAT, and the 16-t, 3.9-m giant had just been removed, and we watch it was put onto the ground floor. After that we still visit the 1.0-m and the 2.3-m AAT telescope (it marked the second biggest I had ever seen), and see the in-built Sky Mapper dome in distance.

The weather became very clear today (last night it wasn’t, but Rob still show me the software and facility of Siding Spring Survey). At sunset, quite a number of kangeroos went out and ate grass, and we observed a nice sunset at just outside the dome of the 3.9-m.

In the 3.9-m AAT dome -- the telescope is too large to be include in this photo

2008-Feb 24Sunday

Siding Spring, here I come!

2008年2月24日23:00　 English island, 泉志咨文, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

I’ve began my last expedition in Australia today — visit one of the Holy Lands for astronomer, the Siding Spring Observatory.

I board the train to Gunnedah on Strathfield at a quarter past ten, but the train was not quite convenient, it produced much noise and was late for one hour (yep the reasons are broken trains ahead, cow acrossing ahead and held for signal to give way).

Rob and Donna were waiting me on the platform, then I have dinner with them. After that, exactly at sunset time, we departed from Gunnedah for Coonabarabran, “the astronomical capital of Australia”, and then for Siding Spring.

Extraodinary is the only word to describe the scenery along the way.

We took about two hours to arrive Coonabarabran and then Siding Spring. The observatory is surround by kangeroos. I spot at least a dozen around the observatory. Rob showed me around the Uppsala Dome and then guide me to the lodge. I found an female astronomer sitting there enjoying Harry Potter DVD, and Rob and I have a great chat with her on the wizard story.

Scientist still prefer things like Harry Poter should you know.

2008-Feb 23Saturday

Olympic Park and the Sydney Habour with Queen Elizebeth II

2008年2月23日23:39　 English island, 泉志咨文, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

Today the mission is visiting the Olympic Parks for Sydney 2000 Olympics, but Uncle Bob brought me to the Sydney Market and observed another side of the Australian life.

Then at night Uncle John and auntie brought me to the Sydney Habour again (the forth or fifth time I visit there), because the giant ship Queen Elizebeth II had just arrived. Take great many photos there, stay tuned for updates…

Tomorrow I’ll go to Strathfield railway station before 10 a.m. and take the train to Gunnedah, Rob and Donna will pick me up from there and drive to Siding Spring Observatory, and I’ll stay there until Feburary 26.

2008-Feb 22Friday

Kiama: place to see THE SEA

2008年2月22日21:01　 English island, 泉志咨文, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

We plan to go to Kiama today but due to other occasions we made the departure at 5 p.m. Kiama is a seaside town about 100 kilometers south from Sydney, it’s close to the big town Wollongong.

We arrived Kiama town at a few minutes past 6 p.m. but note that the sunset is due to around 8 p.m. at this season, so we have plenty of time. Uncle Bob drop me for good at the entry (the kids might have no interest and the place might be too dangrous for them), but I enjoy myself very much. I had expect to see a plain beach with (mostly) naked men and women, similar to the beaches I had just visit, however it proved me wrong. Kiama coast is rocky and there are nearly no place to swim there, the best and most fantastic thing there is high wave, which can went up to a height of six adults or above. After safety checks, I climb pass the “Warning” sign (yes, that’s permitted if you have make sure it’s safe) and tried to get to the sea as close as possible. After a quater’s climbing I arrived at a small flat area, enough for a solo sofa, and about a few meters up from the terrified high wave, then I stood and observe the wave.

The wind was terrible as well, it blow and made the sea more crazy. Sometimes the wave went out to the sky, salt waters were blow overland and made my body very salty. Nothing other than the sea was rowing with a terrified sound, while sea birds seems were enjoying themselves, they just stood a few meters from me, up the rocks, went up and fly with the wind when they like. Several crosses down on the rocks which are very close to the sea, show that unfortunate accidents often happened even on this famous tourist site. I was terrified by the scene but did not want to leave, because I was deeply strike and move by the power of nature — until the dusk came, then I went around and left that place.

Back to the beauty grassland and modern road, there is another kind of scene. Lovers sat on the grass and spoke quitely, children played around, it seems peace and safe, you can never link them to the horrible image describe above, if you do not go and see for your own.

2008-Feb 21Thursday

Welcome to the capital city!

2008年2月21日20:54　 English island, 泉志咨文, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

Hi handsome, do you know which city is the capital of Australia? –No, that’s not Sydney, and that’s even not Melbourne (although it had been), the capital city is called Canbarra — a small city with about 300,000 population, about 300 kilometers southwest of Sydney.
On Feburary 21th, Uncle Bob drove his family and me for three hours for Canberra. I visit the capital mainly because one of the top astronomical research schools — the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) of the Australian National University (ANU) is located there. And may you be familiar with Mount Stromlo Observatory, it had even been a top research facility but was burn down by bushfire in 2003.

After reach Canberra at 2 p.m. we drove for another half an hour to reach Mt.Stromlo. Thankfully I have able to contact some executives there and they arranged me to meet some professors and show me around. Mt.Stromlo was once covered by tall trees but now there are only grass on the hill, and there are no working telescopes for astronomical researches any more, however RSAA still locates there.

