Sweating in Sydney!

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I find myself once again in an airport. This is my 3 rd flight in 12 days. Each time it feels like a new adventure. Today's destination is Melbourne, and I am excited. Melbourne has been a place that I've heard lots about, its word of mouth famous with me. With many people telling me that it is the sort of place that I would like. I hope everybody will be right.

Sydney was a good time. Mainly because of all the great people that I did meet. Staying at The Blue Parrot allowed me to meet a lot of good people in a very relaxed and small hostel. Their was plenty of advice on what to see and in the evenings their was plenty of good laughs to enjoy. My Sydney days consisted of walking around different areas of the city complaining to myself or anyone that cared to listen that it was too hot. I visited the Sydney Zoo which requires a beautiful ferry ride to get there. My favourite animals included the Giraffes and the Snow Leopard (oh the Koala's are so cute). I was shocked to see some of these creatures. You just turn the corner and bam... there are giraffes or elephants. Then I realized it has been about 20 years since I was taken to the zoo on a family trip as a little boy (probably wearing a Ninja turtle t-shirt, bad 80's colour shorts and a Toronto Blue Jays ball cap). But walking around in 30 degree Sydney weather looking at animals is a tough day (it really was).

Also took a trip out to the famous Bondi Beach with some of the gang from the hostel. It was just a short subway/bus trip from where I was staying. Now I am not a beach person. Firstly, I am Canadian which means I don't attend beaches very often. Secondly, I have fair skin which means I freckle and burn (no sun tan for this guy). And thirdly I am a beer drinking chef which means my beach body is far from perfect. The beach is huge (by my standards) and on this warm Sunday it was packed. There were people everywhere, swimming, sun bathing, surfing or just hanging out with friends. You can easily spot the locals from the tourists by the colour of their tans (us tourists are usually a sandwich or white bread colour while the locals are more of a toast colour). And yes the beach is full of very beautiful women! It was also nice and relaxing to watch the surfers riding some waves in the busy waters. Watching while expecting to see a surfer mow down a group of swimming tourists, but fortunately it never happened.

The evenings I spent having a few beers at the hostel talking travel plans with the others. I have found that since I left New Zealand's South Island I have become a much more relaxed and social traveller. I guess it just feels better to be on the road and seeing new things. I did find the Sydney weather kept me tired. It can be too warm at night to get a good nights sleep while the days of walking around sweating seemed to make me retire earlier in the evening then usual. Sydney the city full of joggers and dog walkers (who would of thought that I'd have so much fun here). I won't miss Sydney's sticky weather though as Melbourne weather is supposed to be a drier heat (but maybe people just say that). I am off to Melbourne, hope I like it.

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