Singapore, Athens: taking it slow (at least trying to)

Hello from Athens, Greece! I’m writing this post from the living room of my gorgeous Airbnb while waiting out a summer rainstorm. It has been a hectic few days to say the least, but I’m happy to have made it to my second country in one piece!

My last day in Australia was spent hiking through Royals National Park just south of Sydney. I honestly didn’t think I would include it in a blog post, as it was a spur-of-the-moment trip, but it proved to be more than deserving. To get to the park from downtown Sydney, you have to take a train to the small coastal town of Cronulla and then a ferry to the even smaller Bundeena. Not the kind of ferry that crosses Sydney Harbour — big, multistory boats complete with bathrooms and dozens of rows of seating — but more like a small fishing boat with about six wooden benches and doors that don’t close fully shut. It was a rainy day, and the trip was short but choppy. Let’s just say I’m glad I don’t get seasick.

After landing in Bundeena, I picked up lunch at a local cafe and walked across town to the starting point of the famous Coast Walk. While walking through the residential streets, I saw something I had been looking for since my first interview in Australia: a community fire unit (CFU) box. The expert who lived near the Blue Mountains had told me about the one in his neighborhood — apparently, they are outfitted with some sort of hose or hydrant that community members can use. To access and use the equipment inside, you have to be part of your local CFU, a volunteer but application-only program run by the NSW Fire and Rescue agency.

I hadn’t been able to find any in Katoomba, but was overjoyed to stumble upon one on what was supposed to be an off-day. It was raining, unfortunately, which meant few residents were outside, or I would have asked someone about it. But these community units are (theoretically) an embodiment of the core characteristics of successful fire response: they empower and equip community members with the knowledge and resources to respond effectively to fire disaster. I passed three boxes in just ten minutes of walking, as well as several yard signs reading “Climate Action Now” (which I hadn’t seen anywhere else in Sydney). Bushfires — and maybe even climate change — seem to be a facet of daily life in this small coastal suburb. 

Not five minutes later, I saw why. As I turned the first bend of the trail to enter Royal National Park, I was genuinely taken aback at the terrain before me. On the right side of the path was the dense, diverse shrubbery I’d come to expect from Australia’s coast. On the left were the blackened remains of trees for as deep as I could see. The ground was covered with fresh greenery, indicating that the fire happened several years ago and/or was at a low severity. Based on research I did after getting back to my hostel, it could have been from October 2020 or a more recent “hazard reduction” blaze. Nonetheless, seeing scorch marks (especially ones only a few hundred meters from houses) was extremely helpful for my research.

The rest of the day was spent hiking along the jagged, dramatic cliffs of the national park. The rain meant my shoes were soaked through with mud, but also that I had the trail almost completely to myself. It is hard to put words to the devastating beauty of this coastline. I expected the views of the Pacific to be breathtaking, as they always are, but I was surprised by how the sandstone cliffs themselves were almost as impressive. They ripple with reds, yellows, and deep browns that prove a stunning contrast to the deep green of the bushes and blue of the sea. My walk back through Jibbon Lagoon felt like something out of Alice in Wonderland — the sand was made of colorful shells, logs covered in bright orange fungi lined the trail, and tall trees formed silhouettes that looked like giant lollipops. My now-permanently muddy socks were definitely worth it. 

The next day, I checked out of my hostel and ran some last-minute errands before my redeye to Singapore. This included a goodbye stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens, a pit stop at the Art Gallery of NSW, and a final Woolworths run for TimTams. After a seven-hour, restless flight, I was happy to check into a hotel room at the Singapore airport for a few hours of sleep — the room was exactly big enough for a bed, a shower, and a sink, which could not have been more perfect. 

I woke the next morning (afternoon) and immediately went out to explore Singapore! It was (regretfully) my only stop in Asia, and while it was technically just a layover, I intended to make the most of it. I first took the train to the Haji Lane to see the famous mosque and surrounding street market. Stepping outside the liberally air-conditioned airport, I was struck by the summer humidity, a brutal awakening after staying in temperate, “wintery” Sydney. I was more surprised, however, by how lush the city itself was — while I had expected dense, concrete urbanity, I was met with more trees than skyscrapers. This was emphasized by my visit to Gardens By The Bay. It’s hard to believe that such a vast natural space can exist in such a major city. But walking along the lily pad ponds or under sprawling palm trees and mangroves, it’s easy to forget you’re in a city at all. 

After soaking up the gardens for several hours, I took the train to Newton Food Center, a food market made tourist-famous (in part) by Crazy Rich Asians. I cooled off with some coconut water and stingray sambal, which is cooked in a banana leaf and topped with rich, spicy sambal paste. My girlfriend had challenged me to eat one thing that day that I had never heard of before — I was very pleasantly surprised.

After taking a quick trip back to the Marina Sands Bay building to watch the sunset over the city and to the gardens to see their evening light show, I took my final train ride back to the airport for my second consecutive redeye. I took Singapore’s public transit system more times than I could count in only six or so hours of exploring, and like with Sydney, I would have taken more if I could! The CTA has some lessons to learn.

When I arrived in Athens at the crack of dawn on Wednesday, I was completely exhausted from my days of travel. But, unfortunately, I couldn’t check into my Airbnb until later that afternoon. Bleary-eyed and brain-dead, I managed to find my way to my neighborhood via subway (a process which made me realize how much I’d taken for granted English as Australia’s lingua franca) and parked myself and my luggage at a coffee shop until the apartment was ready. I had been nervous about staying at a cafe for so long — it felt rude to take up so much space — but quickly learned that leisurely breakfasts are far from unordinary here. The slow-paced service eased my nerves. I actually enjoyed the people-watching: groups of friends drinking espressos and smoking cigarettes, showing off their dogs, stopping other friends on the street or chatting with the baristas. I finally made it back to the hotel, settled in, and grabbed an early dinner before falling asleep while it was still light out. While I’m eager to fill every second of this trip with excitement, the day was an earnest reminder of the importance of rest. 

I tried to carry that message with me today, too, as I was exhausted even after sleeping for twelve hours. I made myself coffee and breakfast before walking to the National Archeology Museum. While Greece will certainly be an important stop for my research, I partly chose Athens to honor my inner Greek mythology nerd (I was a big Percy Jackson kid). Seeing the marble statues and painted vases inspired by those stories was surreal. I casually ate the best gyro I’ve ever tasted in my life as I walked through Syntagma Square, the National Botanical Gardens, and several cute neighborhoods in between. I admired the endless street art, boutique stores, and gorgeous parks. While I’m incredibly excited for all the tourist activities that await in the week ahead, I have to admit that I like the slow, too. 

If you made it all the way to the end of this post, thanks for sticking with me! I’ll update with more Athens adventures soon. In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying this stunning view from my apartment window and learning to take some time for myself. Until next time!