I stay at Mt.Stromlo for two hours, and then we drove back to Canberra and took a look of the Parliament House and the ANU campus. Unfortunately the city was hit by a heavy rain and hail in the afternoon and we couldn’t enjoy ourselves so much, but the Parliament House and the ANU campus look nice. We spotted rainbows on the beautiful extending farmlands while driving back to Sydney, too.

2008-Feb 20Wednesday

To the beaches!

2008年2月20日20:51　 English island, 泉志咨文, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

Just sleep for four hours — from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then I woke up, mainly because Grandpa came. “I may bring you to the Manly Coast if you wish — interest?” I could not say no, although I can hardly open my eyes. They said that Manly Coast is one of the most famous beaches in Sydney region. Uncle John drove grandpa and I to the garden next to the Opera House and then went to work. Grandpa and I had a long walk to the Sydney Central Habour, extraodinary view of the Opera House and Sydney Grand Bridge!

Then we board the ship to Manly, it took us half an hour. Beautiful beaches and clean sea there, I’ll write of it in detail later. Then we had a 2-hour long walk and explored the North Head territory. Grandpa is eighty but he keeps a good health, he just look excited about the beautiful scenery during the walk and told me that he moved out for travel nearly every week. Then we board the ship which back to Sydney Central, another extraodinary view of Sydney Habour, nice photo later when I back to China. By the way, I was hit by the bird waste at Manly Beach which is quoted by my grandpa as the “bigest prize”.

The next day, or Feburary 20th, it was Uncle Bob who drove me around, we visited several very famous beaches on the south (of Sydney) — Watson, Lady’s Bay, Bondi and so that forth, it’s said that Bondi Beach is the most famous one. We visited the University of New South Wales and the bigest park of Sydney downtown (I’ll check the name later) too. Lady’s Bay is the one which you can get completely naked and swim, you may expect the people there will get shy but — not them, that’s me who get shy, because I look like an alien there — with all the cloths, shoes, hat, sunglasses on, to protect that poisonense sunlight. If you are not at the “naked bay”, you will still find the females on other beaches still prefer to take their bras off, however I’ve get used to it now. Anyway, the Australian beaches are very beautiful and interesting — stay tuned for photoes and details.

2008-Feb 20Wednesday

The overland tour (3)

2008年2月20日20:40　 English island, 泉志咨文, 鸡毛蒜皮　评论/Comment.

I passed the best wishes to the Mattiazzo couple (they would be married soon and have their honey moon in China at August) and then left Castlemaine by train at 12:01 p.m. Around 1:30 p.m. I arrived the Southern Cross Station — the second time in 24 hours.

Okay, I arrived. Now the first thing is to look for an information center. In Australia, the towns and cities would have information center to provide free maps, information of places of interest, and other services for tourists. Quite convenient, but this time I took about an hour to reach one. A friendly lady (seems called “City Embassy”?) of there gave me maps and a lot of instructions that I have no places to put them in. According to the map, I complete nearly the whole Bourke Street and arrived the Parliament House on east.

Ashley had mentioned that there is a free tram service of Melbourne, called the “City Circle”, which is operate for the tourists. After I arrived the Parliament House, I walk down-right to the Federation Square and caught a City Circle, and thus I visit nearly all the places of interest in the downtown area, include Treasury Gardens, Calton Gardens, Melbourne Library, Central, Flagstaff Gardens, Victoria Habour, and so on, but still too early to go to the railway station, so I walked for about an hour to reach a Tourist Shuttle stop (free as well) and visit the Southbank, old Melbourne Observatory, Park, Goverment, and MCG (a famous and large stadium). The shuttle terminated the Victoria Art Museum and I wish to have a rest (it was clear and the temperature went up to 35C that day and I carried ~15kg baggage you know), so I went inside and had a brief look.

Then I felt much better, so I went mad again and travel by tram to look at the University of Melbourne (a few kilometers north from downtown) and walk in the campus for about one hour. Still one hour from the Sydney train departure so I travel back to the downtown and visit the Observation Deck — little bit similar to the Sydney Tower which offer you a nice bird view from 250 meters above the ground — then time was up and I walk to the Southern Cross Station.

Train departed on time, many people there, included a very naughty boy, he kept walking around the cars and made his mother very annoyed and tired. I turned on my laptop and started writing something, but soon found I’m not fit at the moment. Sleep? No, that was too noisy outside and you cannot sleep. So I closed my eyes and thought about some dull things. At last I was too tired and lied my head on my bag.

Around 1 a.m. I woke up and found the train arrived somewhere. I look out of the window — it was Wagga Wagga. The sign reminded me the moment when Ashley was on platform and shaking hands and saying goodbye to me, although I’m too tired to think about anything. The train started again in no time and I stared at the street lights and saw them off. Mobile phone rang and it was Ashley, “Just heard the train passed, are you in it? …” Sorrow feeling flooded. Dunno when would we meet again. A face-to-face chat can never ever been completely replaced by Internet chats.

Junee, Gilbone, Cambelltown, and finally Strathfield at twilight. The overland tour ended here, I tidied my bag and walk towards Uncle John’s car.