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Kuala Lumpur - City of lights

Kuala Lumpur is most beautiful at night time. Arriving at our plush hotel (a rare and welcome treat) late evening, we raced straight up to the 30 something floor to take in our first breath of the City from the rooftop pool-cum-viewing platform. We were dazzled by an expanse of lights decorating the blackness of the City as far as the eye could see, awestruck by the two towers of diamonds standing high and looking down on the rest of KL. The proud King and Queen of the nights sky.

Day time Kuala Lumpur feels slightly different. It seems to me to be a City filled with skyscrapers, shopping malls and traffic. Other than the Petronas Towers (the magnificent diamonds in the sky), there aren't any immediately obvious and enticing things to do on your door step. You have to seek them out. I'd imagine those who simply visit and wander around, would leave feeling slightly underwhelmed with the place. But if you look beyond the sea of skyscrapers and malls, Kuala Lumpur is likely to seduce you somewhat.  

Ana, the owner of LaZat cooking school, was a true Malaysian through and through. She was energetic with a capital E and had the kind of passionate determination in her eyes that you would never wish to cross, 'You talk about weather in England. We talk to our friends and neighbours about what we're going to cook our families for dinner. It's all we talk about'. There was no doubt that she wanted to teach us everything about her local cuisine and she wanted us to absorb every single word. She had ladles of charisma and her love for Malay cuisine: unquestionable. Her life was about food bringing people together; good food equals a happy life was her mantra. And I must say, I found her and her whole attitude to be hugely compelling.

At the start of the day, we met Ana and our other fellow students - an intimate group of 8 - at a local Malay market. We ate Roti and drank Teh Tarik (essentially a thick pancake with local spicy sauces and a hot milky tea) for breakfast. Flavours we are not at all accustomed to tasting at 8am were, to our surprise, hugely satisfying. Ana gave us a tour of the market and she knew everyone (of course)! As we waltzed around the marketplace following our tutor; we smelt, tasted and touched all of the local produce and ingredients Ana thrust in our direction from each stall - herbs, sauces, fresh fish, spices, weird and wonderful fruit and vegetables. Our senses were tingling as we exited stage left, and drove with our budding Malaysian chefs and new friends to the LaZat cookery school. Throughout the rest of the day we were taught to cook 3 authentic Malay dishes using ingredients we had learnt about in the market; Malaysian curry, Roti Jala (Malaysian pancakes) and a dessert called Onde Onde. I came away with a new recipe book (which I was happy about) and a renewed skip in my step (which I was doubly happy about).  

Food being an integral part of Malaysian culture, we meandered through some of the numerous street food markets in KL and an area of the City called Bukit Bintang. Bukit Bintang has a real electric feeling in the air; awash with restaurants, street food markets, eclectic smells and multicoloured lights adorning the entire area. The place had a real Malaysian festival atmosphere about it. The food options were endless and now we were fighting fit again, I was keen to sample some of the 'fried ice cream' in the market. Being the self-confessed ice cream addict I am, I thought it a random concept, but you have to try everything once (unless it has snake blood or durian in its name). This is where food really became theatre. A crowd of intrigued onlookers gathered around the stall to eagerly observe the ice cream chef spread liquid onto an über cold circular plate in quick brush strokes until it froze. He then expertly scraped the flattened ice cream into perfectly formed swirls, scattered on some chocolate shavings and presented me with my tub. The very definition of food as an art form.

On our last evening in KL, we danced the night away (in our seats) at a local live jazz club. A couple of Apple Sours into the evening, we got ushered in by a middle aged Malaysian to join a table with him and his friends. In a place where we could have felt somewhat alien (we stuck out like sore thumbs as the only tourists that night), we felt so welcomed. This was the general theme of our entire stay in Kuala Lumpur; from the taxi drivers, to Ana, to our air bnb host, to random bystanders proactively looking to help us ‘lost tourists’. Malaysians, in our experience, are wonderfully inviting people. I don't think we were ever going to have anything other than big love and adulation for Kuala Lumpur. The culture was rich and vibrant, the people were insanely friendly and we were happy to have moved away from Thailand in one piece!

