Travel Highlights

Traveling around the world is exhausting. Especially when you are traveling in a third world country. We left Wewak at 6 am. But in order to make sure you get a seat on the plane, you have to be at the airport at 4 am to check in. The airlines often overbook flights and if you aren't there ahead of the crowd you may not get on the plane even though you have paid for a ticket. Fortunately, JMG went in early and got us all boarding passes and our luggage checked and came back to pick the girls and I up at 5 am. The sun wasn't even up yet, and we were all sweating buckets!

Boarding the plane in Wewak

We had a pretty long layover in Port Moresby, so we ate breakfast at a local hotel and the kids swam for about an hour so there would be less whining and wiggling at the airport.

Lucy loved playing with PNG kids that could speak English

I think we finally made it to our hotel in Sydney at 7pm. We were so exhausted, but were in awe of the simple luxuries in our room. Like real mattresses and drinking water out of the tap. It was also so clean that my eyes were burning...we remedied that one pretty quickly though with all our junk. But the best thing about Sydney in May is the weather. It is late fall here and very cool and dry. I haven't felt a single drop of sweat since we got here.

We've spent the last two days seeing downtown Sydney and doing fun things with our kids. Here are some pictures of all the fun we've been having...

First Starbucks in 3 years. I almost cried when I saw it.

At the aquarium. Honestly, this wasn't that impressive since we had just come from live snorkeling at the amazing reef in Wewak, but there were big sharks and rays so that was fun.

Lucy with a big shark

Mia thought this was a castle.

which is understandable when this is all she knows as "church"

The fam in front of the Opera House

Riding the ferry to the zoo

Opera House from the ferry

Riding the sky rail to the zoo

The zoo with a view. Notice the skyline in the background. It was beautiful!

watching the seal show

waiting for the train home

We were all completely worn out at the end of each day. Having fun is a lot of hard work! But, we are so thankful that we got to do these fun and unique trips with our kids. Some days in the tribe I feel bad for all the things they don't have, so it is such a blessing to get to do extra special outings with them when we get the chance.

Tomorrow the fun ends, though, as we start our journey back to America. We have a 14 hour flight followed by an 8 hour layover, and I think by the time we get home to Mississippi it will be 2 or 3 am. That rough trip plus the jet lag may render me incapable of speaking in full sentences for at least a week, so if you don't hear from me for a few days don't worry. I promise to be in touch when my brain cells are no longer mush.

But is is exciting to think that my next post will be from AMERICA!!!