|
|
|
| Our ship wouldn't depart until 6 PM, so we were able to continue to explore Sydney before we had to make our way to the port to check in, board, and settle down in our room. |
| Day Pre-trip 1-2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 |
|
Page Main
Previous
1
2
Next
|
 Around 9:00, we were ready to go. We checked out of the hotel, but didn't have to be at the port to board our ship until 4:00 or so, so we left our luggage there. Our Big Bus passes were only good until 9:52 AM (we bought 48-hour passes the first full day here), so we needed to get on the bus soon. And we did, off on another, our last, day in Sydney. |
 As we rode the Big Bus yesterday, I spotted this fountain, but by the time I did, it was too late to get a good picture of it. So today, as we rode the bus for the last time, I watched for it and got these pictures. So what's the big deal? I'm pretty sure this is the same fountain I took a picture of when I was in Sydney in September, 1968, during my R&R week from my tour in Vietnam. The surrounding area looks different, but, hey, a lot can (and I'm sure, did) change in 56 years (or the fountain may have been moved), but the fountain and its base look the same as the one I saw there so many years ago! Oh, and today we're sitting on the bus's lower level to avoid Sydney's powerful UV rays. |
 I took a few final random pictures of Sydney as we drove through the town until... |
 ...we hopped off the Sydney Big Bus and said goodbye - and thanks! (These Hop-on/Hop-off buses are well worth the money when traveling. We've used them on several of our European trips.) But where did we get off? Here, at the Chinese Gardens/Chinatown stop! We began walking. |
 While the others opted for a bathroom break, I climbed one of the pedestrian bridges over the roadway to take a few pictures, including this one of Teresa when she emerged from the restroom. Apparently, we were at or near Darling Harbor and the King Street Wharf where we did our dinner cruise last evening. |
 We walked into the Darling Quarter, "...an inner-city sanctuary. A laid-back oasis of eateries, bars and open spaces to play, take time out to escape from the bump and grind of the city..." (from https://darlingquarter.com/). It was still early, so none of the eateries were open, but the big playground was quite busy this Sunday morning. |
 We continued exploring, walking towards the Chinese Garden of Friendship (we saw this guy along the way), only to find out there was a fee to get in (AU$12, about US$8), so we passed on it. We were anxious to get to Chinatown. |
 We continued walking, passing "The Exchange" (a six-story civic center by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma), then past this and this (they're everywhere), following conveniently placed maps, eventually reaching our goal! |
 Chinatown was basically a long, pedestrian-only alley (actually Dixon Street) lined on both sides with Chinese restaurants and shops. With the Chinese new year just recently beginning, the entranceway was still decorated to welcome the year of the dragon. |
 Everyone was starting to get hungry, so we walked up and down Dixon Street (it extended several blocks) checking out restaurants and menus, finally settling on this place, the "Super Bowl" ("別不同"). In we went. |
 Their menu read like a book! So many choices. But we ended up with a simple order; Steve, Teresa, and Mei-O all got Cantonese seafood congee (粥), while I got something like sweet and sour ribs (京都排骨). And we got an order of this (cow intestines, tripe, etc.) to share (none of which I had). It was a very good lunch, though a bit expensive. |
 We headed down Dixon Street, exiting the blocks of restaurants and shops at the south end, which was also decorated just like the north end where we came in, and came upon Market City, a huge indoor market. We went in and found hundreds of vendors selling all sorts of stuff. We didn't stay long and I don't believe anyone bought anything. Outside the market in the street, this kids' thing was going on. Next Top |