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Ko Lanta & Krabi - double trouble in paradise

Breathing a sigh of relief to be leaving Thailand isn’t the departing feeling I was hoping for when we embarked upon this leg of the trip. It’s fair to say that this is one part of the world we were most looking forward to exploring - for it’s promised beauty and delicious cuisine. For someone whose favourite food in the entire world is Thai, to have been unlucky enough to pick up a vicious case of food poisoning on our second day in Ko Lanta really knocked the wind out of my sails. After our experience with Alex in Patong, we had been in a constant state of paranoia about what we ate and what we touched (‘I just opened a door …pass me the antibacterial gel immediately!’). But it’s impossible to control the levels of hygiene in a Thai kitchen. We couldn’t believe our collective misfortune.

Once you’ve witnessed your loved one being violently sick in hospital, only for you to experience a similar threat a few days later, constantly questioning ‘is this ok to eat?’ naturally became our number one concern. We were desperate for our state of anxiety around food and health not to dominate our whole experience here. So as I gently recovered, we forced ourselves to open our eyes to the utter serenity of Ko Lanta around us. Sickness aside, Ko Lanta was thankfully the place we truly began to find peace in Thailand.

After arriving here, we immediately felt closer to the heart of Thailand. We were staying on the South West tip, in one of Ko Lantas seemingly quieter locations. And even though the nearest beach was nothing to write home about, the entire area was surrounded with green forests and vegetation. The lodge-like hotel we were staying in was hidden among trees and in the far distance were picturesque views of the calm ocean. This retreat like feel couldn’t have been more timely. The air smelt less polluted and far fresher than Phuket and Phi Phi. We were welcomed into the hotel by the smiling eyes of the humble Thai people - quite the contrast to our experiences on the previous islands. What we began to learn was that Ko Lanta is one of the less discovered islands - tourists often skip it in favour of the more popular and happening ones. Clearly we’ve been missing a trick here. Perhaps my previous assumption about the masses of tourists affecting the equilibrium of the Thai locals in Phuket and Phi Phi rang true. The locals in Ko Lanta seemed far more inquisitive and eager to make our acquaintance. Within the small town area itself, we felt far more at home and relaxed - the polar opposite to the first half of the Thailand journey and for that we were so thankful.

Our final stop off in Thailand was to see us finishing on a high. Railay in Krabi was pretty wonderful. A long and delicate beach not too unlike the ever so overrated Maya Bay in Phi Phi, but bigger and less crowded. The gigantic rocky cliffs on either corner of this enclosed beach, were far more remarkable than anything we’d seen in Thailand. And every time I walked out of our hotel onto the beach, the views of these dramatic cliff edges took me aback. Every single time. They were just quite a thing of wonder. Railay consists of this spectacular beach and of a small village like area of juice counters, restaurants and bars. The perfect amount and with the perfect amount of people. The Thai locals and the tourists were also nice (I hate using that word, but at this moment, nice is what we needed), the vibe was an infectiously relaxing one and we generally fell into the more traditional Thai scene with ease.

There is no doubt in our minds that we were glad to be leaving Thailand. Luckily our experiences of dread were punctuated with happy ones. I am confident we will look back in weeks and months to come, only to smile and remember the nice times. Alex being carted off to hospital in a tuc tuc being one of the more amusing ones (although a living nightmare at the time!).

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Phuket & Phi Phi - trouble in paradise

As I lay comfortably on a solitary beach lounger on the island of Phi Phi; surrounded by white sand, glistening waters and long boats precariously lined at the waters edge, I feel a sense of complete contentment. More content than I have felt for a few days. It’s 4pm and after a few hours escaping the intense humidity of the day - saviour by air con - I have come to enjoy the dwindling last sun of the day and write a delayed excerpt.

