On to the Great Southern Land: Melbourne (Part I)

Around an year ago, I sat down and made a list of the countries I'd like to visit after Egypt. While it had quite a few picks from the East, this country never made it to that bucket wish-list! As you'd expect, when I wanted to head out to an uncharted territory, it magically came swooping in from nowhere, and became my muse of 2019. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for the beautiful, beautiful Australia! Known informally as the Land Down Under, the Kingdom of Kangaroos (OK honestly, I just made that one up on the fly!) and the Land of Oz, here's an abundance of nature at its best and kind people. Once the destination was decided, my preparatory rig towards the trip was essentially watching multiple rounds of Telephone Manipol (Indian), Enna Ithu (Nala Damayanthi) and Enna Vilai Azhage (Kadhalar Dhinam) on YouTube until the battery drained from my phone!

Alright, so let's get started on this story from the beginning, shall we? I landed in Melbourne on a cold Autumn morning of April, with the weather looking so bright and dainty from within the flight. There was sunshine everywhere and what more does the sunshinegirl need? Marveling at the new surrounds and the pristine tarmac, I confidently went into Hello World mode as I got ready to breathe the first whiff of Australian air. I was welcomed by a blast of cold air as soon as I stepped out of the flight. OOPS! Gulping down the icy cold air and my teeth beginning to chatter already, I quickly plodded my way to the airport bus before my knees gave way owing to weather. So much for the signature Pudhiya Vaanam Pudhiya Bhoomi MGR style entry!

Melbourne, the cultural and coffee capital of Australia, gives you meaning to a relaxed way of life and its people being giving and generous everywhere. I shed a few happy tears to note that the pedestrians are given utmost respect, and cars actually come to a full halt when they approach a pedestrian crossing with patient bystanders. I tried all modes of public transport available in Melbourne: trains, buses and trams. The public transport runs on Myki tap-on, tap-off card, so be sure to buy and carry one around while you're out and about. An aspect that I loved to note was how people were diligent in tapping their transport cards while boarding and alighting. I couldn't see folks who would cross those machine installations without recording their ride. Oh, the integrity! This a city where Google Maps works to a perfect T, and you'll be fine as long as you follow your map route while getting to a place. The food scene across the city is fantastic, and there's ALL sorts of varieties available for the palate. Malaysian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, American, Arabian, Italian.. You name it and you've got it! I would strongly recommend that one tries the traditional Melbourne Flat White (a creamy, milky variant of coffee), and not to forget the Aussie meat pies! Is it really just a lot of meat in one slice? Is it some kinda pasty pastry? I don't know, go figure!

       

Melbourne Mornings ♥

Melbourne Flat White

Melbourne is quite large by width and breadth (haha, and so is Australia!) and I have probably just touched the tip of the iceberg. Listed below here are my top ten experiences to be enjoyed in Melbourne while you're there. Here we go..

(1) Flinders Street Railway Station - It's much like the iconic Chennai Central railway station in Melbourne. This is the station which is the closest to the city's CBD (Central Business District). You can go to ANY part of the city from here, and it's such a lovely sight to see people buzzing about in the station at any given time of the day! The train schedules are near perfect and they cover almost the entire city. The Southern Cross station (which is one stop from Flinders) is yet another iconic landmark in Melbourne, akin to Egmore to Chennaites, with trains and interiors emanating that ancient, rustic charm of the 20th century! From the Southern Cross, you can board the Sky Bus which goes to the airport.

The magnificent Flinders Street Railway Station - Front view!

(2) Melbourne Zoo - A visit to Melbourne zoo means you get to meet the menagerie - both native and foreign fauna. I enjoyed just strolling through the various themed enclosures, and my hot favorites were the meerkats, zebras and giraffes that I saw for the first time here! A casual visit can easily take about 4-5 hours even if you're just walking around quickly (like I did!), so plan your time judiciously and better not to put this with something else for the day! There are plenty of themed cafes having presence across the zoo, so you'll have plenty of options to catch a bite and stretch before continuing your stroll!

Hey, Lambu! 

