Great Barrier Reef

Last weekend some people went to the Great Barrier Reef, to take a look to this wonderful thing of the nature. The trip was quite tiring, but it really deserves it. Sorry for the lack of good photos but my battery was not working properly.

The first day, just after arrive we went to do some kayaking... where I got complete tired and I destroyed my nipples rowing with an old life vest without t-shirt. The experience was great, trying to jump the waves with those small kayaks made me remember when I was rowing...nice times :P. But here the waves were big enough to send us to the water  :P

The second day was and awesome sunny day. My burned back is an evidence of that :P. Soon in the morning we took the boat to Lady Musgrave island. 90 minutes later, we were in the paradise (well...almost :P)

This is a little example of what I've seen there. Yes, as Jacques Custeau films, the reefs are something like this in the photo ( I have to practice more with underwater photos). I swam with a turtle, and I could find something similar to Nemo (Disney Cartoon) around.

This is the only remarkable photo that I have taken of Taka doing stupid things underwater. He really loved scuba diving, and he was seriously thinking to became a profesional one (Next Immersion: Okinawa!!).

We finished...partying...and late, these are some photos of that night with Ligia's Birthday (She is between Taka and Hiro)

And this is the last photo before my battery died, just closing the bar where we were parting :P

It's a place to come back....

JAM Memories

Because in Europe is cold, last week some europeans joined in Segovia to get warmer...

Last year, we met in Donji Milanovac in Serbia, and after the amazing party, we have had some confesions in the way back to Milan...

Yes, little by little I'm back to life after two strange weeks here :P

Yes...I'm still alive

Two weeks with no post...yes I know, it's complete irresponsible. Nevertheless, last two weeks, it have been a bit busy :P. After going out badly, spanish BBQ (there are a lot of spaniards here :P), more beach, more beach, more relaxing at 'god knows from where' restaurants, skydiving, and studying (I cannot believe myself with this last think :P). This afternoon I have the TOEIC exam, then I'll have a paper that will tell everybody 'Yes, I know english'.

I don't know what gonna happen to me in the following hours after the exam...but I'll try to write something.

Hugs!

Morriña

Most of you don't know what that word means. It's Galician and has no direct translation. It's a kind of pain in your soul when you are out of your homeland 'sic'

I don't feel it, but I feel quite weird when today I was in the Gym (doing nothing, cause I was f**ing tired :P) and in TV, they show the Illas Cíes. Those are a group of islands in front of my homwtown. There was a TV show called 'Backpackers' on [v] channel, (an Australian copy of MTV). Those guys where moving around Europe in a caravan, and they were in Spain for a while. After Spain, they were in Porto, where they found two german girls. Those girls told them about the paradise, 3 little island in front of the Galician coast...that it was the Cies Islands.

They spent one day, complete lost in Vigo (city where you take the Boat to go to the Islands), in Mercado de la Piedra, getting lost with Vitrasas, and all the typical things that you can do in Vigo, they went to the island. And they stayed in the paradise for two days, making me remind my homeland....

After the bucolic scene, I realized that know it's raining 3 times more than here, and there is no way to go to the beach :P... and I felt happy to be in Australia.

Sometimes Brisbane reminds me Barcelona

The lizard from Park Güell...no, but almost remind to the Gaudi masterpiece. It's in West End, next to a greek restaurant (One day, I have to talk about greek-australian restaurants)

South Bank Parklands, or How Brisbane is cooler than most European Cities :P

If some of you have made zoom in Brisbane in Google Earth, you will realize that the city is near the sea...but not in the seaside. The closest beach is around 12 km far from the center of the city. You are guessing how I go to the beach almost everyday. It's a strange, and I think, unique case in the world that a huge city is so close to the seaside but not in the seaside. How do Brisbanites solve that problem? As everything done by Queenslanders, in a practical way. If the city has no beach, let's build one!

South Bank Parklands has builded for the World Expo '88, that took place here in Brisbane. Before, it was only a part out of the city not so much developed and even forgiven by the Town Hall governments. After 1988 World Expo, some clever guys decided to make South Bank, the centre of culture and leisure of the city. After some changes, converting some of the Expo buildings in Museums and Theatres, and building also, the City Beach, the SunCorp Piazza (and open amphitheatre) and the Wheel, South Bank Parklands opened on 1992.

