Sydney, NSW
Day one woohoo! Well, lets backup-- I landed in Sydney around 8:00 PM last night on the 21st of August and my Aunt Margaret picked me up in a taxi. Although I'm technically traveling solo, my Aunt just so happened to be in the city for work this week. We made our way to Chinatown where our Airbnb is located. We're staying at the Break Free Hotel Building, which is run like a typical hotel; however, the top two units are owned and rented out. Yes I am on the 18th floor, yes it is a penthouse, and yes my Aunt is awesome. (PS- ground floor is floor one, and floor one is actually floor two here. Good to keep in mind!).
Anyways, after my morning meditation and cup of tea, I hit the streets of Haymarket in Chinatown. Sydney contains roughly 5 million people and with the ocean to the East and the Blue Mountains to the West, the city only has two options in order to continue expanding: up towards the heavens (high rises) and down to the earth below (underground). There is a whole world that exists underneath the city, containing stores, restaurants, banks, etc. which is known as the "shopping arcades". I went to one of the many shopping arcades in the area known as World Square. I was mind blown!
In the World Square, I stopped by the local grocery store, Coles, and then I went to Smart Tone to purchase a SIM card for my phone. I paid $29 AUD for 35 GB of data for the month. After exchanging some currency, I headed toward the Sydney Opera House. I noticed that, as this is the dead of winter, most people that are out and about are bundled up in scarves, boots, and even mittens! I was laughing at my own silliness for realizing I may have under-packed a bit.
In the midst of my laughter, I stumbled into the beautiful Hyde Park and was able to see St. Mary's Cathedral and the Archibald Fountain. I continued along, skipping and smiling as I was reminded of New York City in some ways while also absorbing all of this "unknown-ness." Eventually I made my way through the Royal Botanical Garden of Sydney where I was smelling the pink Magnolia flowers and snapping photos of Canary Island date palm trees, along with my selfie of a koala shaped topiary! And then I saw the sea, and at that point, my excitement peaked!
I went running down to the seaside trail that contained joggers, sightseers, dog-walkers, and strollers. I was so happy to be near the ocean once again, and when I looked to my left, there stood the grand Sydney Opera House. Wow, it just gets better and better! I ran up the stairs, took some obligatory photos, and then sat on the steps and watched all the tourists in their awe and excitement. It truly is a sight worth seeing.
I continued my walk towards the Museum of Contemporary Art when I saw a gentleman wearing a Black Hawks sweatshirt, and although us Red Wings fans do not typically associate with rival Black Hawk fans (HA), we introduced ourselves and my new friend Jeff joined me for a walk around the museum. It is four stories high and the architecture of the building is an art piece in and of itself. We made our way thru the museum and approached the 4th floor to discover the MCA Cafe which overlooked the Opera House. I was further pleased when I saw a vegan, gluten free fig and pistachio dessert bar... I simply could not resist, and wow was it YUM!
As Jeff and I conversed, I learned he is a positive life coach and is in town for work. We had more in common than one would think and I enjoyed my afternoon with this new friend of mine. Once we parted ways, I headed back to Chinatown where I met up with my Aunt and we went walking through the Darling Harbour to Baranagroo, an inner-city suburb located on the western edge of the Central Business District (referred to as the CBD). Fun fact: Barangaroo is one of the many areas that have kept their original names from the Aboriginals, the first people of Australia. Australia was part of the British Common Wealth, hence why the Aussie flag looks similar to that of Britain. There is an interesting mixture between street/area names, i.e. Woolloomooloo, which is North of Darlinghurst in Sydney.
Walking thru more parks (which are so clean here!), seeing another Harbour, and learning that a lot of the wharfs here are turned into apartment complexes that are built on floating docks, (how neat); we eventually stopped by an Indian restaurant called Spiced for some "sun pleasure" as my aunt calls it. No, "sun pleasure" is not Aussie slang, but instead something my aunt likes to do during sunset, which consists of drinks and snacks during sunset. We ordered spicy okra and some fritters and munched away as I sipped a Sydney brewed cider and my aunt enjoyed a glass of wine. It was absolutely scrumptious so if you're into Indian food, I highly recommend trying out Spiced!
We decided to take the train back. With an Opal card, you can use any form of transport, from subways, trains, to ferries and buses. The train stations are impeccably clean and quite intuitive to navigate (just remember, whether you're walking or standing on the escalator, stay to the left!). We hopped on the train at Wynyard station and one stop later, found ourselves at the Sydney Town Hall. It was all lit up in the night sky and off to the side stood a man playing the keyboard so beautifully. Everything about this was all so picturesque. Arriving back home, I took off my jeans, threw on my comfiest (and only pair of) sweatpants, and now here I am reflecting on my first day in Sydney Australia, smiling as I share this epic-ness with you all. CHEERS!