(3) Great Ocean Road Day Trip: I will stress on this - don't ever miss this out during a trip to Melbs. During this fun excursion out on the roads, you will spot koalas lazing in the wild, have a chance to feed colorful tropical birds and allow them to perch on your arms (carry some dry cornflakes or cereals to feed the birds) at Kennett, Otway Coast, or enjoy a scoop of ice-cream at the famous Dooley's ice-cream in Apollo Bay. After a sumptuous lunch, enjoy a pleasurable trek through Mait's rainforest reserve where you will feel awed by the tall and imposing Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) trees that grow here. The best is yet to come.. So hold your breath as you witness the Twelve Apostles (actually it's 7 ½ Apostles now, owing to the tidal erosion on these limestone stacks) as an elevated view or from across the beach by wading through the Gibson's steps. You will have magnificent photo opportunities EVERYWHERE! As if to tell you that there are more scenic places to fall in love with, there will be a visit to Loch Ard Gorge afterwards, which is simply gorgeous to put to words, and the famous Shipwreck coast. This stretch of coast is thought to have around 700 shipwrecked vessels submerged in its waters, and it is the history that makes it such a fascinating place.

    

       

Some Honey-malt ice-cream (Dooley's)

The gorgeous Loch Ard Gorge! ♥

(4) Queen Victoria Market - Melbourne's local market place that sells fresh produce, fruits, vegetables, seafood and meat, along with consumer durables and souvenirs. You'll have to be here to experience its energetic atmosphere, and there are a number of standalone stalls and food counters that sell a variety of cuisines for the visitors. An interesting point to note is how sellers will slash their price to half-rate when it's time to close the market at around 3:00 PM. You will see sellers raising their voices, competing with each other and trying to clear off their stocks before winding up for the day! The American Doughnut Kitchen truck is a famous food joint here, with people teeming by its sides to buy their slice of hot glazed doughnut.

A funky Spanish Churros stall at the Queen Victoria Market

(5) Yarra River Cruise - Another must-do activity in Melbourne, with ferries and cruise ships doing rounds on the Yarra River from the Southbank Promenade side. I did a quick 45-min ride to the Docklands and back, and it was quite majestic to see the Melbourne skyline from within the vessel. It's a great opportunity to meander past Melbourne CBD and muse at one of the busiest trading ports in the Southern hemisphere. If you don't find yourself a ferry ride, simply walk through the Southbank Promenade and have a drink in one of the many restro-pubs along the bank. There are plenty of sitting benches laid out so you'll never run short of places to sit and admire the river views!

Melbourne skyline as seen from Yarra river! 

(6) Eureka Skydeck - Shoot to dizzying heights of Eureka Skydeck (285 mt above ground level, and 88 floors up!) in the shortest time up and enjoy the most spectacular 360-degree views in Aussie land. Eureka skydeck tower is the highest viewing point in the Southern Hemisphere and the views can't get any better than this. In here, you can see Melbourne’s finest views at almost 300 mt in the sky. There are above 30 viewfinders around the Skydeck, so you can take a look at some of Melbourne’s favorite attractions and landmarks, such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Federation Square, Shrine of Remembrance, Yarra river meandering through the city and of course, the iconic Flinders Street Station.

View from 300 mt up, ft. Eureka Skydeck! 

(7) Penguin Parade, Phillip Island - Located at about 130 kms from Melbourne, Phillip island provides a lovely opportunity to observe penguins in their natural habitat. Every evening after sunset, small fairy penguins wade their way back to their nest from the sea. There are observation areas for people to sit and watch this beautiful spectacle. Photography is strictly prohibited, as the flash and the clicking sound can startle these gentle creatures. It's a cute sight to watch the penguins go boppity-bop-bop walking and clumsily wade their way back to their home. Nature has placed an in-built GPS sensor within these creatures which helps them find their way back to their little ones, after a long and arduous day in the sea looking for food! It's worrying that the penguin numbers are depleting owing to global warming, and their natural habitat being threatened by massive urban upscale development. It was sad to note that only a few years ago, the penguins emerged from the sea in massive groups while I witnessed groups of just about 2-3 penguins wading back ashore with a vague sense of uncertainty.