South Bank is so nice idea and so well maintained, that most of tourist or foreigners here think that you have to pay for it in a first moment. But no, it's complete free to use the most of facilities, and the ones that are not free, are slightly more expensive than in the centre, that is less than 10 minutes walking far from the parklands

Also there is a Rainforest Garden (that's why the photos are not wide, because there are always trees in the middle) where you can find ibis and the same lizards, that I took a photo of them last week. Yesterday I found two of them fighting :P

If you visit this place on weekend, you will find an open market. That's the place where I found the Kangaroo Scrotum :P

I think it's better you have to come here to see this kind of paradise in the middle of the city, cause I have no enough words

New Header!

Today I was on the Beach and when I was covering my face from the strong sun, I realize about that could be a good photo :P. Then there is my wrist in the South Bank beach.

Aussies love Kangaroos

Some people didn't believe me when I told them about this fact. Here is a photo in detail of this matter.

Every 'pair' costs $10 AUD and they seller guaranteed the origin of the balls (Only pure Australian Kangaroo Scrotum). I'm leaving to the beach, see u! 

Australian Humour

This was an ad that I found next to the English school

Everybody loves americans, specially my Saudi Arabian roommate :S

I saw the next BEST logo in Australia...

Maybe the next step for the BEST logo?

This is the logo of the public transportation of Brisbane

Christmas at Australia

As you know, here in Australia is summer, a really hot summer, but Christmas are approaching and all the European people here feel so confused... You feel strange going on shorts and and seeing xmas trees when is 35º degrees outside. I don't feel like xmas at all :P.

Friday, we went to the cinema to see 'How to lose friends and alienate people' (Yes, Laura, films in Australia are in english...) and in the way to the cinema we pass through Queen St (as always). Myer Store is like 'El Corte Inglés' in Spain, 'Harrods' in England or 'Fokas' in Greece. They were doing the promotion for the new decoration of the store for Xmas time.

And what we found is that: Reindeers in the middle of Australia with a 30º celsius: All the Australian people surrounding poor animals that it seemed that they have no problem attending to the crowd. Yes, the concept of 'Australian' is wide, they are Caucasian, Asian, Indian... then most of them has no idea on their cultures about reindeers. Me too, I didn't know that the horns of the reindeers are also hairy :P

Then here the incongruities begins. We have the Reindeer and the sleigh... but in the store windows you can see Santa Claus under the sea, working to prepare all the presents for the children. Why does he need the sleigh?

Also there is a chorus singing xmas songs, but they are in short sleeve... and Natalia, one crazy sevillian girl that I have found here in Brisbane studying english with me, that she cannot talk quiet during the film...

Also, Australia people loves live music, no famous, you can find live music where ever you go. And for Xmas... yes, see the photo, I have no words to describe it, African drummers with Xmas, with xmas tree behind... this is fusion, and no blues and flamenco.

Australian Christmas; Right to take away to the beach! :P

Australian Issues

Australian People has a quite interesting sense of humour, it's quite difficult to see what is politically incorrect, and what can be a joke. Here is the door of a car that I found yesterday in Brisbane:

Sometimes Brisbane reminds me Jurassic Park :P

Walking on the street I found this lizard, it was around half meter long and it made a lot of weird sounds...

Melbourne Cup

Today was Melbourne Cup, a horse race that literally stops the country. But you don't know how much. I have no so much photos as my camera has no more battery, but I'll try to explain you what happen today in Australia.

Melbourne Cup is the most famous horse race in Australia, the first edition was 1861, and in the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. The race is 3200 metres, and it's for horses over than 3 years, it's always the first thursday of November. It's very important to say that the race is in Melbourne, Victoria, and all the photos were taken in Brisbane,Queensland, where I live. (The distance is about 1500 km between both cities)

This is Queens St, the most comercial street in Brisbane, like la Rambla in Barcelona, Preciados in Madrid, Principe in Vigo, or every Ermou St in every greek city. This photo was taken around 8:00 am in the morning, when I was passing to go to the beach (no gym today :P). This betting place was installed only for this race, and it was the only thing crowded in Brisbane at that time (most of shops opens at 9:00am)

Queen St at 8:00 in the morning....

