Ascent to the Sails

I have found, every time I travel, the gravity of situation doesn't hit me until I'm in the plane. It doesn't matter how much time I have, or haven't, spent planning, or how excited I am about my destination, or who I'm traveling with, or without or even where I'm going. I don't ever feel like I'm leaving until I'm in my seat and looking out that tiny porthole.

Australia was no exception. I boarded the enormous 747 jet in the Johannesburg airport and walked to my economy seat (no first class this time) I prepared for the long flight ahead. Jacket, iPod, book, notebook, gum and that fun little goodie bag Qantas gives you with airplane socks and a sleep mask. I was seated at a window, usually the coveted seat on a normal flight. On a 12 hour trans-oceanic flight where tight quarters breed leg cramps, it’s an equivalent of a Chinese finger trap, the more you move back and forth between the arm rest and the window, the worse the cramps get. Add in over 3 feet worth of legs and its torture.

Needless to say, I didn't attain much sleep on this agonizing flight. To make everything a little more uncomfortable, the time change stripped away any energy I had left. I lost a full night's sleep and also jumped ahead another 8 hours. I sucked up the loss and prepared for a landing in Sydney. It was mid-afternoon when we flew over the south end of the city and my 11 hour wait to use the window paid off. The coastline was amazing. In the span if 10 minutes, I saw cliffs, yellow sand, blue water, coves, surf and then the harbor, and finally, the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. That was another moment in the History of Linds. I was flying over Sydney Harbor, a place I can honestly say that I thought I would never see.

To those who don't know, Australia has one of the toughest entry restrictions when it comes to customs. It seems that they want to keep their little island as "clean" as possible. No plants, seeds, fruits, vegetables, animals, anything that is living, was living a short while ago or has a chance of living if it is brought into the country. So in other words, unless it was processed into some form of clothing or other material, nothing that came from the earth or feeds off the earth or has the potential to do either can enter Australia. And they make you very nervous about it. As soon as we were out of the plane and into the terminal, staff members were in our face asking us if we took any of the "snacks" given to us on the plane with us in our bags. It's that serious and violation means being quarantined.

I made it through customs unscathed and made my way from the airport to The Blue Parrot, the hostel I had myself booked in. It’s a small hostel in a backpackers' area of Sydney called Potts Point, know for its restaurants, bars, shops and sometimes shady weekend night life. (Sounds like King Street Charleston to me!) I checked into an 8 person all-girl dorm; bunk beds, ensuite bathroom, constant coming and going, lights almost always on, lockers banging not to mention the street traffic outside. I didn't live in a dorm in college, but I can imagine that life is something similar to this.

This leg of the trip I decided to do my best to save cash. I figured, I'm traveling solo, there are no obligations to do anything, I can save my money by not eating out for every meal. So, I went grocery shopping. A few bucks at the Woolworths supermarket down the road from the hostel and I had coffee, breakfast and sandwiches for a week. Here's the best part: I had to label all my food and put it in the community fridge. Is this really what dorm life is like?

I arrived on Thursday afternoon but was useless. I checked in, grocery shopped, did a quick loop around some of the streets near the hostel, then crashed. I woke up early on Friday morning to start my first real day in Sydney. Sydney is a major city but it’s not unmanageable on foot, everything is in walking distance. And that's what I did, I walked for 7 hours straight.

I left the Potts Point area and walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens, a huge park with walking paths that weave through enormous native fig and gum trees and native plants that eventually brings you down to the rocks that border the water. The path follows along the edge of the bay and takes you to the tip of the park called Mrs. Macquarie's Chair (where there is actually a bench carved into a huge boulder.) It's here that I got my first glimpse of the pair of Australian icons, the Opera House and the Bridge. It was unreal. I was stunned. The smooth sail-like arches of the Sydney Opera House point upwards toward the backdrop of the massive iron structure that is the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Despite their obvious clash of textures and styles, the two structures unite as one image that welcomes you into this city.

I spent the rest of the day walking, everywhere. I went to the Opera House and viewed this interesting edification up close. Sitting up on the edge of the harbor, it's surrounded by massive stairs on all sides. I climbed to the top and once underneath the curves of white, I realized they were made of tiles. Standing underneath the eaves of what seems to be impossible curvature gives you a further appreciation for its architecture.