Phillip Island - Providing natural habitat and home for the penguins! 

(8) Malls & Shopping Scenes - A visit to Chadstone Shopping center (nicknamed Chaddy lovingly by the locals) could be classified as a To-do list item, with Chaddy being the biggest shopping center in Australia, and supposedly the biggest in the Southern hemisphere as well. The floors buzz with people from all walks of life and sauntering around gives you a brief glimpse of the fast-paced urban lifestyle. Also recommended is a trip to the Bourke Street Mall (close to Queen Vic market) if you've got some extra time, as this is yet another classy place to visit during your time in Melbourne. Stores like Myers, David & Jones are omnipresent across Australia and are quite similar to the presence of Big Bazaar, More supermarkets. While you can always skip the need to buy something while you're there, don't miss to enjoy just walking through the long, seemingly endless corridors and taking in the sights and sounds around you.

(9)  Crown Casino, Southbank - Inaugurated in 1997, Crown Melbourne is a large resort and has Australia’s largest casino, along with restaurants and world-class shopping and entertainment facilities. An interesting point to note is that there is 24/7 gaming action at the Crown Casino, with an exciting variety of table games, electronic games, competitions and more. Gamers can be seen playing maniacally on the tables, and the atmosphere in the casino area is quite energetic! Another thing that I enjoyed at the Crown was witnessing the firework display performed at the start of every hour in the evenings. It's quite beautiful to watch and people gather all around the pavillion area to treat themselves to this fiery spectacle! Also, one can get some unparalleled views of the city skyline reflected in Yarra waters by the night, when you go for a walk just outside the Crown.

She's a stunning beauty by the night! ♥

(10) Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria - An ideal picnic spot for the locals and families, Royal Botanic gardens boasts of a huge variety of flora that are both native and foreign. There are several separation areas within the gardens, demarcated according to the plant varieties hosted within them. A quiet stroll amidst the huge trees and bushes in the gardens is simply therapeutic and you will witness several joggers and nature enthusiasts in the vicinity! There are plenty of sitting benches placed everywhere just so that one can catch the serene, breathtaking views of the garden in an unrushed manner! Boat rides are also available at a small fee, which take the tourists on a meandering path across the lake area within the garden. Oh, did I mention that the lake area is generally 10 degrees cooler than the other places around the garden? :)

Botanic Gardens: Providing killer views like these within the city! 

There are probably more interesting things to do in and around, but I'll have to wait until another visit to detail out on that. As I wrap up my Melbournian odyssey, sharing some poetic lines from The Great Southern Land (Icehouse). This track was penned in 1982, inspired by the great Southern Land, none other than Australia.

Standing at the limit of an endless ocean
Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea
City on a rainy day down in the harbor
Watching as the grey clouds shadow the bay
Looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you

... This is how it feels to be in Melbourne! There's the endless Southern ocean lapping up gently on its shores, the sea views and lively beaches, the harbors and bays.. And amidst all these sightings, you will find Melbourne waving cheerily at you, like a friend you'd treasure for the rest of your life!

The Tale of a broken-toed Misriya!

The first-time experience is unique. The adrenaline rush that comes with what you're about to do, flushing you with excitement, nervousness, anxiety, giddiness, the fear and confusion of not knowing what lies ahead.. You can only live your first-times once. So try to make the most of it. Such was my first-ever international experience to the land of Misr. (In case you were wondering - Misr is Arabic for Egypt)

In a seemingly routine weekend in November, I was perusing online travel catalogs looking for an exciting escapade. Egypt came calling to me that day. In a flash, my mind was made up. This was the destination which was going to embrace me into its arms as my first overseas travel affair. If you've read my older blog posts, you'd know how bedazzled I am of Egypt. It's an emotional connect that I have no words to explain and account for. A day-dream of two decades, or perhaps more! The land of the Pyramids were calling unto me, and who was I to refuse? I quickly started making the arrangements for the trip: the payment options, visa procedures, reading about the country's landscape in my free time - would it be too hot/ would it be cool when I went there/ political scene and domestic unrest if any, mental-mapping the places we were going to be visiting as per the itinerary etc etc etc. As the travel dates came closer, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. Fear of the unknown, mixed with the excitement of whatever was lying ahead came to me in equal parts. Preparations were in full swing for what clothes to wear, accessories to match with it, new cool purchases for the trip, piling up quick, easy snacks into the bag for the trip and so on!

