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The departure and the trip
Thursday, May 17, 2001
After several days of preparation and various problems the day that I dreamed of is finally approaching, the departure for Australia. I feel a strange sense of excitement, a fear of the unknown ... and a feeling of euphoria for what I consider to be my greatest adventure to date! With preparations in full swing and with a backpack packed beyond belief , the time to say good-
Monday, May 21, 2001
I am on the 8.40 train that will take me to Florence and then to Rome. After the emotional farewell with the family I find myself alone in the carriage with my heavy luggage and I think to myself what it took to finally get to this day. I wonder about it all the time and then I remember reading about the guy who had been around the world with only a toothbrush !. Train arrives in Rome on time and I take the Leonardo da Vinci and within 30minutes I am at Fiumicino Airport. I arrive at Fiumicino airport to find that the usual airline strike is on but they tell me that I'm okay that there will only be a three hour delay. I'm lucky as there are people who will not leave at all they say!!!
Emirates flight with a stopover in Dubai. The journey is long and tiring. The plane lands in Dubai and I find that the airport is beautiful and impeccably neat and clean. I board the plane again for Sydney with another quick stopover in Singapore.
It's 6.10 am on Wednesday 23 May and I've finally arrive in Sydney, in Italy it should be 22.30pm Tuesday 22 May but I'm not sure as I always get confused with time zones.
Beautiful morning in Sydney fresh and bright. Arrive at Customs and they begin to search through my luggage, they seeem to be very fussy!! Then they ask me, do you have a credit card or cash? If you do not have the money to support yourself then they will not let you enter. Everything goes ok and I am allowed in and I can stay for up to six months without being able to work as I do not have a working visa. The Custom Officials asked me many questions maybe hoping that I would contradict myself and send me back home!! I take a cab and head off to the Hostel!