Update, and money savings in Australia

Greetings

from

Sydney!

(Though I’m sure with my posting frequency by now I have probably 5 people reading this)

Koala hug, though more like a cheap feel 😀

I’ve only been here a little more than a week, but so much has happened!!! An Aussie Christmas, a few more scuba certifications while swimming with massive rays, New Year’s Eve on the Sydney Harbor, and of course trying out Virgin Australia long-haul business class.  And I haven’t even done my 2 night stay at the Park Hyatt Sydney which would usually go for about 850 USD per night.  But I wouldn’t Get Gowing if I actually paid that much for it.  Nor could I afford it anyway.  I’ll be writing some of those posts while I’m here in Oz so you will get some good reading in.

In the meantime, here’s a tip I just stumbled upon in the Sydney CBD (Central Business District, all their cities have one, and it’s pretty self explanatory what it is). As an American traveling here, costs can eat you alive pretty quickly. A typical meal that would be about 6-8 USD, like a sandwich and a drink, will be around 10-15 AUD (Australian Dollar). One of the obvious ways to save money is to cook your own food, but sometimes that isn’t feasible. If you head into Chinatown, there are relatively cheap meals there, and also in shopping mall food courts. The Market City shopping center 5 minute walk away from Central Station has all Asian food in the food court, but most offer a selection of 3 entrees + rice or noodles for 7.90-8.90 AUD. OR in the heart of the CBD in the MLC Center underground where there are several eateries; most of them cater to businessmen and women and only serve lunch.  So when I got there around 3:45-4pm, many of them were offering their leftovers from lunch for only 5 AUD!  I picked up a combo box of rice with green and red curry chicken from a Thai place, and an awesome chicken avocado cheese mixed greens pesto panini for 10 AUD.  Every dollar here and there adds up.