It was my first solo non-work trip ever and it was epic!!! I arrived on a Thursday afternoon after 7.5 hrs flight from Manila. It was smooth and I enjoyed reading a new book. My airbnb is in South Yarra neighborhood
a studio with everything I needed and perfect size for me
after I dropped my luggage I went to the nearby groceries store to pick up some food.
Day 2: I joined a free walking tour. It was a lovely day and our young enthusiastic guide Tom did a good job.
I learned few interesting facts about Melbourne. It has the highest minimum wage in the world (19.5 AUD) and it was banned to work beyond 8 hrs. No wonder most stores close at 5pm. The 888 symbols for 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of recreation
the botanical garden is massive and so pretty. But it’s not the only park like central park in new york. There are parks everywhere because the city planner wants everyone having access to park/green within few blocks from where they live. No wonder Melbourne people are very into sport/outdoor activities
Melbourne chinatown is one of the oldest one in the world (after San Francisco)
Many street with graffitis that give a hippie touch to an otherwise modern city
some of the pieces are famous
the city center has many arcades and galleries with unique boutiques and cafes
this building has won top 10 ugliest building in the world but it’s in fact a very popular cultural center
the Melbourne equivalent of Opera House in Sydney which was not that impressive
and the lovely Yarra River
after the tour I went to pick up my race bib, all ready
I arrived home by 5:30pm wondering if I should have walked less and take more rest. Oh well… needed to take advantage of being in a new city right?
Some food that I ate
I packed my own food for the flight as it was an economy flight and no free food was served. I packed my pumpkin oatmeal topped with granola
I found a vegan place nearby and ate there almost exclusively during my stay
like this veggie sautee with tofu and brown rice. Simple and yummy
to be continued…
Balance, Joy and Delicias 