What an amazing weekend. It feels like it was all a dream. I am definately back in reality now.
My weekend started with me being ill. I picked up a gastro virus on the wednesday. Flying out friday morning I was very scared of how I would go on the plane. I have shares in Gastro stop even though it doesn't work!
My wonderful mother dropped me at the airport, I felt like a million dollars. I got myself a powerade as I hadn't eaten much at all the last 2 days and wanted to get some hydration. I boarded the plane and settled in. I had a nice chat to the lady next to me on the plane. I ended up giving her and her family the Make A Wish Gold Coast Gala dinner flyers. Told them all about it and have hopefully sold some tickets! I enjoyed time to read a magazine and just relaxed as much as I could.
Arrived in Sydney, phoned everyone at home to tell them I made it. I met my friend Leesa down on the trainstation platform. We caught a train into Circular Quay where our accommodation was. We stayed at the Old Sydney Holiday Inn at The Rocks. A nice hotel right down the very end of George Street. We had a nice little room. Best of all, I noticed a bath in the bathroom! I put my name down for that straight away! (we only have a shower at home!).
Minutes later another friend turned up. Bec and her family had driven down from the Entrance to see us. We headed to the pub just downstairs for a drink and some hot chips and gravy. It was bloody cold in Sydney. Had a nice catch up. Rebecca had to leave. Leesa and I went for a little walk through the markets that were set up in The Rocks. lots of beautiful things. We decided to have a fairly quiet night due to doing the bridge climb the next day. We decided we would go to the movies.
Before the movies we walked up to Pitt Street Mall where Leesa needed to find an outfit to wear. That absolutely killed! We weren't wearing the best shoes to be walking marathons in lol. Had a little walk around the shops, it then started to rain, we used our brains and caught a cab back to our hotel.
We went to the Guylian Chocolate Cafe down stairs from our hotel and had a hot chocolate. That was devine. But I was too scared to drink too much of it thanks to my upset stomach. I told Leesa to not let me forget I had to go to the chocolate shop on the other side of Circular Quay before I left as my eldest daughter had asked me to bring her home a chocolate from there . (she has been spoilt one time before on a Sydney trip by my friend Caroline). Leesa suggested me getting the chocolates they had in this cafe but I was adament I wanted to get what my girl wanted and that was at the other chocolate shop.
We then got ready for the movies. Caught a cab back up George Street. Had a drink before the movie. We went and saw Bridesmaids. I don't think I had ever been to the movies with my best friend before so it was really nice to do that together. The movie was sooo funny. We just laughed so much.
I still had a funny tummy so was rushing back and forth to the toilet.
After the movie we caught another cab back to the hotel, we decided to do a litle walk of the markets and grabbed something to eat. Leesa had raved about something called Goz (Turkish food) so I had to try it. It was so yummy, actually something Iwould have normallly eaten alot of! Its like a turkish bread that has filling inside (we had mince, spinanch and cheese). I could only eat a small amount, I was still wary of how my stomach would cope.
We went back to the hotel where I ran myself a bath and had a nice long soak. It felt like heaven! We had a fairly early night after that and a nice little sleep in.
On waking I was determined to not let my upset stomach ruin the bridge climb so I went for a walk to a chemist where they gave me some Immodium and said I could take 2 before the climb and that should help. I did that.
I walked around the markets a little and had a chat to some of the stall holders, told them all about the Make A Wish Gala Dinner. Hopefully I may have picked up some more Auction prizes!
Went back to the hotel to find Leesa ready to go so we went to find something to have for breakfast. We really needed to eat before our climb and get some energy.
I ordered a ham & cheese omlette and a side order of mushrooms, just something I was really craving! Well it came out and it was absolutely huge.
It was then time for us to head up to the BridgeClimb. The excitement set in! I was all giggly! We checked inand were put on a climb 10 minutes earlier. Everything is run so smoothly and like clock work. You move from each section with precision and professionalism. You sign your life away, oops I mean your agreement to climb, you are breathalised, then you walk through to be given your jumpsuit and pants. Super Stylish I must say! Then next you move to the lockers where you are then given safety straps for your glasses and hats etc.
Your then taken through a metal detector and then walked around to the training area. THere you are kitted up with your belt that has your connection cable attached. Your given a radio and headphones so you can hear the climb leader at all times, your given an extra jumper and raincoat. Everything is attached to you. Your even given a handkerchief that is attached to your wrist.
Its now time for the climb, you head through a tunnel and then along the underside of the bridge. You climb some very straight ladders and then yoru at the bottom of the arch. You can't help but just want to stop and look around, the view is amazing! You may have seen the same view millions of times but from the bridge, its just magical. Your given 2 hours on the bridge. You move up in sections. Finally when you reach the top the Climb leader lets out a cheer to let you know. We all erupt on cheers and applause. I cry. I cry for what I have achieved with the climb but mostly for what I have achieved getting here. I am just so proud of myself. All I could think was that I wanted to just jump up and down and squeal with excitement! I was proud of Leesa, she has a fear of heights. She did fantastic, you wouldn't have even known. I was so happy to have shared this moment with her. Its something we will always have together.
Along the way the climber takes lots of photos of you. I want to buy every one of them to make sure this is actually happening.
We start our climb down and right at the bottom I start to get the shakes in my legs. I knew it wasn' tnerves because if it was, it should have hit me 2 hours ago lol. The climb leader tells me its Lactic Acid releasing due to all the stair climbing. That tells me I am really going to feel it tomorrow!
We make our way back into the building of the climb where it all started and we start to take everything off. Again, everything works like clockwork. It has to, groups leave ever 10 minutes and nothing is left to chance. We are given a feedback form to fill in. I just can't praise them enough. Our leader was funny, professional and caring. He even came up to me while I was crying up the top and gave me a cuddle and a pat on the back. He has been doing it for 11 years yet it sounded like the stories he was telling were the first time he told them. He was so enthusiastic.
It was time to come back down to reality. All Leesa and I wanted to do was Celebrate. We headed back to The Rocks, had another look around the markets (they kept changing store holders) and then decided we really needed to get some lunch. So we walked back to Circular Quay and found a nice cafe where we orderd a Nacho's to share as we were both really craving it. The rain came over and we couldn't believe the difference in the change compared to when we had juts done our climb. We sat and stared at the bridge. I just kept looking and thinking, did I relaly do that.
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