Australia, first impressions

I arrived to Sydney in the early morning of Australian labour day after a 15h20min flight from Abu Dhabi, the longest in my life. I took a train to my hotel area and as I got to the reception at 7 something in the morning, completely jet lagged, my worst fears came true: I would have to wait till 2p.m, their check in time, for a room to be vacant. When I said that I had been travelling for more than 26 hours and desperately needed a bed, the lady replied she knew what it was like, "We're Australians". As she pronounced these words it suddenly occurred to me that yes, I was in Sydney. For some reason, maybe because travel is so easy and fast these days, I always need some time to realise that I am indeed there.

So there I was, with 7 hours ahead of me before check in. I decided to cross the Botanic Gardens and head to the Opera House to convince my brain that this is indeed Australia. The gardens are beautiful and as I walked I couldn't stop thinking of Stanley Park, in Vancouver. Not because they look similar, but because of the atmosphere, the greenery all around, the contact with the water, people jogging, cycling and rollerskating everywhere, enjoying the sun (it's only the beginning of Spring here in Sydney but it's already pleasantly hot) and the skyscrapers of downtown in the background. And then, as I came to a look-out point of the park, there it was: the stunning Opera House (I must say it looks more beautiful seen from afar than when you're standing next to it) and Harbour Bridge throning above the harbour. I sat on the grass and spent 30 minutes on the phone with an operator with strong Australian accent trying to activate my SIM card (I'm sure that if this conversation was recorded, it will become a "lack of communication case study" for the company) and Korean and Chinese tourists taking pictures like mad with the Opera House and the Bridge. Eventually I fell asleep on a bench and was woken up by a strange noise. As I looked around, there was a bird the size of a stork searching for food on the ground just next to me, doing that noise and looking completely indifferent to my presence just 1m away! I guess they're used to humans. I finally reached the Opera House, which I'll visit tomorrow morning on a guided tour if my jet lag allows me to get up at all, and then crossed the bridge to North Sydney, where I took a ferry back to Circular Quay. The ferries, the presence of the water, the landscape... A huge sense of "quality of life" overwhelmed me, like it happened in Vancouver last year, the feeling that these places were created not to work or produce anything, but only for your pleasure! Of course, I am only a tourist, maybe I would feel differently if I lived here. But it's true that people look relaxed and easy-going... and also very informal, in my first day I've been called darling and sweetie several times (which I love) and - yes - mate.

I finally went back to my hotel and as I got to my room, the inevitable happened: I laid down "only for ten minutes" (we want that jet lag to go away as quickly as possible, don't we, and sleeping during the day doesn't help) but of course I slept for 5 hours like a baby!

So tomorrow it will be Opera House again and then, as a proper boat-freak, I bought a travel card for the time that I'm here, I plan to use ferries as much as I can and it's a cheap way of exploring the harbour.