To say we had the lowest point of our trip in Phuket, our first Thai Island stop off, would be an understatement. With travelling comes inevitable ups and downs, as does any phase of life. But we hadn’t bargained for such a dramatic trough upon our first day in Thailand. Alex had contracted some sort of acute bacterial infection and was so sick I'd been left with no option but to take him to hospital. The experience from start to finish was a 24 hour period I would very much like to erase from my memory. From the procedures Alex had to go through, to the Thai medical staffs lack of compassion and poor English - we had been terrified and not known if and when he’d be better. Not one to dwell upon this horrible episode and try to see the silver lining, a day later we were released from the hospital. And the relief I have felt to see Alex kicking ass at life again (as he does) has been awesome.

In a bittersweet way, the whole debacle has been a stark reminder of how precious health is and how we can easily take it for granted (both here and in any chapter of life). Any moans and gripes about ‘Why do I always have to rub sun screen on you first?!’ and 'Can you please hurry up, we’re going to be late checking out again!’ pale into insignificance. So in reflective way, it had really made me sit up and feel hugely grateful for our healthy existence in this moment and in turn, an odd sense of giddiness for the adventure we are currently in the throes of. The good bits and the bad bits.

They say Thailand is the land of smiles and in some ways, I agree, in many ways, I do not. The vast amounts of tourists (the kinds of tourists one may not be too keen to sit in the vicinity of on the beach), together with their brash attitude, has possibly dampened the once sweet spirit of the local Thai people living and working in these areas. The sheer amount of backpackers overpopulating areas of Phuket was painfully claustrophobic. And if there is one thing staying here has taught me, is that people and your surroundings is everything. I have seen many beautiful beaches in Phuket (and Phi Phi), but if those beaches are crammed to the sea edge with unsavoury characters, then the backdrop is sadly tarnished. Patong and it’s surrounding areas smelt of drains, the tourists were not generally of a nice ilk, the Thai people seemed more keen to take our money than provide a good service, everything felt dirty and unclean. I realise this is all part of a 'travellers experience’ but Phuket was not the beginning of the authentic Thai journey we had hoped for.

Phi Phi was to be our next island stop off. The promised land - the Mecca of the Thai Islands. Known for the setting and filming of the iconic 'The Beach’ film and novel. For anyone who has been to Thailand will implore it’s a must see and to an extent, they are right. It is indeed an exquisite island - turquoise sea and gorgeous white sands. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the definition of paradise, housing the perfect beaches to escape from it all. But that’s about it. Phi Phi doesn’t, in my opinion, have charm or soul. It still didn’t provide the authenticity I was desperately searching for. Far too commercialised and once again, packed to the rafters with masses of tourists (although far less so than Phuket, of which we were grateful for).

Maya Bay on Phi Phi island, dare I say it, was another mild disappointment. We hired a long boat immediately after breakfast for the promise of less crowds (by our captain) if we arrived early. As our boat edged around the corner of the cove and neared Maya Bay, admittedly, I did get a this-is-pretty-special shiver. After all Leo has been here. We sat for an hour, took some photos and watched as long boat after long boat after long boat pulled up with equally as eager tourists coming to see the iconic beach. We, along with what felt like the entire population of the island, were on Maya Bay. As far as beaches go, it was a lovely one. But it’s by no stretch the best I’ve ever seen.

I’ve been desperately trying to decipher (illnesses aside) why I’ve felt so lacklustre about our first two Islands in Thailand. I hope I’ve been fair in my assessment and that my opinions haven’t been too jaded by our unfortunate start. I suppose we came to Thailand with high expectations - everyone raves about it. And with high expectations, I think you increasingly learn in life, often comes a certain level of disappointment. Then again, I wasn’t expecting unicorns jumping over rainbows. But I was hoping to feel far more inspired here.

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Melbourne - food porn heaven

If I were to live in Australia, I think I should like to live in Melbourne. Yes, I had lost my mojo somewhat as we were nearing the end of our stay. But I think that was largely due to the turn in weather (not too dissimilar from a bad British Autumn - it rained and it poured), and we were about ready to move onto a new country with new experiences. Also, Sydney and Melbourne are amongst the most costly places I'd ever been. I suppose with grand destinations must come expense.