This next photo was on a typical place for lunch on the working days, that it uses to serve some sandwiches and these things for quick lunch. Today was like for a weeding with a lot of people wearing suit, and with every woman with every kind of hat, pamela or a thing that could be sticked on the head, lunching with Champaign and seafood, all luxury

This is not a weeding, it's people waiting for seeing the race on TV

Let's go to the important thing: the race, it took around 3 minutes and it was quite exciting. To show you how much, you only have to see the photo finish....

Photo taken from online edition of Daily Telegraph, from Getty Images

Albariño!!!

Moving around... I found that bottle, it was the only one that they have, but the guy from the shop told me that they have sold it pretty well... Galicia Calidade!

The price was 38,50 AUD, that I think that it's a bit expensive (It was a 2006 wine)

Byron Bay

Hello Bodies!

This weekend, some friends and I rent some cars and went to Byron Bay.  This point was discovered by Captain James Cook, as almost all Australia :P on May 15th, 1770. It deserves his name to John Byron, who circumnavigate the earth 4 years before, and also was the grandfather of the famous poet Lord Byron, the one who died fighting for the independency of Greece from the Ottoman Empire.

In fact, Byron Bay is the easternmost point of Australia Mainland (a kind of Australian Finisterre), with a very kind and famous lighthouse.

Me, relaxing a bit...you have to walk a lot to reach this point.

With some of the people around, all of them are studying in EF Brisbane, except the guy sat down. It's Matias, an Argentinian that we found in the Backpackers, that has been traveling for 6 months surfing in the Pacific...

Byron Bay is also famous for surfing, as one of the most famous beaches in the world. You can find the typical Byron Bay t-shirt from surfers brands as Billabong or Rip Curl. That's why Byron Bay is full of surfers, surfers shops, surfers renting stuff, and everything else for surfers.

This is Acuarius Backpackers, the hostel where we slept on Saturday, and it's like this, full of surfers, and Aussies, quite hippie

Personally, I think that it's the perfect place to disconnect from real life for 2 or 3 months... maybe when I'll get serious...

Sometimes Brisbane reminds me Madrid :P

...Gallardon's dream...tunneling until Australia...

Australian Automatic Passwords

I register in Vodafone.com.au my new prepaid SIM card, and what's the password that I got from the system:

BUFFALO!!

Yes, those australian like to drink :P

Already in Brisbane, first impression

After 14 hours non-stop sleeping of recovering for Jet Lag, Baptiste, my french housemate, and me went to the city centre to make a bit of tourism and to make me feel less lost.

A view of brisbane from the South Bank (also could be a generic city)

A little background about the city, Brisbane is the Capital of Queensland, the territory situated in the northeast of Australia, around 750 km far from Sydney. Follow the wikipedia, it has 1,7 million people, with the highest growing rate of the country. 

Today was Sunday and the city was full of live with a lot of people moving around, live music (not only the typical  young guy with a guitar or the old men with a violin), and a lot of people making sports and being around.

All the city is new with a lot of vanguardist architecture, and most of buildings seems not elder than 10 years, or at least with a renovation of the facade and adding new features.

Statue in the front of the Science Museum. (''Art is useless by definition'') 

I'm still recovering of the 32 hours flying, and Jet Lag, that I'm realizing that it's quite difficult to write something, as my eyes are getting close little by little... but I'm still so happy to be here. Tomorrow, I'll begin the english lectures. Ah! There was a lot of stupid birds like this walking on the street, somebody knows the name of those ones?

Singapore Airport

Guys!

I'm writing you from Singapore Airport. About this place, I can said that you can manage a BEST internal event here with quality and almost a public event with free accommodation. I promise to make a better report soon with photos and stuff, but I'll list the things that I have seen here, for free:

-All the airport is with Carpet, even the train with between terminals has carpet. You can lay down where ever you want, and it will not be cold.

