Melbourne in a Day Dream

That day, while checking the internet on my laptop by lying on my couch in a comfortable position, I happened to visit the official website of Melbourne tourism. My earlier stints in the field of tourism journalism often make me wander through tourism websites inadvertently. Though I don’t usually stick to a particular website for more than five minutes, this was something different. Melbourne has a great touch of elegance; it has everything that a travel enthusiast needs – be it, sports, arts, beaches, or locales and activities that attract a family holidaymaker.

Thinking about it over and over again, I saw the images and the letters in the website gradually withering away. Initially I imagined my pupils sinking in a deep ocean, but that was actually happening metaphorically; my eyes were closing; I was sure that I was going to sleep. 

Hot Air Balloons over Melbourne

In the sleep I saw a dream, and I don’t know, to what extend Freudian theories on sleeps and dreams are correct. May be since I was thinking about such a wonderful heavenly place Melbourne, in my dream Melbourne appeared with its heavenly charm in its fullness. 

The dream started with something like a wind, which was formed by the letters on the webpage I was checking. I was being carried by that wind through the beautiful sky, and I wished that if I had never been woken up from that sleep, since I knew that I was dreaming. 

Suddenly I heard someone saying in my ear, it's your time to visit Melbourne NOW!! The voice was very close to my ear, so I heard it clearly. I looked down and saw I was floating on a cloud on top of the Australian continent. Knowing my wish I guess, the heavy wind lightened its grip, and I was being descended little by little, slowly along with the cloud by which I was being carried.

Federation Square

While coming down, I saw the sea side city Melbourne becoming bigger and bigger below. Along the frothing coastline, I saw humans move like tiny tots. Around me, there were a lot of huge balloons carrying people floating in the air. As I guessed, they were all visitors relishing the lovely aerial sights of Melbourne on floating balloons. 

I saw a vast area in green colour spread on a circular area below, which I identified immediately as the Melbourne Cricket Ground. As someone belonging to a country like India which breathes Cricket, I always wanted to visit this stadium at least once. But as I said before, I knew that I was dreaming.

Many sky scrapers of Melbourne city were coming closer. The buildings constructed in the Victorian Era looked much more Gothic in style comparing to the modern buildings. A vast area called the Federation Square and its sandstone buildings looked grand from the top view. The Crown Casino and the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre also attracted my sudden attention. Among other attractions those drew my attention; Melbourne Zoo, Queen Victoria Market and St Pauls Cathedral were included.

National Sports Museum

Melbourne annually hosts a film festival, the famous MIFF, which is the short form for Melbourne International Film Festival. Though this is not the usual time of the festival, seeing films at the festival and meeting world renowned film makers remained as just a mere dream.

I slowly landed in the Melbourne city on the shores of Yarra River. I could see the Federation Square and the Crown Casino at a distance. My forward go was very easy, as the cloud under my feet was helpful enough to make me move through the grounds effortlessly. The cloud jumped when it met hindrances.

The cloud took me through National Sports Museum, the awe inspiring Eureka Skydeck, the haunting Old Melbourne Gaol Crime and  Justice Experience, Melbourne Aquarium, and so many other places, about which I had been just reading a few seconds before I fell into this sleep. I also had a tasteful journey through wineries, craft breweries, and so many dining centres which all were offering Melbourne’s typical and traditional culinary delicacies.

Falls Creek Skiing

In the end, I happened to visit the Falls Creek, where I watched tourists engaged in skiing. I also wanted to try skiing. So, I slowly jumped from the comfort of the carrying cloud and tried to put on the skis. But, I was tumbled down, because of inexperience, and was slidden through the sloppy mist-clad hill sides for sometime before deposited on the base of the mountain.

I suddenly woke up, and realized vividly that it was another one of my lucid dreams. Anyway visiting Melbourne was fun and heavenly, even though it was in a dream. I wanted to visit the destinations that I saw one more time, and this time it won’t be in a dream, but in real.

(This is a Fiction written for the Indiblogger Contest organized in association with Melbourne Tourism.)

Image Courtesy: http://www.visitmelbourne.com/in