Ok after the normal bus journey of being woken up at 11pm to get off for food when your not hungry but manage to order a sausage roll and have a fag we continue on our journey. Then there's the same procedure at 3 and then again at 8. Finally we get to central bus terminal about 11 something. I put my bags in the locker and go exploring.
First port of call is a cab to get me to paddington. I recognised the area from when i was here 5 tears ago and got teh cab driver to pull up early. Then did the complete traveller (not backpacker) thing. I found a hair dressers and went for the works, a hair cut, hair treatment and most importantly my hair to be dired straight...wahoo! After that I decided I would go to paddington as that was the place to shop. Yep must have been ill. Fancied a really girly outfit as now sick of combat trousers, well the same 3 pairs anyhow.
After walkign through what I can only describe as my kind of district I find nothing. As kevin the irish guy from frazer had said when he text me and I told him I was in frazer, it's gay central of sydeny. I hadn't noticed but now i did. It was great full of little boutiques, I must have been ill thats why I didn't buy anything. Then I got the phone call from russ...don't be late or we will miss the last ferry. I had planned to stay with russ in sydney as he kindly offered me his spare 3rd bedroom, I would only have to share it with the laudry!!!! For those that can't remember russ is the big fish cather on the trip from broome to dawrin and the kakadoo trip.
So now in a panic as its getting a bit late I think I aught to get a cab so that I can get to the bar to meet him on time. I hail a cab to take me to central to get my bags. Even though I have sat on the recipt which you have to put through the machines and am now convinced it won't work... i manage to get my bags.
Next I haver to hail a cab to take me to the bar which is on darlin harbour (what was the name russ?). I manage that but I get chatting to teh female cab driver who must have taken one look at me and thought oh my god rough backer (even though i had the hair done) because she turns round and says are you shore your friend said here...? then keeps mumberling "...its not right ...not here...(she sounded like gollum from lord of the rings) it's not right my precious...she shouldn't be here...backpacker...nasty things they are nasty not trust worthy things!"
Anyhow ignoring her gollumn like cries I go in. The git he's only told me to meet him at the swankiest trendiest bar ever. I quickly ask the bar man if I can stash my ruck sack and coles (like a canvas sainsburys bag) somewhere and he poitns to the DJ room. So I then ask for a refreshing but slightly alcoholic drink so he does me this ace cocktail with cranberry lychee and vodka for 6 bucks...wahoo I don't care if I'm a scruffy back packer now.
Russ finished about 4.30, the little sweetie worked through lunch so he could get out early! So he phones and i discover I am in the wrong bar and should have been waiting downstairs...oops I get my rucksack and meet him downstairs about half an hour later.
We get the ferry to where he lives (what's it called again russ?). Its a really prietty journey and he has a lovely appartment which he shares with a guy called allan. He is younger than him (has more hair too!) but is a bit of a boy racer type. Nice bloke if you can chat for a while about cars and birds. We open the bottles of wine I brought and finnish his carton. My first sydney meal is a choice of rissoles (frozen) or lasagne (frozen), what is it with blokes, especially bachelors...where's the fresh veg aye...????
Well it was a very nice lasagne and as I hadn't got that much sleep on the bus and russ has to get up at an unainly hour it was a relatively early night. Believe me I still needed that after the irish. Also still pissed I lost journal.
Next day I get the ferry in with russ early in the morning. I have my little map and my sense of direction. Once russ turns the map the right way up for me I am on my way...
Victoria place first where of course all the clothes shops are open and they are cheaper than at home so I buy a pair of knee high swede, natural colour boots...problemo...nothing to go with. I didn't pick teh easiest of colours but after some time of serious shopping I have an outfit...yep its black...you know me I like a variued wardrobe... black black and black.
Well now i think its time I aught to do some serious sightseeing. So I'm off first port of call the sydney tower. 22 bucks bloody hell. I do the tower, wizz round and takes 360 phots and wizz out again missing the film at the end that tells you in 3D about sydney (saw it 5 years ago, wasn't memorable then so I figure won't be now).
Next I visit the rocks. I walk all around them and stop in the satchi and saachi office and ask for a job. Well you got to try...they give me a business card and address and tell me the process just to go through the email response is 4 weeks. Thoruoughly depressed after so i go off for a spinach queeche as I must be aneimic at the moment as spinich cravings are very bad.
The i go for a walk round circular quay or as i would say circular key! Take some great photos of the opera house...i think I am being very arty and then walk everywhere through teh botanical gardens. I see the herb garden, the saian garden the lot but get side tracked with the fruit bats in the trees. I think they are so cute but boy do they smell. I have also at that point done the contemporary arts museum...and i am sorry but some modern art I do not get. If i think a 5 year old could have painted it with more meaning and as much of a bullshit reason then that should be hung in a gallery instead. Don't get me wrong some of it I love but some I think its a cheek.
After the botanical gardens I go to the queensland NSW art gallery which was great. A lot of video art. After that I am arted out and nackered from walking everywhere but I still have to walk back to darling harbour (every time I say that I think of black adder 4 and captain darling and giggle to myself, don't ask why!). I meet russ at the same bar this time i feel ok to be upstairs as am wearing new boots and feel with it although nackered and getting dressed up in the public loos doesn't make glam I can tell you that for nothing.
Well we go for an excellent meal. Think russ was going to have a heart attack being an accountant and getting the bill but we went dutch and I got my burrrumandi finally! Great meal and we were outside by the heater even better.
So another realtively early night as the next day I am up early and going to katoonga and the blue mountains.
Posted by alexd at July 23, 2004 03:58 AM