Day 14 to Day 20 - Sydney

Ahhhh Australia!
Land of beautiful nature, wild animals and endless deserts!

I landed in Sydney in the morning, and after approximately 2 hours at the passport control I manged to leave the airport. My friend Anine was there waiting for me and she drove me back to her place before going to work. My first approach with Sydney wasn't really the best. Rain, wind and a cold breeze gave me an unexpected welcome. I always imagined Sydney being the 'sunny city' that you always see on TV, but that wasn't the case. Moreover I was also coming from a super hot country so I probably felt even more the sudden change of climate. I was very tired but I decided to stay awake and go to bed at night in order to adjust myself to the time difference. I left Anine's place and went to city centre. I didn't really have enough warm clothes but my raincoat did a decent job, at least to prevent me getting completely drenched.

I had a lot of different feelings the first day: I was tired and a little bit spaced out but at the same time I felt somehow at 'home', at home because in an environment to me very familiar. A western city with all its typical characteristics which I am pretty used to. I thought I really needed few days of relax, good drinks and good chatting with friends. The days passed by very quickly and I managed to recharged my batteries and to enjoy the company of friends. Sydney offers you a variety of activities and some extremely interesting museums and parks.
It is lovely here and the people seem extremely friendly and simple. My journey in Sydney has been also special thanks to my two friends Anine and Meg, whom not only hosted me during my days here but also took me around helping me to experience the best of Sydney in these seven days.
The weather finally changed after few days and a timid sun started to gradually appear. I spent the days sightseeing around visiting the Sydney Aquarium, the Harbour, the wonderful Opera House, the Taronga Zoo and even went to a Charity Ball.

This one in particular was a great evening: considering that I am backpacking around the world and at the same time managing to go to a Ball wearing a friend's friend's suit and a pair of shoes of Meg's brother, I think I am doing pretty good! I was in the Ball, looking outside one of the window of the Hilton Hotel thinking how funny the world can be. I was/am thousands of miles away from home but everything seems so familiar and friendly.


Few days ago I was in Vietnam and now I am in a Ball wearing a suit in downtown Sydney.
I love this trip!

The Aquarium and the Zoo were simply amazing, showing the wonders of the nature and of this beautiful land, where animals and people seem to live in a very good balanced relationships. The Aquarium was particularly beautiful, walking under water and observing those magnificent creatures that often scared and ignite the imagination of many people and travellers: sharks, stingrays and all sorts of fish were displayed in massive aquariums which smartly reproduced their natural habitat. Same for the Zoo where reptiles, mammals and birds seem to have a lot of space and freedom in one of the largest bio-park of the world.

When I think about Sydney I like to describe it with a very famous Thai sentence: SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT. It is a western city but with a soul of its own.
Such a different environment and such a different culture from the one I just left few days ago in South East Asia, but at the same time extremely beautiful and interesting.
Drinking and chatting on a Friday night next to the Opera House is also something I will always remember...
It was simply great.
Thanks Anine, thanks Meg! Love you loads! XX

While here I decided to go and see the outback. I will fly to Adelaide and will spend a day there. The day after, around 6am I will go on a tour of 6 days heading to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, visiting Coober Pedy, Ayers Rock, King's Creek and obviously the desert.
Loving Sydney and happy to be in Australia!

TWIMO!