The World Around Us

Sydney

Country: Australia by Lisette

25-10-2004

My first week down under was focused on getting used to sun, big city life, youth hostels, and relaxing. (And hiding for fellow Dutchies and Germans) Eight years later I remember fondly how friendly people were in Australia’s largest city; that was the only time a stranger opened up her umbrella as the sky opened and beckoned me under while we were waiting for a traffic light. As we were heading in the same direction, this lovely woman walked me ‘dry’ to a mall.

A substantial part of this week was devoted to planning my next few weeks. I decided to start my backpacking adventures up north to beat the rainy season. To spice my week up from studying the Lonely Planet and travel brochures, I went to some museums and instantly fell in love with Aboriginal art. The opposite was true for my encounter with the Opera House  – distinctly disliked the architecture! (Must be the only person in the world putting this in a blog)

Something else I remember, less fondly, was getting soaked while nervously watching lightning hit the water on a small island named Manly. I never liked the act of getting rained on and so I walked faster and faster, trying to leave the forest path that kept me close to rough waves. If I could have run, I would have. But with all the crazy tree roots, that wasn’t a bright idea. After half an hour or so, I found a small cafe where I could dry up. As the storm calmed down, the ferry services  started again. I slowly breathed out.