-But you will not need to lay down as there are a huge amount of extremly confortable sofas.

-OK, In the confortable sofas using the laptop, sometimes is difficult and we have no plug for the battery. No problem there are desktops with LAN and AC plugs with confortable chairs to work. If you have no LAN wire, you have two hours of WiFi for free 

-If you forgot the laptop or you don't want to use it, you can use an internet point. What is an internet point? An internet point is as simple as a Computer, with free internet. There are in group between 6-20, every 20 meters.

-There are free recharging devices points. A place that you plug your mobile phone or Ipod, close the door, and keep it there for a quick battery recharge.

-There are relaxing points with sofas to lay down and sleep.

-There are showers, in the bathroom there is a local guy taking care of you.(of drying your hands, perverts:P)

-There are a lot of shops with everything imaginable and cheap (not incredible cheap, but cheap)

-There is a little acuarium

-There is a butterfly garden

-And the last thing, all the information people are incredible polite.

OK, guys I should leave, I'll put the little amount of photos that I have made soon

Hugs BESTies

Leaving Madrid (this time sure)

Hey Guys!

I'm right now in the Airport, with Jorge, that have been enough polite to come to the airport to say goodbye ;)

I cannot extend me so much, cause in ten minutes, boarding will begin. Now, the countdown is actualized and this is the real time to reach Australia. I hope to be able to report from the other airports I reach.

Qantas Airlines, or how to reach Australia

Some of you are asked me how the hell you flight from Madrid to Brisbane. Well, it takes around 30 hours. The schedule will be something like that for this time:

• Madrid-Frankfurt: 02h 40min
• Waiting in Frankfurt: 02h 50min
  
• Frankfurt-Singapore: 12h 05min
  
• Waiting in Singapore: 05h 20min
• Singapore-Brisbane: 07h 25min

---------------------------------------

Total: 30h 20min

I haven't told before but I'm a student of Aerospace Engineering then this post will be a bit geek :P. Let's talk about the main Airline to flight to Australia, because most of other companies flights are also operated by Qantas.

Qantas is the most famous Australian Airline, it's the acronym of Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Serivces. Nowadays is the most easy way to reach Australia, as it's the only Australian company that reach Europe, as far as I know (Cathay Pacific is from Hong Kong :P)

This airline is and one of the most safe airline in the world. They have never lost a jet airplane in the whole story of the company. The accidents that they have had in the last first years of the companies where with alternative engines, when aircrafts have four engines, because always there was one or two that used to burn and spoil in the long way to Australia, :P. The only serious incident in the last years was a Boeing 747 who runs off the Bangkok Airport runway for 220 meters. And they don't lost the aircraft because it's said that they spent 100 million AUD (arround 51 million €) to recover and repair it.

Qantas 747 crashed in Bangkok (Check the slide over the tree...it's a bit WTF)

Until this last months...Qantas have had some serious incidents, including 5 emergency landings with this two remarkable ones:

-July 25th. A Oxygen Cylinder exploded, when the aircraft was over the South China Sea, making a garage door next to the wing root. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Manila (Philippines) with all the 350 passengers safe.

The Captain checking the hole (some passangers lost the Australian souvenirs)

-October 7th. An Airbus 330-300 Flight computer pull down the aircraft 300 feet (91meters) with 30 people injured (You should wear the the seat belt all the time that you are sat down). The first report said that a guy in business class where using a wireless mouse, right over all the control computers, and that was the cause of the mistake of the automatic pilot. I hope they will let me use my laptop during the flight :P not the get complete bored.

Joining this idea with the fact that the first flight is with Spanair, I don't know why but I feel a bit more afraid than other times that I'm flying. Maybe the reason is that the other flights that I use to take are right after crazy parties, then I'm so sleepy or 'affected' by the party, that I cannot feel any fear :P.

Everybody is wondering to win the lottery...

Saying Madrid 'See you soon'

Now it's 8:20 am, I'm Madrid Barajas Airport, stealing WiFi :P. And no, the countdown is not broken, it's only that I'm leaving for 3 days for my hometown (Moaña), just before leaving to Brisbane. I'm sitting next to the window of the restaurant ARS in Terminal 3, right in front of gate E67 which already has in 'VIGO' in yellow letters written in the screen over the finger door. Outdoors, it's windy and very cloudy.

