It is a beautiful city. I come from Vancouver and I am using that as a reference point when I say this. I concede. Yes, Vancouver, perhaps may still have an edge with the snow-capped north shore but this city is truly stunning and I don’t often like cities. Harbours glisten with sailboats, charming architecture that is reminiscent of old glory, and streets that are often paved with brick, well-marked, well signed, (Vancouver cannot claim this) and when one stands at the curb it has painted on it “look right” which is an extremely helpful reminder for me as everything is opposite here in terms of traffic direction. What also strikes me is that the city is teeming with younger people in business; it seems healthy and thriving economically with a compassionate socialist network. It is a pleasure to be here – Australia has forged economic ties with China and their natural resources are a huge factor. There seems to be a strong sense of family, lots of school children, often in really smart looking uniforms. They are big on suits, women as well as men. I was warned about the costs of things and still I find myself gasping. It is two, three, and four times what one would pay at home. Endings and beginnings are difficult, and as this was a new beginning, I found I was deeply moved by the ties I had formed with the Australians I had met and was sad by our parting. I also felt comfortable embracing the city given how friendly I knew they all could be. That said, next I had one of the worst nights of my life in a cheap dorm, it was impossible to sleep, and strange things happened. I moved on. Last night I had a room to myself and slept like a baby – worth every expensive penny. I have seen the museum, art gallery, botanical gardens, the zoo. I have explored the creatures that abound here at present and historically and there are a lot of rat-like looking things that just aren’t all that cuddly. The museum had a good cultural display of the indigenous peoples and I really took my time to hear the stories and study the tools and art. I am surprised there isn’t more interface with the culture that is endemic and the culture that was introduced, it is an impression I have. I loved the zoo. It makes an amazing impression as it overlooks the harbour and one may view giraffes for example with a stunning ocean backdrop.
They have gondolas that can be ridden up the vertical face the zoo is positioned on. I saw a Sun Bear for the first time, a creature that looked like a dish mop with a long cute snout that ate ants called an echidna – similar to the porcupine family, kangaroos, markeets, Himalayan goats, a beautiful big aging Kodiak Bear that must be dying of the heat here eating bok choy and celery – she made my heart leap out of my chest, a snow leopard that seemed very intelligent. On the whole the zoo appeared to be well tended and well kept. Everywhere here there are exotic birds, by that I mean parrots and other types that are colourfully marked. The botanical gardens were really an amazing place, exotic, beautiful, very old with huge plants and trees, some of which are completely strange but all looking well kept. It is a greatly inviting place and I found myself entranced by it. In my walk through I saw enormous bats hanging from the trees as bats are wont to do, the Aussies call them Flying Foxes. I made a wish at the wishing tree and admired enormous cacti and ancient tree species with coniferous looking leaves.
Everywhere one goes though, the reference point of the Sydney Opera House is evident, it really is a stunning piece of architecture, just perfect where it is and the landscape would be almost wrong without it. The structure is reminiscent of sails, a``showcase of innovative design and engineering.`` Last night there were people all dressed up spilling out of it having wine along the ocean wall waiting for the performance and I was almost hit by the wall of sound that was the conversation of hundreds of people at the side of the ocean. It was wonderful. Tonight I am going there to see a performance and I am really looking forward to it. Then I will travel 13 hours up the east coast to a place called Byron Bay.