That said, Melbourne is truly fabulous. It has layers of attitude and edge. An air of the trendier parts of London with a dash of Brighton thrown in for good measure. Street upon street, lane upon lane, of prospering cafés, restaurants and markets. Never have I ever seen such an eclectic mix of places to eat and drink. Lucky for us, we came equipped with a list as long as our arm for recommendations of the best foodie hangouts. I couldn't think of anything worse than falling into tourist traps, when hidden amongst them are the best eats in town. And we were indeed ‘man and woman about town' for 3 days. Similar to Bondi and Manly, we were keen to live like locals and frequent the popular gems bursting at the bosom with regulars.

Cookie, Proud Mary's, Oxford Larder, Degraves Espresso and Chin Chin were amongst the eateries on our hit list. The common denominator linking all of them? They were ridiculously hip and happening. I almost felt misplaced. Should I just leave now or put on an exaggerated posh British accent, roll my leggings up one third and pretend I'm a famous writer (restricted to the UK only, of course, that's why you've never heard of me)? There was a 2 hour wait for a table when we arrived at Chin Chin. We'd sought this place out, nestled down a side street and most definitely off the beaten track, how could we not pop our names on the list? A couple of hours later I was ravenously consuming pulled pork pancakes and a slow cooked beef Massaman curry. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best meal I'd had in Australia yet - the most bold and heart warming flavours I'd tasted for weeks. 

Melbourne takes its coffee and brunch pretty darn seriously. Which was convenient, as this fit into our agenda of eating and drinking non stop for 3 days tenfold. We'd earmarked Proud Mary's as an obligatory stop off point for 1 of our 3 brunches. Sitting subtlety on the corner of Melbournes very own Oxford street (not what you'd think. Much more Shoreditch Grind than Selfridges), we were welcomed in by a very fashionable and arty looking (naturally) waitress. She immediately recognised our accents, and what I've increasingly found is that Ozzies love the Londoners. Engaging us in chat about her time living in London, she passed us the most enticing brunch menu. Ditching the smashed avo and sourdough brunches we had been living on since we arrived, I was eager for a change. Along with a flat white - Proud Mary's roast their own coffee in house so this was a must - I enjoyed a herbed potato cake, together with caramelised onions, grilled smokey bacon, steamed spinach and a poachy. The dish was finished with a swirl of the most tasteful garlicky tomato based jus. Mouthful after mouthful of complete yum.

When we had a rare pause from eating and once we'd become accustomed to the tram system, we darted here, there and everywhere to take in as much of Melbourne as we could. I had a temporary crush on Collingwood and Fitzroy, simply because I loved the underground vibe and the quirky cafés dotted around tree lined residential streets. And then we discovered St Kilda. This area seemed to have it all - the beach, a vast mix of people and cultures, rows of cafés, art and crafts, ice cream parlours, independent shops; a generally relaxed and pleasant seaside atmosphere in the air. Away from the CBD, St Kilda had its own thing going on. I fell inlove with the place. I can absolutely understand, why one would choose to live a very happy and charmed life here.

So what is my lasting view of Melbourne? People seem free to express themselves here - locals donning crazy hair, paint splashed dungarees or the such, graffiti flamboyantly colouring any spare outside wall. Creativity is promoted and celebrated. And the food? Well the food was just fabulous.

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Humble Manly

I had a stubborn relationship with Manly as we arrived. Truth be told, I had been enthralled by Bondi during our first 5 night stay in Australia. Yes, there was a definite pretentious edge about it. But, amongst many other things, we had loved the outdoorsy health and fitness lifestyle. Alex and I had settled in as if we were permanent residents. It was all very glorious in my eyes - somewhere between the early morning runs along the white sand, the therapeutic sound of the huge crashing waves and the laid back scene, brought out a lot of happiness in me. After an incredibly busy last 6-12 months, it had been exactly what I'd been yearning for.

