Sucked in... at Coogee Beach

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Day 2 of my adventure Down Under started off with me sleeping in (heavenly). Dave has taken the day off from work so we'll see what mischief we can get into...

After I finally dragged my ass out of bed, we went down to Coogee Beach for breakfast. Breakfast by the beach is a big thing here and I must say that I could get used to the lifestyle. What better way to start your day than by having a coffee on a patio overlooking the ocean?

We ran into some of Dave's friends (firefighters of course - lucky ole me!) at the café. Tim, Dave's old roommate, was in the bunch and invited us down for a barbie on Friday night(complete with shrimps I hope). Score! Tim lives about an hour south of Sydney, along the coast, in a town called Bulli (bull-eye).

The weather was cooperating again (sunny, 25 degrees) and the water looked sooooo inviting. Who could resist the siren's song? Not this Canadian. Powdery sand, gently rolling ocean, clear blue skies... and HA HA - I'm not at work. Dipped my feet into the ocean pool first before venturing down to the real deal. Ready, set, go! Skip, hop, and jump into the water. OK, not all of me. I didn't bring my swim gear but hey, a little paddle along the shoreline was definitely in order.

So I, fake Gucci pouch and all, waded into the water. It was sublime! But, remembering the little girl from yesterday, I was concerned about jellyfish. Wouldn't that suck if I got stung? So there I was, ankle deep in the ocean, looking around for nasty jelly-like critters when... from the corner of my eye... I spot a not-so-friendly looking wave. Gee, I think to myself, that's a pretty big one. Looks like it's taller than me. I'd better move before I get dumped... and... too late... WHAM and I'm dragged under. I come up sputtering (but contacts still in!), Dave is laughing his ass off (on dry land), and then, after the hillarity of the situation/laughter subsided, we both realize that I have my pouch full of stuff on me. Burn on me/us... sunglasses have floated away, sand is in every crevice, Dave's cell phone is soaked, my digital camera is ruined... UGH!

What is the moral of this story? MAKE SURE YOU BUY A WATERPROOF CAMERA!!!! Or at least don't be an idiot and bring it into the water.

I squish back to the car and we make a quick stop home. I have enough sand on me to create my own sandbox. Dave valiantly tries to save the cell phone and camera, but alas, they are no longer with us. Fortunately, my memory card still works so Dave has lent me his camera for the rest of the trip. Once I figure out how to download the pics, I will post them.

After building my sandbox in the shower, a nap was in order. Too much excitement for a Party Princess on holiday; this wasn't on my itinerary!! Went to Eastgardens (the huge mall across the street), did some food shopping, and then puttered back home.

We went downtown to King's Cross for dinner. King's Cross is the red light district of Sydney; it's a gamut of eateries, "adult" stores, backpackers' accommodations, tourists, and miscellaneous creatures of the night. Quite a colourful neighbourhood.

Tomorrow is my first day by myself as Dave has to go to work (sucka!). I think I'll discover how the public transportation system works. Good thing we got a new cell phone that afternoon. I can just imagine how many lifelines I'll be using to "call a friend" to bail me out.

Note from the author: still haven't downloaded pics yet but will do so soon.

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Photos

Coogee Beach
The ocean pool.

Coogee Beach
Coogee Beach... right before I got sucked in!