Mali Madness and City Sights

Please bear with me as I am writing this blog over a week after I actually did the following excursion...

How the Mali madness began: I went to the Melbourne Zoo (blog title "Melbourne Zoo - 1st Visit") on a Sunday (9/9) and saw 2 Malis, which I really didn't think much of, other than the fact that the art was beautiful and the message was outstanding. Later that day, Jen and Daniel happened to nonseriously mention going around the city and getting all 50 elephants. I laughed at that because not only did I think that was ridiculously unattainable, I couldn't figure out what the point of doing that would be. Well, the following day (9/10) I mentioned to Jen and Daniel that on Tuesday I would be doing a walk around the city parks (blog title "A Walk In the City Parks"). They then mentioned possibly finding where the other Malis are so I could photograph a couple more. I thought, "Well, if it is on my way in the walk, why not". By the end of Monday night I found myself creating a detailed, step by step list of directions on how to find (and go out of my way to find) 16 more Malis. I did my walk and found all my planned for Malis... or so I thought. That night I discovered one of the Malis I photographed had 2 different sides and I only photographed the one!! I also discovered I entirely missed one of the Malis on my list. I was literally about 5 steps from it and didn't photograph it!! That... That is when the madness began. If you know me... When I set out to do something, I do it and I do it well and I hadn't done this well enough for my standards. To add to the madness I had only one week to find the remaining 31 (plus the missed side and the missed one) Malis before they were collected and taken back to the zoo to be exhibited all together. Probably wondering why I didn't just wait and photograph them all there... that would have been too easy of course. I scheduled my final Mali trip for Monday (9/17) because it was part of Rosh Hashanah so I didn't have to work. Sunday (9/16), AFTER trampolining at Bounce for an hour and turning myself into useless mush (blog title "Sunday Funday") I spent 4 hours (from 8pm-midnight) writing out step by step instructions on how to get to each Mali and where I would find each one (including which tram stops, routes, etc). Oh, there aren't enough parentheses in this post that has only just begun?! (Yeah, I didn't) think so (either). Anyways, as I was sitting there writing these instructions, I kept asking myself why I thought it would be a good idea to take a 9 hour walk around the city after trampolining because I knew I would be beyond sore in the morning. Morning?! Yay! Now I can get to the real meat of the story!

I woke up ridiculously sore, but I forced myself out of bed and down the stairs for breakfast. Part of me didn't want to go do this walk at all... the other part of me kept telling myself it was a brilliant way to get acquainted with the city and see some of its sights and that I would probably never get an opportunity to do something like this again. Plus, I was in Melbourne, Australia and needed to make the absolute most out of my time and experience here (wasn't planning on that including blisters, but oh well, it was worth it). To prepare I packed my typical city bag:
- License for ID
- Debit card and cash
- Zune and headphones
- Camera, both compact and DSLR
- Water and snacks (dried fruit, carrots and cucumber, bagel chips, string cheese)
- Myki (public transport card)
- Umbrella (per Nikki's advice)
- Phone
- And for this time I also packed my 4 pages (front and back on each page) of instructions, directions, and Mali location descriptions and pictures
- There is one other thing I usually pack, but forgot, so I'll let you try and guess until I get to that part in my story

Once my bag was packed I was on my way. I left my house at 9:45. On my walk to the train station I chatted with God a bit, thanking Him for this opportunity of being in Australia (and more particularly, Melbourne) and asking Him to have His hand on my day - providing good weather, ease of locating Malis, ease of public transportation, etc. I arrived at the train station just in time for my train, but instead of trusting my instinct and 4 pages of instructions, I listened to the guy next to me, who said this train wouldn't take me to my destination and so I didn't get on. That's when I met these guys:

I get that their job is ultimate serious life saving crime fighting duty... but a smile wouldn't hurt really. By the way, these guys are TSA (Transportation Security Administration). I worked up the nerve to ask the one who had the least of a scowl if they could help me with which train to get on... His response was a lengthy roundabout way of telling me to get on the next train and switch at Richmond instead of Caulfield. I had to wait another 10 minutes or so for the next train. And then I had the audacity to say (in my head), "Seriously God? This is not a great start..." I got off at Richmond, switched platforms like a pro (which involved walking down stairs to underground through a tunnel then back up some stairs to a different platform), and got on my train to Parliament. When I arrived at Parliament (which is an underground station) I walked in circles quite a bit trying to figure out how to exit onto the street my instructions said to, but never figured it out and just walked to the nearest exit. Here I encountered the tallest escalator I have ever seen in my life.