The Opera House is flanked on one side by Circular Quay, the hub for all things transportation; buses, trains, ferries. Sydney is located on one of the largest natural harbors in the world so, many parts of the city are accessible by boat. The ferry wharfs are a constant flow of ships moving in and out, blaring horns and a show of impressive in-water maneuvers by the captains who can squeeze these 80 foot vessels into a just slightly larger slip in the dock.

On the other side of Circular Quay is one of the bridge pylons. Not until you are standing underneath this almost 100 year old display of masonry do you get a true sense of how large it really is. The bridge's early 20th century design of massive brick pylons and dense iron work makes our bridge in Charleston look toothpicks.

The afternoon threatened us tourists with clouding gray skies and just as I thought it was going to rain, I ducked into the free Museum of Contemporary art. I figured I could get some of my cultural experience out of the way. It didn't rain, in fact it was hot and sunny again, a phenomenon that I've come to realize is very familiar in Sydney, coastal weather. Not soon afterwards, it was raining. I wasn't ready to end my afternoon so, I hopped the tube toward the markets in Sydney's version of Chinatown, an area known as the Haymarket. The markets are basically full of cheap Asia knock-offs of various useless items. But, way in the back, there is a fresh fruit and vegetable market. I love markets. Tons of yummy fruits and veggies, and here, only a few I haven't seen before. Outside, there really is a Chinatown, a few blocks of concentrated Asian restaurants, stores and culture.

There is an enormous Asian population in Sydney and it shows in their Chinatown and all the other parts of the city. You are also reminded that Asia is only a short plane ride away by the flock of Asian tourists passing through the city by the bus loads, literally. There are tour buses full of Asians at every major tourist attraction. If you ever wanted to make a killing, buy a bus, learn Japanese and come to Sydney. There are also many Indians amongst the population and tourists. It’s a type of culture shock in and of its own. Sydney is a town of tourists and foreigners. Not until you make your way outside the central part of the city do you begin to really get a feel for real Aussies.

My second day wasn't much different than the first, I walked. I made my way to the Circular Quay to board one of the ferries bound for the Taronga Zoo. I figured it was the easiest way to see some of Oz's animals. It just so happened to be on a Saturday. Weekenders. I got my fill of real Aussies, and their kids, while making my way through the packs of families with strollers, ice creams and temper-tantrums. But, I was able to see some lazy kangaroos and passed-out hiding koalas. I also managed to get an up close shot of some giraffe and zebra, unlike my African "zoo" experience. Here's your zebra photo, Todd! Interesting side note: in Oz as well as South Africa, instead of calling them crosswalks, they are referred to as "zebra crossings." And, in South Africa, they pronounced it "zeb-ra" rhymes with "web-ra." Strange folk.

I made my way out of the tourist waterfront area and walked further into the CBD. I passed through streets that were guarded by the tall buildings which housed offices of various major businesses. I made my way to the shopping district which boasted the same famous names you would find in any major city. After passing by familiar street names such as King, Pitt, George and Market, I arrived at another park, Hyde Park, in the city center.

It was here that I got my first glimpse of the Sydney Tower, in my opinion, a tacky attempt to modernize the city's skyline. It adds a sort of Vegas-theme park element to the city. It clashes with the other architecture you can see from the park, St. Mary's Cathedral, a gothic cathedral in the center of the city. The main walkway of the park hosted an art exhibition with huge 8x10 foot canvases of local photography. The walkway was lit by huge round lanterns that hung from the trees. In a different place and time, this park might be considered magical.

On Sunday, I decided to get out of the central city and visit Sydney's most famous beach, Bondi Beach. I hopped the bus for this one and rode about 10k outside the city. Bondi is a smaller beach nestled in between the rocks of the surrounding cliffs. There is a coastal walk a few miles long that starts at Bondi and takes you up and down cliffs and in an out of small cove beaches. I took the walk and got a feel for Sydney beach life.

Weekends are time for Sydneyers to let loose, so I'm told, and the beach is the place they do it. Bondi was full of locals and tourists alike, walking up and down its main street full of shops and restaurants or sprawled out on a beach towel in the sand. No beach chairs here guys! Surfers, still donning wetsuits, crowded the line up just off the beach. Volleyball was in full swing on every beach.

