Sydney, 28.03.17 - 03.04.17

So we already have the first week in Australia behind us. There were a lot of highs but also the first lows. All in all, we're doing great, we're healthy and looking forward to the next time. We are already a whole lot poorer though 😂. Of course, we expected the cost of the car, but not the repair that happened the next day after the purchase 😡🤔! But first...

... how it all began...

Getting up tomorrow is not our thing at all, but surprisingly, it worked very well on the night of 26th to 27th March, even though we only slept for an hour (excitement, checking the packing list ten times, and already the first crisis - where are the bandanas 😱?).

The drive to the airport went smoothly because Didi knows the way there better than the navigation system 😉👌. The 23-hour flight via Doha to Sydney also went without any incidents. With a total of four movies and a lot of sleep, we arrived at our destination in no time. There, we organized a 'shuttle' and drove to the hostel in downtown Sydney. What we didn't know until then was that the hostel is located right in Sydney's red light district 😅.

In the next few days, we were up early, breakfasted by 8 a.m. at the latest, and went into the city to take care of organizational matters - open a bank account, get mobile phone cards, etc. Sightseeing and searching for a car were on the agenda. We had been in contact with a German couple in advance regarding the car purchase, who stayed in a hostel next door. We were together at the beach, cooked, and played Monopoly on a rainy day.

We decided on the couple's car 'Hilde' because there were no similar offers. On 30th March, the purchase contract was signed. Our road trip with Hilde could begin.

Destination 1: Ikea

Destination 2: Aldi

Destination 3: Blue Mountains 🙌

Hilde didn't even make it to Ikea. The engine made strange and loud noises. Luckily, there was a workshop about 200 meters away. Unfortunately, it was Saturday and the workshop was about to close. After just a few seconds, a mechanic realized that the fan belt is broken 😭 We had to leave the car nearby so that everything could be repaired on Monday. After several phone calls with other workshops, no one else could do it cheaper and faster for us.

So, we needed a place to stay for the next two nights. We went on a long walk blindly to a hostel, hungry, angry, disappointed but still optimistic 💪. But then... we couldn't even sleep together in one room on the first night because it was fully booked. Tim was in a four-bed room with three drunk Englishmen who were very loud and had visitors, so a total of 6 people stayed in that room. Jana's night was a bit better, but it was hard to sleep because a drunk Englishman snored all night and the fan was terribly loud. But without it, the room would have smelled even worse. - The bright spot was the breakfast included in the price 🙏. The second night was much better, we were together in a room with an older Australian who gave us many travel tips and didn't snore at night 👍.

Early in the morning, we went to the workshop. A mechanic inspected Hilde and after a few minutes, he explained to us that the brake pads, rear tires, air filter, and fan belt, I quote, are 'f***ed off' 😮, he wouldn't dare to continue driving like this. We had two alternatives left. Either ask another workshop or negotiate the price. We decided on the latter. He was quite accommodating, but one thing is for sure...

... The ill-fated Hilde is getting a new name! Our favorites are Emma vs. Rafiki. What do you think of these names? What suggestions do you have? Leave a comment 👇.

Why is there a blog now after all?

Since we couldn't upload our videos due to the bad internet so far, and we want to keep you updated, there is a backpackingjati blog now 😊.

Thanks a lot to everyone who thinks of us and supports us ♥️!