Saturday, September 1, 2007

We Have Arrived...





Hey mates,

We are here! After over 24 hours of travel, 20 hours of airtime, and running from terminal to terminal, we are finally in Sydney, Australia for APEC. First of all, we would like to thank the John I. Smith Foundation for funding our trip and making this great experience in Sydney possible. The Riley Institute's participation in APEC gives students each year, like ourselves, the opportunity to experience engaged learning at its best. Our group of four students and one professor arrived yesterday morning at 6 am, ready to see the sites before we get down to business. After unloading our bags and before even showering or changing clothes (gross, we know), we set out to discover the harbor city.



















After a quick bite to eat, we ventured over to one of Sydney’s most famous attractions, Darling Harbor. We took a fascinating tour of the Maritime Museum, and then hitched a ride to Manly Wharf – home to some of Sydney’s most posh beaches. Unfortunately, we forget to take our cozies (the Australian word for swimsuits). When we returned from Manly, we settled into our hotel, showered, ate, and crashed from two long days.

Today we wanted to get out of the city and see the “wilder” side of the land down under. We scheduled a trip to the Blue Mountain which are located to Northwest of the city. They are named the “Blue Mountains” because of the blue haze emitted from the Eucalyptus trees. Overlooking the canyons below the mountains are truly a site to behold.

After looking over the canyons, we drove to Katoomba, an old coal mining town, where we took a train down into Australia’s temperate rainforest. The train, more like a roller coaster, is the steepest train in the world descending at a 52 degree angle. Once in the rainforest, we were amazed by the cooler temperatures and the lush, green flora surrounding us.

Following the rainforest, we grabbed a quick lunch, and walked down 209 steps to see Wentworth Falls. Though the falls were beautiful, they did not compare to our next encounter with one of Australia’s most famous creatures – the kangaroo. Seeing kangaroos hopping along in the wild was a great way to start off our Australian experience.

APEC officially begins tomorrow and we are now officially ready to hop right into the action.

Cheers,
Anna, Alli, Elizabeth, and Pete

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