new photos

here are the photos from Melbourne...

oooh! that sun is melbourne-ing! no? i tried to come up with a pun. it didn't work.

Hello!!! So right now I'm in Alice Springs, but I spent the last two weeks in Melbourne. What did I do?? Museums! Some other stuff too, but Melbourne is a major center for arts and culture, so obviously I was a little overwhelmed. Lauren and I spent the first weekend with a family we contacted through Lauren's sister, then we moved into the city. Unbeknownst to us, the Australia Open (tennis championship) started right when we arrived so everything was booked solid! We spent one night in a lovely hostel but then had to spent one hilarious evening in a dodgy hostel because of the booking situation. It was like a backpacker factory, the kind we usually try to avoid. Because there were so many people looking for a place to stay in Melbourne, I think there were a lot of traveller's crashing there illegally so we had to share one bed together or sleep on the street! And we paid $15 each for the privilege! But no worries, as they say, it was more funny than anything else, and then we got back into the good hostel, "the Nunnery" which had a very funny faux religious theme and a cat named St. Francis.

I visited as many nerdy Mara places as I could: the National gallery, the Ian Potter Center for Australian Art, the Australia Center for the Moving Image, the Koorie cultural heritage center, the immigration museum, the melbourne museum...oh! and a gallery showing artwork by a two year old. Melbourne was an awesome city, and I even got to check out the Australian Open one day, you can get a pass to see most matches except the really famous ones. I settled for watching Serena Williams on tv. We met some cool fellow Yankees at our hostel (LA and Seattle)and ended up going to this really funny event called the "Bye Bye Bush Ball" in South melbourne, it turned out to be organized by this group Democrats Abroad. It was the Friday following the inaugeration and was a mix of students and older ex-pats all looking to party down in the name of Obama. There was lots of disco music and Americans letting loose--so much so that there was a conga lina at one point, I almost died! We also spent a ridiculous amount of time negotiating visas and whatnot for our journey further north into south east asia, we had some problems because of an embassy being closed for Chinese New Year, but I think we've worked it all out.

We also went to see the Great Ocean Road with some Israeli friends that we met in Queenstown, NZ, which was very fun. the Road is kind of like the Australian equivalent of the Pacific Coast Highway, its very beautiful. It was really nice to hop in a car for once and not take the bus, especially with Israelis that know how to cook! Then we flew from Adelaide to Alice Springs, and here I am now. Tomorrow morning we head out for a three day tour out to Ayers Rock (Uluru) and other highlights of the desert around Alice Springs. I'm a little concerned I'll die of heat....Must go out and restock the sunscreen supply. Thats all for now, lots of the Love from the OUTBACK.....

Mara

i'm leaving on a jet plane....across the tasman sea

Hello again! So another time has come to a close....we're leaving New Zealand and heading back to Australia. Melbourne specifically. The plan is to spend about a week in Melbourne, then go straight up the middle to see the outback, and a flight is booked on Feb. 5th into Vietnam. I think it's been 6 weeks in New Zealand total, and I have to say, I really love it here. New Zealand is just so incredibly beautiful, I feel like I just can't describe it properly! I've had a great time in this country, and I'm contemplating coming back after Asia to use my work permit. So tomorrow (well, today really, it's 2 am here) we'll be flying out from Christchurch. The last week has been interesting, I spent a few days on my own checking out the college town of Dunedin and then got back on the Stray bus with a hop off in the town of Twizel. From there I took a shuttle with a few people to Mt Cook Village. Mt Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain, and a particularly treacherous one for climbers. We only took a hike around the bottom of it, don't worry! It was amazing scenery. I stayed 2 nights and then got the bus onward to Christchurch. There are some new photos on FB here.

By the way, the title of the albums from New Zealand are lines from the tv show Flight of the Conchords, about two Kiwi guys in a band trying to make it in New York....it's an awesome show. I only mention this because Mom asked "who told you you could be a part-time model??" The answer: no one. It's from the show. But thanks for thinking I could be a part-time model...Mom.

The next time you hear from me I'll be back in the land of Oz.....

To the people of Queenstown, be glad I didn't puke on you from 5000 feet up

So. In my quest to annoint myself wildest Kurlandsky (it's not really that hard seeing as how we're all fairly innocent), I have jumped out of a plane. Well, it was more like a Dutch dude whose name I can no longer remember jumped out of a plane with me strapped to his front. (ps, that's not me in the photo).

