Trip Report: Sydney 2013 Day 1

I was fortunate.

I made a friend while standing in line in Sydney immigrations. We cleared that and customs together and everything was a breeze. Well, he looked like a serious businessman so I guess that must have helped.

He gave me a lift to my hotel, which was close to where he was staying too. I was so grateful because the shuttle or train would have been manageable but such a hassle for a newcomer.

I was staying at the Meriton in Pitt Street. Meriton is an Aussie brand, sorta like Frasers Suites, or the Oakwood or Somerset. Each apartment had its own little kitchenette, and the rooms were bigger than the average hotel room.

I chose the Meriton for its location, apparently locals believe it is the closest to Oxford Street. Also it had a lot of shopping and supermarkets around the area.  I knew I needed to get my local SIM card and so on, so that would be convenient.

I found the check in to be hassle free, but forget about expecting bell boys etc. I never expect anyone to wheel my luggage to the room for me anyway so that did not matter.  When I got to the room, I found it perfectly acceptable.

Wifi in the Meriton was free, which was incredible considering the bigger hotels were charging for this amenity. Nuts. Seriously, in this day and age, hotels still charge for what should be a basic inclusion.

I used it the moment I got into the room.  The connection was pretty good. I learned that there was a walking tour within 30 minutes upon my arrival. I scrambled. And even then I just about made it.

close to where the group met

The free walking tour was just like the ones you find all across Europe. So I was very well aware of how it worked. The guides are volunteers and work for tips, 24/7 rain or shine. Many of them are students who are doing this on the side. You have to admire their dedication, especially in Europe where the winters can be unforgiving.

When I got to the meeting point, the guide was already giving an introduction to the city. I missed some of the information. The group was massive. I read the tour was around 3 hours, which was just nutty. It basically covered the entire city on foot!

The weather was not looking great when we set off. So I was a little apprehensive and wondered if I should have just gone shopping instead. But free tours tend to be good for such things, to let you know where to shop etc. So I stuck to it.

love the architecture of the QVC

We went through the Queen Vic mall, and out to the other side to another mall. After that, everything was a blur. I guess I was tired from the flight. And I didn't see any hotties. The guide made some small talk with me. A lot of the success of these tours lie in the personalities of the guides. I had a great one in Prague, but an awful one in Paris. And I mean AWFUL. This guy was ok. Not bad, not great. Ok. He tried though.

Let's see. I remember hearing about the battle between Melbourne and Sydney: which is the best Aussie city. So Melbourne has their laneways and Sydney decided it will have theirs. It was such a beautiful thing, creativity in the streets. I love the sense of fantasy and joy that permeated the installations. Wondered why Singapore was so hung up it could not allow for these sort of street art too. Oh wait, I just answered my own question.

We walked to the Rocks. I would have loved to spend more time there. But a strong drizzle had fallen. Initially I thought ok, it's just some water. No big deal. Well that grew into full on showers.

trust me it was miserable weather

By the time we got to the Sydney Bridge the day had become MISERABLE.  We saw lines of people still climbing the bridge and I thought, What a waste of money considering they would not be able to see much in the rain!

The guide brought us to the wharf where a cruise liner full of retirees had docked. He ended the tour there. People dug their purses and pockets to give him his tips. I was shocked that some people gave loose change. Later I realized my shock may have been unnecessary because Aussie coins could be in 2 bucks denominations.

The group split from there. It was pretty apparent that the rain was just going to be a major downer. I had made a new acquaintance in a German girl who was staying in a hostel in the city. Hostel. Wow.

We decided to check out the museum nearby. It was interesting, certainly no MoMA. But it was a way to get out of the rain.

looks like the flatiron building in NYC

I had about enough of the rain, really wanted to just go back and dry off.

As soon as I got back I got a message from a friend who was living in Piermont. It was getting late and he had just gotten home. But even with the rain pelting down, he said he would come and meet me.

An hour later he was there. He had walked in the rain, which he claimed was normal for Sydneysiders. Seriously? In the rain?

We went to a nearby mall, and had the most incredible Turkish wrap I had tasted outside of Venice...yes, oddly, the best Turkish food is found outside of Turkey LOL.

the korean cafe

He didn't want the night to end so we found a little coffee place owned by Koreans. The place had incredible character and I had a great time talking to the owners. The coffee was great. The company was fun. Overall, my first night was a little better than the day.

Of course nothing ends at coffee but that is another story.