Tonight (or I should say yesterday night, cause is getting clear) I went partying with Lollo, from Milan, one of the best guys that I have met in my live, Ruth, one of the horny cute girls that I have ever met and Elena Vinuesa, my mate in the kidnapping of the Carlinha in Athens, almost 2 years ago... We went to the Hawaian Bar in Santa Ana, and we have been around, something very light, for the BEST standards :P.

Ruth,Lollo and Me under Gran Vía McDonald's

But in fact, I enjoyed pretty much. It was the fact of being with friends in a good companion, relaxing, chatting, and beating around all the bushes that we could find in our topics list. Maybe I'm getting older, but it was quite nice, and we made a tour on the old places of Madrid (Via Lactea, Alepo, San Mateo 6), that sometimes made me feel almost melancholic (almost).

Hey! And Bea came to say goodbye. Bea is from Madrid, a project of Doctor in Telecomunications Engineering, that her company send to California, by the face :P . She came to the center only to say goodbye. That was great, Thank you a lot!!!

OK, Now there is a boarding in the screen and I should move to the queue of people, flying to the Atlantic Coast in this real Galician sunday. And I'm going to sleep like a Champion with the head against the window.

See u! 

Applying for an Australian Visa

#All the oficial info of Australian Visas-> http://immi.gov.au

Like in a lot of countries, Schengen passport holders doesn't need a visa...or doesn't need to go to a consulate for a Visa:). Let me explain, as happen in Turkey, you have to pay a little amount of money to enter as a visitor in Australia (9,53€). This Visitor Visa allows you to make visits for periods shorter than 3 months during the next year.

As always, making this kind of things sometimes are funny, like the back questions of the I-94 form to enter in the US:

-In the advisory, the first web where appears all the legal conditions, in red, it advises not to put your credit card data in a pop-up window, because there is a troyan that steals that info.(I have a Mac ;D).Next step is to put your credit card data in a pop-up window.

-In one point, the system tells that you cannot be in Australia at time to issue this visa, and the next question is 'Are you in Australia?'.

OK, those are a bit WTF! details, but the real WTF is that the student visa, for going there more than a 3 months, is 315€, and afterwards you still have to pay a health insurance. This student visa allow you to work 20 hours/week, that is the good point.

Then finally, I can enter in Australia

A quick presentation of Brisbane, QLD

OK, To keep writing something in this blog, here is an advance of what I'm gonna see (of course not as beautiful as this promotion video :P )

Why a Spaniard writes in English about Australia??

Why? I don't know, first because I'm going to Australia to learn English, and I think that I'l practice more if I write in the language of Shakespeare (you can imagine a madly smile in my face). The reason is that I want to share this experience with the good and the bad points, with all the friends that I have met around Europe these last years.

Yes, Europe become small for me :P. In fact no so much, but going on tourism is something that you can do even when you are old, and studying abroad in Europe is quite simple between Erasmus and other mobility programs. If I want to do this I should do it now, or later I'm gonna be or to busy or to lazy or to old to do this.But, I'm sure that I'll be back to the old Europe again, writing the last post of this blog, sooner than I'm expecting now, time runs :/

And there is another problem, I have no clue about what I'm gonna see there. Although I'm supposed to have everything that I'll need contracted with my language school, I don't know the family with whom I'm gonna live and what kind of people I'm gonna find there. I hope the kind  of people that I'll find there is the kind of 'umm...let choose a place where to lost for 3 months... Australia!'.

Thinking about all the reason that are pushing me to reach the antipodes of my hometown (almost), they are so much and so different that in the end it's only about leaving. I have one thing clear, I'm not looking for anything else, I'm going there to earn new points of view.

Now I'm still in Madrid and I have 18 days left for leaving to Australia. Nowadays, the blog will run slowly as I'm still here and I want to talk about Australia :P, not about Madrid.

Ok thanks for reading

We will be ready soon!