We arrived at our hotel late at night due to us being dumb on directions. Nagtatalo pa kaming dalawa kung tama ba ang pupuntahan naming lugar. We just had to book on a rideshare app to be safe and we can check in to our hotel even if it was too late at night.

As much as we would love to go to all Australian states, it was too much expensive for both of us so we stuck with the plan her boss' gave to her. We got into our hotel just an hour before midnight. 

We were so tired when the receptionist greeted us and gave us the keys to our room. Soon as we stood outside our room, Cory tap the keycard to the sensor and it automatically opened. She pushed the door inward giving us a view of the room. She put the keycard on the card slot so the electricity came alive inside.

"Ugh," Cory grunted and landed on her back on the bed. "I am so tired. Good thing, I booked a twin room for both of us and don't have to settle you getting all the bed spaces."

"You'll miss my hugs."

"Not for tonight, Doggy. I'll sleep..."

She crawled to the bed and grabbed a pillow then hugged it tightly.

"Aren't you going to change?" I asked. "You've been wearing those clothes for the whole so you might have to change to be comfortable."

"I will..."

"No, get up," I told her and grabbed her feet. "Don't sleep on me right now, Cory. Change your clothes and I'll let you sleep."

She darted her looks at me giving a death stare. I stayed up in my position and would grab her feet again if she wouldn't move, and so she did. Cory grunted she get off her bed and get her luggage and open it to pull some of her clothes.

She didn't speak to me when she went to the bathroom but gave me killer looks. 

"You'll thank me later," parinig ko sa kanya.

When she walked out of the bathroom after ten minutes, she put her tongue out on me as if she was mocking me. Hindi na niya ako pinansin kung hindi ay pumunta na siya sa kama niya at binalot ang sarili ng kumot.

"Good night!" And she didn't respond instead turned her back on me. I smirked finding her so pissed. Well, it started at the airport and I'll let her have it tonight.

She can have her sweet dreams all night.

I grabbed my luggage and picked some clothes up. There was a towel provided by the hotel so I used that. I hopped on the shower quickly and I ended up walking on just on my boxers. Cory was already asleep so she has no idea what I was only wearing. She'll be surprised in the morning—it's as if she hasn't seen it many times.

Before I jumped on my bed, I did a quick snapshot of me and Cory asleep on the bed.

The next morning, we couldn't get out of our beds and wanted to extend our sleep even more.

"Douglas, wake up na," tawag ni Cory sa akin.

Her voice immediately woke my senses up, but I didn't move, and what she did surprise me, too. She pulled the blanket off of me and there she saw everything of me. I heard her gasp.

"Douglas, magsuot ka nga ng short!" sigaw niya. "I could see your balls out!"

Natawa na lang din ako sa kanya. "Good morning!"

"Kaasar ka talaga, 'no?" aniya.

I sit up on bed and slightly pulled my boxers down.

"Okay, you can turn around again," I told her.

"Sure?"

I chuckled. "It's not like you haven't seen it? Parang takot na takot ka naman?"

"Ewan ko sa 'yo," aniya saka niya ako hinarap. "Mabuti na lang talaga ay magkaibang bed tayong dalawa. Anyway, the plan didn't change and we cannot slack just because we're exhausted and all. I'm feeling good na naman. You should be."

"Yeah, I'm quite fine now."

"Tara na sa baba, it's nine na. May free breakfast sa baba. Hanggang ten lang daw 'yon, so maybe wala na tayong maabutan ngayon."

"Okay... CR lang ako."

Tumayo ako pumunta sa banyo para maghilamos at umihi. Paglabas ko, hinagis niya sa akin iyong t-shirt at shorts ko na hinalukay pa niya mula sa maleta ko. I wore it in front of her which she rolled her eyes at.

Bumaba kami kung nasaan ang dining area kung saan may free breakfast. They've got still a lot to serve us. Nagpa-panic lang talaga 'tong si Cory. As we sat down, she started telling me that our first stop today should be on Bondi Beach because we have to try getting to the person she was aiming to interview. Hopefully, we'll get him to do it.

There are places we have to go such as the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and other popular spots in the area. It wouldn't make sense if we wouldn't also feature those underrated spots which Cory said would be getting much support from the people—locally and internationally.

Right after breakfast, naligo na kaming dalawa at nag-ayos. She brought all the stuff she needed. After lunch, we headed to Bondi Beach even though we weren't familiar with the area, we were still lucky that there are people who would point and lead us to the right way.

When we reached Bondi Beach, we were both stunned. Ang lawak ng beach at halos hindi kami makapaniwala na narating namin ang lugar na 'to. We're not sure how we would get all of this view at once, but this is a time for us to take our time.

Hindi kakayanin ang isang araw rito. Kung sa Palawan ay hindi kinaya ang isang araw para ikutin at maglibot sa mga tourist spot, same here in Bondi Beach.

There were so many foreigners in the area. Iba't ibang lahi. I couldn't distinguish many of them, but seems they've come from all over the world.

"Ang kailangan natin gawin muna ay mahanap iyong lifeguard tower. I think that's where Valerio is. Kung tama ang hinala ko."

