Sydney taxi adventures

OH GOD SPEWWW eating blue cheese then a sweet piece of pineapple is the WORST thing a person could do. I just did it whilst my blogger window was loading and I now wish i was dead from the nightmarish taste sensation that is lingering at the back of my tongue. A word of advice for the future to you all.

So i'm sitting in the restaurant of the Airport Mercure hotel in Sydney. People are dotted around the room - the majority with the photocopied set menu in their hands. These people, along with me, will be joining the Pacific Princess tomorrow. They are going to be my ship mates for the next 6 months.

I feel should go and say hi.. but.. yeah.. awkward.

My journey to sydney was not uneventful- largely consisting of a shit fight with Qantas and almost missing my plane due to afforementioned shit fight. I think the people who work for airlines must be the most burocratically minded people known to man. THey refused to extend me the 40kg seaman's luggage alowance and wanted to charge me $170 excess bagage before they allowed me to fly. Catch is, after a 4 month vacation- I didn't have the money. I spent 1.5 hours on the phone with the port agent trying to get a credit card number whilst the Qantas guy continually explained me the rules blah blah blah.

Eventually the port agent rang through with the number and I ran to the gate, christmas-movie style to arrive as the last person in the line handed over their tickets.

Upon arrival, time passed as the carousel continued to trundle out other's luggage and not my own. I started to sweat. where were my bags? was the credit card declined? what would I do without my hair straightener and ukulele? Just as I was giving up hope and resigning myself to a contract of frazzly hair, my two super size bags popped out from behind the rubber flaps. Salvation!

I dropped my stuff at the hotel and set out via taxi to do some simple grocery shopping. My taxi driver, a large greek man, had different plans however and turned what should have been a routine trip into some kind of madcap adventure.

He didn't knwo where a shopping centre was... he said the one i mentioned was too far away and then narrated the guess work journey through the backstreets of semi-idustrial city in hilarious con-the-fruiterer style tones. He stopped the cab twice to hop out and assail passers-by with please for directions as the meter ticked. It was potentially the most out of control cab experience of my life - and the most enjoyable. He got me there in the end and insisted on taking $10 off the fare because of the random directions we had travelled. Such a cool guy!

I went to woolies and purchased a whole lot of aussie things. I got all my normal choices of washing powder, bleach, body wash and toiletries etc and picked up some special things as well. I bought 100s and 1000s to make fairy bread on my birthday -and some cheezles and pizza shapes to share on that day as well. I bought myself a big red tulip bunny for easter. ALso I got some freckles, caramello koalas and mint slice biscuits to ration across the first few months of my contract. willpower here i come!

My cab driver on the way home was a lovely Chinese guy, who was very excited to hear about working on a cruise ship and appologetic for the sydney traffic. I had outstanding cab experiences today.

It's interesting - you pay hundreds of dollars to fly with Qantas and they treat you like shit, then you pay $15-$20 bucks to travel with a cabbie and get excellent service.

I hear it stormed in brisbane this afternoon- and that it was a good 'un. So unfair to have missed it!

Can't wait for tomorrow! a whole new ship with completely different people and a crazy-cool itinerary! So excited- don't know how i'll sleep tonigh!

Also, Queen Mary II and QUeen Elizabeth are coming in to sydney tomorrow. Watch the news and you might catch a glimpse of the tiny pacific princess nestled beside these monsters. Should be a sight to see!