I got out to the fresh air, looked at my instructions which said to Turn Right down Spring Street away from Little Bourke Street and Princess Theatre... These instructions would have been so easy to follow HAD I REMEMBERED TO PACK MY MAP!!!! <----- This would be the last item on the list that I usually pack but forgot this time. Again, I threw up a "seriously God?" to Him and went on my way walking the wrong direction down Spring Street. It wasn't until I reached the end and saw no Mali that I realized I should have gone the other way - Really not off to a great start here. I walked back up Spring Street, for quite some distance, and saw the Parliament Building and Windsor Hotel. I then finally found my first Mali for the day. I had found it, but was frustrated because this was the Mali I missed on my first Mali outing and from where I was standing with this one I could SEE the other one!! I was seriously that close on that day and missed it. By this point I was frustrated because I felt like I had already expelled so much effort and energy, had only found one elephant, and was way behind schedule. I rethanked God for this opportunity, apologized for my nasty comments, and thanked Him again for the day and the opportunity and then brainstormed a way to fix my lack of map issue. I decided if I passed a hotel that looked friendly enough I would go in and ask if they had a map.

Parliament

On my way to the next Mali I came across a little hotel and they willingly gave me a map and showed me on the map where I was. Then I was off with a new determination to do this. On the way to my next Mali (Rusty Mali) I saw Princess Theatre and Her Majesty's Theatre. Rusty was located in China Town, so I saw a little bit of that too. Rusty is on my list of top 3 favorite Malis. Rusty Mali is made of all different pieces of scrap and rusted metal. There is a faucet at the tip of its trunk, a bike chain lining the underside of the trunk, keys lining the side of the trunk, and the tail is a huge chain. There are saw blades, broilers, locks, washers, bolts, and so much more!

After a bit of walking I decided to take a break and have a snack and realized the architecture of the building diagonally across from me was gorgeous, so I took some photos. I am not entirely sure what it was, but I think it was part of a University. I then found another Mali and then walked a bit more to the State Victorian Library. This library is an icon of Melbourne. It is on books, postcards, things-to-see websites, etc. I was definitely not let down with what I saw. The library's main room is massive and beautifully detailed. It looks like the library they use in movies when people bump into each other and then fall in love. The room is a large circle open from the floor to the ceiling which is easily 6 stories high. The ceiling is a large dome that lets in natural sun light. The desks/tables on the floor are long rows with chairs and lamps all along it. There are balconies around the circle to take in the library's beauty but they also house books and history about the library. Since I was there for just a short time, I plan to go back for a proper tour one day.

After the library I crossed the street and got another Mali then walked around the corner, went inside Melbourne Central and got 2 more Malis. Afterwards, it was time to get on my first ever tram, which just so happened to be one of the older trams, which I was pleased ended up being my first. I got on and off (at Docklands) with no problems. I got one Mali and then walked a bit along the river and got another. Then got on my 2nd tram towards Collins Street. On Collins Street I saw the Intercontinental Hotel which used to be two buildings with an alley between them, but since then the alley has been roofed and walled off and turned into one building. The architecture again is detailed and gorgeous. Inside this hotel I got another Mali. I was supposed to get on another tram, but couldn't quite figure it out so I just decided to walk the distance to the next Mali rather than waste time standing around figuring it out. The next Mali was in Batman Park which I found with no problem. The next was at Crown Casino, which I also found with no problem. On my way to Crown Casino I passed the Melbourne Convention Center and when my mom saw the picture of this buildilng, she said it looked like someone made a mistake in the plans or that there was a hurricane and the building was impaled by the side of a sky scraper and two huge sticks... she's right, it does.

