Greetings from Sydney.
Oct 22, 2012
Though the actual travel time was quite lengthy 30 hours
give or take it didn’t seem too bad. I slept part of the time thanks to
pharmaceuticals, courtesy of my friend Lena. The layover in L.A. went very
quickly thanks to some Australian co-travelers. I encountered my first and am
sure more to follow Aussie expressions. One of the men said “I am going to get
pissed” I of course assumed it meant to get annoyed, he meant to get drunk.
Sydney greeted me at
its worst I think. Icy winds which were almost gales that eventually turned
into torrential rains. Fortunately my very lightweight Uniqlo down jacket protected me well. It
turned out that my phone refused to go on Wi-Fi so I ended up buying a Sim
card, I purchased a Telstra card for $30 which was excellent. But before that I needed to change money. Banks here don’t exchange money
unless you have an account and I ended up having to go to a money exchange
that totally took advantage. $460 US
became $420 AU very quickly. Next on the agenda was a transport card. The man
at the corner deli informed me that my best bet would be single senior cards
$2.50 each valid until midnight daily. He also informed me that as of that moment I was an Australian
senior, no complaints on my part. This card permits me to travel as much as I
can in one day on buses, ferries and CityRail.
No to waste any more time I took the bus to Circular Quay
and saw the famous opera house as well as the harbor bridge. I walked around
for awhile until the rain became too much. Ducked into the Museum of
Contemporary Art and had a sandwich. Jetlag was setting in and I needed sleep.
I thought I remembered where to get the bus to go back to Potts Point, but I
didn’t. It was raining cats and dogs and I was directed to a kiosk where the bus information was. He knew exactly
which bus and sent me to Bridge 3.
There is no Bridge 3 but there is a Bridge Street. I did
eventually get back to Sydney Central Backpackers which is my home away from
home for a week. Before I tucked in I had managed to buy a delicious Australian
goat camembert and a bottle of N.Z. Semillon/Saugnon Blanc which I sampled.
It seems that every area in Sydney is called a suburb except
the central part. In the case of Potts Point there is a very clear demarcation
to Kings Cross which is very seedy to put it mildly. Yet they are next to each
other, they even share the same subway station, one exit genteel, the other
less so. The hostel where I am staying is quite nice and very busy. I have a
single room on the ground floor which is most adequate. The bed is extremely
comfortable and I have so far not had
any problems sleeping. It is definitively a lively place with socializing going
on into the wee hours. I bless my ear plugs.
Feel very safe since I have a Panda on my door
There is something a little peculiar here in Sydney, nothing
is clearly marked, neither the train stations nor the zoo. Will get to the Zoo
later,this is not quite true it’s very clearly marked if you know where to
look. The Central Station has no large bulletin boards saying which platform
the trains are on. Fortunately there are a lot of employees to ask. Once you
get to the correct train there is a lot of information. The transport system
though is quite remarkable, my $2.50 daily ticket ,is today taking me round
trip on a two hour journey 61 miles from the center into the Blue
mountains. Yesterday it took me on a round trip ferry ride to the Zoo several
busses and trains. I know I am not supposed to use this ticket but my grey hair
lets me pass as an elderly Australian.
Tuesday morning I was picked up By Dianne and Murray who so graciously offered
to take me sightseeing. They are a couple who befriended my friend Sue, and
subsequently me, through the Travelzine a Yahoo group of intrepid travelers.
They drove me up the
Eastern coast to Palm Beach, a magnificent drive along the coast. We stopped a
couple of times and saw some amazing native ferns and flowers. We ended up at a
small place by the water. It was a combination grocery store, restaurant and
take –out. We opted for the fish burgers with chips and a bottle of wine as
take out. With that we were given wine glasses, a bottle of water and water
glasses. The view was lovely overlooking the boats that people used to get to and fro the island.
Basically the same food was served as in
the restaurant at 2/3 the price. The burgers were delicious served with
aioli, salad and capers.
Dianne enjoying her lunch at Church Point
The weather has greatly improved, the sun is shining and the
winds have abated over the days. It has been a whirlwind of impressions.
After they had left me off back at the hostel I felt that I
should continue enjoying the lovely weather and the extraordinary diversity of
fauna I went to the Botanical gardens
They are very large gardens next to the Sydney opera, Though almost everything
was labeled it didn’t strike me as a botanical garden as much as a lovely very
large park with flowers and different statues and a fountain surrounded by
water.
I got very excited when I recognized a native pine that
Murray had pointed out earlier in the day. It is a very distinctive looking
Norfolk Fir. There were also some interesting looking birds, which I found out
are called Australian White Ibis.
Have
found out why all the different parts of Sydney are called suburbs except CBD.
That is because they were all separate townships at one point. Not that it
makes it much clearer but now I know.
Wednesday October 24
Spent
a delightful and most frustrating day at Taronga zoo , nothing is clearly
marked, the map makes no sense but I did get to see Koalas, Kangaroos, a two
headed reptile, Platypus and many other animals. The platypus is a semiaquatic
mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four
species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only
mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth. Had a delightful lunch of a
Reuben Sandwich at one of the cafes made with what seemed homemade bread. Am
really amazed at how good the food is at public attractions. This was true throughout
my visit.
I
did take the bus up from the ferry landing and the cable car down. Make sure
that you sit with your back to the zoo so that you get the full view of the
harbor it is breathtaking. There was a regatta going on as we descended it was
fantastic to see the white sails mirrored in the opera house, or is it the
other way around.
There
was still plenty of time before my dinner date so decided to go to Bondi Beach.
