Sensational Sydney

It is amazing to think about what I have seen lately - The Empire State Building, The Eiffel Tower, The Taj Mahal and now the Sydney Opera House - all in one trip!

Yes, I am in the fabulous Australian city of Sydney, and it is everything I imagined - all good. The weather absolutely sucks so far, with gale force winds blowing off the ocean, and bands of heavy showers moving through - think a slightly warm Vancouver November day.














But, it does not matter, and it cannot take away from this amazing city - it feels very comfortable. If you are from Vancouver or San Francisco (or just really like those cities) you will feel very comfortable here. Of course it is not the same as those two cities, but it has that same "feel" to it.

I arrived by bus, hoping for a stay with a gay host from the EBAB service I mentioned in my Europe blogs. But because of communications screw ups (the internet crashed in the middle of confirming my reservation), my host did not have a room the night I arrived.

Intrepid traveller that I am, I just popped on my not so big and heavy backpack, and headed out into a new city to find a place to stay. OK, I admit, it can't be too scary in a big Western city that speaks English, but still, I have become somewhat seasoned by this trip, and don't panic when things go slightly wrong.

I found an OK private room at a backpackers place for AUD $65. The showers and bathrooms where shared, and the building was a little old, but it would do. I quickly found nearby Oxford Street (the gay area) and found a couple of fun places for drinkies. Unlike Melbourne, Sydneysiders do go out after work for a drink. Also, unlike Melbourne, the gay bars are not spread out all over the city, they are mostly near Oxford Street (again, think Davie or Castro).

The next day I still had problems contacting my EBAB host, so just gave up, and was going to return to my original hostel (I had checked out and stored my luggage for the day). I noticed another hostel on my way back, and dropped in to ask about rates. For a little more, AUD $75, I could get a private room with my own bathroom and shower. I checked it out and it was much nicer, plus it even had a TV. The common areas were very nice, and the price included a kitchen. So, here I am.














That day, while my bag was in storage, I wasted little time getting out and exploring Sydney. My feet had big blisters on the bottom from all my walking in Canberra, so I hobbled around Sydney as best I could, ignoring the pain. I wandered through Chinatown, and on towards Darling Harbour. I walked across the Pymont Bridge and back through downtown, then north past the Sydney Tower, Hyde Park and a bunch of historical buildings, until I reached the Royal Botanical Gardens. All the time this thought keeps popping through my head "OMG, I'm in Sydney!".

The Botanical Gardens were beautiful, and signs kept telling me I was getting close to the Opera House, but no sign of it with all the plants and trees. I am walking along the waterfront, and all of a sudden I round a corner, and there it is! Not just the Opera House, but the Opera House with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background. As I said, another classic spot I have visited on this trip.














After tons of photos of the famous Opera House, I continued on around Sydney Cove and Circular Quay into the Rocks neighbourhood. This is Sydney's oldest settlement that was finally restored some years ago. It has a little bit of a Gastown feel to it, perhaps a little nicer.

That evening, it was back to the new backpackers room, and of course a fun night out on the town on Oxford Street.














Today, after updating my pictures and blog, it is off to Circular Quay of a free bus I have discovered (my feet thank me for that), then taking the ferry across to the Taronga Park Zoo. Will explore some more neighbourhoods this afternoon like Kings Cross, Paddington and Darlinghurst.

Loving Sydney!