My First Tram Ride

Intercontinental Hotel (Outside)

Intercontinental Hotel (Inside)

Melbourne Convention Center (See, my mom was right)

I walked along the river passed all the Crown Casino stuff to an area called Freshwater Place. There was my next Mali right there. Up until this point I had pretty much been on a roll with these Malis. However, my difficulty in finding this next Mali was not my fault, because as I came to find out it was inside a plaza surrounded by buildings, which from Google maps I couldn't tell was the case during all my planning. I finally found it and was thankful for the bench there to stop and rest and eat a bit more. I believe it was at this point that I ate the remainder of my food, which if you go back and read, there wasn't much to start with anyways. The next Mali wasn't far - right by the Eureka Skytower. Here you can go in and get a 360 degree view of Melbourne and walk off the edge into a glass cube on the side of the building and just have a sheet of glass between you and the many many many stories below (I will be seeing/doing this at some point). Just across the way were my next two Malis and a short walk from there were my next two, one of which was the self-portrait. Self-Portrait is also on my list of top 3 favorites because it was painted by the elephant that this whole exhibition and fundraiser is based off of. At this point I was slightly over half way through with my elephants.

Eureka SkyTower

With the Self-Portrait Mali

I walked over the river across this really neat bridge. What made it neat was that the bridge itself was actually an exhibit titled "The Travelers Exhibit". There are 126 glass panels from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe with figures and dates for when, why, and what type of people came to Australia. At the end of this bridge was another Mali. I walked along the river and Flinders Street Station towards Federation Square to rephotograph the Mali that I saw on my first trip out that had two different sides, which I was unaware of, and I wanted both. Next I got on a tram towards the Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance. The Shrine of Remembrance is impossible to miss. It is massive, in the middle of a lot of green, and is unlike the other architecture of Melbourne. The Shrine of Remembrance is filled with history and sad stories, but it is also filled with bravery and selflessness. I walked through and took in the gorgeous view, but I plan to go back one day for a proper tour. There were no Malis here, but it was on the way to the gardens where there were 3. I only got a small glimpse of the gardens since I was on a mission for the Malis, but from what I saw, the gardens are extraordinary!! At one point I was for sure I had left the city of Melbourne and stepped into a rain forest. The green of the trees was so rich and they bent over the walkway creating that typical rain forest canopy. On my way I out I happened across a Golden Wattle Tree, which is the floral emblem of Australia. The flowers are yellow and look a lot like a bottle brush. The yellow of the flower and the green of the leaves is where Australia gets its sports colors from.

Travelers Exhibit

Flinders Street Station (I only included this because it is better than the Flinders Street Station picture in my other blog post)

The Shrine of Remembrance

The View From the Top Balcony of the Shrine of Remembrance

Same as Above With Eureka SkyTower In Background

The Royal Botanic Gardens

The Golden Wattle

At this point in my journey I was getting seriously hungry, my feet hurt so bad, I was tired, the sun was on its way down, and I was just ready to call it quits and either come back out for the rest the next day or wait and get them at the zoo. Luckily, my stronger half wouldn't let myself stop now after coming this far and kept telling me that I could do this. I trammed to my next Mali and then trammed (for quite some time) again to the next 3 (which were some distance apart, but not too far to walk). By now the sun was really starting to set and it was getting darker outside, but I only had 2 more locations to get to, so I kept on. Next I had quite a walk ahead of me to the University of Melbourne for Mali #45. Then I trammed to the Queen Victoria Market. When I got off the tram, I saw a McDonalds and didn't even hesitate. I hadn't had McDonalds in 2 months (which is something considering I had it like once every week or 2 back home). I went in ordered the cheapest thing on the menu - a $2.10 hamburger - went outside and practically ate it in one bite. I knew I was hungry, but I guess I wasn't aware of just how hungry I was. After refueling I was ready to get my final Malis - 4 at the market, each at a different point around the perimeter of the market, and 1 at the hospital.

After the market Malis I trammed to the Children's hospital, but not without becoming THAT girl first. I was just walking away from photographing one of the Malis trying to figure out where the tram stop was when I saw a tram pull up and happened to just catch a blurry glimpse of the route number and destination. I was quite a ways away (hence the blurriness), but that was MY tram and it only came every 10 minutes or so and with the sun setting quickly, 10 minutes was precious time. I literally ran, crossing streets and tram tracks with no pedestrian crossing, to the tram and I'm pretty sure I flew up the stairs. This tram was packed, which was frustrating because it was a decent length ride and my feet were screaming at me. By the time I got the children's hopsital for my last Mali there wasn't much sun left. Luckily, the Children's Hospital was hard to miss and the lobby was of course right there when you walked in the doors. For the sake of not getting admitted to a different type of hospital myself, I resisted the urge to barge threw the revolving door at full speed towards my last and final Mali and wrap my arms around it and then collapse at its feet while screaming I REALLY FREAKING DID IT!!!! Instead I just calmly and quietly photographed it like it was any other Mali. I then walked around the hospital a bit - saw an aquarium, a meerkat exhibit, and the children's indoor outdoor playground. I then walked back to the lobby and photographed Mali #50 one last time before leaving.