New Zealand is known for its love of adventure sports; the first commercial bungee jump was created by two Kiwi guys and they have a whole load of ridiculous activities you can do in this country besides the usual skydives and bungees. I hadn't really ever considered skydiving until I started reading about NZ, supposedly they offer the cheapest skydives in the world and once you get here you realize it's almost like a rite of passage to do one. Most people do it in Taupo, in the North Island. I was going to do it, then it was raining. The next day was better but I lost my nerve. The weather foiled us again in Franz Josef and I had about given up, a)cause duh, it's scary, and b) I'm running out of cash quickly! But, I decided that I couldn't come to Queenstown and do nothing, and if I have to throw myself out of a plane just to say I did it, it may as well be in spectacularly beautiful New Zealand. By the way, I realize I'm describing this in my usual textbook style, but just because I skydived I'm no less of a nerd than I was before! Take comfort in that.

Okay, but for real, and I really apologize for the language, but it was FUCKING TERRIFYING.

I was purposefully trying not to think too much about it before going because I knew I would just make myself really anxious. I went with my friend Lauren, the Lauren from England we've been travelling with for about 3 weeks (and we'll be splitting up soon and it's really sad). I was totally excited when we got to to the field and we spent about 45 minutes watching other people land while we waited for our turn. Then they called us and we suited up (this is of course after a briefing session in town) in some awesome jumpers with little caps. (I think I'm developing a fetish for all these outfits I've been wearing--skydive suit, scuba suits, ice crampons...) Each person gets a "tandem master;" the actual professional skydiver who does everything for you and is attached to your back. Then they just load you on the tiny plane and head out, there was enough room in the plane for 4 jumpers and 4 masters, and everyone is sitting on the floor basically in each others laps. I thought the plane ride would be the hardest part for me, and my biggest fear actually was that I would have a panic attack on the plane. But I managed to be okay, I was just like in a meditative state staring at the wall, and totally ignoring the tandem master who was trying to pump me up like, "Yeah it's going to be so awesome!" Then eventually they attach you to them, you put on your goggles and hat and gloves (I was actually barefoot because I didn't bring proper shoes and the guy said it was okay to not wear anything) and the real fear starts. At some point the door opens....and I had to close my eyes because I didn't want to see the first two fall out! I was third, then Lauren. They scoot you over to the door and you realize that there's no choice really, as your strapped to this man. He dangles his legs out the door and since I was in his lap attached to him, I was just kind of hanging in mid air, completely outside the plane. Then he asks if I'm ready to which I reply, "Oh my god!!" And then we jump.........

The first few seconds were the worst feeling I think I've ever had. We were just tumbling around in circles in nothingness. They tell you beforehand to keep your eyes open but I just remember thinking "I don't liiiiiike thissss!!" And I squeezed my eyes closed. But then they let out a little mini parachute that helps keep your bodies steady, and you're just freefalling. It feels like there's a giant fan in your face and you can finally notice that you're thousands of feet in the air, above Lake Wakatipu and there's snow capped mountains everywhere. It's pretty amazing. Though they tell you in the briefing that it doesn't really feel like you're falling, more like floating, I really felt like I was hurtling towards the earth! The freefall is I think, about 45 seconds, but it felt so fast, then the parachute opens and you slow down. Now, this is supposed to be the part where you can relax and enjoy the scenery and float down. But I'm Mara, so obviously I was sooooo nauseous and had to inform the dude that I might be on the verge of barf. He was nice and tried to help me out by handing me a barf bag (do they pack those in with the parachutes?). The scenery was lovely but I think I was concentrating so hard on avoiding the possibility of crushing some poor unsuspecting local with the velocity of my illness. We made it back to land without incident and Lauren landed seconds later. I just wanted to sit on the ground or like have a hug or something! My hands were so shaky. Anyways, I survived! I did it! And I never have to do it again! Yaaaaay!

Anyways, we're still in Queenstown, Lauren USA and I will be going on a daytrip to see the Milford Sound tomorrow, then she goes to Christchurch for a week-long stay on a farm and I'll make my way slowly to Christchurch via Mt. Cook and through the college town of Dunedin. Sorry for not writing for so long, but I hope you enjoyed my story!

Lots of love from NZ, Mara