"We've come all the way here na hindi ka sigurado?"

"E, hindi kasi nagre-reply masyado si Valeria sa DMs ko sa kanya! I tried to ask, but sometimed he just left me on read. Basta nag-send siya ng like emoji sa akin when I asked if we could interview him, so I guess payag siya, 'di ba?"

I took a deep breath. "I thought we already settled that."

"Yes, naman... I was just hoping we could pull it off... successfully."

While I was thinking of some ways how to save this interview if it won't work, Cory was distracted to do other things. I tried to let her do it what she wants dahil baka ako ang sisihin niya na hindi niya nagawa 'yon dahil pinipigilan ko siya which we ended up finding the lifeguard tower so late that when we asked some lifeguards there, the person who we are looking for left already.

"I was just saying..."

She left out a sharp breath. "Balik na lang tayo sa susunod na araw. Hindi nila binigay schedule ni Valerio so I think we have to catch him right on time talaga."

And so the next day, we went back to the beach looking for Valerio. We eventually, but he was busy so he couldn't give us time to sit down the interview with us. We waited, but he asked if we could go back some other time. Cory asked for an exact date and time, and on that day, we finally sat down with Valerio and got the interview right.

Valerio Ratcher almost died—the same thing that happened to me in El Nido. We shared the same experience and I could totally relate to him. When I express how I relate to his story, he was surprised and glad that I also survived the tragedy.

He was a kind person, wish we could hang out with him, but weren't able to do so as being a lifeguard got his schedule so tight.

After the interview, Cory couldn't stop smiling as she know the interview was successful, and after that, we went back to Bondi Beach again.

"Sabi ko naman sa 'yo, if we find a way, we'll make a way."

"True!" She grinned. "I'm sure, Ms. Jenica would love this!"

"Oh, she will!"

"Ay, tingnan mo 'yon. Let's check it out!" Pagturo pa ni Cory sa isang food truck.

We were wondering what they were selling so when we got there, they were selling ice cream which I thought was reasonable since the weather is very hot.

"Gusto mo ng sandwich din? They were selling ready-made, too."

"Kahit ano, go lang sa akin."

"Sige... Hi Sir, I would get two sandwiches, too, and that would be all."

"Coming right up," the vendor said whose name is Henry.

"I'm so happy! Mabuti na lang pinagbigay tayo ni Valerio sa interview niya because I believe he doesn't do it anymore... Maybe she was into me, 'no? May pag-like siya sa akin, e."

"Assuming ka na naman."

Later on, a woman came in our direction grabbing our attention.

"Hey," pagtawag nito sa amin ni Cory. We both look at her and she was smiling at us.

One of the vendors inside tried to hush her up whose name I read is Emmett.

"Hey..." pagbati naman ni Cory sa kanya.

"I just gotta ask, I've heard you were talking about Valerio Ratcher. What did you do with him?

I laughed at her question, but weird enough though. "Oh, no, we didn't do anything bad to him... if that's what you were thinking."

Siniko naman ako ni Cory sa tagiliran ko. "Don't mind him. And yes, we were talking about Valerio because we just had an interview with him the other day and it's one of the best stories I could share."

"Wait, wait! How were you able to talk to him and get him for an interview? Because you know... I'm trying. Anyway, I'm Aesthesia and I'm a journalism student, and you know, it's summer, and I've got nothing to do. But, there are people saying that I should do an interview with this famous lifeguard of Bondi Beach so... I accepted the challenge, but this lifeguard won't like to do an interview with me."

Nagkatingnan kaming dalawa ni Cory. Sinaway naman siya no'ng tindero sa loob ng food truck saka nito tinawag ang atensyon namin para ibigay ang ice cream at sandwich.

After that, she pulled us to the side.

"Okay, I'm Cory and this is Douglas. We're together—not together-together if you know what I mean." Napangiwi pa ito. "But moving on, we came all the way from the Philippines pa."

"Yeah, I know that!" she said excitingly. "Narinig ko kayo kanina na nag-uusap, e. So, paano niyo siya na-interview? I feel like hindi siya papayag sa akin."

"I don't think he'll do an ambush interview," sagot ni Cory. "Before we came here, nag-reach out na ako sa kanya and I just told him na gusto ko siyang ma-interview at ma-feature sa website namin. I gave him a schedule and then we just all agreed to it. Mabilis lang naman. It only takes thirty minutes since he's busy and got other important things to do."

"If you're trying to reach out to him, maybe you should do the same thing as we did," suggestion ko.

Napabuntonghininga naman ito. "Hindi ko alam... but I'll try. Well, it's nice to meet you, guys! Will you be here all throughout the summer?"

"Oh, no," Cory answered. "We'll only be here until the second week of January next year so it won't be too long."

"That's still a few weeks away, so enjoy your stay here! Uhm... can I get your phone number, guys?"

"Uh, sure," Cory said, nodding her head. Ibinigay naman ni Cory ang number niya kay Aesthesia.

Cory and I left the beach and we thought that was weird. Hindi namin alam kung anong reason niya talaga, but the most important thing for us, we were able to box out one of our plans.

So, where to go next? To Velvet Underground Sydney. 

***