So, although I was excited to compare one side of Sydney to another, I was quietly tentative. As the ferry pulled into the dock, I snubbed it immediately; 'Is this it?'. Surely that can't be Manly beach to the left of the harbour? It's tiny! Infact, nothing in my immediate eyesight range looked as glimmering or as captivating as Bondi.

Of course, I have been proven wrong. Completely wrong.

No, that isn't Manly beach by the harbour - Manly beach is a gorgeous long beach around the corner (out of immediate eye range of the harbour), lining a buzzing and cosmopolitan town. The urge for immediate gratification has always been a downfall for me. Ahem. So on this occasion, I slapped it on the proverbial bum and allowed the beauty of Manly to unfold in front of my eyes, in its own unique time. Versus my blinkered obsession with the sexiness of Bondi, Manly has a softer and more comfortable feel to it. Groups of children playing, families walking their dogs after school/work, yummy mummy's supping their morning coffees over a gossip. It feels familiar.

We hired bikes to explore the local area and beyond, and got completely lost (of course). Even though the young boy working at the bike hire politely heeded us to please remain on the 4 assigned routes on the map. After finding ourselves circling around a big (and remarkably plush) residential estate, we stumbled across intermittent amazing views of god knows which coastline. And it occurred to me, this is what it's all about - right here, right now. I desperately wanted to remove myself from the formal routine of life for a brief intermission where I could indeed, get lost and stumble across beauties like this. Inadvertently heading off the beaten track, served as a metaphor for exactly that. In our tracks, we came across a little infant school where young kids were hopping around the playground and jumping in big hoops, clearly in the throes of their PE lesson, and I felt a warm glow towards them. Such fun and laughter emanating from their little school grounds in the middle of this suburban Manly estate in Australia, thousands of miles away from my own home. The worlds a damn big place, and I'm grateful for giving myself time to explore it.

We found our way back to the Manly coast and cycled the length of it. Taking in the surfers plunging into the sea as waved crashed over their heads, the odd one managing to skilfully stay planted on their board. Normal folk (tourists and locals) wandering along the beachfront. As I took in a deep breath of the salty sea air and smiled, I promised myself to always remember this moment. 

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The Blue Mountains - our best day yet

As I write this, it's Friday evening and it feels disorientating to think that the 9-5 working crowd will just be finishing up and cracking open their first bottle or can to celebrate the weekend. I am sitting in an extremely comfortable arm chair, feet up, in our delightful B & B suite in Katoomba. Complete bliss. Every day is our Friday at the moment, after all. Today we explored the Blue Mountains by foot, cable car, bus and train. And as soon as we arrived at Echo Point, we knew this was going to be the most incredible day of our trip so far.

Late yesterday afternoon, we checked into a gorgeously quirky 1950s style bed and breakfast, located just outside of the hustle and bustle of Katoomba town and pretty much next door to the Blue Mountains. We fell inlove immediately. A huge suite consisting of a giant 4 poster bed and attached living room kitchenette. Following the self catered studio cupboard we had grinned and beared in Bondi (close proximity enough to test any relationship to its max!), this was pure luxury. We even had our own front door accessed via a secret garden of roses and tweeting birds (no, seriously). A wonderful whimsical fairytale air about this place.

Our suite is attached to the owners home (an Australian couple) and 4 other guest quarters, which has given us a much better feel of the traditional Australian way of life. This morning, breakfast was freshly prepared and served by Paul (one half of Paul and Jenny) directly to our living room table on vintage silver plates. Which again, after microwaving our shop bought porridge for the last 5 days, it seemed that this was our time to indulge and enjoy. Paul has a distinctive Aussy accent, which pleases me greatly as I finally feel like I've met a true suburban Australian. He is also very silly and very clumsy, which delighted me even more and added to the charm of the whole experience. We were left to eat our eggs, bacon, toast and neatly prepared fresh fruit in the privacy of our own lounge.

