"Crazy final 10 days in Sydney"

Yesterday began what should be a crazy, sleep-deprived, activity-driven final 10 days in Sydney. Now that my "posse" and I have realized just how close we are to the end, we are ready to get up on our feet and DO SOMETHING.

Yesterday was a pretty good start. I climbed a bridge. A big bridge. In fact, it's the largest suspension bridge in the world. The Sydney Harbour Bridge. Thanks to a gift from Aunt Sallie, I did the BridgeClimb last night, taking three hours to walk all the way to the top of the 150-metre structure before heading back down. It wasn't as nerveracking as I anticipated. I was never really scared - despite the fact that I'm not a big "heights guy." We were connected to a cable by a little gadget the entire climb, assuring our safety. Perhaps the most "scary" part of the climb was when we ascended four ladders on the way up and descended four on the way down. The ladders were each about 25-feet tall and were almost 90 degrees, so you had to make sure your footing was secure.

I didn't check the weather forecast or anything before signing up for the climb, but somewhow I picked the perfect day. The sky was clear, the temperature moderate, and there was a full moon that came up just as we were halfway to the top of the bridge. It was spectacular. In addition, although it was a "night climb," we started early, allowing us to catch about 30 minutes of an exquisite sunset before it disappeared to the west.

Overall the climb was one of the best experiences I've had while in Sydney. Just goes to show that not all "tourist attractions" are overrated.

So, now about those "crazy final 10 days." Here's the loose schedule me n' the folks came up with.

Tonight: Final mass media class, free dinner afterward; chill after that.
Thursday: Second-to-last day of work; dinner on roof; Sydney Observatory at night
Friday: Final day of work; final "Friday on the Roof;" bar-hopping in the Rocks (Sydney's historic district); watch the sun rise by the Opera House (probably not much sleep)
Saturday: Take ferry to Manly Beach (I haven't been there yet - should be splendid); chill there all day; work my final women's basketball game; bar-hop at Bondi Beach; watch the sun rise at Bondi (not much sleep).
Sunday: Take the train to Crunella (sp?) Beach, which is about 45 minutes south of Sydney; supposed to be splendid; spend whole day there; return to the night life of King's Cross.
Monday: Spend the day bushwalking in the Blue Mountains/studying for final exam.
Tuesday: Mass media final exam; Going-away party with fellow students, program directors and people from my internship (should be a hoot!).
Wednesay/Thursday/Friday????... we'll see

Yeah, gotta go. Still haven't planned my New Zealand trip.

peace,
jake