This is one of the main surfing beaches in Sydney and looks like it would be a
nice place to live in. There was an outdoor art show along the beach which I
saw part of before I went to “Iceberg” which is a swimming club, restaurant and
bar. As a foreigner all I had to do was show my driver’s license and I was
admitted to the bar. Had a nice glass of wine for $6.50 while watching the
swimmers in the pool, the pool, which is common all over Australia is an
enclosed part of the ocean. Since there seem to be surf everywhere this is a
calm piece of water for swimmers.
Then it was time to meet my internet friends for dinner at China Doll on Woolloomooloo wharf. There
are many aboriginal names but not as many vowels perhaps. We had a really
delightful evening and it was nice being able to put faces to the names.
The
next morning took me to the Blue Mountains, am really trying to pack in as many
“should do’s” as I can. When I got off the train in Katoomba went straight to the Hop-on-hop-off bus
counter ad bought a ticket. Should really have read the guide book more
carefully or even the pages I had printed out, could as easily have done this by public transportation. The bus takes you to various
starting points then you have to hike. I opted for the moderately easy walk, it
was anything but. What
was supposed to take 30 minutes took me 90 minutes because I somehow managed to
get onto another pathway. Though the views were quite spectacular I have to
recognize that I am not a hiker, and it is not something that I really enjoy.
Got back around 6 pm and bought some steamed Chinese dumplings 8 for $10.
Sydney is not cheap.
Friday
had a reservation for lunch at Marques one of Sydney’s top restaurants. Dianne
joined me and as we perused the prix fixe menu we decided to splurge and go for
the 5 course as opposed to the 3 course menu. As a rule I don’t enjoy tasting
menus but this was spectacular and most of the wine pairings were well matched.
This was a good choice on our part.
That
night I had bought a Living Social deal
for a Harbor Cruise on a tall sailing ship,
which
included wine and hors d’oeuvres and like so many other things it seemed like a
good idea at the time.I didn’t take into consideration that it would be dark
and impossible to see anything. Did meet some locals, and ended up having a
great time, otherwise I have found that people
are not particularly friendly. Very polite and courteous but quite diffident, I
have stood on many a street corner with a map and not one person has stopped
and asked if they could help me. So different from how I imagined Australians,
but have also been told that once I get out into the country my experiences
will meet my expectations.
Today
was a magic day, my friend Lidia from L.A, another Ziner who I have been
corresponding with and I met up to go to the Fish Market I had read that there
was going to be a mussel cooking demonstration, apart from that I like fish
markets. This one is like no other I have ever seen. All the fish mongers sell
ready t to eat food, it is almost like a food court that also sells fish. The
varieties of fish is mind boggling, many that I have never heard of. For sale
at least 6 kinds of oysters on the half shell, sushi, and sashimi, steamed
crabs, lobsters, sea food salads and fish and chips and so much more. I ordered
a dozen Pacific oysters and Abalone sashimi Lidia had oysters with Salmon
Caviar and also Pacific oysters. We were both overwhelmed by the abundance of
food and how different this was to a regular fish market, We ended our day at
the Chinese Garden which was not exactly a highlight but we made up for it by
going to Paddy’s Market where we got a Chinese massage and picked up some
inexpensive clothing.
Met
Lidia for breakfast, at my now favorite restaurant , Café DOV at the corner of
Victoria and Orwell Streets. We had decided to go to Manly Beach, and arrived at Circular Quay a few
minutes before the ferry was due to leave. Once again the ferry ride was
lovely, the Sydney Harbor is rightfully something that Sidneysiders can be
proud of. Manly Beach was quite different from Bondi, it appeared more upscale
with a lot of boutiques and a supermarket by the wharf. We did some window
shopping and I actually bought a night gown before having Fish and Chips at a
restaurant that was recommended. It was
very tasty, but not extraordinary.
Unfortunately
Lidia had to leave in order to get back in time for her trip to the Blue
Mountains. I ambled along a street fair and then went into the supermarket
where I was surprised to see how reasonable things were. I had been warned that
because the earth is fairly shallow, that fruits and vegetables are not
particularly good or tasty. After having walked up and down the aisles, and
resisting temptation to purchase unusual condiments, managed to end up in front
of the fish counter. There were some wild caught shrimp that looked very good.
Bought just over a pound (500 gr) a head of garlic, whole grain rolls, one
lemon, some sliced Ham and sliced Jarlsberg as well as a bag of washed and
mixed salad, all for less than $15.
Cooked my dinner at the hostel,I had a nice dinner with
enough leftovers for the following day’s lunch on the plane to Ayers Rock or
the politically correct name Urulu., and in the process discovered how the
Australians can afford to live in Australia. The wages are so much higher.
Don’t know about taxes yet, will keep you posted. This
young girl who unwittingly gave me this revelation, works for an olive oil
importer and hands out samples at various markets. She make $26 an hour which
seems to be the going rate for temporary workers
One of the things that is most impressive are the public seating areas. One building which
housed the blood bank had Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs in the
lobby. Outside in the square were folding beach chairs that encouraged
people to sit down and speak to strangers. Also the terrace houses which
were so lovely and reminiscent of New Orleans with the wrought iron
work.
The
shuttle bus picked me up at 7.30 at the cost of $12.50 and dropped me off right
at Virgin Australia’s terminal. I don’t know if these shuttle buses run all
over Sydney or only in the Potts Point, Kings Cross area because there are so
many hostels there. It certainly seemed a bargain to me since the train to the
airport is the same price, and then you have to get to the train.
It
seemed that I had so much time in Sydney, yet there were many things I
neglected which I may or may not be chastised for. I did see a lot and did most
of the things I wanted to do, I could probable have used another couple of days
to fit in the rest but it was time to move on.