That's when the unexpected happened.. On the fateful night of March 8th, I stubbed my toe to the wall at home just five days ahead of my trip and it resulted in a fracture. I had two options to pursue at that moment: 1) Either give up on this trip, cancel it out and remain at home giving some resting time for the toe to heal, or 2) Go ahead and join the tour anyway, considering the Orthopaedician had given me a thumbs-up for routine activities (except that I couldn't get the foot bandage wet at any cost). Being the brave lass that yours truly is, I chose to do the latter. Sitting at home and musing over a lost opportunity simply isn't me. This was my home calling; I just couldn't ignore that voice. A lot of re-tuning and re-preparation happened. Sneakers/ shoes/ party footwear were tossed out of the suitcase. Many comfortable open-foot slippers replaced them. Painkiller pills, bandage gauze cotton, tissue paper, saran wrap rolls constituted a sizable chunk of my luggage. *chuckles* That's how the great journey began!

I met the group of ladies I was going to tour Egypt with during our transit to Cairo from Kuwait. From the word go, they were charming, kind and loving. The initial nerves and qualms that I had about meeting strangers fizzed out within the first few minutes of chatting with them. It was like being amidst family, despite being far away from the real ones we had. Throughout the trip, there was endless laughter, banter, joking, dancing and fun with these wonderful travel companions. Together, we visited the Giza complex and the magnificent Pyramids, walked into the King's chambers (at the heart of Khufu's pyramid) and marveled at the culture and history that the ancient Egyptians have left behind for the generations to come. Egypt is indeed the cradle of civilization and there's no denying it when you've been there yourself. The visit to the King's inner chambers within the pyramid is an unparalleled experience. Walking/ semi-crouching/ climbing/ plodding through the dank, narrow passage into the high-ceiling King's chamber was worthy of the steep, ascent uphill to reach the sweet spot. There is a calm aura within that captivates you when you're there. I felt goosebumps when my palm slid across the walls of this chamber. So that's how it is, visiting the heart of the pyramid! 

Saba Alkhyr, Egypt! =)

Whichever direction you turn your head to, Egypt provides so much ancient heritage and history that's hard to digest in one visit. Perhaps.. Just perhaps.. One trip is not enough for a country as marvelous as Egypt. I felt this sentiment with strong certainty when we visited the Cairo Museum, home for olden days' artifacts and ancient treasures (special shout-out to Tutankhamun's discovered antiquities from the Valley of Kings), the rich sculpted work and carvings in the temples of Abu Simbel, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor, Hatshepsut and Karnak. Clearly, these kings had GRAAAAAND vision about after-life and wanted to let their enemies know they were strong and mighty. "Don't mess with me, I'm a powerful king" - this is what each royal heir to the throne conveyed to their arch rivals through the sheer size and splendor of these temples. If the ancient history wasn't overwhelming us enough, the sights, sounds and scenes of the modern-day Egypt bewitched us. Be it shopping for fine linens and cottons at Cairo, the perfumes in Aswan, the papyrus and Alabaster of Luxor, or for that matter - some good old Indian style bargain-and-buy in the souks of Khan El-Khalili, Spice markets of Aswan known for its spices, condiments and dates and the Luxor flea market where one could pick up ALL sorts of trinkets and sounvenirs.. One just cannot have enough of Egypt from the past and present era!

