Sydney!

Despite getting great sleep on the flight over, the 6 hour time change from LA (actually, +18 hours, but easier to think of it as -6 hours, plus one day) did still hit us a bit.  And while we had a few days in LA to adjust to that -2 hour change, our internal clocks were really still on Dallas time, so -8 hours plus 1 day.  We got in around 7am, so had a full day ahead of us, even though our body clocks told us it was actually 3pm Dallas time.  Nevertheless, we had a great time walking around Sydney, seeing the Opera House from the outside, and exploring the fantastic botanical gardens that are there.  We learned a little history, got some amazing photos, saw a lot of those famous Australian birds (Ibis, I think they are called), and generally had a wonderful time.  Although rain had been predicted, the skies were mostly clear, with a few clouds, and it was cool and comfortable for walking.  We probably walked 4 miles at least before we returned to the hotel for the afternoon.

We had a little nap then, and almost decided we were too tired to keep our appointment at the Opera House.  But on reflection, we realized this might be our only chance to see the inside of that famous landmark and attend an event there, so although we skipped dinner, we did head out in time to make the performance.  It was a ballet, three sections with 2 intermissions.  The architecture was thoroughly enjoyable.  Despite being an older building by now, constructed in the 70’s, the building is still astounding, very modern, and such a thrill to see inside.  The ballet was…  nice.  Given that the start time of 7:30pm for the performance was really equivalent to 3:30am for us back in Texas, we still enjoyed it quite a lot.  Luckily we had a very friendly couple sitting next to us, an old military guy from Australia and his lovely wife, and they helped keep us awake with great conversation during the intermissions.  He told us personally he did not really enjoy the ballet himself, but did it for his wife.  I could see why, honestly!   Hahaha  Although it was very well performed, and graceful and beautiful and all that, I find it hard to watch long segments of dancing without much plot.  It was VERY abstract.  Our new friends,  John and Judy, told us that this ballet was even more abstract than most, too.  The last act in particular became quite long.  It was visually stunning, and the music was wonderful.  It was about a chess game.  But I found, as with many chess games, it did run on quite a long time.  By the end, I found myself praying a few times not to fall out of my seat!  But, fortunately, I did not start to snore or collapse in the floor, and we made it to the end happily.  We were completely exhausted, and it was around 7am our time when we made it back to the hotel, so we splurged on room service rather than trying to find dinner on the town.  But all-in-all, the day was a wonderful experience, and I was amazed that we found the time, in such a brief visit, to take in some of the most famous highlights from Australia’s greatest city.  Sydney is beautiful, and I hope to come back soon and spend more time there.

A couple of small observations…   One thing I found surprising was how much the city reminded me of Nairobi from when I lived there.  Although Sydney is much wealthier and correspondingly better kept, there were a lot of similarities.  Both are former British colonies, so that gives them a lot of common ground of course.  Buildings are named “this House” or “that House”, as they were in Kenya.  And the driving is on the left side of the road.  The plant life is also very tropical.  But one thing I did not expect was the aroma.  It was thoroughly pleasant, but I could detect a faint musk, which was very distinct, the same smell I remember from Nairobi (not as pungent, but unmistakeable).  Maybe it is the tropical climate, but I don’t remember that smell anywhere else I have been, even in tropical Dominican Republic or other locales.  That struck me as interesting… 

Also, I was impressed by the military history in Australia.  There are many monuments and markings commemorating the role the country had in the great wars and other conflicts, even the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The nice couple we met at the ballet also told several stories related to his service in the military.  In general, I found Australians are one tough bunch of folks, similar in a lot of ways to Texans, in fact.

Arriving in the airport, just having fun...

We were there early, so the hotel room was still being cleaned.  We walked around and took this shot.

Me at Darling Harbour

Enjoying the birds and view

The Ibis is all over in the harbor and botanical gardens.

Great view from the hotel

Buildings as seen from harbor

Harbor steps going up to botanical gardens

Panoramic shot of the Opera House

Butterfly on the bronze fawn

Lots of tropical plants in the city

A beautiful tree in the gardens

Oh no!

Sculpture made by Aboriginal artist

Stole a shot of these newlyweds... they were having fun.

Looking back at Darling Harbour from the botanical gardens

The rocks on the point in the harbor

Me on the rocks at the point

"Watch out for that slippery rock!"

Cool greenhouses

View in the early evening from hotel, after waking up from nap

View from hotel after returning from the show

The bridge lit up on the way to the show

Going to the show

David on the way to the show

Inside the Opera House, architecture was amazing.

Another of many great angles inside the building

Yet another great angle, David posing for this one