Getting softer

Just spent the last 6 hours planning my holiday in Australia. Planning had been put on hold for the past two weeks because of issues in getting my visa approved. But this week, approval came, the 5th visa stamped/pasted into my passport in less than two years.

After abundant modifications of my planned itinerary, I am frustrated with the conclusion that I have one less day than necessary to accommodate my reasonable plans (though I have a sneaky feeling that had I had that extra day, I would have wished for one more :) ).

I am now quite charged up about the trip, and can't wait for Nov 30 to come (one of my best friends will wed on Nov 25, and I can't wait for that too, of course!). This trip will be similar to the two-week journey I made through England and Scotland last year in Sep-Oct (though I am hoping that it will not be exactly similar to my trip through Italy in Nov-Dec, for obvious reasons, for those in the know!). In the UK, I simply had a train pass, and a rough plan, and no reservations in hostels. I ended up spending one night in Inverness' youth hostel's lobby, that too only due to the kindness of the receptionist. The no-reservation policy continued in mainland Europe, and again I ended up spending a night outside Naples station, shivering in 10C temperatures and sitting next to beggars, drunkards and the homeless. I did not mind much. But this time, I'm planning to reserve beds in hostels and even tickets for shows in the Sydney Opera. Have I grown softer? Or smarter?

In any case, the charms of vibrant Sydney await (have I mentioned that I love big cities? :) ). So do vineyards in Hunter Valley, sand dunes in Port Stephens, snorkelling amongst corals and fishes in the Whitsunday Islands in the Great Barrier Reef, beaches in Fraser Island (and elsewhere), rainforests in Mackay and the mighty Ayer's Rock. Should be fun :)