Finally in Sydney...tomorrow Gold Coast

We finally arrived in Sydney around noon local time after our 14 hour flight from LAX was delayed at departure. In Sydney we walked, we rode the subway, and we rode the water ferries where we needed to go. We walked across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and on the other side found a place selling fish and chips. It seemed like a good choice in food and it was. I kept the lid to my tartar sauce in hopes of finding a larger bottle of it somewhere down the road!

Lots of school children walking around various parts of town we were in. All in uniform. Many young guys in shirts, ties, and jackets. The girls wore dresses and sometimes hats. Then one group of young fellows was dressed in camo. Quite interesting to see.

Sydney reminds me of a cross between San Fransisco and Chicago. The iconic Harbour bridge mimics the Golden Gate and the shores surrounding the harbor aren't as steep as San Fran's but the climate sure seems similar. We walked for a long time down George street and it's many shops reminded me of Michigan Ave. in Chicago. There were lots and lots of people out and about...business people, school children, tourists. Michigan Ave's horticulture displays are much better in my opinion. Not much for large colorful displays in Sydney...at least where I was.

As I walked along I didn't feel like I was in a foreign country. Sure there were Australian flags flying atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But all the English speakers and familiar shops (Subway, Payless Shoes, Seven Elevens) made it feel like any other big city. But Burger King's aren't Burger King's. They are called Hungry Jack's. Same logo, same menu, different words. My purple Powerade I had assumed was grape. Nope. Black Currant...and quite tasty. Many of the shops don't have doors. It's simply open to the street and you walk right in and right out. Apparently many people don't have air conditioning in their homes because the climate is to moderate all the time.

We hopped the train back across the bridge and made our way to Circular Quay (pronounced key) and made our way to Sydney's most iconic symbol the Opera House. It was finally there when I saw the tile covered roofs that I felt like an out-of-towner. Everyone knows the Sydney Opera House is in Australia...and I was standing next to it in person.

I blogged earlier that this was a Rotary sponsored event. After exiting customs there was a donation charity box sponsored by Rotary. I deposited an American dollar. How fitting that one of the first things we see coming off the plane is the Rotary logo? It was a simple clear container with lots of assorted paper currency and coinage. It's just one small little project sponsored by one club...but thousands of those clubs put together all around the world...THAT makes a big difference.

Good night from Sydney, good morning back in the States.
Nick