The bonding with the group - by this I mean all the awesome ladies, the local guide with his extremely cute landing tone and the fabulous, sassy Ten-plus-One group leader - intensified as we went cruising along River Nile with the stars shooting above our heads as we sat sipping our drink on the deck, during the Felucca ride with some karaoke fun and dancing as we got introduced to the taste of Ouzo en-route a farewell bash at Fella, some leg-shaking fun at Fella as we watched and joined the dancers perform Belly Dancing, Whirling Dervish and other traditional dance forms of Egypt, and as we shared some namkeen and the foot-tapping Desi music during our long, arduous ride across the Sahara desert to the Abu Simbel. We got a glimpse of the humble, inviting Nubian household open for its guests, as we dined with them prior to the visit to Abu Simbel. I cannot miss to mention the hot-air balloon experience at Luxor, where we floated above the Valley of Kings (which we visited later that day) and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut (or simply, Hot chicken soup!). The arid desert sands, laid in parallel with the lush greenery of Luxor's agricultural lands, next to the serene alluring River Nile flowing by quietly - all these seen as three parallel strips and seen from a bird's eye view was a glorious spectacle. As if this wasn't enough for our senses to absorb, the sunrise came by quietly and presented to us a pristine sight to behold. I had never witnessed a sunrise so picturesque as this before, suspended high above the ground. Lo and behold, you sublime beauty!

Witnessing a beautiful sunrise from the hot-air balloon! 

The visit to the Valley of Kings deserves a mention for its grandeur and architectural brilliance. The avenue of tombs laid out as an organized underground labyrinth for the exalted royal families, marked as their final resting place takes your breath away, quite literally. The intricate carvings, the paintings, the charms and offerings painted across the wall as you traverse these passages leave you lost for words to express your awe. As of date, sixty-six tombs have been discovered and the Egyptian Archaeological department is pursuing relentlessly in its endeavor to unearth more riches that may lie undiscovered within this mysterious mountain valley. Now, touching upon the gastronomical delights that Egypt offered to us bemused travellers: Of pita breads with its assortment of dips - hummus, baba ghanoush, and yogurt with cucumber (quite a standard appetizer), the hawawshi and tamia, shawermas (quite unlike the ones which are prepared in India. The Arabian ones are dry with little or no mayo), well-cooked and skewered meats and gravies served with a side of sticky rice, baked, mashed or fried potatoes, and finally the helpings of Umm Ali, traditional burfi-like sweets or fruits like orange, bananas, dates or cantaloupes to top off a wonderful meal.. I can literally feel the flavors rolling my tongue as I type this. Oh, how could I miss the Turkish coffee which flowed freely across the cafés, along with the assorted flavors of sheeshas you could try?

The trip was and is magical to me. Not all those who wander are lost. Sometimes, you discover that you fit so well in another place, in another time. Perhaps, Egypt was where I belonged in an earlier birth. An earlier time that the mind cannot fathom or register, but the heart always knew of. A connect that I cannot put to words, but what the intuition tells was always there. Was that why every shop keeper and vendor told me I looked like an Egyptian? Does that explain why I was told to have the same face structure of a Nubian woman - eyes, face structure and skin tone? I was one of them. I was their habibi. After coming back home and recounting this karmic connect, I have had friends who threw this amusing question at me: "Are you sure your parents didn't adopt you?" Hehe! I am sure it's going to take a lifetime to snap out of the charms of Egypt. As for the fracture that I tended to throughout the trip.. It sometimes reminded me of its annoying presence, a faithful reminder that all things good come with a pinch of bad. For most of the times, I forgot about it and allowed myself to get fully immersed in the incredible Egyptian adventure. As you sit there reading this post, rest assured that the habibi with a fractured toe has done well for herself. Surely, visiting Misr is an incomparable and exotic experience worthy of every minute spent there. As I sat on the flight which would take me home on the last day of our trip, I remember grabbing wads of tissue paper from my handbag and wiping away the silent tears which wouldn't stop flowing. It was time to go from one home to another.

Ready for take-off from Cairo? I don't think so! 

And that's the tale of a broken-toed Misriya (Egyptian woman in Arabic) who returned home with a full suitcase and an even fuller heart. Shukran Egypt, for allowing me the privilege to revel in your magic. Until we meet again, I weave these precious memories close to my heart and seek refuge in the recollections.