One thing I've noticed about Sydneyers is their enjoyment of being outside. There are always people lying on the grass, in parks, at the beach, where ever. Weekends are time spent with friends and family with picnics and grilling out. The parks at the beach have outdoor grills and small picnic pavilions that were packed with families and young people alike grilling a Sunday lunch maybe with a beer or a bottle of wine. Dogs running around catching a frisbee, a friendly game of footie or rugby dotted the picnic grounds. Everybody was out today! And they stayed out all day. Back and forth between the beach and the picnic. It looked like an awesome way to spend a weekend day.

Another fun event I encountered on the walk was "bowling." Not the Kingpin version of bowling, this version more resembled bocce ball, except its played on a flat lawn outside at a "bowling club." At first, I just thought old people played it (think shuffle board on cruise ships with the actual sticks,) but then I saw groups of people my age with pitchers of beer on the benches behind them. Yet another concept I could see taking off back in the states!

I read that Aussies are a very athletic and health conscience group of people. They are! You can see it everywhere you go. People are jogging or walking the paths along the water, exercising in the park, or at the lap pools that dot the coastline. Some are just normal chlorine pools built on the hill over the water, but some are built into the rocks on the shore and use sea water. And people are always swimming laps in them. All this physical activity around the city is making me want to join in and go for a jog!

Although, I don’t really need to. I'm getting plenty of exercise as it is. I figure, I'm walking at least, at least 10k a day, probably more like 15k. And I'm feeling it! I wanted to go jog this morning with all the other Aussies in the park, but my legs are in shock from all this work I've made them do recently. Sydney isn't flat! There are huge stairwells and inclines all over the place and even though they are hating it now, my legs will be thanking me later. The Salomons are keeping my feet happy. I still want to try to get an endorsement from them, I've taken their shoes to 4 continents and 7 countries now. I think I deserve a check!

Now it’s Monday and I decided to make my way to the Sydney Fish Market and eat some just off the boat fish. You can buy the fish from a stall, walk to the counter, buy some chopsticks and soy for your sashimi or have them cook up for you and eat it right there. Speaking of sushi, I ate at a very interesting sushi restaurant last night. It was one of those places where they make individual rolls of sushi, put it on a tiny color-coded plate and sit it on the sushi train that loops through a counter where you and many others are seated. What ever roll looks yummy, you pluck from the sushi train and eat. Stack your plates, take them to the register and you pay by the color, anywhere from $2 to $6. It’s brilliant and fun, we need one back home! Back at the fish market, I decided to try some Tiger Prawns and Oysters. The prawns were huge delish. No cocktail sauce here, only chili sauce. The oysters were alright, bigger than the oysters in South Africa, but not better than the oysters back home. How is oyster season going back there in Chucktown? I’m missin some big time oyster roasts this year! You guys better eat some tasty ones for me!

As of now, I have 3 days and 2 nights left in Sydney. I may stay one more day before I head north in order to fit in all the stuff I want to do. There are day trips to the Hunter Valley (wine country!) that I wanted to try to make and also a day trip to the Blue Mountains, Australia's version of the Grand Canyon. I also was going to try to climb the bridge, yes I'll be on top another bridge, just not jumping off this one!

For all those wondering what its like traveling solo, here, its no problem. This place is so much like America that you don't have to worry about much. Everyone here speaks English and everything is written in English. As I said earlier, everything is within walking distance, more or less, so getting around is easy. I've come to the conclusion that Australia, at least Sydney, is very "user friendly," a good stop for first time, beginner travelers. Any apprehension I had about being by myself here has virtually disappeared. I feel perfectly safe everywhere I go. Aussies for the most part are very friendly people, thank-you's and your-welcome's are abound. I've talked with some people in the hostel and as the theory goes, most travelers are friendly, fun and respectful of other travelers.

I'm enjoying this city more than I thought I would and loving being by myself. I've got my notebook, iPod, laptop and as of tomorrow, a phone. I feel almost too in touch! If it weren’t for Gara's wedding, I honestly think I would be staying here longer. And once I head north to the beaches, I know I'll want to stick around.

Thanks for reading guys, make sure to leave me a note. Miss ya but not missin ya...

Linds