With My 50th and FINAL Mali!!! =D

When I walked out it was officially dark. Luckily I only had one tram to catch to the train station and one train to catch home. Until... I remembered a Mali that I had photographed on my first trip that had construction tape tied to its nose and I really wanted a picture without that. I got off the tram before the train station, walked to this Mali's location, photographed it, and walked to the train station. On my walk there I was checking my public transport app and it said I had 8 minutes to catch the train home or I'd have to wait another 10 minutes for the next one. I picked up my pace quite a bit and then ran once I reached the station. I made it to the platform on time, but the train was a few minutes late. As I stood there (why I didn't sit, I don't know) looking over the platforms to the night sky and all the city lights, including Flinders Street Station and Victoria University, I thought to myself... Nikki, you really really are in Melbourne,Australia and you really really just navigated the entire city all on your own, public transportation and all - you really really are living out this dream of 12 years.

The train ride home was fairly quiet. I got a text from Jen and Daniel that was actually quite cute. I couldn't ask for better host parents. When the train arrived at my home station I literally ran home - 1) It was way too dark for my comfort and there were no street lights and 2) That is just how very bad I wanted to be home. I got home around 7:20, so that's... 9 - 10 hours of being out and about on trains and/or around the city. The first thing I did when I walked in the door was sit down on the couch and take my shoes off to assess the damage done to my feet. I had two large blisters (which I will spare you of seeing), but other than that all was good (until the following morning when I could barely move at all). I had some dinner and chatted about my day with Jen and Daniel then went to turn in for the night only to find my bed absolutely covered in stuff from rushing to get ready and out the door. When all I wanted to do was climb into my bed and pass out... I found myself cleaning my entire room before I was able to finally lay down for the night. So the moral of the story is - Plan so that you have enough time to put things away as you take them out so when you want to use your bed you can.

                                

The tram rides were probably the one area of this trip that worried me the most - which side of the road is my stop, which of the 8 stops I can see is mine, which tram is the right one, how do I know which stop to get off at, etc. My first tram ride was easier than expected, but I did run into some issues with others in not finding the right stop or the right tram so I ended up having to walk once or twice instead. In the end though, trams were no longer this big, foreign, scary thing. I can successfully get on and off at the right places about 98% of the time. Another cool thing about this specific trip is that I got to see so much of the city in one day, but I only got to see snippets of each sight. This lets me know what I want to go back and see for a proper tour or longer period of time, so now I have a nice list of things to see/do in Melbourne. Once I got passed the "This task is too daunting and this day isn't going as planned" period I found myself smiling with each spotting of a new Mali, which is part of what kept me going. Each Mali was one step closer to meeting my ultimate goal of finding all 50 elephants. With each Mali I got to see a new and exciting piece of this wonderful city. Also, with each Mali I got to see a new and original piece of art. I can't wait to see them all together at the zoo!! This blog hardly captures everything that took place on this day, all the sights I saw, all the things I heard, all the experiences I had, but it is a good glimpse into the day.

It may seem strange that I chose to go on this excursion alone, but I did so for a few reasons: 1) There was no one to slow me down but me, 2) No one else would probably be crazy enough to do this, 3) If someone else is around you tend to rely on them and I wanted to learn to do the tram systems and navigate the streets on my own because someone won't always be there, and 4) It was really a cool experience to just spend the day with myself. Living with the family, being part of a church, and having au pair friends, I am either always around a ton of people or I am alone in my room, so spending some quality time out and about with myself was a really cool way to take in the sights with a fresh mind and without other people's opinions and it was also cool to learn  that I am capable. You'd think after getting on a plane and flying 9,900 miles away from my home, family, Munkie, and friends that I would already know that I am capable, but sometimes it's nice to be reminded.