Bye-Bye Australia, Hello Bangkok.

Well, our adventures "down under" are officially over, but they ended on a good note. We travelled back to Sydney where we reunited with our "Cycle Australia" buddies and spent our last two days exploring the outskirts of town. First, we went to Olympic Park to check out the 2000 Olympic venue. While there, we checked out the Stadium (and while we didn't pay the $25 to go in, I got a magnificent view of the inside when our plane took off for Bangkok). We also tested the waters of the Olympic Pool, but I think they must have changed the water or lengthened the lanes because we certainly weren't shattering any world records.

Next, we took a train out to the blue mountains to feast our eyes on one last glimpse of Australia's natural beauty. The blue mountains combine Eucalypt forest with steep and colorful cliff faces, magnificent rock outcroppings, and splendid waterfalls. First we descended into the valley of the mountains via the Furber steps... then walked along the Federal Pass, up the Giant Staircase (1241 steps! Good thing I used to work on the top floor... too bad that was only the fifth floor), and back along the top of the cliffs. Our day of walking amongst fresh forest scents and numerous chirping birds provided a good end to our journeys in Australia...

Yesterday, we said goodbye to the land of dangerous creatures and jumping mammals. We left behind the roads of our unforgettable bike journey, the waters with all our colorful friends, and many wonderful people who we met along the way. We then boarded the plane to Thailand for our next adventure - our first journey outside "westernized" civilization.

Our plane pulled into Bangkok International Airport a little before midnight (or 3am Australia time... way past bedtime!). Mally and I did our best to stay awake through Customs, managed to find storage for our bikes, and headed to the hot, humid outdoors where we caught a bus. The bus seemed to whiz through a blur of commotion and colorful lights in the night until it dropped us off at Khao San Road... in the midst of the nightlife scene. From there, we tried to decipher the map as we weaved through traffic, street vendors, and crowds. We arrived at our guesthouse dripping with sweat from the heat and thoroughly exhausted. After lugging our gear up the stairs and finding our room, we quickly hit the pillows.