A 10 minute walk from our front door and past the Ramsay Street-esque side roads is Echo Point, the first step into our Blue Mountains journey. We were immediately confronted with breathtaking panoramic views of the Three Sisters and the surrounding sweeping valley. It was the most spectacular view either of us had ever seen in our lives and one of many to come as the day unravelled.

As we made our way down the winding steps and paths across the mountain edge we had the opportunity to take in the gigantic lush green landscape from various perspectives. The valley of eucalyptus trees cause a mystical blue haze (which we learnt was the eucalypti oil evaporating off the trees in the heat), filling the entirety of the valley. This really had to be nature at its finest. Rugged cliff edges, masses of magenta trees, blue air magically emanating from the valley, dazzling waterfalls cascading down from higher places - it really was a poets dream.

Exhausted from our days expedition, we caught what is claimed to be the steepest train in the world, back up to the top of the mountain (as you do). As we were dragged backwards nearly vertically up the slope of the mountain edge, I was quietly terrified. The train sounded rickety and as if one cog suddenly broke, it might fall hurtling down the hill. A roller coaster ride in such achingly pretty landscape added to the exhilaration of our day in the Blue Mountains.

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Taronga Zoo - our sassy Koala Bear

Yesterday was an excerpt I was most looking forward to documenting. It was the day we had planned to go to Taronga Zoo. I came to Australia mainly to meet, hold and spend some time with a Koala - there’s no two ways about it. Up we leapt at the crack of dawn (thank you jet lag), bright eyed and bushy tailed, only to realise it was torrential rain outside. The temperature had dropped about 20 degrees and we were clearly facing a morning, if not a day, in the captivity of our box room accommodation / coffee shops. By the time it got to midday, we were getting cabin fever so decided to brave the storm and embark on an afternoon cafe crawl starting in quaint eatery we had spotted the previous day; ‘Parida’ (derived from the Spanish term, 'talking nonsense with friends’ - plenty of time for that!).

A whole day later and with a coffee and food hangover, I was beyond adrenalised to be finally journeying over to Taronga zoo. In my flighty excitement, the name of the Koala we met escapes me, so let's call her Kulla. Before we caught the ferry across to the zoo, we had been pre-warned that Koalas sleep about 20 hours a day. So I was delighted to see that upon our entry into their lush green enclosure, Kulla was wide awake and staring inquisitively at us. Perching nonchalantly on a big branch and clinging onto another little branch, Kulla was at our eye level so I could get a good look. Yes, yes. She was most definitely as cute as I'd expected, grabbing at and chomping away on the eucalyptus leaves in near range. Oh and there she goes. Not only is our Koala awake, our Koala is moving! Kulla struts over the branch to sit next to her brother, who couldn't have been more asleep if he tried - hugging the breadth of the branch with his claws. As we took photos, Kulla held her head high to the sky and then looked directly at the lens. I was convinced that if she could have pouted, she would.

Even though we were unable to touch or hold Kulla, I was elated with my koala bear experience. The keeper informed us that as they are a zoological society, their main focus is quite rightly, the preservation and protection of the creatures rather than entertainment for the public. And it really was a sanctuary for them living here, which was pretty special to see being the animal lovers we are. Similarly, the wider zoo was animal utopia - we observed what a great job had been done to create natural and spacious habitats for the animals.

Taronga zoo is positioned just across the harbour from Circular Quay and so as we walked around the zoo, we were intermittently greeted with amazing views of Sydney at various angles. And even though the rain came at threatening and hefty intervals throughout the entire day, we made damn sure today was going to be the day I met a Koala.

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Sydney - look who came to town!

Today we experienced the beast of all heat waves. Our first whole day in and around Sydney Harbour was spent diving in and out of every inch of shade we could find to camouflage us from the 40 degree heat. We could not allow the sweat on our brows to dampen our spirits though. Today was the day my lovely parents join us on the last day of their own month long trip to Australia (coincidentally overlapping with our travels by a couple of days).  

