Sydneyside


Me by ol' Coat Hanger, first afternoon here.

Can't believe I'm here. It's my second day and already feels dreamlike. Got off the plane at lovely Jackson Inter. Airport at 6 a.m. Friday (their time). They have polite middle-aged women working the Info desk. Repeat, AUSTRALIA HAS POLITE AIRPORT EMPLOYEES. Never heard of such a thing. Even Customs was nice. They confiscated my gourmet beef jerky and gave my Fuji apple to their agriculture inspection beagle. Apparently the beagles love confiscating apples. They play with them like balls.


This is ? Cathedral just across William St. from the museum. That odd glass/concrete thing in the foreground is part of the Philip & Cooke Aquatics Rec Center in downtown Sydney. A great place to do water aerobics.

Hooked up with two south London gals fresh out of uni and we ended up taking a convoluted shuttle ride to our hostel, in Kings Cross, a red-light district that's being gentrified and turned into a backpacker's paradise. Then, Karla dragged myself and her mate, Sam, all over the damn place. Slept like a coma patient Friday night.


Little bastards are EVERYWHERE. This one's doing jail time at the zoo.

Yesterday solo toured. Bought some new jeans (all mine are too big as have lost too much weight after U.S. Forest Service job). Walked for freaking HOURS downtown in South Sydney and then over along Darling Harbor, another formerly dodgy area that's getting a phenominal face lift. Construction workers, dust and road blocks everywhere. Haven't seen a single scary drunk or mugger type or really anything beyond the odd completely wasted footballer. Walked back to Circular Quay (pronounced: key) and rode my first harbor ferry to Taronga Zoo. Spent three hours photographing napping animals.
Have decided Harry's pie cart in Wooloomooloo is THE BEST food on earth, no debate.

Last night, went and warmed a seat at a local traveler's pub. Got so tired left early. Hopefully spend more time there tonight.

Over an out,

Mz M.