Saturday

After all the walking yesterday, I decide to take it easy. I go for a swim at the hotel pool on the roof at 6:30am, but only manage a few laps of the teeny pool before I start feeling cold. Was the only one up there, so scurried back in for a cup of tea, then downstairs for a fruity breakfast. Sunday shall be a Full English Breakfast!

Wandered outside and discovered that all banks, post offices etc are closed and that this Monday will be a bank holiday (Labor[sic] day). Also discovered that someone had built a street market outside the hotel! (which explains the noise this morning... I had thought it was some noisy ineffectual dustbin men.)

Stagger to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and investigate the "Archaeological" area underneath. Picked up a leaflet on climbing the bridge and then walked across the bridge to the north side.

Upon my return, I have a Subway (yum!) and hide from a clown.

It's a lovely city, and am having a good time, but as I had predicted, it's oh so lonely. Sydney seems to be a city of couples.

Still confuzzled by the time, so I return to the hotel for another siesta. Hooray! I discover BBC World Service on the radio and fall asleep. Here's my summary of jetlag so far:

• Wednesday: In the air/at airports etc. Not a clue what the time is/was.
• Thursday: There was a Thursday this week?
• Friday: Vaguely conscious. Can string sentences together, but need constant reminders of what I'm talking about (no change there then ;/ )
• Saturday: Meh!

Woke up at 8pm and had a lamb skewer thing at a local pub (with a Carlton beer to wash it down). Snoozy teim! :D

Friday

Still confuzzled, but awake enough to walk to the Botanical Gardens.

Expecting to see spiders & snakes at every turn, yet the only animals that I eventually see are the snoozy-yet-noisy bats who have come to roost in the trees after spending all night eating the flys that are drawn to the lit brilliant-white Opera House. The Botanical Gardens' leaflet says "Please walk on the grass and hug the trees". Sage advice.

Wandered to the edge of the Botanical gardens by the harbour and up past Mrs Macquarie's Chair. Continuing on, I saw five or six Australian Navy gunships/frigates (or whatever they call big grey ships with guns on).

Progressing further, I see signs that I'm getting near Kings Cross. Taking the advice from those who have been here before, I walked the other way & ended up somewhat lost in the Surrey Hills district. I discover and and confused by a Woolworths,

• a) because the sell groceries
• b) because I couldn't find the way in.

After five minutes of searching, I give up and continue my wanderings.

Further still, I arrived at the Central train/coach station and found both the Wakeup Hostel (looks good from the outside) and a great big market.

Stopped near the station for lunch (Chicken Sandwich) and overheard four railway staff moaning about their employers, the service, the passengers and other employees... 7000miles and nothing changes! :P

Walked back up Pitt St and accidentally discovered Wagamamas (in the Victoria Shopping Centre or similar). A mental note was made.

Arrived back at the hotel just in time to start my siesta. (still so confuzzled by the time change). Woke at 7pm and decided to test Wagamamas. Result: Good!

The Arival

The flights were grand. Here's a summary of events:

• Flying into Dubai, I saw a ship firing sand at a new palm island they are building. the ship was huge, yet compared to the size of the island, it was minuscule... It must have taken ages to get this far.
  
• On arrival at Dubai, we were bussed to the terminal. It was oh-so-hot... thankfully the bus was airconditioned!
• Flying to Bangkok, the lovely South African air hostesses did their best to flirt with me in the galley. Woo! :)
• Was told off by the Thai airport guard for taking one of the complimentary bag things from the plane but not declaring it as liquid. Eeep!
  

Arrived at Sydney airport at around 7/8am. Going through customs was fine, and I even located the queue for the working holiday visa stickers (Thanks Ian/Bex! :D). Quarantine was somewhat more panic stricken. Signs were everywhere saying that no could bring *any* food into the country. I realised I had... teabags* in my case. I told the airport official at the Xray machine my fears and she just laughed... thank goodness! (her colleague whispered loudly to her to ask if 'the paddywaggon was out back for me'... but at least I didn't have to pay the AU$60,000 fine :D

I was driven to the hotel in The Rocks and managed to get my room straight away. The room is good, but was generally confused by:

• the lights
• the safe
• the aircon

Fell out of the hotel and shopped for more biscuits, water and a simcard in one of the Pitt Street Malls. At roughly 12noon, the jetlag hit me right between the thingamys as I was standing in a bookshop. The only solution was food. And fast! Out the window went my plan to eat healthily as I took an emergency diversion to Hungry Jack's (Australia's version of Burgahking) and sat there filling myself with patty-based jetlag begone!

Wandered back to the hotel and had a snooze. Slept through the alarm and fell into the hotel restaurant (couldn't manage any further tonight!) where I promptly ordered a VB (Victoria Beer) and something predominantly lamby.

After dinner, I walked past Circular Quay to the Opera house - so big! There weren't that many people there, but the area reminded me of London's South Bank (if the South Bank was warmer and generally better looked after!)

I don't feel as if I've traveled very far and can't quite comprehend the differences - this is probably the jetlag... however I do appreciate the friendly atmosphere :)


* and maybe biscuits too!