It was surreal meeting with them at the end of their travels and the start of ours, so many miles away from our own home. Alex and I, wide eyed and apprehensive beginners and my parents, sun kissed with a swagger of Australian ease about them. They had had a phenomenal adventure across the Central and East Coast, and it was amazing to see them so relaxed and happy.

Having spent 5 days in Sydney at the start of their travels, we were all set and raring to go with our personal tour guides. We kicked off with an almighty breakfast overlooking both the Opera House in one direction and the Harbour Bridge in the other. The view was breathtaking, I had to pinch myself. I never thought I would be so fortunate to be sitting overlooking a sight I've only ever seen on NYE TV amidst the fireworks. Let alone to be sharing this very experience with 3 of my nearest and dearest. It was one of those I'll remember this forever moments.

Full of eggs, salmon and juice (orange and pear freshly juiced with a dash of mint, no less) we made our way by ferry across to Darling Harbour where we perused the shops, cafés and general musings of the CBD. In the glaring midday sunshine, we observed City dwellers filtering out of their respective workplaces for lunch time strolls and it struck me how laid back the pace of life seemed in comparison to London. I've been duped into the London lifestyle for the last 9 or so years and spent a large part of it rushing from one place to the next, swept along with the crowds. It felt inspiring to take a step back and see how this community of suited and booted workers go about their daily business.

We meandered down to the Royal Botanical gardens. Couples and tired back packers alike lay on their ruck sacks seeking escape from the intensity of the heat under the giant trees dotted around the lawns. Having lived in London for so long, I am well accustomed to these kinds of idyllic green spaces in the middle of the City. These gardens felt special though - maybe due to my mood that day or maybe due to the Opera House peering through the trees as you exit the park.

After escaping the rays once more in one if Sydney's finest ice cream parlours, we said our goodbyes and made our way back to Bondi to be greeted by the beginnings of a storm. Perfect timing for the night we'd pre booked our open air cinema experience by the beach!

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Bondi beach - where all the beautiful people reside

First impressions of Sydney are - bloody good breakfast at the Holiday Inn Sydney airport! We were FAMISHED. After flying for what felt like the best part of 2 days (therefore grazing on salty plane snacks for 2 days), the continental breakfast we abolished following the late night land was just incredible. Have you ever seen a DIY juicer with an abundance of fruits to choose from in a Holiday Inn? Neither had I until now. Charged and rebooted, we made our way across the City by train and bus to Bondi beach where we are set to stay for 5 nights.

And wow, what a beautiful place. What strikes me first is, the people are undeniably gorgeous. Tanned, radiant and the epitome of health. The kind of people who you could gaze at behind your sunglasses for hours out of interest and intrigue. Secondly, the views of the beach from the plethora of eateries and cafés on the coastline are equally as stunning. Lastly, and high on the pecking order in my list of priorities, is the food. Food is kind of a big deal for me - if the place I visit doesn't serve or sell good quality food, then we're going to have a bit of a problem. In the Bondi beach vicinity, I look around and I don't see a ‘Pret’ or ‘Burger King’ on every corner. I see a 'Fishbowl' and a 'Sushi Train' and some other tantalising joint on the sea front, which seems to be ferrying out loaded bowls of salad piled with nuts, seeds, halloumi and fresh meat or fish. Real and wholesome foods - now that's what I'm talking about.

When we first checked into our air bnb this morning, the owner advises 'go to Woolworths around the corner for your supermarket shop, loads of great food choices'. I'm thrown for a moment - distracted by nostalgic images of pic n mix binges. But I didn't like to question it at the time. Luckily, this was not the Woolworths we knew and loved in the UK. This was a huge whole foods store filled with vibrant and pert looking fruit and veg (fresh as you like), a giant fish counter and tonnes of interesting looking whole foods I'd just never seen before (not the cardboard yuk kind, I hasten to add).

So all in all, this has been a great day. I believe Bondi and I will get along just fine.